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Sopranos Final Season
Timothy Noah chatted with readers about The Sopranos on June 7. Read the transcript here.
Dear Scatman Noah,
In re: shit, you asked me if it is any more disgusting to see a kid bake a brownie in the shower than to watch an eye shot out or a corpse carved up with an electric knife.
Yes, it's more disgusting.
Analyze that, Captain Underpants.
I'm glad you didn't notice Southside Johnny, either. I saw his name roll by in the credits as well, and I couldn't figure it out. Maybe he was playing Hesh's girlfriend, who, by the way, I thought might have been killed by Tony as payback for Hesh's kvetching, until you informed me otherwise. It would have been more interesting to see Tony take revenge on Hesh through his girlfriend. Her death was needless, it seems, and uninteresting. Unless, of course, Hesh sees Tony's hand in it and decides to take revenge. How he would do that, I don't know, given the modern-day dearth of Jewish hit men.
I have no particular objection to new characters, and I don't—Freud notwithstanding—have a need to see this show tidied up in its final week. In fact, I think it will be disappointing if the show ends too neatly. We don't want to see Tony clutching his chest, moaning, "Is this the end of Rico?"
It would be artful, obviously, to end ambiguously, Tony still trapped in the purgatory of his own making, living with his pettily corrupt wife and his idiot son and fearing the FBI at the end of the driveway. It might not be satisfying, but it will be understandable. This, of course, has been the great virtue of The Sopranos—it's as messy as life. I'm not denying, though, that there's a part of me that wishes the Russian will emerge out of the mud of the swamps of Jersey and kill Tony, just so we can undangle that dangling episode. And by the way, Tony dropped Slava's name in passing Sunday night, so who knows? Maybe the straightforward thing will happen. That would be a fantastic trick on the audience: David Chase doing something obvious for maybe the first time in six seasons.
And you are absolutely right: Carter Chong's role added a great deal to last week's Junior-centered story (and here, let me officially note to the many interlocutors who doubt my television-watching abilities that I did indeed notice that the Junior episode featured a rage-filled Asian-American, and that, yes, on Sunday night's episode, there was a direct reference to Columbine, but I will also say that I'm not inclined to dwell on this overly much). My objection is to the underutilization of long-term characters. I mean, where's Artie Bucco? He's been so central for so long, and he plays a crucial moral role in the story—the meek, law-abiding civilian who fantasizes about the mob life. He is really one of the most layered, interesting characters in the show and truly a stand-in for all of us earth-bound schlemiels who don't generally break the law. And where's Meadow? She's done absolutely nothing this year except ditch the pathetic Finn, and that happened off-screen.
The Nancy Sinatra appearance was odd, and not just because of her supersized lips. It seemed a betrayal of her father to re-associate his name with Jersey mobsters (of course, Frank Sinatra Jr. also appeared in an earlier season, in a card game, and was famously called "Chairboy of the Board" by Paulie Walnuts). Mario Puzo once told me (sorry for the name drop, but I can't help that I'm semiconnected in my own mind) that Sinatra treated him like garbage whenever he ran into him, but what Sinatra objected to in The Godfather was not so much being the model for Johnny Fontaine but that Fontaine cried in front of Don Corleone ("Is this how you turned out?" the Don asks the Sinatra stand-in. "A Hollywood finocchio that cries like a woman?")
Anyway, I guess if you're Nancy Sinatra and HBO calls, what are you gonna do?
OK, on to the Tony's Demise Sweepstakes: I still think Janice will play a key role in Tony's downfall, and I assume she will betray Tony because Bobby's DNA showed up on the guy he killed in Canada, and the Mounties have his number (the Mounties are very fastidious about physical evidence, I'm told). But I'm beginning to shade in Christopher's direction, not least because there's a whiff of the rat on him now. And I still think Phil Leotardo's anger issues are a diversion. But I've been known to be wrong. Any thoughts?
Jeff
PRINT
DISCUSS
E-MAILRemarks from the Fray Editor:
As a basic cable slum-dweller, the Fray Editor has been following the discussion of The Sopranos with admiration and envy. The passion, erudition, and insight of the show's fans—Slate's commentators and Fraysters alike—proves the case that this series is not to be missed. Below, Fray poster lucabrasi considers how the 6.5 season story arc has led the show inevitably to the present moment.
