As a long-time, diehard fan of the Soprano's, I gotta say that I was totally disappointed at last night's finale. Truly disappointing.....
MG
| www.CostaRicaTicas.com https://forum.costaricaticas.com/ |
|
| Soprano's an interesting take https://forum.costaricaticas.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=17538 |
Page 1 of 2 |
| Author: | El Silencioso [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Soprano's an interesting take |
Sopranos Rewind: Made in America Posted by Alan Sepinwall June 10, 2007 10:18PM Categories: The Sopranos Who knew that the music of Journey could be used so ironically? At the end of an otherwise satisfying "Sopranos" series finale, creator David Chase threw one final curveball at his audience. In his first episode as both writer and director since the series pilot, Chase sent Tony to a family dinner at Holsten's ice cream parlor in Bloomfield. Many previous seasons had ended on a Soprano family tableau -- A.J. even quoted something Tony said at Vesuvio back in the season one finale -- but this one was edited to seem far more ominous. As the sounds of Steve Perry wailing on "Don't Stop Believing" filled the soundtrack, Tony kept eyeing the door and the other patrons as first Carmela, then A.J. arrived, while we spent an interminable amount of time watching Meadow double park. The camera kept focusing on a shady-looking character at the bar with more than a passing resemblance to the late Eugene Pontecorvo (down to the Member's Only jacket) who was studying Tony, but then his advance on Tony turned out to be a trip to the men's room. Meadow finally parked, dashed towards Holsten's, the camera cut back to Tony in close-up looking at something, Perry sang the words "Don't stop," and... ... nothing. No hint of whether Tony was looking at Meadow or something else entirely (perhaps the feds coming to arrest him after Carlo Gervasi apparently flipped), no music of any kind, just a fast cut to black and then the closing credits playing out in complete silence. Whether you were waiting for one of the more popular predicted endings -- Tony in Witness Protection, Tony killed by Phil's guys, Furio and/or the Russian coming back for revenge, what have you -- or just for an ending, period, chances are that cut to black had you pulling a William Shatner in "Wrath of Khan," pointing your face at the heavens and bellowing, "CHAAAAASE!!!!!!" And yet the finale, both the first 55 minutes of it and that sadistic last scene, fit perfectly with everything Chase has done on this show before. Did we get the violent fireworks of last week? Absolutely not, as the only deaths of the hour were Phil Leotardo (gunned down at a gas station, then, in a gruesome indignity, his skull crushed post-mortem by his rolling car) and A.J.'s SUV (which caught fire while idling near a pile of leaves). But that's been the pattern of every season: the major action goes in the penultimate episode, while the finale is saved for quiet reflection and the odd whacking or two. So Tony and Butchie DeConcini negotiated a peace treaty -- with the tacit understanding that Tony's guys could eliminate the out-of-control Phil -- a third of the way through the episode, and the bulk of the hour focused on Tony's lower-case family. Janice faced life without Bacala (and a lifetime of torment for Bobby's K*ds), and once again invoked the name and memory of Livia Soprano, going about in pity for herself. Janice and Tony each visited Junior in the run-down state facility he was banished to when his cash ran out, but Corrado didn't recognize them. Meadow planned her wedding to Patrick Parisi and badly wounded Tony (without realizing it) by telling him that she decided to quit med school and become a lawyer because of her relationship to him. And in the episode's centerpiece -- and the origin of its title, "Made in America" -- A.J. continued his political awakening, only to have Tony and Carmela seduce him back into the same comfortably numb existence he used to have. When some of the guests at Bacala's wake started discussing "American Idol" and "Dreamgirls," A.J. harangued them for focusing on entertainment fluff. "The world. Don't you see it?" he complained, then later said, "It's like America. This is still where people come to make it. It's a beautiful idea. And then what do they get? Bling and come-ons for (stuff) they don't need and can't afford?" He talked of enlisting in the Army, though he wavered on whether it was to make the world a better place or just to get a job as Donald Trump's personal chopper pilot. Yet by episode's end, A.J. had abandoned his newfound morality in favor of a shiny BMW, a job as the "development executive" for Little Carmine's movie company and his parents' promise of his own nightclub to follow. From the start, Chase has used "The Sopranos" as an indictment of modern American values and how, time after time, we all sacrifice principle in favor of self-interest. Maybe A.J. had achieved enlightenment or maybe not. But Tony and Carmela couldn't have their little boy risking his own life in the military (they wanted him to get the discipline without the risk), so they anesthetized him back into the materialistic lifestyle they understand so well. This is what America makes today, Chase