This will mean nothing to those of you who were not obsessed Sopranos fans, but for me it was mind blowing. All those guys in the diner during the final scene last night? Not just random extras. From the comments on Jonathan Storm’s review of the series finale:
Tony DID get whacked. The only question is by who. Remember first Tony’s comments earlier this season about getting whacked (which were also replayed either last week or the week before). Tony said something to the effect of “you don’t see it coming, you don’t feel nothing, everything just fades to black”. That was your ending.
As for the who, take note of the credits for the folks in the restaurant at the end. The guy at the counter that goes to the bathroom is Nikki Leotardo, phil’s nephew. The black men are the same ones that shot Tony in season two, but only clipped his ear. Oddly, the boyscouts were in the store last week when Bobby got it, so they are going to have some issues, but my money says it wasn’t the boy scouts.
My money says that based on the title, “Made in America”, it was the trucker with the hat that read “USA”. The same trucker who was the brother of the trucker that Christopher robbed and killed in season two…he was the guy that had to identify the body. It’s all in the credits.
I don’t agree with the conclusion (that Tony necessarily got whacked). I just love that David Chase included all of those obscure characters in the final scene. I will probably have more to say about the finale later, since I can’t stop thinking about it. I know that reviews of the finale are mixed, but I loved it. If you like things wrapped up in a neat little bow, stick to made-for-TV movies.
Update: Further research seems to reveal that the comment quoted above is all wrong. The people in the diner are not who the commenter claimed they were, just regular old extras. Forget I said anything. (The Becks County Courier Times has an article on the man who played the mystery man in the diner.)
June 11, 2007 at 6:42 pm
The guy at the end of the bar couldn’t have been Nikki Leotardo – it was his first time on the show:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-06092007-1360360.html
June 11, 2007 at 9:22 pm
The Lyrics to “Don’t Stop Believing” mean MORE than u think.
“Working hard to get my FILL (or Phil? Leotardo) – Everybody Wants a Thrill (as in the ending).”
“Some will win (live), Some will lose (die), Some were BORN to Sing The Blues” (Whiner AJ and/or Tony)
“Oh the Movie NEVER ENDS, it goes on and on and on and on….”
I loved it, too. Glad to see SOMEBODY Else did. Chase never could have pleased EVERYONE, so he PLEASED NO ONE. Make up the ending yourself. Very Cool. I wanted a SHOCKING, WOW MOMENT. And…I Got it!
June 11, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Cleaver observations by Jonathan Storm but I submit David Chase out foxed him. Chase nailed it! He had it just right–right down to the cat with 9 lives.
June 12, 2007 at 4:25 am
I like the interpretation of the song there 🙂
June 12, 2007 at 7:35 am
I count myself amongst those that didn’t like it. Not because of the ending though. I didn’t like it because it was perhaps the most boring episode I’ve ever seen. The last 5 minutes were actually quite clever but didn’t really make up for the fact that for the previous 50 minutes I actually caught myself yawning and looking at the clock. Shame really as I had watched the show since episode one.
What I would like to know is how many people cancel their HBO subscription now. Not because they are annoyed at the bad ending, but because The Sopranos was literally the only thing that kept them subscribing year after year.
June 12, 2007 at 12:57 pm
The perspective of the series has largely been 3rd person. That is we watch the characters and plot from an outsiders point of view. For the most part this is the perspective. However, every once in while it becomes a sort of 1st and 2nd person perspective. Every once in while we are thrust into the perspective (usually just visually) of Tony. There are many instances which I will bring up later, but this has been the basic pattern of perspectives for the series. Let us say that those 11 seconds of nothing was really being suddenly thrust into that Tony perspective. What would this nothing mean? Well, it would mean he is dead. Suddenly, without warning, Tony is dead. Well, how would he have a died? I don’t know about you, but did you notice that guy who barely touched his food at the counter go to the bathroom? We know how they do it. Inconspicuous. Methodical. Without warning. Headshot. Dead. So, Tony is killed in front of his entire family. Some may say how do I know if this is what the nothingness is? Okay, let’s say you’re right and Tony is killed, why wouldn’t they just show it. My reply is that I guess I’m not as heartless as you. I really don’t want to see Tony get offed. It seems a little perverse. And for you fans who would want to see it just to know, you really aren’t fans. A real fan would relish the opportunity to experience that last moment rather than merely witnessing it. A real fan (unlike Dr. Melfi) believes there’s something good in Tony worth experiencing. And for those fans who refuse to step into Tony’s world, David Chase gave you the ending you deserved: nothing. As for the true believers who have made it a habit to empathize and understand, we have the special treat of truly experiencing who the man is, his essence, and his purpose. And if you need any further encouragement to accept this interpretation, remember what Bobby said to Tony on the boat: When you die, all you see is blankness. Coincidence–probably not. For those who are now ready to step inside the world of Tony, remember that at the heart of understanding The Sopranos lies the viewers’ willingness to infer. (Check out my blog for more jakjonsun.wordpress.com)