Not to throw a monkey wrench into anyones theory, but follow this link and you will have a clearcut answer to what really happened in the diner.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1562298/20070612/index.jhtml

Meaningless article, actually.

I'm still not sure about all the things I think the ending implies, but I'm sure about one thing: David Chase isn't letting a has-been rock-star dictate terms to him. If Steve Perry wants to think he negotiated to spare us all the gory trauma of an on-screen slaughter, that's kinda sweet, but who in their right mind would ever think that kind of denoument was a possibility?

But then the whole bombastic ego-tripping delusions-of-grandeur thing is why Tony would like Steve Perry.

You're right, Clockwork Smurf. I was twisting things around unfairly because I was a little aggravated at Perry for his apparent attitude that The Sopranos is another jewel in his rock crown.

The point remains though, that Chase wanted the song, and if all the assurance Perry needed was to be told no Soprano would take a bullet during the song, then Chase knew he could give that guarantee without sacrificing any of his artistic intentions. It's just the sort of slippery deal Tony himself would make :)

I admit I'm a hostile witness, because up until now if I heard Journey on the radio I couldn't hit "search" fast enough. But after watching the last scene several times, the song has earned a lot of cred for me. It's pretty much perfect. I almost get a lump in my throat when Carmela walks through that door with those first piano chords.

Nevertheless, I haven't changed my opinion that it's a middlebrow rock anthem. That's another thing that makes it so perfect. The Soprano family members and crew are not known for their exquisite taste. On the contrary, from Carmela's nouveau riche interior decorating to Paulie's monstrosity of an Espresso machine, the pervading flavor is vulgar and crude. A.J.'s underage girlfriend has classier taste in music than Tony does.

When Scorsese wants to underscore his drama with operatic rock bravado, he uses The Rolling Stones. Tony punches up Journey. ...Whoa! Hey! I'm just sayin'!

Steve Perry ought to be proud Chase chose his music -- and grateful. Now, forever linked to this scene, that song has been elevated to a realm of momentous impact that it never before possessed.

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Not quite buying the dream theory, sunny miller, but it's an interesting slant. I want to believe that Chase is above such stuff, but there is that talking fish... :)

As for Tony ever being exposed to Yeats, in season 5 Dr. Melfi tells Tony, "The center cannot hold. The falcon cannot hear the falconer."

But it's obvious that the meaning sails right over his head.

Pertnear

I thought I was seeing the lookalike thing too. Thanks for helping me believe I'm not losin' it.

The waitress is the first one I noticed. Big girl, big hair -- dead ringer for Janice.

The lookalikes are no joke. They make me think of The Bizzaro World Sopranos, or an Alternate Universe Sopranos -- a glimpse at what sort of mundane life they would have led without the mob connections.

True2Blue,

There's a good chance Stephanie Zacharek is praising the movie because it's worth seeing.

Here's an idea: Go see the movie and make up your own mind about it, instead of trying to second guess SZ's motivations.

If the 92% rating on RT means nothing to you, why do you read critics at all? Unless it's just a cheaper way for you to pretend you know what you're talking about than spending a few bucks on a ticket.

But no, it's apparently more fun for you to criticize critics than it is for you to go to movies. Kinda sad.

After rereading her review of the "TBU" I still can't tell if she really liked it.

-- True2Blue

Keep working on those reading skills, True2Blue. You might not be ready for movies.