seemed to be saying: permissive, selfish parents and K*ds who mimic them. Back to that final scene. Without it, we have a completely reasonable finale, one that provides closure on enough plot threads (the war with New York ends, Paulie is promoted to the captaincy of the Family's lucrative construction business, A.J. finds new direction, etc.) that the few left open (notably whether Carlo flipped and what that means, legally, for Tony) don't particularly sting. It's the "life goes on" ending I'd been speculating on for months. But then, but then, but then... then Chase has to do what he loves to do more than any other man in show business: completely mess with his viewers' expectations (and their heads). I don't consider it a cliffhanger, something to set up a movie, as I doubt there will ever be a movie (and if there is, it'll be set in the past). He did it because he hates the conventions of TV series narrative in general, and putting a bow on things in particular. That's why the Russian never came back, why the Melfi rape plotline was dismissed with a single word ("No"), why none of the FBI's previous rats ever amounted to anything, etc. He's convinced the audience doesn't need to be spoon-fed, to the point where he might go for a non-ending like this, something so jarring, so abrupt and so filled with misdirection (my guess is there was no danger at all, that Tony was simply watching Meadow's entrance) that it might come across like an insult to the audience who have stuck with the show through thick and thin. Somehow, though, it feels like the perfect final note. Why wouldn't a show that's taken such pleasure in rewriting the rules of storytelling -- from making a sociopathic thug its hero on down -- go out in the least conventional way possible? It may be maddening, but it's what David Chase does. Some other thoughts on "Made in America": -A theory proposed by a reader of the NJ.com Sopranos blog using the handle Lorbnash: the nine episodes of this season have represented the nine circles of Hell from Dante's "The Divine Comedy." The fourth circle, for instance, is for the greedy and the miserly; the fourth episode was Tony and Hesh's gambling showdown. The seventh circle is where the suicides go; A.J. took his dip in the family pool in episode seven. The ninth circle is for the traitors, and Butchie implicitly betrayed Phil. (For added fun, reader Joe Adler pointed out the similarities between the Eugene Delacroix painting "The Barque of Dante" and the Annie Leibovitz promotional image on the season five DVD set. Google them both if you want your mind blown.) -Lots of surrogates and callbacks throughout. Junior confuses Janice and Livia (and Janice and Nica). Tony uses A.J.'s shrink (a leggy, coolly professional woman in the Lorraine Bracco mode) as a Melfi stand-in. A.J. quotes Livia's "Always with the drama," and later Tony's line from the season one finale. Paulie believes the cat from the safehouse has some supernatural connection to Christopher and also notes the bad history of the captains in charge of Jersey construction (though he left out Jimmy "The Rat" Altieri). -Another "Whatever happened to Gary Cooper?" moment: the tour bus drives through Little Italy while the guide explains how the thriving neighborhood is now essentially a single block of shops and cafes -- so tiny that, when Butchie gets too wrapped up in a phone call to Phil, he wanders out of Little Italy altogether. -Who knew Agent Harris had such a dark side? He's conducting an affair with his counterpart at the Brooklyn field office, and he's actively rooting for Tony to take out Phil. -Finally, thanks for all the questions, theories and compliments you've sent me over the years as I've written about this show. "The Sopranos" is over, but our coverage of it has a few days to go -- and my work as the Star-Ledger's TV critic has a lot longer than that. The "Sopranos" blog will feature at least two reader mailbags as the week moves along, as there's still much to discuss. If you're following me on-line, you can find my columns at nj.com/tv/ledger, and I also have a separate blog called What's Alan Watching where I do analysis of lots of shows (though few merit the kind of rigorous analysis I've devoted to "Sopranos"). This has been fun. |
|
| Author: | Orange [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:35 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I love how on these fan boards, the people start breaking down every part of every scene trying to find some hidden symbolism. The bottom line is David Chase didn't wants to make a movie so he could not kill off the remaining characters. Phil had to be killed because everybody knew that he would not go for the truce that Tony made with the NY crew behind Phil's back. Everybody is analyzing the last scene, in the diner. Some say that they all got killed or whatever. People can make their own inferences but all I learned from the last scene is that Meadow can't park for shit. It sucked ass. |
|
| Author: | Mucho Gusto [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:14 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
As a long-time, diehard fan of the Soprano's, I gotta say that I was totally disappointed at last night's finale. Truly disappointing.....
