I won't spoil it yet for those on the West Coast, but I'll just say it is the worst ending I've ever seen of a TV show. Some on other forums are calling it genius. I call it a huge F.U. to the devoted watchers of this great show.

It was a bit of a surprise, but I didn't find it hugely disappointing. Some loose ends were tied up and life goes on. Who knows...maybe we'll get a feature-length movie someday, though I wouldn't bet on it. I just think that Chase was doing his own thing, whether anyone liked it or not. If you look back at the shows that were season finales, as I recall, there was rarely anything earth-shattering in those episodes. The big stuff usually happened in the second-to-last episode. That was the case here as well.

Where can I find out what happened? I don't get H.B.O., and I don't want to wait until (if?) it comes to A&E.

In this case, obviously, I don't mind spoilers... I'm looking for 'em.

[quote="Gary Dunaier"]Where can I find out what happened? I don't get H.B.O., and I don't want to wait until (if?) it comes to A&E.

In this case, obviously, I don't mind spoilers... I'm looking for 'em.[/quote}


Check out this article....

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=265212&GT1=7703

I'm in the "disappointment" camp.

i thought it was wonderful.

life goes on as we know it.....................or does it?

"don't stop believin"

renny

I think I was most offended that the last thing I heard on a Sopranos episode was JOURNEY!!!!!

Actually, if they edited the ending a little differently I might've bought it...but it was a big "blue balls" moment as it was.

Very torn...it was a very good episode, one of the better in recent memory, but it was not the ending I expected...so maybe that was its point...I was disappointed regarding Paulie...

I liked it, didn't love it. Did love Phil getting squashed! I love Journey, so why was that a bad thing? Some things sucked about it-all the usual building to nothing-to be honest, it was a normal episode.
What was the deal with Meadow parking? That was awful and manipulated the audience into thinking something might happen. Lame.
But overall, I liked it-anyone can decide for themselves what happened and there was no Hollywood ending. A bit of a letdown, but I can handle it.
I agree with Walter, this was Chase's ending, so be it. Apparantley multiple endings were shot, including Tony's shrink killing him which I'm glad didn't happen because that would've been real lame.
Maybe those endings will be on the DVD boxset?

I thought Tony was gonna play "I Gotta Be Me" on that jukebox!

The cat that annoyed Paulie was hilarious. Love seeing Paulie catching a tan outside the sausage shop. Strange he resisted Tony's "promotion".

Not the greatest ending of all-time but I can see why David Chase did it this way.
Now we can imagine our own ending. I wanted to see the family survive.

I thought the ending was brilliant. For me, the point was that even though their lives were back to "normal" that there is constantly a sense of 'when is the next shoe going to drop?' I think that was the point in building up the tension of the audience to such a peak while the characters did the most mundane and pleasant of things.

I've been out of college for 22 years, and I think this is the first time since then that I've actually been inspired to analyze a tv show or movie. I think that for me, that's an indication of how the show succeeded.

Bill

I have read a lot of "worst ending ever" comments since the show ended.

I don't get such responses. I want ask - have you watched this show at all and expect a conventional tidy ending from Chase?

There has been resolution in recent weeks and in the episode. The ride was what we watched for.... not the end.

We got to see a tense last scene and wonder like Tony does everyday, everywhere, is that person who just entered about to pull a gun?

Classic.

I need to watch David Chase's DVD commentary again for the Season 4 finale episode--one of his first comments, if I recall correctly, was the bitter observation that people didn't like that particular episode because not enough people got whacked in it.

I didn't have a problem with the final scene in last night's show--I understand what Chase was trying to do. What I do feel, however, is that I've had my chain yanked. This was arguably the most hyped Sopranos episode ever, and once it finally began, Chase proceeded to dangle a carrot in front of the viewers for 58 minutes, finally yanking it away completely at the end. While I understand his bitterness towards the show's "fans" who complained loudly about some of the more cerebral episodes and storylines, I do think that this final episode really is little more than a figurative "F.U." to those fans (and the rest of us) from Mr. Chase. I was disappointed for no better reason than, frankly, I was expecting to see something a little more...ingenious.

This extended sixth and final season meandered here and there over the course of 21 mostly excellent episodes, but I continued watching, reserving judgment, confident that it would all tie together in the end like in each of the previous five seasons. At this point, it is hard to not feel as though I've been had.

I am in total and complete agreement with you! Couldn't have voiced my disappointment more diplomatically than that if I tried.

I have, however, gotten a little more comfortable with the ending after being reminded of the scene when Bobby and Tony were on the boat together and Tony asked him what he thinks happens when you are whacked...and Bobby's response was (something to the effect of), "Nothing...it just goes black".

I have to go back and find that scene...which if true certainly offers a better explanation for the ending than any other, IMO.

I loved the finale. I didn't feel cheated at all by the ending. In fact I felt launched into a world of possibilites. There was no ending that Chase could write that would satisfy me so he left me to work it all out.

I didn't know how I wanted it to end but I knew how I didn't want it to end. I really didn't want an ending that could be read as moralizing. This was a great solution.

And I thought it was a very good episode throughout. Some great lines, some things to think about and a cat. What more could you ask?

Of course, when I first watched the ending, I thought, "WTF?"

But the more I think about it, the more sense it makes.

adrianna the cat!

One of the more surprising turns in the finale was that FBI guy at a motel with a hot FBI chick. They always portray females in law enforcement as hot. I wish!

I thought the ghosts of Big Pussy and others would haunt Tony at the end but the episode was very ordinary....just another episode really.

I know an FBI agent in Reno who is very hot She's an old friend--no arrests here.

Is it just me or is anybody else quietly saying to themselves "thank God that's over"? I watched the shows. I enjoyed the shows. However, all that anger and hatred coming off the screen week after week made me want to take a shower to get the emotional slime off me afterwards. David

I agree with David--while the show definitely mirrored reality to a certain extent, the subtext of having every single character on the show constantly giving into their darker nature got overwhelming to see at times. To me, it feels now that the show ran on for too long--too many recycled story ideas (Big Pussy, then Adriana as FBI informants; Davey Scatino, then J.T. Dolan as gambling addicts; Richie Aprile, then Ralph Cifaretto, then Phil Leotardo as Tony's main nemesis). While the final five minutes or so of the last episode didn't bother me, much of the sixth season has now been revealed as nothing but one red herring after another.

Also, is it me, or did Robert Iler grow up to be the Tina Yothers of the cast? He never really ever did manage to rise to the level of all the other powerhouse actors on the show.

Other than that, I loved the show--an all-time classic and I wouldn't have missed a minute of it.

Finally got to watch the last two episodes last night. I thought it was typical Chase. The great thing is that Tony is in a pickle regardless -- if he lives, who does he left from his longtime associates? Only Paulie, who drives him nuts and whom he strongly considered whacking just a few episodes earlier. Chris is gone by Tony's own hand, Bobby is gone, Junior is lost in his disease, Silvio is not expected to survive, and Carlo flipped. Seems that it's only a matter of time before Tony is gone regardless.

Edit: Also forgot to mention -- and Melfi has bailed on him!

Does this mean we can expect a sequel to "Bobby Jean?" And how does this affect Nils' status with the band?