May this weekend's finale exceed your wildest expectations. My prediction? Paulie Walnuts in the Bing with a shoe buffer.—G.A.
Remarks from the Fray:
I must salute the excellent close of the mob wars arc that started way back in Season One.
Looking back from today, with Tony's Jersey crime family indeed looking like a "glorified crew" in the eyes of New York, one can see it, almost clearly:
Season One: Tony's issues were of ascension in that smallish Jersey family. Jackie Sr. was dying; Uncle Junior was the designated "front don," and yet bitter enough about Tony's power to use Livia's ambiguous directives to hit Tony. Didn't work. Junior was exiled and took on Federal heat; Tony had the others killed.
Season Two: Richie Aprile gets out of prison. A theme begins: guys out of prison resent Tony, who never served. But Richie, too, is "local Jersey trouble." His escalating conflict with Tony is going to be dealt with rather easily -- Tony wants Richie hit, but Janice delivers a dose of even MORE "local" justice.
Meanwhile, I think NYC underboss Johnny Sack turns up living in Jersey, but promising Tony "I don't want to wet my beak."
The main NYC Don is Carmine Sr, an old school guy. Tony can deal with Carmine Sr, but Sack starts getting that lean and hungry look...
Seasons Three and Four: Other issues are on the table (Jackie Jr., Tony and Carm's marriage), but Tony's adversaries are manageable: made guy Ralphie and the ever-more-ambitious and angry Sack. Ralphie is eliminated, quietly (if NYC ever finds out...). Sack wants Tony to hit Old Man Carmine; Tony pulls out at the last moment. Sack looks to be vengeful.
Season Five: The big trouble all starts here, with the release of the "Class of '84". It's like four Richie Apriles. Tony has a lotta plates to spin: an old-timer named Feech who wants it all, locally, Tony's cousin Tony B, the "Rockford Guy" (Joe Santos) who Tony B idolizes as a father, and a real hothead named Phil Leotardo.
Carmine Sr. croaks. Phil joins with Sack against Little Carmine, Tony B joins with the Rockford Guy and Rusty in backing Little Carmine's play. Tony elects to back off and see how Jersey can benefit from the ensuing bloodshed, of which there is a lot.
During all this, two little matters occur: Seeking owed cash, Tony subjects Phil Leotardo to a body-breaking car crash and beats up Phil at the accident site as a "throw-in." Tony B kills Phil's brother Billy Leotardo.
In retrospect, these last two actions were perhaps...unfortunate.
Sack and Phil kill more guys than Little Carmine's team. Little caves ("It's a stagmire.") Sack ascends to Donhood. Tony can deal with Sack (having killed Tony B as a burnt offering), and Sack will stave off the still vengeful Phil Leotardo.
But right at the end of Season Five, the Feds nab Sack. Go directly to jail.
Season 6A: Sack's in prison, but the putative boss, with Phil fronting him on the outside. Tony's shot for a few episodes. The "gay Vito issue" gives Phil new reason for putting the pressure on Tony's Jersey boys. With Sack losing power by the day, Phil contemplates his rages against Tony: getting beaten up by Tony, paying money to Tony, brother killed by the cousin of Tony, gay Vito protected by Tony. Phil has a heart attack to match Tony's gutshot. Things seem peaceful between these two wounded warriors. But this guy Butch turns up, taunting Tony.
Season 6B. Tony's luck with New York runs out, via a series of crap outs: Sack dies of cancer; Doc kills Gerry; Phil kills Doc.. Phil is "the big boss man," finally, and the worst possible New York Don Tony Soprano could face. Filled with jailhouse vengeance and itching to consolidate power, Phil pushes Tony too far (with the sexual insult of Coco towards Meadow, ultimately). Tony retaliates (curbing); Phil says "there's nothing left to talk about," and here we are.
Now, I' m not sure how much of that was plotted early on by Chase and Company, but looking back on it, you see how this final, fatal gang war was literally years in the making. Tony Soprano fended off Jersey threats (Junior, Richie), kept the peace with Carmine Sr, dangerously dueled with Sack (the longest of Tony's strategic encounters), sat out the gang war to replace Carmine Sr...and ended up on the wrong end of Phil's bloody ascension to the throne of the New York Family.
Where things are now is where they HAVE to be. Inevitability.
--lucabrasi
(To reply, click here.)
(6/9)
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