MG
|
|
| Author: | NYG [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I thought the last seen was a trip. I also liked the last episode. I was not expecting much since I knew that Tony and his family along with Pauly and you just watch Sil will be there for the movie if there is one! As well as uncle June. It is already being set up since Carlo has flipped for the Feds and is singing like a bird. I also liked the way Phil bought it because the truck rolling over his power hungry A** WAS PRICELESS. Since he thought he was the king his crown was made out of rubber 
NYG |
|
| Author: | Orange [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
NYG wrote: I also liked the way Phil bought it because the truck rolling over his power hungry A** WAS PRICELESS. Since he thought he was the king his crown was made out of rubber
It was funny watching that K*D throw up on the sidewalk watching Phil's head get rolled over. |
|
| Author: | NYG [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Orange wrote: NYG wrote: I also liked the way Phil bought it because the truck rolling over his power hungry A** WAS PRICELESS. Since he thought he was the king his crown was made out of rubber It was funny watching that K*D throw up on the sidewalk watching Phil's head get rolled over. That was great! Question though Orange: are we sick because we think that was cool 
|
|
| Author: | Orange [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:18 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I'm assuming the K*D was throwing up because Phil's brain was splattered all over the sidewalk. It must've been pretty gross. |
|
| Author: | Dave [ Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:23 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
IMHO, absolutely the worst final episode that I have ever watched for a series. Except for a few episodes this season, they wasted a lot of time and nothing really made sense. All of a sudden they kill Phil and they are back to everything being "normal" as normal can be. They have to be setting up another season, or movie or something. At least that would make sense. Maybe they hoped for fan out pouring that brought back some previous shows. Bottom line, it sucked for us. Have a Great Day, Dave |
|
| Author: | Myn4kps22 [ Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Mucho Gusto wrote: As a long-time, diehard fan of the Soprano's, I gotta say that I was totally disappointed at last night's finale. Truly disappointing.....
