Letters to the Editor
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Movement
Sopranos has never focused on Movement of the story. It has always been about character development.
F&%kin' Phil... that was sweet. Chase gave us that much.
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When the screen went black
I was stunned and confused, but naturally I immediately began trying to justify it to my 25 yr. old son, who was pissed beyond belief. Even when I posited that the abrupt black screen meant Tony had been whacked, he still wouldn't get over it. (Did you notice the guy at the counter was "Nick LEOTARDO" in the credits?)
Within a short while, it hit me that the ending was brilliant, the only way to end such an abiguous show. And that Journey song! So Tony, whose taste in music has always been thus. (pay attention to when he himself chooses the music-predictable and goofy)
This morning, I'm laughing my ass off. David Chase has succeeded in turning millions of Sopranos fans into two warring factions.
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cleverly re-directing focus
back to the viewer. I guess that is what a social commentary does, generally. all of the objects we have focused judgement on are "shot down": the shrinks, the feds, the mobsters are all clusters of essentially self-interested people who we can comfortably watch as they struggle with basic questions of morality, ie "what is the right thing to do in this situation?"; their actions often failing our expectations of them. don't stop believing? but, what is there to believe in? the scenes that stick out, for me, in the culminating episodes are those depicting the horrified crowd or witness reaction to extreme violence. the staff, performers and audience at the Badda Bing who see the car/motorcycle accident, the guy in the electric train store trying to cover those traumatized kids with his body, the projectiling crowd at the gas station: as viewers, They are Us. and They have one clear, unambiguous, horrified reaction to extreme viloence. when it culminates in a moment. perhaps we are meant to draw in all of the mundane, seemingly-benign choices that lead to such an event: Episode One of this season brought us drink-by-drink from placid lake-side vacation to major family rift. in any case, Heather's article is the best I've read so-far on the last episode in a really interesting series. unless the do a movie in three years.
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I'm miffled...
As with most of the series, the music choice reveals the most. I LOVED that we went from Bob Dylan to Journey in so short a time span. Maybe we're all really AJ watching and letting and loving the randomly angry big boss that rules our lives. Occasionally, we get it and listen to Bob Dylan...but most of the time it's the mindless and shallow lyrics that get us in the end.
For the record, I thought this was the most brilliant final episode ever. I hate those fake wrap-ups like MASH and Cheers and Friends. Let's let the characters live on. I won't stop believin'.
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Soprano Sang
As a loyal American, Tony Soprano gives over some banking type information to his FBI buddy, about some Ayrabs. Their relationship going forward is established as quid pro quo.
Here, Tony is also honoring AJ's awakening to terror along with his son's evidently related (noteworthy, praiseworthy) impulse to join the army.
I don't watch this show, but I keep up with the thread and watched the final 2 episodes. I found AJ to be a more sympathetic character than do most posters, so I felt disappointment when he demonstrates himself utterly capable of "integrating" his liberal politics into the mob life which he so clearly chooses.
In the end, it is the sick Mary Tyler Moore ending--we prayed unto Him, and the happy ending was given unto us--that will stay with us. He mocks everyone with a Hollywood ending. Sheesh!
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Get A Damned Life, People
If ever the term "get a life" is appropriate, it's after reading Salon letter writers' endless, energetic, and detailed musings about the end of a friggin' television series. As an indicator of our national mindset, the way Americans relate to TV characters as if they were real (or even remotely relevant to our own lives) is just as disheartening as the country's shallow level of political discourse. Thanks so much to Salon for promoting our ongoing cultural lunacy.
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This isn't the last of the Sopranos.
In late 1980, I came back to the states on leave. I had not owned a TV when stationed abroad, and although I had picked up bits and pieces of the Dallas saga, I had no interest in "Who shot JR?????" It is my understanding that during a later season, JR was brought back? Or the show was continued in some way with the JR character? The show was a money printing machine, and the network just couldn't let it go without wringing the last dime from the series.
The Sopranos have been obscenely profitable for HBO, and I find it difficult to believe that they will stop until this Jersey turnip is bled dry. I didn't watch any of the shows until about three seasons ago. I later went back and rented the first season, which was quite good with interesting writing and characters. I think the show is out of gas, but I understand that the new shows HBO has lined up have been panned by the critics. My money is betting that Tony, Carm, etc. will be baaaaaak.
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greasy yummy onion ring and Coke as holy eucharist?
Someone else mentioned that they'd noticed that Tony, Carm and AJ all popped those onion rings into their mouths in the same way, and wondered if that symbolized their family likeness or something.
I saw it a different way. Knowing that no detail is unmassaged in this show, I couldn't help but think of receiving the host whole in your mouth.
But I'm still ruminating (<== ha ha, geddit???) over what the heck it could mean which is what I've always loved about this show!!!
Seeya, Chase! Wouldn't wanta be ya!!!!!!
Oh, who'm'I kidding?? Nous sommes tous indesirables, when all is said and done!
Thanks for a great run!
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Can we please limit the "get a life" letters
to one per column?
In case you smug, humorless people don't get it, those of us who watch "The Sopranos" and take a few minutes out our lives to talk about it, are capable of doing and caring about lots of other things. It's really as simple as that.
Just think, the time you take to scold us about our TV viewing habits could be so much better spent saving baby seals or feeding the hungry in the streets of Calcutta. You should be ashamed.
I still don't know what to think about last night's episode. But, I appreciate the thoughts expressed in Heather's column and here in the letters section.