Soprano’s Finale On Sunday… Does Anyone Even Care Anymore?
I used to love Tony Soprano and the gang. The first few seasons were purely magical and were some of the best television that had ever been made. The next few seasons, the series was above the cut and seemed to be a franchise that would that could live forever if David Chase, the creator, wanted it too.
About halfway through last season, however, the wheels seemed to have come off. Storylines that make little to no sense have almost left the show unwatchable. Case and point, Carmella Soprano is somehow shocked that Tony has to go on the lam because he is a gangster. Or how about last night when Bobby Bacala, in the midst of a mob war that they are trying to gun down the head of the New York family, decides its a good idea to go shopping for a model train (although I do admit that the direction of that particular scene was fantastic). And lastly, does it make any sense, that Jennifer Melfi would “fire” Tony as a patient after years of friendship and his son A.J. had just tried to commit suicide? And these are just a few that are coming off the top of my head.
I am a Soprano’s loyalist, but David Chase got very lazy in the final season. It is a real shame that it has to end where he makes Tony and his crew look so silly this season. It is almost like he is trying to implode the character because he feels it got too big. It is too bad because the franchise probably could have lasted a number of years on the big screen if they would not have let the show go downhill so fast.
“Case and point, Carmella Soprano is somehow shocked that Tony has to go on the lamb because he is a gangster.”
She’s shocked because Tony is a Boss and how often do Bosses have to lamb it? The last time a Boss was killed without warning was Anastasia in the 40′s. It’s been 6 years since 9/11 and people have already forgotten the panic that that day caused – even the 30 years since the last “real” War in NYC, Carm is right to think that as a Boss Tony wouldn’t be touched. And what’s more, she wasn’t privy to all of the information that we – the viewer – saw… we knew about Phil long before Carm did.
“Or how about last night when Bobby Bacala, in the midst of a mob war that they are trying to gun down the head of the New York family, decides its a good idea to go shopping for a model train”
Bobby didn’t know the hit missed – all due to a forgotten phone
Further, what better way to look “uninvolved” than to go about his regular day? In fact, that Phil’s boys say “he used to Junior’s driver” lends itself to the notion that Bobby would even be at risk or considered as part of the “key” management of the family… I think it was the marriage to Janice that cause that killing.
That Melfi throws Tony out now? I think it’s a nice twist, given how their sessions had run over the years: he fit the criminal profile perfectly, so what *could* she think? It’s almost like she throw him out “for his own good”. Will she be around next week? I doubt it.
I think it took a direction that most people didn’t expect and maybe some people didn’t like – I don’t think it turned into a BAD show because of it. I think it continues to be entertaining and frankly, last night’s episode was enough to completely shread all of my predictions of how it will end… that’s some good TV, right there.
I don’t even watch this show, but it’s “on the lam”, not “on the lamb”
I’m going to hold my tongue until after this Sunday.
:O My damned spell checker made me look Irish!
Just saw the episode last night (finale next week, can’t wait). I liked the way the show is winding down. The foreshadowed MElfi dropping Tony throughout the series, due to this “report” on sociopaths. And it made sense to her. Despite all the conversations, all the breakthroughs, Tony is still a murderer and vicious criminal. As Carmilla said, besides after he got shot, she wasn’t heling much anyway.
As Randy says above, Bobby didn’t know about the full-on war as he left his phone in the car. Poor guy. I felt sorry for Sil, the only level-headed guy.
I think that overall, The Sopranos is one of the most consistently good shows ever. It’s been occasionally great, and rarely bad.