Loved the ending. I don't get what all the moaning is about. How the hell did you want it to end?
Perfect ending for this show.
You know, Quasimodo predicted all this.
Maybe a bit clearer just so we can be 100%? Imagine the shock of actually seeing him go.
Actually slightly similarly to Deckard, the point isn't whether or not he is or isn't dead (/a replicant), but the doubt and ambiguity regarding his status.
There are two interpretations that are equally as valid. You can't decide one is the truth.
1) Tony got shot by the bathroom guy and died because he dropped his guard. (but he does notice him so I'm not a fan of it)
2) Tony's life is a living hell because everything is a potential threat to him, his family offers him a brief distraction from it, and his daughter is the only thing that gives him peace (which is coincidentally when the show ends).
Maybe a bit clearer just so we can be 100%? Imagine the shock of actually seeing him go.
I'm aware there are so many signs that he died but for me - I choose not to believe them. Goddamn I loved that show and Tony. To me he's still alive and kicking
There is no reason for both the screen to suddenly go black and sound to stop the same instant other than Tony being dead because he was shot in the head.
I haven´t watched the show in a while, but I remember the majority of the final season is about the war between the gangs, where everything is really heated up. By the end, the war is (apparently) resolved, and Tony relaxes, gets careless (if i remeber correctly). The ending scene is a celebration of the end of the war and Tony lets his guard down because there's no eminent threat. Maybe that's why he doesn't pay attention to the guy.
This is to say that in that last episode his life isn't a living hell. In fact, i think Tony feels peace is here to stay
"Huh...his apartment looked like shit"
Should have had ducklings walk across the table passing Tony's body. Something super subtle and not ham fisted just like the rat at the end of The Departedwhat about the ducks 🤔
lazy writing not to conclude that story line in the finale.
My take is also that the cut to black is his death. Pop just like that.
That reminds me, need to rewatch The Sopranos soon.
There is no reason for both the screen to suddenly go black and sound to stop the same instant other than Tony being dead because he was shot in the head.
Sorry if you don't like this, but you'll have to deal with it.
I thought the ending would be somewhat jarring, sure. But not to the extent it was, and not a subject of such discussion. I really had no idea about that. I never considered the black a shot. I just thought what we see is black. The ceiling I was going for at that point, the biggest feeling I was going for, honestly, was don't stop believing. It was very simple and much more on the nose than people think. That's what I wanted people to believe. That life ends and death comes, but don't stop believing. There are attachments we make in life, even though it's all going to come to an end, that are worth so much, and we're so lucky to have been able to experience them. Life is short. Either it ends here for Tony or some other time. But in spite of that, it's really worth it. So don't stop believing.
That's wrong.
He does pay attention. To everything and everyone, he drops his guard briefly when his family chit chats. Before that he was checking out everyone.
When MOB goes into the bathroom, Tony catches it. It's only when his daughter arrives that it all stops.
Earlier, his daughter is implied to have been the reason he fought to stay alive. She's his peace.
So basically, you can think that he either dropped his guard because of his daughter's arrival and got killed, or his daughter arrived and ended all that tension within him.
What has to be pointed out is that Meadow (the daughter)'s arrival is delayed several times and we see her struggling to park. So it proves that her arrival is the reason it ends.
There is no way to be 100% certain what did happen though.
That's wrong.
He does pay attention. To everything and everyone, he drops his guard briefly when his family chit chats. Before that he was checking out everyone.
When MOB goes into the bathroom, Tony catches it. It's only when his daughter arrives that it all stops.
Earlier, his daughter is implied to have been the reason he fought to stay alive. She's his peace.
So basically, you can think that he either dropped his guard because of his daughter's arrival and got killed, or his daughter arrived and ended all that tension within him.
What has to be pointed out is that Meadow (the daughter)'s arrival is delayed several times and we see her struggling to park. So it proves that her arrival is the reason it ends.
There is no way to be 100% certain what did happen though.
Yeah he died for sure. I wasn't sure to begin with, but all it takes is you to pay attention or rewatch to realize.
The real question is: Who killed him/ordered the kill.
Either way it sure left the Jersey crew in a sad sad state.
I think a revenge hit for what happened to Phil Leotardo at the gas pump makes most sense. That was in front of the family, and also sorta ended with him not really able to have an open casket funeral. That sort of stuff is generally against mob rules. A revenge hit on Tony in front of his family is effectively an eye for an eye
But then Tony did make a few enemies over 6 seasons, and it could have been anyone. I think that part is meant to be intentionally vague though. Tony didn't know, so why should we
- Butchie originally planned the three hits on the Soprano crew in a barber's shop (where Paulie is specifically mentioned as not a target.) Then in Made in America Paulie walks into Satriale's with a box of barber scissors (the 30 pieces of silver)
- In the final sit-down Butchie keeps looking towards Carmine before making a decision (as he is the new heir-apparent of the Lupertazzi crime family)
- Little Carmine looks sad and says "It didn't have to be this way"
- Paulie shakes Butchie's hand behind Tony's back
- When Paulie calls Tony to tell him Carlo is missing, he says they were supposed to see Butchie "to run down a few items."
