The Sopranos SUCKED last night - made M*A*S*H last episode look genius

[LynneSin]

Seriously

[kwassa]

1. It was a great episode

the last two were extremely tense, and well-done.

[begin_within]

2. The audience is the one that got whacked. Glad I never watched that show.

[LynneSin]

3. Seriously!!

I was cut off at the knees

[xmas74]

14. And that was the point.

The entire series was about Tony-his hopes, dreams and wishes. We spent all this time w/ him in therapy trying to figure out his life-was he a good person in a messed up career or was he a slimeball thug? We saw the best and worst of Tony Soprano. We were given enough info to make a sound conclusion on what kind of person he really is.

As to the ending-how else could it have ended? If you liked Tony you certainly didn't want to see him get whacked. If you didn't like him you wanted it to happen. And no one wanted to really see him flip-that's just not him. (Not completely him, at least.)

This was a fantastic way to end it. Chase had you sitting on edge throughout the entire episode, wondering when Tony was going to get whacked. (Admit it-that's exactly what you expected to happen.) Instead, we have a family sitting down in a diner. Nothing all that different from any other family.

I was upset with the black screen for a couple of minutes then realized what a fantastic job he really did. The ending is up to us. Chase did what he wanted: he created an ending so controversial that people will be talking about it for a long time afterward. What's so interesting about the controversy is that there is no violence, no nudity, no sexual context, no language-absolutely nothing. After having the night to sleep on it I realize it was truly genius.

[GenDem]

36. Completely agree

I was actually sick to my stomach leading into last nights show, and the tension level never eased up, until the credits rolled.

I realized that the last thing I wanted to happen was to see Tony mowed down. I can't hate this character, as much as I should. The way he cradled AJ after his suicide attempt, holding onto Syl's hand, when he shuffles down for his morning coffee with that shit ass grin on his face and Carmella lovingly attends to his every need. Then there's the flip side -- banging anyone that walks, murder, thuggery, and mayhem. He represents the best and the absolute worst.

I feel like David Chase has allowed each one of us to end it personally, and I've given Tony the chance to live another day. I like having that control. Thank you, David Chase.

[xmas74]

40. Exactly.

Thank you David Chase. What a great ending.

[kwassa]

4. How could you possibly know if you never watched it????????

Being the film fan that you are, the Sopranos is one of the greatest dramatic shows in the history of television. I'm surprised you've never made any attempt to watch it.

[begin_within]

5. I have been reading all about it on several boards today, so I know what was in the last episode.

I've never watched it because I don't have cable.

[NYCGirl]

41. Too bad you never watched it. You missed some of the greatest writing and

acting ever.

[DrDan]

6. the last episode of M*A*S*H was pure genius

regardless of how the Sopranos was handled

I still remember the looks on their faces . . . and how I felt when I heard that announcement

[bigwillq]

7. I don't think it sucked

Obviously for many of us, it wasn't how we would end it but overall, I thought it was a strong episode. It made me want more, especially since most of the main characters lived. I wish the series would continue. I am going to miss the show a lot. :( :cry:

[Connie_Corleone]

8. We never saw it coming. We got whacked at the end.

I would've settled for the family eating onion rings and singing Kumbaya as an ending rather than the screen suddenly going black, making me think my cable went out.

I'm glad it's over.

[bigwillq]

16. I thought my cable went out too!

:)

[PeaceNikki]

9. In restrospect, I loved it.

I was SOOO angry at first. Now I think it's pure genius. I would have been more upset if Tony/the family had been definitively whacked.

I keep "believing" that they made it :).

[ronnykmarshall]

10. Now that I think about it ...

I think you're right. I was on the edge of my seat during that last part.

Thinking back now, having a :wtf: ending worked.

I kept wondering however if that cat was going to start staring at Paulie to freak him out.

[PeaceNikki]

11. I'd love to see a full-feature movie or DVD release with more...

But if not, I am OK with MY ending... MY BELIEVING that it was all ok.

Some theorize that the cat was either Adriane or Pussy - interesting...

Yeah, I literally was screaming "NO FUCKING WAY" at the screen for a solid 5 minutes after it ended - but, I am now convinced I loved it - and I am glad that Tony is not definitively "gone".

[Sterling]

46. Movie, that is the plan.

That is why they gave us such a half assed ending. Setting up a vacuum that can only be filled by a X files style i n theater release that we all will have t pay extra to find out what that lame ass ending was setting up. We are being played like suckers. Chase is making this up as he goes along and has no real idea how to end this thing. 2 years max before we shell out new $ to get satisfaction out of that crappy episode.

[xmas74]

17. The cat was awesome.

I would love to see that cat follow Paulie home, sitting at his front door and staring at it.

[xmas74]

15. You and I

had the same reaction.

Do I think they made it? I'm not sure. Maybe the odd looking men everywhere is just a glimpse of what it's really like to look through Tony's eyes. I'm sure he spots trouble everywhere, even if it's not really there.

[PeaceNikki]

20. I know... again, after having digested and discussed it, I LOVE that it could go any way.

I also thought this was amazing: there was a LOT of buzz about a "gas station scene" in the final episode. Not sure if you caught it, but there must have been at LEAST 6 scenes prior to Phil's demise where they were at a gas station or quickly cut to it. Each time, I gasped in wonder... is THIS it?!?!?

