The Sopranos Final Episode: More Evidence "It's Not TV, It's HBO."

The thought of blogging about the final episode of The Sopranos hadn't even occurred to me until I flipped on the news this morning. Apparently there's quite a brouhaha over the whole thing, as the majority of viewers are dismayed at the abrupt ending. If you haven't seen it, I'll spoil it for you now (or you can simply stop reading if you plan on watching it soon): the immediate Soprano family (Tony, his wife, Carmela, and their son A. J.) meet at a favorite local diner, engage in some light conversation and reflection and wolf down some onion rings. We see a henchman for Phil Leotardo, who arrived at the same time as A. J., sit down at the counter and order a coffee. Meanwhile, Meadow--Tony and Carmela's daughter--is attempting to parallel park, unsuccessfully. The shady character at the counter gets up and passes the Soprano family on the way to the bathroom. Finally, Meadow wiggles into her spot, jumps out of her car and runs to the door of the diner. We cut to Tony looking up as the door bell rings and, presumably, Meadow enters the restaurant. Just as Tony looks up, the screen cuts to black and lingers for ten seconds, or so, until the credits roll.

The critically acclaimed HBO original series has been an experimental, edgy drama since its beginning six seasons ago. The last few seasons have been especially experimental, dealing more with issues of depression, familial relationships and morality and less with the mafia saga. The show has become less and less about the specific criminal activities of the families involved and more about how the characters interact with each other and the way they each existentially deal with the criminal environment they've been thrust into. Viewers and critics seem to be only interested in the last scene, yet the entire final season leaves most questions unanswered.

But that's really the beauty of The Sopranos. It deals with real-life situations in relatable ways that I've never actually seen on the television screen before. Critics and viewers are saying the series went out with a "whimper" but I don't see how else the show could have ended (I was also aghast at the amount of people who actually thought their cable went out *rolls eyes*). The Sopranos isn't Scarface but it seems so many viewers wanted to see a huge blowout where Tony gets whacked in the end. Or maybe he just goes to prison and we see the aftermath like in Goodfellas. And don't get me wrong, I'm a relentless fan of both of these films, but The Sopranos is something completely different. If it had ended with a "bang" I think it really would have flopped.

I really don't want to write a long essay about this, or anything, so I'll simply leave you with what I feel is the most important aspect of the final scene of the final episode of The Sopranos: the lyrics to the song chosen by Tony Soprano at his personal jukebox at the table, as he awaits his family.

Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"

Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin anywhere

A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill,
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin anything to roll the dice,
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

(chorus)

Dont stop believin
Hold on to the feelin
Streetlight people