'Sopranos' Finale Recap: What Now?

HOLLYWOOD -- The eruption heard across the country Sunday night at 10:03 p.m. EDT: Collective exclamations of "What?" "Are you kidding me?" and ".$&!?" The choose-your-own-adventure ending of "The Sopranos" left endless loose ends that seemed to parody the typical audience expectations for a series finale. If you were bothered by the never-heard-from-again Russian who escaped assassination in the Pine Barrens, well, you're probably not very happy now. But as ambiguous as the conclusion of the HBO drama was, the 86th episode -- titled "Made in America" -- still left us with final, indelible images of the main characters. Many expected Tony to die, but the mob boss managed to live through the episode; whether he lives much past that is a matter of subjectivity. Were the shady-looking characters hanging around the diner in the final scene there to kill Tony? Were they undercover cops? Neither? With a likely indictment hanging over his head, our last impression of Tony (James Gandolfini) was of a relatively peaceful family man who had come to terms with many of his headaches, including Uncle Junior (whom he had disavowed after Junior shot him) and therapy (which he disavowed after Dr. Melfi ended their sessions). He showed interest in both in the finale. His kids continue to disappoint, but perhaps not too much. Any judgment of Tony's lasting mental state, though, would take pages and pages, and still leave unresolved issues.

Comments: 14

Angela H. Jun 12, 2007, 12:52am EDT

Is till cant wait to see all of the last season i love the show no matter what

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Holly G. Jun 12, 2007, 12:54am EDT

I have watched all 86 episodes of the Soprano's. It is my favorite show, and last night's episode had me saying "what the ??" For a brief moment, I thought the cable went out! HA! I was expecting more, and I wasn't so happy last night. But today I am liking the ending a little more. I didn't want to see the whole crew get taken out...I guess I want to think in my mind that the Soprano's goes on, and maybe someday a movie, or something! I am truely going to miss the family!

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Lisa "Queen Wombat" F. Jun 12, 2007, 1:33am EDT

I loved the ending. Like everyone else, I thought my cable had gone out when I was watching. But the more I reflect on it, the more I think it encapsulated the many ambiguities and depth of the series.

It goes on and on and on and on...

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Debra P. Jun 12, 2007, 1:50am EDT

I was a late bloomer for the show. But, once I watched it I was hooked. Now I want to buy the set to see it from the beginning. I grew up in Rhode Island,big mob place, well anyways, I could think of several people I once knew that could fit the characters. The strangest part of watching this show is how I started rooting for Tony. Now tell me, how sick is that? I guess we all have a darkside.....hmmmmmmm .....I think it's funny how the women on the show all sound, look, and act like they are from R.I. Ya know, big big hair, too much makeup, and the accent......Can't wait to see the end too, but it's a bitter sweetness for me.

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Jeremy Crow Jun 12, 2007, 5:07am EDT

The blacking out of the screen was simply the culmination of the saying earlier of "You'll never see it coming when they get you," as Meadow waked in the door that was simply the ending of everything that Tony ever saw ... Fini ... He got a couple in the hat ... Probably following the direction of the Godfather itself you will probably see a movie that will follow where the family all got it and the irony of Meadow being late as usual and having to witness this {assuming she was the only survivor} would lead her into that "Over the Top" style of "Taking over the family" ... At least that is how I am interpreting it for now ... caio ... JC

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Barb S. Jun 12, 2007, 6:36am EDT

I don't watch this show, but it sure stirred up my friends that do watch it!!

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donna h. Jun 12, 2007, 6:38am EDT

I didn't watch - we stopped a few years ago

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Tim B. Jun 12, 2007, 9:11am EDT

Don't watch the show either but I know that if this happened on one of my favorite shows I would be really ticked off.

I have heard speculation that he was setting it up for a movie, though.

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Joe Corso Jun 12, 2007, 11:15am EDT

Never watched it, never will

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Gale L. Jun 12, 2007, 1:48pm EDT

Have loved the Sopranos, but I do think David Chase copped out with this "non-ending" Come on! Shakespeare would never have left us hanging like that...

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