Brilliant show, brilliant series.

[xmas74]

29. I caught it.

Every time they showed it my daughter would peek in and I'd have to chase her back to bed.

I just think the episode was very well written.

[PeaceNikki]

24. Ooooh... another interesting theory (from the HBO discussion boards)

From:
http://boards.hbo.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800008702&start=0&tstart=0

"I also think the last scene was a dream. Tony walks into the diner and sees himself -first clue. Suddenly, he's seated and looking up at an empty door.

He envisions everyone who has tried to kill him before (the two black fellows - weren't they the ones Junior sent after him?), there's the store owner whose life he destroyed, etc.

The boys scouts and leader (from the train shop where Bobby got whacked) were the dead giveaway that this was a dream.

Last thing! The Godfather reference - no, not just the guy going into the bathroom for a gun - remember that the daughter got killed by mistake on the stairs of the opera house? I think this is Tony's worst nightmare - that someone will try to take him out and BOOM. Meadow rushes into the line of fire by mistake.

Fade to black - it was a dream."

[xmas74]

31. Maybe.

But that goes almost "too inside", if you know what I mean. The occasional jokey reference to a pop culture phenom, event, movie,etc is fine but when you base a part of the ending of your tv series on another series (as in GF being a series of films) it might not appeal as well to all. Not everyone will get it.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

37. Great....The "Dallas" Ending....

It was all a dream.

[stanwyck]

12. It was perfect. Why? Because

you had to think. Try going back and watching the last seven minutes. Is it that guy? Or those guys? And what about Meadow? Does she make it into the restaurant before Tony gets whacked? During? After? Does Tony even get whacked? What about Carmella and AJ? The tension is perfect. And that tension is what made the show. Because as much as we all know Tony was a stone-cold killer, he was also a husband, father, and friend. The conflict for viewers was constant. So, why shouldn't the finale be the same?
You can think Tony finished dinner and went home. If that's what you want. Me? I think he was killed. It was his time. AJ foreshadowed it when he repeated Tony's line from the last show of an earlier season: "You told us to remember the good times."

[PeaceNikki]

13. "Don't Stop Believing" really spoke to me.

*I* choose to believe they made it... :)

I re-watched the last 7-8 minutes 3 times. Loved it.

[sandnsea]

34. Think For Yourself

Is there any more important message that America needs right now?

I thought it was brilliant. I absolutely love not being told what to think. I can love whoever I want, and I love the Sopranos. I absolutely will remember the good times.

[LoveleeRita]

18. Great the more you thought about it...

Seinfeld was the same... the last show while watching it was just OK, but the more you thought about it (and saw that last episode again), the better it was.

Really great writing when you think about it!

[Shakespeare]

19. If anybody expected David Chase to tie everything up in a neat little bow....

....then they haven't been paying attention to the entire freaking series. He never does anything pat or predictable.

I was as frustrated as you were, but at the same time realized it was a perfect way to end the show. When the screen went black, I stared in disbelief for a second and then died laughing (shouting "oh, fuck you, David Chase!" at the TV). I loved it.

One of the things that has made the whole series so great is that Chase has ALWAYS played the audience like a violin.

[Bake]

21. Totally anti-climactic.

And after the build up from last week ... we shoulda seen this coming. Chase never gives you what you really want. The tension this time ... then NOTHING.

Life goes on. I was pissed initially, but I'm starting to think it was a good ending. Because it wasn't an ending.

Bake

[Shakespeare]

22. But *didn't* he give us what we wanted?

Did anybody really want Tony to die? Didn't we all kind of want life to go on? That's exactly what we got (minus Phil Leotardo in a hilariously gruesome hit).

[xmas74]

32. Exactly.

No real ending. Did we really want to see an end to Tony Soprano? NO. (Let's leave out a few of the stinker episodes here.) The show was too good and no one really wanted to see it end.

I thought it was one of the best endings in television. Chase said that it would be a controversial ending and he was correct. The ending did what it promised: it has people talking and will still have people talking for a long time.

[SharonRB]

23. I'm with you, Lynne

The ending was a real letdown for me, and we have a lot of company, based on my conversations with friends from DU and elsewhere. I know a lot of people here thought it was great, but it was right up there with the ending of St. Elsewhere for me. Blech!

:hi:

[stanwyck]

25. Were all the other people in the restaurant

enemies of Tony from past episodes? That's what a co-worker just told me. That all of the other people in the restaurant were people Tony had conflicts with during previous shows. A man with his children who owned the sporting goods store...two black men who were selling crack at Tony's mother's house.
Not sure if this is valid. Just one of the stories going around today.

[PeaceNikki]

26. See post #24 for a theory about last scene from HBO boards.

Supports that theory.

[misanthrope]

27. Oh, c'mon...

...M*A*S*H jumped the shark not long after Henry died. It was absolutely terrible the last few seasons (when they should have changed the name of the show to "This DAMN WAR!") and the last episode was far too syrupy and trite for my tastes.

