Hollywood Deep

It’s Sunday night and The Sopranos are done for good. It’s hard for me not to anticipate another installment of the show on HBO tonight. Just one more, I want to know what happened. The story’s conclusion, as it stands now will forever be shrouded in mystery. While watching he final episode, I was feeling content, as it wound down. Phil Leotardo was dead, his guy Carlo was flipped by the FBI. Paulie stayed loyal to Tony, and Tony stayed loyal to his family and his sister. He even went to see Uncle Junior, in a scene that summed up the ‘Life Goes On’ theory. AJ gets better, Meadow is engaged to Parisi’s kid the lawyer. Tony shows interest in AJ’s therapist. The family meets as they have many times for dinner together at a restaurant. Even with suspense building in the last few minutes, the strange characters, Meadow parking, AJ eating onion rings, the bell ringing, “Don’t Stop Believing”, it seemed like the show was ending. Then the screen went black, for 10 seconds just like Bobby said. Those 10 seconds changed everything. It added another layer to interpreting the conclusion, a reasonable doubt that maybe it wasn’t what it seemed. The brilliance of David Chase continued through to the very last seconds of the story. What happened? The 10 seconds of black were there for a reason, you decide. Those fans who picked up on the ‘10 seconds’ theory immediately, I’ve got to give it to you. I didn’t put that all together until a 2nd viewing. Or it could be that the 10 seconds represented the viewers switch being turned off. Just like that, The Sopranos life goes on, without us watching, Tony as the centerpiece.
David Chase’s comments on the ending, “I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there. We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people’s minds, or thinking, ‘Wow, this’ll (tick) them off.’ People get the impression that you’re trying to (mess) with them and it’s not true. You’re trying to entertain them.”
James Gandolfini said, “I have no idea what happened to Tony. You have to ask ["The Sopranos" creator] David Chase that. Smarter minds than mine know the answer to that. I thought it was a great ending. You decide.” Gandolfini insisted. “The ending was exactly what it should have been,” he said. “Don’t look at me, I don’t have an answer. All I know is that it’s over.
The shows stars defended the ending which had the screen cut to black as Tony’s family sat down to dinner.
Edie Falco offered. “I think the ending was just great. I mean that. I have never second-guessed David Chase, and I’m not about to start now.” Yes, I was at that table, but I have no idea what happened after the screen went blank.”
“I have no idea why I had so much trouble parallel parking at the end, but I loved the ending. I can’t think of a single better way to have ended this show.”" said Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played Meadow Soprano.
Tony Sirico couldn’t understand the criticism of the finale. I thought the ending was outstanding. We got Phil Leotardo. We went back to our lives,” he said. “What do people want? More blood? A whole family whacked? I like that David Chase let the viewers decide.”
“A conventional ending would have been a fraud,” said Stevie Van Zandt. “Life doesn’t have tidy little endings. Even some great songs just fade out like the last episode of The Sopranos. It’s also a lie that we shot three or four endings. David Chase, who wrote and directed the last episode, did one ending. He knew what he wanted, and it was great. Like the show.”

**Read what I think would have happened….

I prefer not to think that an attempt to kill Tony was made at the restaurant. I think Tony gets arrested the very next day. It’s serious this time, the feds have a good case implicating Tony to the murder of Phil Leotardo. With Carlo as a witness, who wore a wire in the meeting with Tony. He also still has the gun charge hanging over him, from Johnny Sacs house. In addition the Feds have hours and hours of recordings and video of Tony and his crew. Implicating them in every facet of organized crime in New Jersey. Like Harris said, maybe the Feds are starting to win. Silvio still living, is also indicted as the number two man in the organization. Tony puts Paulie in charge, but still calls the shots from inside prison. Little Carmine takes over New York, but the FBI are on him too. Paulie cultivates the next generation crew. Some of the want to be gangsters we saw in the last few episodes, move up in the ranks. AJ’s movie career fizzles, with Carmine’s FBI trouble. He joins the ranks with Jason and his other friends. AJ proves to be the real deal, crazier and even homicidal, but smarter then the rest. People come to respect and fear AJ. Paulie turns to AJ to help him run the family business. AJ becomes a made man, a ruthless capo. Meantime they are working on Tony’s case. The FBI with the recordings have him red handed on a laundry list of charges, that include the murder of Leotardo. Tony facing a life sentence plots with Paulie and AJ to fix the jury. There is a long drawn out trial and appeal. Meantime AJ takes over as the boss Paulie is his trusted number two Consiglieri. Paulie “Walnuts” faithfully serving three generations of the Soprano Family. The story goes on, Meadow and her husband clash with AJ, as he tries to save Tony. Paulie and AJ are successful in the jury tampering and get a hung jury. Tony gets out after 3 years in jail. The story continues with Tony, AJ and Paulie running things. Silvio recovers and does some time in jail also. When he gets out he also comes back to the family.

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