Sopranos Fans Whack Show’s Creator In The End
SOPRANOS creator David Chase guessed fans would be out to whack him after the final episode of the series screened Sunday. That’s why he skipped the country and headed for his villa in the south of France.
[Spoiler warning: If you don't want to know how the series ends, stop reading now.]
In the final episode of the series that has run for eight years, Tony and the family sit down to eat in a New Jersey ice cream parlor peppered with menacing characters. As the tension reaches a crescendo the screen fades to black.
Minutes after the credits rolled, the HBO website crashed under a torrent of 364,000 page view requests a second.
The very next day Tony’s mug graced the front of the New York Daily News beside the headline “One Whacky Ending” while inside the paper whined about the finale that was “Not All It Is Whacked Up To Be.”
Chase’s decision to leave the Sopranos family’s fate unresolved may have been a stroke of genius for some fans, but the majority felt it was a cop out.
Today the New York Post printed a selection of reader emails that included suggestions David Chase “deserves to be whacked” and threats to cancel HBO subscriptions. “I thought that was the worst ending to a series that I have ever seen in my life,” one viewer wrote.
Others were more positive, like the fan who emailed, “It took b***s to just go blank…It definitely left me wanting more.”
The Associated Press found a similar mixture of feelings when it took a video camera out on the streets of New York.
As for the meaning of the fade to black, Chase says he has “no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there.” Before fleeing to France, he gave an exclusive interview to the Newark Star-Ledger in which he said: “No one was trying to be audacious, honest to God. We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people’s minds or thinking, ‘Wow, this’ll (tick) them off.’
“People get the impression that you’re trying to (mess) with them, and it’s not true. You’re trying to entertain them.”
Daily News columnist David Bianculli argues that the messy ending continued a theme that ran throughout the Sopranos: “That’s what life is like, Chase always has insisted. Things don’t end neatly, or resolve expectedly.”
As for the fans who say the finale ruined the entire series, Bianculli says: “A.J. reminded Tony, at the final dinner scene, that he had once told A.J. to concentrate on the good times. When remembering “The Sopranos,” viewers angry at the finale might want to take that advice to heart.”
Posted: 12th, June 2007 | In: Anorak In New York Comments (16) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- yampster on I’m A Celebrity: Mitch Winehouse Leaks News Of Amy’s Winehouse’s ‘Leaky’ Breasts
- starship on Father Murders Son For Molesting 3-Year-Old Girl
- yampster on Fiona MacKeown’s Benefits Fraud Linked To Daughter Scarlett’s Rape And Murder
- Willy Nilly on Fiona MacKeown’s Benefits Fraud Linked To Daughter Scarlett’s Rape And Murder
- June on I’m A Celebrity: Katie Price Is Rubbed Off In Kim Woodburn Bust Up
April 1st, 2008 at 3:23 am
ALL THESE WORDS ARE IN THE DICTIONARY BUT ARE USED IN A DIFFERENT WAY JUST FOR MATT.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:21 am
SORRY MY FINGER NAIL GOT IN THE WAY ( SOUND) IS HOW I MEANT IT TO BE SPELLED . AND THE SPACE BETWEEN YOU / OWN SORRY MATT DO I GET A B + AT LEAST .
April 1st, 2008 at 3:18 am
THIS IS TO MATT WHAT IS SISTER SISTER GET A LIFE MATT DON’T REPLY ABOUT MY SPELLING LOOK IN YOUR OWN DICTIONARY YOU ARE SO PERFECT YOU NEVER MADE A MISTAKE DID YOU JERK!GROW UP WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SPELL MATT. CRITICISM DID I SPELL THAT RIGHT HOW ABOUT PRICK DO YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF THAT WORD LOOK IT UP.SHOULD I GO ON HOW ABOUT ASS. FREAK DROP DEAD YOU MUST LOOK LIKE A TOAD BECAUSE YOU SURE SOND LIKE ONE. ANYWAY I DON’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING TO YOU . YOU ARE JUST A JERK THAT LIKES TO PUT PEOPLE DOWN TAKE A GOOD LOOK IN THE MIRROR IF YOUOWN ONE .OH BY THE WAY YOU SPELLED ENDING WRONG IT’S ENDING NOT EDDING. ASS
June 20th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
[...] Jun IN a brilliant parody of the Sopranos finale that America has been debating for over a week, a new campaign video from Hillary Clinton places the Presidential hopeful and her [...]