To each his own...

[LynneSin]

28. I think it jump shark after Frank Burns left

There were some good episodes with Potter but after Frank it was all downhill from there

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

35. Some of the last MASH was syrupy

Ok, maybe most of it.

But I liked the torture scenes, with Charles trying to teach the North Korean prisoners to play Mozart. I think it was his Clarinet Quintet in A Major K-581. Every bad note drove Charles nuts. They could have made him talk. They had ways.

edit to add sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB1czouO6IQ

[AndreaCG]

42. I'm one of the few MASH fans who missed the finale

And now that I hate BJ Hunnicutt I never will see it. If it's rerunning and I see Mike Farrell's name I switch stations. If it's Wayne Rogers I might watch.

But Harry Morgan as Henry Blake's replacement and the snob Charles who replaced Frank were both very good.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

44. Syrupy?

HAve you even SEEN the episode? It was gritty and gut wrenching.
God, I will never understand people on DU and their snobbery at TV And Movies.
Duckie

[misanthrope]

47. Yeah, "syrupy"...

...I thought it was as maudlin as most of the last couple of seasons were.

Though the worst one had to be the one where they dropped the orphaned baby off at the convent. I thought I was going to yak all over myself watching that and I was young and not nearly as jaded then as I am now.

And don't get me started on the performance of Jamie Farr in the latter stages of that series. He seemed like he stepped straight off a vaudeville stage and onto the 4077th set.

Just my opinion, ya' know.

[Orrex]

30. Too bad; the mafioso archetype is under-represented in media

With the departure of The Sopranos, how will we reinforce our goombah stereotypes?

[PeaceNikki]

33. Emotionally frustrated but intellectually gratified.

[Efilroft Sul]

38. People can't cope with not having closure. But we don't always get closure.

Life's like that. Everything doesn't get wrapped up at predetermined points in time. The credits don't roll when we win or lose.

There was no other way to end "The Sopranos" without being cliché. It's an immediate black screen, and it's a fantastic device to spur water cooler debate, or in the online case, Cheetos-eating squabbling. Did Tony get whacked? Maybe. If so, and he didn't see it coming, then the cut to black would be exactly how he saw things in his final moments. Did Tony live and the family go on? Maybe. If so, then the tension built up toward the end of the episode allowed us to understand Tony's paranoia and how he always has to look over his shoulders.

American TV and movie viewers, I believe, have been trained by Hollywood in the last 25 years to expect the climax where PEOPLE DIE. We trained monkeys demand closure! But as the Journey song says, "Oh, the movie never ends. It goes on and on and on and on..." And the Sopranos will continue, except that viewers are no longer flies on the wall with these characters.

Deal.

[LynneSin]

39. But that's not the part that bothered me

The whole episode was all over the board and created more issues than resolving them. Like the cat staring at Christopher's picture. Why waste at least 10 minutes of that show on the cat, its weird staring issue and Paulie's attitude towards the cat.

And the whole thing with AJ was a waste of time. At one point he was spewing anti-Bush sentiment, the next moment he's joining the war & learning arabic and then finally he's a movie producer - ALL IN ONE SHOW. And what's the big deal about the SUV catching on fire? If SUVs were regularlly catching on fire from parking over fallen leaves (ironic since it was heavily snowing in an earlier scene) then why isn't this a major news story today in the real world. I would have thought it more interesting if AJ's SUV caught on fire because of some act of revenge against Tony.

And finally, I know that Dr. Melfi ditched Tony last week but I would have still liked to have seen her even for one last final scene with Tony. Lorraine Bracco is listed like 3rd in the opening credits and has been nominated several time for best actress. The least they could have done is perhaps a run-in with Tony where there are a few ackward moments of silence. They spent 8 seasons building this relationship and nothing in the last episode

If anything, that last scene was probably the best of yesterday's show but everything leading up to it sucked, which took away from that final scene.

[sandnsea]

43. Same Shit, New Day

AJ's full of shit. Carmella's freaking out irrationally. Meadow doesn't know what she wants to do, she can't even decide on birth control. Paulie's got his superstitions. Junior doesn't even remember what a monster he's been, or the good times. Still, life goes on. Or not.

Or it's a dream, cuz it's a tv show, it isn't real.

So it doesn't matter.

Same shit, new day.

[Efilroft Sul]

49. I agree with you about the AJ SUV scene.

The stuff about his depression, Bush bashing, wanting to join the armed forces, and becoming a movie producer all in one episode was quite a bit for one show, but then, teenagers are all over the place with what they want to do. And AJ's an example of a kid who's more fucked in the head than most kids.

Your proposed Melfi scene would've been cool, too, but I think it would work best if Tony got whacked.

Love the ending or hate it, Chase has made everyone talk about his show.

[Geek_Girl]

45. I wanted closure

I think it Tony and his crew should've gotten whacked. The ending was a cop out or brilliant marketing strategy for a movie deal, either way I was very disappointed.

[Major Hogwash]

48. Evidently, you are correct according to the number of e-mails sent to HBO blasting them.

The gal that was hosting Olbermann on Monday night said the HBO e-mail address was hammered last night after the last episode.