Posted by Jed Lewison on Mon Jun 11, 2007 at 3:09 AM Pacific

Sopranos Episode 86

I loved the series finale of The Sopranos (appropriately, it was episode 86). I suspect that many people were disappointed, as the final scene was quite jarring and not immediately satisfying. I do think, however, that over time the brilliance of the ending will be recognized.

I just read a critic who seemed to think that the episode was a joke on the audience.

I couldn't disagree more. I think the episode actually allows the audience to come to their own conclusions about what happens. Every work of fiction is of course created by someone whose imagination has been inspired, but great fiction also inspires the imagination of its audience. If you knew every single detail about every single character in a book or movie, you'd be bored out of your mind; fiction actually depends on its audience to fill in the blanks.

For example, one scenario I imagine is this: Tony gets shot by the guy who entered the bathroom. AJ witnesses the murder is inspired to follow in his dad's footsteps, as was Michael Corleone in The Godfather after his father was shot and his brother murdered. (That cat is an obvious Godfather reference.)

But I can just as easily imagine a scenario in which that guy is just a creepy lonely guy who was staring at Carmella. I mean don't you think a hit man would be smart enough to avoid leering?

The Journey song was perhaps a bit heavy-handed ("Don't Stop Believing", ending on Don't Stop, though we all heard "Believing" echoing in our head despite the abrupt silence and black screen), but the entire episode seemed to revolve around the idea that the our notions of a beginning and an end are perhaps too simplistic. The last thing Tony does before meeting his wife and children at the diner is visit with the last surviving member of the previous generation. While at a meeting with his son's psychiatrist, Tony talks about his own childhood.

I had been public rooting for Tony to get clipped on the theory that it would make sure there is never a Godfather III-style Sopranos movie disaster. But once the episode started, I realized that I didn't want him to die.

It's odd now, part of me still wonders "what happened" after the ending, but I have to remember that whatever really happened, happened in my head (and your head). That's kind of cool. We now each own our little piece of the Sopranos story.

Sopranos Episode 86

I loved the series finale of The Sopranos (appropriately, it was episode 86). I suspect that many people were disappointed, as the final scene was quite jarring and not immediately satisfying. I do think, however, that over time the brilliance of the ending will be recognized.

I just read a critic who seemed to think that the episode was a joke on the audience.

I couldn't disagree more. I think the episode actually allows the audience to come to their own conclusions about what happens. Every work of fiction is of course created by someone whose imagination has been inspired, but great fiction also inspires the imagination of its audience. If you knew every single detail about every single character in a book or movie, you'd be bored out of your mind; fiction actually depends on its audience to fill in the blanks.

For example, one scenario I imagine is this: Tony gets shot by the guy who entered the bathroom. AJ witnesses the murder is inspired to follow in his dad's footsteps, as was Michael Corleone in The Godfather after his father was shot and his brother murdered. (That cat is an obvious Godfather reference.)

But I can just as easily imagine a scenario in which that guy is just a creepy lonely guy who was staring at Carmella. I mean don't you think a hit man would be smart enough to avoid leering?

The Journey song was perhaps a bit heavy-handed ("Don't Stop Believing", ending on Don't Stop, though we all heard "Believing" echoing in our head despite the abrupt silence and black screen), but the entire episode seemed to revolve around the idea that the our notions of a beginning and an end are perhaps too simplistic. The last thing Tony does before meeting his wife and children at the diner is visit with the last surviving member of the previous generation. While at a meeting with his son's psychiatrist, Tony talks about his own childhood.

I had been public rooting for Tony to get clipped on the theory that it would make sure there is never a Godfather III-style Sopranos movie disaster. But once the episode started, I realized that I didn't want him to die.

It's odd now, part of me still wonders "what happened" after the ending, but I have to remember that whatever really happened, happened in my head (and your head). That's kind of cool. We now each own our little piece of the Sopranos story.

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