I wasn’t necessarily going to weigh in on this, because every-damn-body is, but there is something I want to address about the series finale of The Sopranos.
It’s this: Fade to Black Has ‘Sopranos’ Fans Seeing Red.
Plenty of people wanted to discuss the ending with Chase. And not just viewers — some TV critics, too:
“Poor ol’ David Chase — sitting poolside in the south of France right now, laughing his [heinie] off at the angry patter of a million fans,” blogged a clearly miffed Verne Gay of Newsday.
“David, you are an arrogant man — ultimately trapped by the very medium you so haughtily dismissed for so many years, even while you availed yourself of its generous pay scale,” he continued.
“We waited 8 years for this?” chimed in the headline writer at the New York Daily News. Not to be outdone, the New York Post went with “Show’s Finale Fires ‘Blanks.’ ”
“Chase clearly didn’t give a damn about his fans. Instead, he [relieved himself] in their faces. This is why America hates Hollywood,” noted LA Weekly’s Deadline Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke.
“So this is how it ends: with a big, raised middle finger aimed straight at the TV audience,” added Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times.
Angry viewer comments ranged from “David Chase recently said he was influenced by Fellini and European films . . . hey Chase, this is Jersey we’re talking about. If I ever get the chance I’d like to kick you in the [groin]” to the more streamlined “MOST HORRIBLE EPISODE EVER and you think it was good wake up.”
Two responses:
- A) It’s a goddamn TV show — will you people get a life?
- B) If you didn’t see that kind of end coming or if you were a fan of the show and didn’t like it, then I have two questions for you. Have you been paying any damn attention at all? What the hell show have you been watching?
Because the show I’ve been watching for the last eight years has always confounded viewer expectations, always relied on ambiguity and has always refused to explain itself or tie plots up with a neat little bow.
Everybody likes to talk about The Russian. Despite the fact it aired six years ago, people have still been asking when The Russian will come back. Don’t you get it? He’s never coming back.
David Chase has been fairly clear that he’s not interesting in being tied to a serial narrative, in having to tie up loose ends or continue certain story elements:
Asked when he knew in his own mind what the multilayered story’s finale ultimo would be, Chase said: “About three years ago. There were not many changes from what I originally envisioned. Creatively, the challenge about ‘The Sopranos’ was that from the beginning, my goal was always to do a little movie every week. Other people like HBO and [production company] Brillstein-Grey wanted to have continuing story elements. I wasn’t interested in that, but then I got interested in that, and then that sort of took over; it was only about continuing story and I had to beat that back.
“So that is a long way of saying: It has all been planned out, we always knew exactly where it was going, but within that framework, we left a lot of room for each episode to have its own character and to invent stories that would fit in with the continuing story — if that makes any sense.”
Some people think the ending of the show, that final season, was meant as a kiss-off, flipping the bird to the audience. I didn’t take it that way. In his only interview since the finale, Chase says he didn’t mean it that way.
“No one was trying to be audacious, honest to God,” he adds. “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.”
I really need to see the episode again and really think about it, but let me offer a quick take.
In part, the show has always been about the anxiety of a middle class family (who happen to be in the Mob). So, what could be more perfect than the family gathering at Holstein’s, a Bloomfield, NJ ice cream parlor? The show has also always been about modern anxieties, whether of terrorism, old age, death, or whatever. And from the very first episode — the only other episode directed by David Chase — we see Tony worry about protecting his family. Remember how that theme tied into the ducks?
The ending shows that life goes on, but it also reflects the final season’s theme of things winding down.
In lots of movies and TV shows, the fans build expectations. They want certain characters to get together. They want this one to die and that one to live. A good writer-producer will ignore this stuff. The characters ought to do what they need to do. And I really like it when what they do is be true to themselves in a way that dashes expectations. In other words, don’t throw in a twist just for surprise. Have a character them behave in a way that’s not the cliché, but is true to their personality and history. I think The Sopranos did that and did it well.
