Sopranos Fades To Black Amidst Praise And Complaints

In case you’ve been living in a cave, you know the last true watercooler show, “The Sopranos” ended an eight-year run on Sunday night with a much-anticipated finale. After 55 minutes that appeared to be leading up to a dramatic, tension-filled final scene, the screen simply went black and the wires that have been jiggled by creator David Chase since 1999 simply went still.

The last episode teased us with possibilities right up to the very end, with hints that Tony might be whacked, that Paulie might rat him out, that Tony himself might work with the feds, that A.J. might kill himself or that Janice might finally go off the deep end. Even when Tony gathered with Carmela, A.J. and Meadow in Holsten’s in the final scene, with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” playing, the air was rife with what could occur: Would that suspicious-looking guy who kept eyeing the Sopranos’ table and then ducked into the bathroom – like in the famous “Godfather” scene – come out and blindside Tony? Would Meadow’s trouble with parallel parking interrupt a hit? Would Meadow burst in to announce she’s pregnant? Would someone unexpected walk through the door instead of Meadow? Tony’s expectant face, followed by a fade to black that had half the country cursing their cable companies, left the door open to a host of possibilities.

For a show that redefined what television drama is and should be, one critic made the argument that “any finale would have been a letdown.” Yet the vitriol and disparity of opinion surrounding the conclusion showed just why the series became so popular and revolutionary. Here are some samples of the various reactions:

“The abrupt finale was almost like a prank, a mischievous dig at viewers who had agonized over how television's most addictive series would come to a close.” – International Herald Tribune

“I'm glad Chase didn't go for a clean sweep-up or a cheap twist. The ending he gave us was borderline genius.” – Chicago Sun-Times

“Not a predictable way in which to end what is referred to as the most significant television show ever, but then Chase has reveled in his unpredictability from the start.” – South Bend Tribune

“Creator David Chase cut to black, to end his TV masterpiece 100 percent unresolved ... [with] the genius of an ending that set up every one of the signs of Mafia doom, without pulling the trigger. Nondescript Baseball Cap Guy will forever be drinking coffee in that booth. Gray-Jacket Mook's permanently in the bathroom. The hip-hop gangstas will always be standing at the jukebox. Nobody's whacking anybody." – The Philadelphia Inquirer

“[The audience] robbed the audience of closure. And if it were done to segue into a motion picture sequel, then that kind of crass commercialism shouldn't be tolerated.” – L.A. Weekly

“Anyone who expected a neat and tidy ending, with plot resolution and music over the credits that would tell you what to feel, wasn't paying attention to a series where frayed ends abound.” - The Huffington Post

"One thing for certain: It was just one last, brilliant example of Chase refusing to live within the conventions of television. In a world where resolution is expected, no previous great television series ever has gone out on such a high note of ambiguity, such a lack of denouement." – San Jose Mercury News

"It may have been the greatest double-take -- by the audience -- in the history of American television.” – The Washington Post

“Refusing to play by more traditional series finale rules, "The Sopranos" continued to rattle the pop culture cage Monday in the aftermath of a final episode that infuriated many fans and critics while thrilling others … [But] here's the thing. Any artist who gets people to have such passionate, divergent reactions to his art, well, he's doing what an artist should do. Provoking, making us think, letting the viewer make up his or her own mind about what they have seen, how it will all play out … Great art doesn't shy away from ambiguity. And what David Chase did with "The Sopranos" from thrilling start to haunting conclusion was stay absolutely true to his artistic self.” – Detroit Free Press

“One of the most bizarre -- and frustratingly unsatisfying -- series finales in TV history." – Palm Beach Post

“The episode definitely had its moments, but few of the possibilities viewers had been discussing for weeks came through. How many of these theories below had you heard bounced around in weeks past? None of them happened ...