June 15th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
I usually do not like it when people call their opinion a fact, but this is the only logical answer to the controversial ending. I do not think anyone who actually paid attention to the show would not get this explanation and if they needed someone to explain this then they must have been sleeping through most of this season.
Although I understand it, I am still not satisfied and that is my personal opinion. It was a very abstract way of giving closure and when I flip on the TV at 8:00 pm on Sunday nights I want to see some blood if someone is going to die.
If I wanted to think abstractly I would major as a Liberal Arts student, go to school for 4 years, and end up working at McDonalds or making pottery in my backyard with some chick named Willow.
I do not disrespect people who liked the ending I just didn’t agree with it. Thanks for taking the time for the explanation Madguy that was a long post and, although it wasn’t any new insight, it was good to read…much respect.
June 15th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
You all know I love to share my thoughts…so for all of you that watch the Sopranos and were disappointed, confused, and maybe angry at the ending of this series, I’m going to explain what happened…
He was killed….
in fact, the ending was genius if you’ve paid attention to the show
or are just a fan of well developed well thought out plots that all
tie together and have the memory of a champ to remember it all
the ending was simple, he got killed, but let me tell all why and
explain in detail… There was 3 people in the room total who had a
reason to kill Tony…..
the two black guys, they were paid before to kill Tony but he was
only shot in the ear, this was in one of the earlier seasons,
also in the earlier seasons, the trucker who was sitting at the bar
stool, who the camera kept focusing in on, is Nikki leotardo, Phil
Leotardos nephew, he was in one of the early season episodes where
Phil and Tony have a sit down….
heres where the genius comes in….
When toys walking in the diner, you see the camera focus on him, then
it switches to his perspective, and you see him looking at the booth
he’s going to sit at…
then the camera switches back to toys face, then it once again
switches to his perspective and it shows him looking at the door and
looking at the people come in….. Every time the door opens the Chimes
sound……. Carmella walks in, Chimes, AJ walks in Chimes, this when
Meadows parallel parking, still trying to get inside the
restaurant….
at this point the camera switches back to the trucker who goes in the
bathroom……
Then it goes to a scene where meadow finally parks and starts running
in the diner….
the doors about to open, Tony looks up….
and No Chimes………………….
No Music…………
Everything just goes black……………
In one of the early episodes of the sopranos, toys talking with
bobby about what it must feel like to die..
Bobby says “at the end, you probably don’t hear anything, everything
just goes black”
part of that was revisited in the second to last episode during the
last seconds of it, when toys about to go to sleep and he flashes
back to the memory of him and bobby on the boat… “You probably don’t
hear anything everything just goes black”
so in the end, the Journey song was playing, the chimes on the door
sounded but when meadow came in, the guy in the trucker hat came out
and killed Tony…
its the reason you don’t hear, or see anything when he died…. it was
from his perspective…. and everything went black, then the credits
rolled.
So don’t hold your breath waiting for a Soprano’s movie
June 13th, 2007 at 3:27 am
after reading my post and realizing i made my own fair share of grammar errors i apologize my my sister from another mister. I will not hang onto your horendous grammar any more. My bad.
p.s. what is with the Spam protection addition? If i wanted to add i would study for my calc class instead of watching OnDemand sex and the city….i mean…ahh screw it you caught me, i am hooked onto the ocassional breif nudity and womanly gossip, so sue me.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Allen Wood I did realize that and i do not think you had to over analyze it to do so. That is the only logical explanation for making 16 million american scream profanities thinking their cable companies ruin an eight year ending. I do think it was way too easy though (as madguy said). I can not say chase didn’t care about the fan of his, arguably, most memorable project but it does come of that way.
I do not claim to be an expert in television or the soprano’s but i am a huge fan and, although the endding sucked, I still claim it has one of the best shows i have dedicated time and money into. Investing money is the main reason why i think people are so pissed. This wasnt a show that you could just turn on ABC or FOX to watch it was something that people paid extra for (some paid for HBO soley for this show).
