Made In America - Sopranos Finale explained

[Cptn1NSAN0]

Just finished up another viewing of the incredible series. While looking for discussion regarding the ending of the show, which was initially met with mixed reviews and still isn't regarded by fans of the show as a proper send off, I stumbled across this absolute gem of breakdown. It's enlightening as fuck, take a look if you're a fan of the show.

Obviously MAJOR FUCKING SPOILERS here. Don't read if you haven't watched this show before, and if you haven't then get on it, it's a masterpiece.

This first link is a revised and streamlined version of the Master of Sopranos blog that has gained some online notoriety over the years. The original article was enlightening to begin with but this updated version is quicker and cleaner (@Jermei.) It does a great job of explaining the camera tricks present in the final scene.

https://masterofsopranos.wordpress.com/1147-2/

And this link is even more insightful. I've seen the show all the way through at least four or five times now, but this literally blew my mind.

http://mikecole.org/the-sopranos-ending-made-in-america/

Hope you guys find this interesting.

EDIT: This isn't a debate about your interpretation of the ending, I just meant to share these links in particular with you guys because as someone who's completed the series multiple times and read plenty of theories, this shit is CONCRETE. Read that second link (all the way through,) watch the finale again and try to tell me it isn't dead on.

 

[Jermei]

David Chase the creater/writer of the show said Tony wasn't whacked and is not dead. Plus that's not what the show was about. Sopranos was about Tony's struggle with depression, not whacking people, and when the screen goes black that's the exact moment Tony is finally happy.... imo. You won't read that pov anywhere but here, that's mine, and ive been saying it for years. I've no doubts.

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

David Chase the creater/writer of the show said Tony wasn't whacked and is not dead. Plus that's not what the show was about. Sopranos was about Tony's struggle with depression, not whacking people, and when the screen goes black that's the exact moment Tony is finally happy.... imo. You won't read that pov anywhere but here, that's mine, and ive been saying it for years. I've no doubts.

You clearly didn't read. Sorry but your interpretation is pretty much baseless, and gets torn apart by Mr. Mike Cole.

David Chase said a lot of coy things regarding the finale. But knowing his style and his attention to detail, if you can read those articles I posted and still think he put all of those dozens and dozens of clues in there for no reason and left it "open for interpretation," then you are being willfully ignorant IMO. The man is a brilliant artist, he took two years off to write the finale for a reason and it shows in the impressive work of art that is the final season and episode.

 

[Jermei]

You clearly didn't read. Sorry but your interpretation is pretty much baseless, and gets torn apart by Mr. Mike Cole.

lol, ive read many internet explainations, maybe even his. The one I read was a shitty old website with thousands of words trying to explain everything........ but the guy who wrote the last episode confirmed Tony lived and wasn't whacked.

 

[Medical Marijuana Man]

David Chase the creater/writer of the show said Tony wasn't whacked and is not dead. Plus that's not what the show was about. Sopranos was about Tony's struggle with depression, not whacking people, and when the screen goes black that's the exact moment Tony is finally happy.... imo. You won't read that pov anywhere but here, that's mine, and ive been saying it for years. I've no doubts.

The only reason why I believe Tony was wacked is because in the beginning of the last season I believe, Tony & Bobby were talking about what happens when you die and Bobby said it just turns black. And that's what happened with the finale. Could be wrong but that's what I like to think.

 

[DaleBoca]

Chase in the past had said he'd contemplated a Sopranos movie. This was of course when JG was still alive. So, not sure how they would do a Sopranos movie without Jimmy.

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

lol, ive read many internet explainations, maybe even his. The one I read was a shitty old website with thousands of words trying to explain everything........ but the guy who wrote the last episode confirmed Tony lived and wasn't whacked.

Here is Chase lending credence to the theories I posted above.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat...credence_to_sopranos_theory_in_directors.html

 

[ufcfan4]

You clearly didn't read. Sorry but your interpretation is pretty much baseless, and gets torn apart by Mr. Mike Cole.

David Chase said a lot of coy things regarding the finale. But knowing his style and his attention to detail, if you can read those articles I posted and still think he put all of those dozens and dozens of clues in there for no reason and left it "open for interpretation," then you are being willfully ignorant IMO.