12 Responses
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The Pop View Says:
I see what David Chase was going for here, but I’ve got to go with my gut here: “Made in America,” the Sopranos series finale, is not satisfying to a television audience. Because The Sopranos is on television, it follows that “Made in America” did not do what it was supposed to do. It broke the rules. It certainly did what David Chase wanted it to do (and for seeing his vision through on his terms, he should be commended on the level of Artistic Integrity), but as a series finale to one of the most celebrated TV series in history, I don’t know. Many people are rightly furious. And I can see their point. I suppose I can also see Chase’s.
This guy thinks it through, but I have to argue with his beginning premise. A show’s finale ought to be part of the theme of the show. If a series is any good, it’s about something. Things don’t just happen every week, as they do on lesser shows. The people and events reflect the theme of the show. And the ending ought to be a summation of that theme. Whether people get pissed off or not shouldn’t be part of the equation.
I guess what I’m saying, in my elitist fashion, if you seek satisfaction in art, go see a Jerry Bruckheimer movie.
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Eric Deggans Says:
As somebody who wrote one of the negative reviews quoted by the Washington Post, let me speak up a bit for my viewpoint.
Of course critics who hated the finale get that the Sopranos broke TVs rules. I’ve been covering this series since HBO sent me the first six episodes of their new, mafia-centered drama back in January 1999. I watched them, at first, mostly because I was a huge Lorraine Bracco fan.
We all have enjoyed the way the show broke TV rules for storytelling, and the made new ones along the way — starting with a character so ruthless he would kill his own mother, but still charismatic enough to earn our adoration and attention.
But there is a point when rule breaking become self-indulgence, and that is a fine line to judge. Even David Lynch ended his brilliant Twin Peaks series with a succession of episodes so indulgent that they were nearly incomprehensible.
It is too easy to say that those of us who didn’t like the finale weren’t smart enough or sophisticated enough about the show’s messages. We watched the program for 86 episodes over eight years; we get the subtext. We just didn’t think it was entertaining.
Part of that was creative choices that didn’t make sense to me, particularly in the final scene. When have we ever seen the Sopranos eat in such a dive together? Status-conscious Carmela would never allow it. When has Tony ever been so distracted that he wouldn’t notice a guy who has goobah hitter written all over his forehead, eyeing the family before walking in the bathroom?
It’s all a very subjective thing and great fun to debate. But I think it is obvious that enough people were disappointed in the finale — the New York Daily News, New York Newsday and Salon all also wrote negative reviews — that there is substance to the criticism which cannot be explained way easily…
Eric Deggans
TV/Media Critic
St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times -
The Pop View Says:
I expressed myself strongly — after all, this is a blog — but in the end, everyone is entitled to their opinion. And there was plenty about the final episode, and that final scene, to give justification for dissatisfaction.
But Holstein’s, which is a real place, is frequented by people like the Sopranos. It’s an ice cream parlour, so this is a casual family get-together, not a family dinner. And as status conscious as Carmela is, like most of their friends, they fail to transcend their humble roots.
I’m not sure Tony doesn’t notice the guy. First, we don’t know the guy is a danger. But Tony also seems to be hyper vigilant in that scene. One interpretation is that we enter Tony’s world view in those final moments. Alert to every danger, never sure when your time is up. They replayed that quote from Bobby in the previous episode about never knowing when it will all go black.
People can be disappointed in the finale. I was prompted to write this post because of the overall tenor of much of the criticism. People felt cheated; which is to say, they were expecting something that they didn’t get. In other words, they’re not as unhappy with what they got as with what they didn’t get.
I found the ending to be true to the whole series and satisfying as entertainment. With the tense intercutting and then the abrupt cut to black, it definitely pushed the edge. But I think it paid off.
And, yes, as a fan of Twin Peaks, that series really did fall off a cliff. Although, the finale of that series was pretty awesome.
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The Pop View Says:
Other TV writers comment on the final episode.