- Little Carmine had been "crying the blues" over Tony's feud with Phil because it was hurting his income
- When Butchie bumps into Tony at the hospital he says "We gotta stop meeting like this!"
- Paulie is wrecked with guilt over something important in the final episode
- Paulie has a dream where he sees Pussy's ghost and he asks him "When my time comes, will I stand up?" This is in the same episode where Tony begins to doubt Paulie's true loyalty after realizing he used to give Soprano secrets to Johnny Sack (i.e. New York)
- Mikey Palmice's ghost telling Paulie and Tony 3 o'clock
what about the ducks 🤔
lazy writing not to conclude that story line in the finale.
I finally finished the sopranos. What the hell was going on with that ending? I thought my piece of shit HDMI cable had cut out at first.
Yup. On top of everything else about the way that scene is structured and foreshadowed, it's using a piece of pop culture iconography to make it clear what's going on.Also an underappreciated argument in favor of Tony's death -----> The scene is a Godfather reference
Also an underappreciated argument in favor of Tony's death -----> The scene is a Godfather reference
Wish I could watch this show fresh again, I envy those who have never seen it.
Didn't you hear? That makes it amazing. Everyone knows that only brilliantly scripted television could make you think your equipment was malfunctioning!
In reality, its a shitty ending. A total cop out tacked on to the end of the most well written and brilliantly paced television shows of all time. The fact that such a remarkable piece of work has such a ridiculously out of place wart riiiiiight at the end pushes a lot of people to look for a reason to explain it away or at least make an excuse for it.
But its like all those crazy folks standing looking and marveling over some 'art exhibit' where some random just threw a paint can at a canvas and left a splotch of paint on the page. It isn't sophisticated, it isn't deep, it isn't "over the viewer's head". It's just a fucking cut to black.
Didn't you hear? That makes it amazing. Everyone knows that only brilliantly scripted television could make you think your equipment was malfunctioning!
In reality, its a shitty ending (I'll add thats my opinion. A more accurate description would be that its an intentionally AMBIGUOUS ending). A total cop out tacked on to the end of the most well written and brilliantly paced television shows of all time. The fact that such a remarkable piece of work has such a ridiculously out of place wart riiiiiight at the end pushes a lot of people to look for a reason to explain it away or at least make an excuse for it.
But its like all those crazy folks standing looking and marveling over some 'art exhibit' where some random just threw a paint can at a canvas and left a splotch of paint on the page. It isn't sophisticated, it isn't deep, it isn't "over the viewer's head". It's just a fucking cut to black.
That's the one.You mean the restaurant scene?
You're right. We're all just making excuses.Didn't you hear? That makes it amazing. Everyone knows that only brilliantly scripted television could make you think your equipment was malfunctioning!
In reality, its a shitty ending (I'll add thats my opinion. A more accurate description would be that its an intentionally AMBIGUOUS ending). A total cop out tacked on to the end of the most well written and brilliantly paced television shows of all time. The fact that such a remarkable piece of work has such a ridiculously out of place wart riiiiiight at the end pushes a lot of people to look for a reason to explain it away or at least make an excuse for it.
But its like all those crazy folks standing looking and marveling over some 'art exhibit' where some random just threw a paint can at a canvas and left a splotch of paint on the page. It isn't sophisticated, it isn't deep, it isn't "over the viewer's head". It's just a fucking cut to black.
The whole season foreshadows it. He gets shot in the head.
If that were the case it would be simple to just say "yeah, he is dead" or "no, he isn't dead" but he won't because there is no deeper meaning to the scene other than "don't stop believing", which happens to be the answer he actually does give every time he is asked. There is no right answer because he didn't think it through, not because he intentionally created a mysteryThis.
Basically the whole season setup the equation of 2+7+33-17 =
Just because the ending didn't blurt out the answer doesn't mean the answer is ambiguous. The answer is clearly there if you construct the equation from the entire season of data points.
A good piece of art doesn't need to provide an answer key at the end. It should allow enough space for the viewer to have their experience and discover the conclusion on their own. Some people ignore obvious clues or simply perceive things differently, and that may affect their perception of the ending. Again, it doesn't mean the ending was ambiguous. It's just the "non-hollywood" or "storybook" ending forced people to think on their own about the events that transpired. The ending is actually pretty straight-forward given all the clues from the season, but many viewers struggle to accept because of the attachment they had with Tony or thought there should have been a grand-shootout. People's attachment and expectations made them blind to the obvious.
I never bought into the Tony got wacked concept. If he was amongst gangsters then maybe he gets hit by one of his own and doesn't see it coming. Getting hit in a public place with his family completely unaware, it just doesn't fit with the character. He was the Boss and he didn't get there being clueless. The story started and ended with family that's all there was to it.
Didn't the show creator come out and say Tony lives?