Ciao Sopranos

Without the definitive proof that so many people were looking for at the conclusion of The Sopranos, I have come to accept the following.

Tony was murdered by the suspicious man stepping out of the restroom in the moment following the cut to black. I struggled at first to make sense of the abrupt ending. During the last scene in the restaurant, my brain raced to identify and then catalog what seemed like a series of rapid-fire clues that would solve the ending of the series. My initial frustration was based on my feeling that I was one or two clues short of the solution when the screen went black. In the days since, I have contemplated that final scene in the context of the entire last season and reached my conclusion.

The murders of Bobby and Phil this season were notable for how obviously they were set up. Bobby just misses the warning call from Silvio. The camera focuses on the mirrors in the train store, and the model steam engine looks unstoppable as it rolls down the track. Phil prolongs his conversation with wife and grandkids at the side of his car at the gas station. Just as deliberate are the moments leading up to the final shot of the series. I have no reason to believe that in Tony’s case, this setup did not lead to its logical conclusion. One would have to accept that Meadow’s multiple attempts at parallel parking were entirely meaningless, rather than see how it delayed her just long enough to put her where she was to watch the murder unfold. It is much simpler to conclude that Tony was murdered rather than try to make exceptions for why he was not. The murder also gives meaning. I don’t think there is any meaning without it.

Despite the sit down that Tony had with Phil’s men, it seems likely that the New York family would seek revenge for Phil’s murder. The way in which Phil was killed makes it especially so. We have learned that above all, these are men of self-preservation. As circumstances change, so do the methods of survival. Pride dictates retribution on Tony. It seems odd that the murder of Phil was treated like the conclusion of Tony’s problems with New York, with no concern over who would fill the top job and how they would relate to the New Jersey family.

With fears of being indicted, Tony makes final preparations as if he was dying. He visits Junior and Silvio. He tries to make arrangements for Bobby’s kids. He has dinner with Meadow. His final moments are with his family.

One of the most compelling parts of The Sopranos is the way it shows how the actions of the mob affect families. Jackie Jr. gets whacked. Vito’s son is dragged off to boot camp. Unable to leave the family and hounded by the FBI to inform, the Soprano associate with the recent inheritance hangs himself in his garage. The cost to “real” families is enormous, and the welfare of Tony’s own family has been a central theme throughout the entire series. The final scene consisting of Tony, Carmella, AJ, and Meadow comes back to that central theme and gives it the importance it deserves. We imagine that the Sopranos are like any typical family on a typical evening out. We see our own families in them for a moment, until we see the man in the Members Only jacket, or until we hear chimes and the restaurant door opens.

The scene ends at what must be the moment before the gunshot. Showing a gun blast would have given the definitive conclusion, but the actual final shot is revealing as well. We see Tony Soprano in his last conscious moment, looking up at his daughter as she enters the restaurant. Maybe because the death of Tony equals the death of The Sopranos, we are not allowed to see it? Here we have the antithesis of the murders of Bobby and Phil, with their graphic and comical elements. Tony is separated from the other characters in this way. We have already seen countless shootings, including a shooting of Tony himself. This becomes like a Greek Tragedy where the death occurs offstage. We look at Tony’s humanity in that final shot and are left to consider the aftermath of his murder. The imagination creates richer images than could be shown on film. We can contemplate Tony slumping over, Carmella in shock and calling his name, AJ’s clenched face and breakdown, Meadow’s eyes locked with her father’s during his final moment. Meadow could have easily been sitting next to her father at the time. Instead, the hitman drops his gun on the floor and bursts by her on his way to the door.

This conclusion is enough for me. I’m not bothered by not knowing David Chase’s actual intentions. I am not willing to say the ending was an artistic triumph and I won’t start rating it in the pantheon of series finales, but for the reasons I stated above I thought it worked.