I’m a huge fan of Lost and so I was interested in the quotes from those guys:
Damon Lindelof, one of the creators of the ABC hit show “Lost,” another series whose viewers have high expectations about quality, said: “I’ve seen every episode of the series. I thought the ending was letter-perfect.”
Like millions of other viewers, Mr. Lindelof said he was initially taken aback by the quick cut to a blank screen and thought his cable had gone out at that crucial moment. He even checked his TiVo machine and saw that it was still running several minutes beyond the end. When he checked the scene again, he said, he noted “the scene cut off right as Meadow is coming through the door and right at the word ‘stop’ in the Journey song.”
He said: “My heart started beating. It had been racing throughout the last scene. Afterward I went to bed and lay next to my wife, awake, thinking about it for the next two hours. And I just thought it was great. It did everything well that ‘Godfather III’ did not do well.”
For the producers of “Lost,” who have declared an official finale in three more seasons, the conclusion of “The Sopranos” carried special weight. “There was immediate blowback for me,” said Carlton Cuse, Mr. Lindelof’s creative partner on the show. “A sense of fear ran through my veins, thinking that we are going to be in this position,” he said, adding, “we know the end is coming in 48 short episodes.”
He had admitted to some initial frustration with the ending of “The Sopranos.” “But it settled well with me,” Mr. Cuse said. “In that blank screen, there was a certain kind of purity in the choice Chase made to make it the fulcrum of the ending.”
Mr. Lindelof said that as daunting as it is to think of the expectations of ending a popular piece of entertainment, there was also a bit of benefit. “If you feel that everybody is going to hate it anyway, no matter what you do,” he said, “there’s a certain liberation in writing it.”
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Brian Monroe Says:
Made in America, the name of the final episode, is a common phrase used in many contexts. We often search for it when buying something. It’s a phrase which has come to mean genuineness, durability, authenticity. In addition, to be ‘made’ connotes the ritual one goes through to be initiated as a true gangster. Put together the phrase offers a sort of ironic twist to the concept of being made. What was once thought of as achieving true identity and purpose has in a sense been a fraud– all the ritual, all the pride and supposed comradery, all superficial. The process of being made is a fraud, it is not the genuine process of becoming. Notice what Phil says about the NJ crew, ‘they don’t even make people right, they don’t even prick the finger.’ Notice what the NJ crew says about Johnny Sack and the NY crew, ‘he created a sort of insecurity’ (referring to Phil). After the death of his brother, and his near death experience, Phil made it his calling to reaffirm his ‘made’ gangster identity. But in the end it led nowhere. Did anyone else catch the brand of vehicle which ran over Phil’s skull. It was a Ford. 100% Made in America. In a sense, this symbolizes the true process of being made overpowering the fraudulent ‘made’ one. So, if we recognize the symbolic judgment passed on the fraudulent ‘made’ identity, than where is the real process? In the final episode, who is Made in America? — This is where it gets a little fun.
(check out my blog for more jakjonsun.wordpress.com)
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The Pop View Says:
Another take on the audience reaction from Ben Silverman at PR Fuel:
More than a few people have said that they will cancel HBO now that “The Sopranos” is over, with many saying they feel ripped off.
My landlord is in that latter category, complaining to me, “I only had HBO to watch the show and they pulled a fast one on me. They hyped it up all year and delivered a piece of ….” You get the picture.
The response of my landlord and others annoyed me to no end. Why are they upset with HBO? The network airs the programming; they don’t write or direct it. HBO did not have control over how the series ebbed, flowed and ended; the creator, producers and writers did. Blaming HBO, in my mind, would be like blaming your Internet service provider because you’re not happy with the content of websites that you chose to visit.