"If Tony was indeed an anti-hero, the show he helmed came to an anticlimax. There's no question fans will be frustrated. Those who've defended the show all along will claim Chase is brilliant, leaving fans to finish the plotlines in their own minds, while those who had other expectations were likely be furious." – MSNBC

Within the Sopranos family, there is no such thing as a normal family dinner or sharing of onion rings without considering the specter of what might happen hovering above. Tony is facing a looming indictment, a loss of valued friends and a reluctant No. 2 man in Paulie Walnuts. Silvio’s recovery is still in doubt, Bobby and Christopher are both dead and gone, Uncle June is off his rocker, Phil Leotardo has been slain, but Carlo has flipped… so what lies next for the man who has to make all the decisions and determine the course of the family? Carmela is still conflicted about Tony’s dark side, A.J. appears to have some semblance of direction with a girlfriend and a position with a movie production company, and Meadow is ready to resume a legal career and get married. This wasn’t a special, last supper, it was every day of their lives unfolding in a diner; the message is that this has been and remains what life is accepted to be for the Sopranos.

This is not to say that Chase should get a free pass for everything in the final season. The rapid disappearance of Dr. Melfi was dissatisfying and puzzling, as if the writers had to scramble to make her disappear faster than Big Pussy. She has left Tony’s life, but he is far from healed mentally, which is made painfully obvious when he turns a meeting with A.J.’s therapist into a rant about his own dysfunctional childhood and overbearing mother. For a show that proved that nothing is off-limits – with frank portrayals and discussions of violence, sexuality, morality, comedy, superstitions, relationships, bigotry and other issues – there were some noticeable loose ends, but perhaps that is unavoidable when trying to wrap up a series with eight years worth of backstory, plotlines and characters. The title of the finale was “Made In America,” and many have pointed out the broad cross-section of people who were in Holsten’s in the final scene. It appears to be a fitting name for a show that increasingly touched on and explored highly charged political issues, from immigration to the environment to A.J.’s flirtation with joining the Army.

Ironically, Chase’s ending seemed to point out many of the dysfunctions that our society exhibits that are reflected within the show. The outrage and disbelief over the ending was severe enough to sink Web sites and have some calling for Chase’s “whacking.” Hell, even Kelly Ripa said it “was like a cheap one-night stand,” leading us to wonder both how she knows what that is like and what it is about such slutitude that would be worth comparing to a television show. The rampant whining and complaining pointed up one of the traits that has made our society so annoying and tiresome: a sense of entitlement. Viewers plaintively argued that they “deserved” a certain ending after eight years of loyalty. Huh? If these people could get over themselves for exactly long enough to examine the finale in its entirety, they might recognize Chase achieved the ultimate prize for a writer – to have the audience so rapt that they are fervently arguing about their own image of what the ending truly is, was or led to. Yet our collective 15-second attention spans don’t allow most people to look beyond that initial reaction.

Many fans’ disappointment stems from the wonderful way that Chase had built up to a finale that seemed poised to offer an all-out mob war full of the finality of death. The penultimate episode ended with Tony bedded down in a safehouse, cradling an enormous machine gun, seemingly ready to go to war. But Chase has never been about wrapping things up cleanly or precisely, and his brilliance has always been reflected and echoed in his ability to give the viewer the power and freedom to make up their own minds about characters, events and actions. For viewers seeking a black and white – and red – conclusion, they got Chase’s customary shades of gray, swathed in good, evil and empathy.

The finale was open-ended enough to inspire rumors that the “true” ending will be available only on the season DVD or that a movie could be in the offing (Chase would only call a movie “unlikely”). Chase left himself and us enough of an opening that he could come back and address this crazy family again if he so chooses. Even though the HBO site was crashed with a flood of complaints, the episode never had the feeling of a finale, which is perhaps the most masterful aspect of the creator’s work. If nothing else, the ending had everyone talking and coming up with theories. What other drama could have inspired that level of angst, emotion and reaction after eight years? None – which is truly what made The Sopranos one of a kind.