MG I second that MG very disappointing. I was hoping for so much more 
|
|
| Author: | Phoenix Rising [ Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:20 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Soprano's an interesting take |
El Silencioso wrote: Sopranos Rewind: Made in America
Posted by Alan Sepinwall June 10, 2007 10:18PM Categories: The Sopranos From the start, Chase has used "The Sopranos" as an indictment of modern American values and how, time after time, we all sacrifice principle in favor of self-interest. Yep! The American Way! |
|
| Author: | PacoLoco [ Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
They crashed the website too Chase clearly didn't give a damn about his fans. Instead, he crapped in their faces. This is why America hates Hollywood. http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/t ... o-website/
|
|
| Author: | Papichullo [ Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Tony was killed.... in fact, the ending was genius if you've paid attention to the show or are just a fan of well developed well thought out plots that all tie together and have the memory of a champ to remember it all the ending was simple, he got killed, but let me tell yall why and explain in detail... There was 3 people in the room total who had a reason to kill tony..... the two black guys, they were paid before to kill tony but he was only shot in the ear, this was in one of the earlier seasons, also in the earlier seasons, the trucker who was sitting at the bar stool, who the camera kept focusing in on, is Nikki leotardo, Phil Leotardos nephew, he was in one of the early season episodes where Phil and Tony have a sit down.... heres where the genius comes in.... When tonys walking in the diner,you see the camera focus on him, then it switches to his perspective, and you see him looking @ the booth hes gonna sit at... then the camera switches back to tonys face, then it once again switches to his perspective, and it shows him looking @ the door and looking @ the people come in..... Everytime the door opens the Chimes sound....... Carmela walks in, Chimes, AJ walks in Chimes, this is when Meadows parallel parking, still trying to get inside the restaurant.... at this point the camera switches back to the trucker who goes in the bathroom...... Then it goes to a scene where meadow finally parks and starts running in the diner.... the doors about to open, Tony looks up.... and No Chimes...................... No Music............ Everything just goes black............... In one of the early episodes of the sopranos, tonys talking with bobby about what it must feel like to die.. Bobby says "at the end, you probably dont hear anything, everything just goes black" Part of that was revisited in the second to last episode during the last seconds of it, when tonys about to go to sleep and he flashes back to the memory of him and bobby on the boat... "You probably dont hear anything everything just goes black" So in the end, the Journey song was playing, the chimes on the door sounded but when meadow came in, the guy in the trucker came out and killed tony... Its the reason you dont hear or see shit when he died.... it was from his perspective.... and everything went black, then the credits rolled. |
|
| Author: | Orange [ Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:20 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Thanks Papichullo, I guess that makes sense, but who can be sure. Personally, I would have liked to just have an ending without having someone explain it to me. If somebody missed one of the episodes you referenced or doesn't have a good memory, they wouldn't get the ending. Shit, most of us saw them all and still didn't get it. Wait, didn't Tony kill one of the two black guys? And what happened to the his family? And the rest of the NJ family? Did Pauly become the boss? 
I have a feeling this is what Chase wanted in the end, to confuse the shit out of everybody so they would be talking about it for a while. |
|
| Author: | Papichullo [ Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Heck if I know...hasn't even aired in Panama yet. One of my friends back in the states sent that to me, and thought I would share with Ya'll! |
|
| Author: | Ruffnutz [ Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:51 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
So I was one of the many legions that didn't like the ending when it happened... but after some time to dwell, I think that it was genius, and all in all, very good television. Anyone ever see the movie "Boogie Nights" in the scene where they are about to rob the arabian club owner, and "Sister Christian" is playing loud, and the Chinise guy is popping firecrackers... The tension in that scene is so goddamn thick that it drives you mad to watch it. It's not that easy to do a scene like that in which the viewer is placed in a nail-biting, edge-of-your seat tension that makes you want to pull your hair out. Whether we liked it or not, David Chase created a finale where everyone's heart pressure was twice its normal rate and we were both dreading and anticipating what would happen next. This was television at its finest, in my opinion. It ended just the way he wanted... interpretable enough to please any theory and disappoint all in the need for more. It went out with a bang, no silent goodnights after the glory seasons were long gone. It went out in full force, with new and old fans alike nervous and tense up to the final seconds of the start of final credits. Did I like it...? Honestly, no, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I nontheless think it was genius. It wasn't MY perfect ending, but it was a perfect ending nontheless. By the very fact that it conjured server crashes and headlines on all major newspapers and non-stop debate on all morning radio shows demonstrates that it ended as it should have... with every single audience member in an unescapable choke-hold and with enough for everyone to chew on and re-hash for quite a while. Great job Chase and HBO, I both loved and hated hated the end, but am nontheless thoroughly satisfied with how it all turned out. Ruffnutz |
|
| Page 1 of 2 | All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group https://www.phpbb.com/ |
|