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Dan Dorman Says:
I think the problem is that most people compare this series, or at least hold it on the same level as The Godfather. Imagine if at the end of The Godfather, Tessio wasn’t exposed and eliminated; Michael hadn’t arranged the murders of Moe Greene, Philip Tattaglia, Emilio Barzini, Anthony Stracci, and Ottilio Cuneo; Carlo hadn’t been tricked into admitting his role in Sonny’s death and was later strangled by Clemenza; Connie hadn’t confronted Michael for ordering Carlo’s death; Kay hadn’t questioned Michael about Connie’s accusation to which Michael simply lies to her; and in the end, Kay watches Clemenza and Lampone pay their respects to Michael, kissing his hand and addressing him as “Don Corleone”? In essence, what would The Godfather have been like if Michael hadn’t decided to settle “all Family business” at the end of the film? (and that’s just the first movie)
The point is, why should a TV show be different from a movie in this respect? Aren’t there just as many people who love The Sopranos as there are who love The Godfather films? Didn’t the makers have an obligation to “tie things up” and give it an “ending” that was satisfying to everyone? Okay, instead of the term “ending” how about “final note”? Cause let’s face it — it’s not like The Sopranos will never come back.
I agree with some that The Sopranos was a show about the intimate and not the epic (unlike The Godfather) but what brings both Sopranos and Godfather together is they were both on the same scale of Greek tragedy. I stopped watching Sopranos after the third season but was filled-in every season by a faithful friend and relentless veiwer of the show. And to be honest with you, given all this crap over the long-awaited series ending, I’m glad I stopped watching.
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The Pop View Says:
I agree that people made the mistake of comparing the two works and thinking they would get the satisfaction from The Sopranos that they got from The Godfather. I think David Chase made it very clear that he was not interested in those kind of pay-offs.
I think the creators are under no such obligation. Did David Lynch have an obligation to “tie it up” in Mulholland Drive? The writer/director should do whatever the hell they want and we can watch it or not.
Could Chase have offered a final note that was clearer and less ambiguous? Yes. Should he have? I don’t think so.
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Dan Dorman Says:
I’m gonna go out on a limb here (because there’s no love loss between me and The Sopranos) and say they were just plain lazy — or uninspired — you be the judge. They came up with some GREAT characters over the years but in the end I felt they just never really knew what all to do with them. That is the exact reason I stopped watching the show years ago. Maybe I just need immediate gratification. This is why I don’t like episodic TV. On the other hand, not every show is gonna end like M*A*S*H did, but they should sure as hell try.
As for David Lynch, I thought Mulholland Drive was almost as bad as the 2nd season of Twin Peaks. And I’m one of the world’s BIGGEST David Lynch fans. There is no such thing as a director or filmmaker who can do no wrong. Even Fellini made a few shit sandwiches in his time. Chase can do whatever he wants. It was his show. If he wanted to give it a shitty ending, I don’t care. It’s not like I’m a fan or anything. But it sure as hell isn’t gonna make me wanna pick up where I left off.
Christ, even fuckin’ Six feet Under went all out for the finale — and I fuckin’ hated that show. Whateva.
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Dan Dorman Says:
Furthermore, Sopranos didn’t need to go out with some big monumental ending — but it should have at least had a satisfying one. I doubt even the most rabid fan of the show (and I know quite a few) were “satisfied” with the finale. Lastly, I don’t think Chase was ever trying to make an “artistic” statement with his show. It’s not like we should be comparing him to Lynch or Coppola or anyone. I think the point of the show was to be entertaining. And for the most part it was. Let’s face it, they left it open. Those motherfuckers will be back. In some form or another. Cause above all else, The Sopranos spells: M-O-N-E-Y. And to me, that’s C-H-E-A-P.
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Dan Dorman Says:
BTW, here’s what David Chase himself had to FINALLY say about the ending, or rather — non-ending:
‘He says it’s “just great” if fans tried to find a deeper meaning, but “most of them, most of us, should have done this kind of thing in high school English class and didn’t.” ‘
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The Pop View » Get What You Like, Like What You Get Says:
[...] as I expressed in a blog post, you were flat-wrong if you thought David Chase had betrayed the show’s fans, because that [...]