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‘The Sopranos' turns 20. David Chase opens up about Tony’s fate: ‘We all could be whacked in a diner
The Star Ledger ^ | 01.09.19 | Amy Kuperinsky

Posted on 03/11/2019 11:40:39 AM PDT by Coleus

On June 10, 2007, less than five minutes remained in the final episode of “The Sopranos.”

After eight years with Tony Soprano, his family and the Family, viewers of the landmark series sat keenly alert to the final action as Tony waited for his family at Holsten’s in Bloomfield: The bell that sounds each time someone walks through the door. Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” playing on the jukebox. The onion rings that Tony, Carmela and A.J. pop in their mouths as Meadow attempts her maddening parallel parking job outside.

Then, nothing. Cut to black.

Those final seconds hit Tony’s native New Jersey — and the entire viewing audience — like the Big Bang, especially when everyone realized the black screen was not, in fact, a cable outage. As the waves of shock expanded outward, “The Sopranos” was never really over. Since that Sunday night more than 11 years ago, fans and TV critics, including former Star-Ledger writers Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz, have debated whether the abrupt end was an indication of Tony’s demise or something else entirely.

So when they sat down recently with series creator David Chase for a series of interviews about the show, they did not expect any monumental clarification. And yet, behold this sentence in their new book:

“I think I had that death scene around two years before the end,” Chase told them.

Yes. “Death scene.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: bloomfield; davidchase; holstens; sopranos
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To: Coleus

Never watched it; I worked 15-18hrs a day, 7 days a week, at my business, and lost track of the TV show.


61 posted on 03/11/2019 1:33:11 PM PDT by Carriage Hill (A society grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they know they will never sit.)
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To: carriage_hill

I basically watched bits on YouTube, never sat through a whole episode, but I got the gist of it.


62 posted on 03/11/2019 1:33:54 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Bullish

It was special to some of us.

Especially those of us who know the life from friends, and yes, some family.

But I respect your opinion :)


63 posted on 03/11/2019 1:34:50 PM PDT by dp0622 (The Left should know if.. Trump is kicked out of office, it is WAR!)
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To: dfwgator
No, by Members Only Guy, it clearly showed him earlier going into the restroom, where he’d have a clear shot at Tony when he came out.

The gun was probably stashed there and he shot him when he came out.
64 posted on 03/11/2019 1:43:21 PM PDT by Deo volente ("Our Independence Day is at hand, and it arrives finally on November 8th." Donald Trump)
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To: Coleus

Great series, great ending. I know intense mafia wars probably can’t happen like they used to, but my wish is that we saw more of that kind of stuff in the last two seasons. NY considered north NJ a glorified crew because of the numbers, fine, actually show them getting crushed or whatever.

Freegards


65 posted on 03/11/2019 1:44:08 PM PDT by Ransomed
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To: Coleus

I always liked how in the last scene they are eating onion rings which could be considered symbolism for communion wafers


66 posted on 03/11/2019 1:56:06 PM PDT by stuck_in_new_orleans
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To: whodathunkit

The show is unique in my opinion as having no one worthy of sympathy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gosh. That got me to thinking of all the many many characters.

And maybe the shrink, Dr. Melfi comes close. She made mistakes with Tony, yes. But I think she tried to do the right thing most all the time.

Her decision NOT to rat out the identity of her rapist to Tony was awesome. What integrity. What character. You know she really struggled with that call. You know she wanted to. Cause Tony would have had that punk dead within the hour.


67 posted on 03/11/2019 2:00:47 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: canuck_conservative
Never any real indication of the misery created by, or the consequences of, that "lifestyle".

I hope you’re kidding. There were no winners on that show. All of them were losers or dead

68 posted on 03/11/2019 2:02:34 PM PDT by stuck_in_new_orleans
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To: Steely Tom

The clue was the first episode in that season was titled “Members Only” and the guy who killed Tony was the guy in the Members Only jacket who came out of the restroom to Tony’s right.


69 posted on 03/11/2019 2:03:39 PM PDT by Ouderkirk (Life is about ass, you're either covering, hauling, laughing, kicking, kissing, or behaving like one)
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To: TalBlack
They presaged the whack in an earlier show when, IIRC Tony says “...wham, that’s it, you’re gone...” I think they were holidaying at a lake with another couple and the guys got to talking about being on the receiving end of a hit.

If it's the episode I'm thinking of, Tony and his brother-in-law Bobby were talking about what it's like to die. I think Bobby even said something to the effect that it's like turning off a television set - everything just goes dark, which is essentially what happened in that last episode.

70 posted on 03/11/2019 2:07:30 PM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: Steely Tom

“..liked him in True Romance.”

Fun facts: Sopranos casting director was Georgianne Walken, Christopher Walken’s wife. Chris was also in True Romance.
Also, Steven Van Zandt, another Spranos cast member, is AKA “Little Steven” the guitarist in Bruce Springsteen’s band. Guess he needed a job when Bruce “went solo” & left the E Street Band behind.


71 posted on 03/11/2019 2:11:01 PM PDT by mumblypeg (I've seen the future, brother. It is murder. --L. Cohen)
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To: Deo volente

I always thought it was Members Only, but it was just a target of opportunity. Some guy who hated Tony, or maybe worked for New York and hadn’t heard the war was over. He went by to double check that it really was Tony. And probably just hung out in the alcove by the bathrooms until he got psyched/ had a good moment.


72 posted on 03/11/2019 2:16:20 PM PDT by discostu (I know that's a bummer baby, but it's got precious little to do with me)
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To: Coleus

Never could understand the controversy over this. It was always obvious to me that Tony was whacked given his earlier conversation in the boat with his BIL where they wonder what happens when you die — and specifically ask “does everything just go dark?”

The controversy SHOULD be about WHO whacked him.


73 posted on 03/11/2019 2:19:07 PM PDT by rhinohunter (Dear Mr. Trump: I'm still not tired of winning)
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To: Kid Shelleen

ME Too


74 posted on 03/11/2019 2:20:54 PM PDT by uncbob
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To: Coleus

James Gandolfini is gone so no Sopranos movie.


75 posted on 03/11/2019 2:24:29 PM PDT by dennisw
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To: SamAdams76

You know I once read that they filmed two version of the show, one for HBO, cable, and one for channels and networks that would not allow profanity and nudity.


76 posted on 03/11/2019 2:29:19 PM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
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To: mumblypeg
Nice! Thanks for that!

Similar, but from way back:

The guy who plays second banana in To Live and Die in LA, and who also plays Paul (the husband's) little brother Ira in Mad About You, is John Pankow, younger brother of Jimmy Pankow, trombonist for Chicago.

77 posted on 03/11/2019 2:31:41 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: Bullish
What the hell? Is was just a damn TV show.

And "Podkayne of Mars" is just a book but 56 years later you can find Sci-Fi fans arguing earnestly about whether she lived or died.

People love a good mystery.

If it is ever resolved half of the people will be disapointed and maybe a bit angry.

Best to leave it as is.

PS She died. Had to be.

78 posted on 03/11/2019 2:32:52 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (If you are going to be baked by a witch you might as well go out with a mouth full of gingerbread!)
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To: Rockingham

You’ve obviously never seen gilligans island or my motherthe car. ;-)


79 posted on 03/11/2019 2:37:22 PM PDT by lowbridge
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To: cgbg

Rewatching B5 the last few days. Season 3 was fantastic.


80 posted on 03/11/2019 2:41:13 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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