Chase did the age-old trick of explicitly confirming that Tony died in one interview and then saying that Tony didn't die in another one.

seemed like classic ploy to keep people talking and be deliberately ambiguous. I'll give you that Tony's demise makes a lot more sense, but I always liked to think he survived only to be brought down by Gervasi finking on him. Almost seemed more fitting that Tony would finally topple over due to someone selling him out to save his own skin than Tony getting killed- particularly since it seemed like the beef with NY had been squashed.

Butchie of course had reason to hate, but at the end he seemed to have little in the way of loyalty to Leotardo when he saw what was best for business. "Do what you gotta do.."

But yeah the black screen and silence certainly echoes the conversation with Bobby Bacala earlier.

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

Seems like an awful lot of replies from people who didn't read the links.....

come on fellas

 

[MarloStanfield]

lol, ive read many internet explainations, maybe even his. The one I read was a shitty old website with thousands of words trying to explain everything........ but the guy who wrote the last episode confirmed Tony lived and wasn't whacked.

i agree with you here but not youre theory that it was all about his depression, his therapy was a big part of the show but there was so much more to it all than than that

 

[ufcfan4]

Remember that Seinfeld episode where Elaine and Jerry and George are, at the beginning, sitting at Monks debating what type of evil entity Damien from THe Omen was. And then when Kramer sits they ask him, "What was Damien?" and Kramer's like, "Nothing...just a mischievous, rambunctious kid."

For some reason I think of that scene with the ending of the Sopranos substituted in.

Seinfeld: Hey, Kramer, what happened at the end of the Sopranos?

Kramer: Well, Tony and his family finished dinner and he paid the bill...

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

lol, ive read many internet explainations, maybe even his. The one I read was a shitty old website with thousands of words trying to explain everything........ but the guy who wrote the last episode confirmed Tony lived and wasn't whacked.

That was probably just them keeping the movie idea alive

I think tony was wacked personally

 

[ufcfan4]

i agree with you here but not youre theory that it was all about his depression, his therapy was a big part of the show but there was so much more to it all than than that

Phenomenal show. So many great supporting characters and multiple interesting plot threads and story lines. One of my favorite shows for sure.

 

[MarloStanfield]

Seems like an awful lot of replies from people who didn't read the links.....

come on fellas

ive seen the show umpteen times and read many theories and shit in the past, the reality is they sat down for dinner and it ended, anyone can make their own minds up anyway they want but its what they want to interpret it to be, he lived in my view

 

[Gutter Chris]

David Chase the creater/writer of the show said Tony wasn't whacked and is not dead. Plus that's not what the show was about. Sopranos was about Tony's struggle with depression, not whacking people, and when the screen goes black that's the exact moment Tony is finally happy.... imo. You won't read that pov anywhere but here, that's mine, and ive been saying it for years. I've no doubts.

This is pretty much what Ive been telling people almost word for word.

Good post man I agree

 

[MarloStanfield]

Phenomenal show. So many great supporting characters and multiple interesting plot threads and story lines. One of my favorite shows for sure.

it was incredible and timeless, i actually hated Tony for the most part the way he manipulated people for his own selfish gains and needs

 

[MarloStanfield]

also its almost like a comedy in many parts, the humour was on another level

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

Alright guys I didn't mean for this thread to turn into a debate about your own interpretations, I meant to share a couple of specific links and discuss the ideas within.

Simply put, if you read the second link in particular that I provided then you would no longer be supporting the ambiguous theory. Don't give me any of this "oh ive read all the theories already and I know for sure" crap that I'm hearing. I'm not trying to say that I'm smarter than any of you guys, I was simply just willing to spend some time reading and being open to ideas. I was lucky to find that second article, it is literally fucking mind blowing. Please read it and stop telling me I'm wrong.

 

[ufcfan4]

it was incredible and timeless, i actually hated Tony for the most part the way he manipulated people for his own selfish gains and needs

Yeah I always found that a lot of people really liked Tony, despite knowing that he was a piece of shit. Like they enjoyed the alpha element he brought and what not. I really disliked him for the vast majority of the show. It was a show chock full of scumbags though. The guys you might actually find less fucked up- like, for instance, Silvio compared to Paulie and Chris- still did some absolutely heinous shit.

I don't really want to get this thread off topic, but Sopranos appreciation is always cool.

Furio Giunta was one of my favorite characters for sure. Absolute badass and hilarious at times to boot. "Stupida facking game."

 

[Gutter Chris]

also its almost like a comedy in many parts, the humour was on another level

This scene kills me

sacre bleu where is me mama

So many good ones in that show