I do not hate on anyone who liked the endding, they understood it (or they claim they understood it) but for the average TV watched who still watches shows for entertainment purposes it did fall short. That can not be argued. Trying to say it was an artsy way of saying goodbye goes against the reason why the show was so popular…blood, sex, and the usually hilarious comment from Pauli and his stylish loafers. If the millions of american viewers care so much for art why are the thousands of museums empty?
This show had the opportunty to do something extemely groundbreaking, make american sympathize and morn a hard core criminal, and it to the abstract easy way out by not giving closure.
Madguy, your Entourage reference was spot on. What guy in america wont drop everything and move to the land of fake boobs, easy ass, and living off someone else’s “hard” work…i know i would be at the front of the line. I have high hopes for the 4th season due out in less than 2 weeks and will be downing my Soprano’s induced sorrows until then.
I really hope we hear from Carmella again but i am assuming thumbing through her websters dictionary will make her post take about a week so i will have to check back then.
VICTORY!!!!!!!
June 13th, 2007 at 12:37 am
wow Allen Wood…….you suprise me….I can’t believe you really went ahead and did that…….I think you analyze way too much…but I do see what you mean. I think I’ll just stick to ENTOURAGE….if you people want a show to get hooked on trust me…better than soprano’s..sorry David Chase, this show represents almost everyone’s dreams
June 12th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
I’m not sure if all of you people are paying attention…Do you not remember the episode this season when Bobby and Tony were in the boat? It was said that “you don’t hear anything”, or “it all goes blank”. And if you notice in the next to last episode when Tony went to sleep with the gun, right before he laid down, that scene played through his head again. If you ask me, Tony Soprano got whacked. It took a little while for me to put this together, but i went back and watched the other two episodes and it makes sense…..Just think about it.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
I agree with Matt Sherman, Carmella Dulina can’t spell….hahahaha…., anyways, I’m a big fan of the show, I have every season on DVD and was eager to watch the finale. I do understand the concept that David Chase is saying at the very end, it is brilliant to most fans, but, I think that was the worst ending you can do. He has to understand that most soprano fans aren’t thinking like his ass is, they have been dedicated to this show and he makes an ending like this. Most of the fans of the show want to have a close to it, so they don’t have to keep think..”what if this happened” or “what if that happened”. Just give us a close you moron. I believe he was out of options, why would his dumb ass run out of the country on vacation the day before the finale aired. QUIT RUNNING AWAY AND ANSWER THE PUBLIC’S QUESTIONS PUBLICLY………
June 12th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
I think that Carmella Dulina is the worst speller ever. There should probably be a rule that only allows people who can spell words containing 4 or more letters.
The show was crap, it didn’t stay true to form, and it was an easy way to end the series without being groundbreaking, interesting, or great. It is just too bad that they didn’t have the power to deny David Chase him from writing and directing the last episode ever. Like Carmella said, “He is laughing all the way to the BANK.” He really had no reason to make this episode great so he could do whatever he wanted and he knew there would be people out there who had the blind faith he needed to claim an ending with 5 seconds of silent black screen great.
When I want to see art, I go to the museum and when I want entertainment, I want to go to my TV. Let me leave you with two questions:
1. If there is a movie, and the entire Soprano family is alive, doesn’t that take away from the abstract, artsy, message of not knowing and making the final episode meaningless?
2. If this episode was staying true to form why did it end with a black screen and silence when the show is known for its vulgar language, nudity, adultery, blood, and violence? Isn’t silence the opposite of very piece of what made Soprano’s so popular?
June 12th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Well, it seems to me that they have left it like this, just incase they want to continue the show? Or at least it would be nice if they did.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
you people are rediculous with the comments the creator could care less so dont be so quick to WACK HIM He is laughing all the way to the BANK and no need for a explination from him .Get over yourself ! Say a rosary for the troops!!!!
June 12th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
IT IS ONLY A SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 12th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
I thought the ending was Brilliant!!!!!!!!What do you people want more blood tonys”s Blood You should all be happy the family is together and mabe he strightened out his act. GET OVER IT IS IS ONLY A TV SHOW