THE SOPRANOS

[Nachokoolaid]

Nikki Finke has a great article on the state of HBO right now. Some choice quotes:

What a ridiculously disappointing end -- lacking in creativity and full of cowardice. No, I’m not talking about the finale of The Sopranos again. I’m talking about the management shake-up atop HBO that was a saga all its own.

Among the missed opportunities was hiring HBO alum Peter Liguori, now the entertainment president for the Fox Broadcasting Company who used to explain he left HBO because people had to literally die before anyone got promoted. Under his leadership, FX rose from nothing to the edgiest of the top five basic cable networks with critically acclaimed programs like Nip/Tuck, The Shield and Rescue Me and the award-winning FX Original Movies franchise.

[quote]It’s widely believed that, right now, Showtime is on the verge of whacking HBO. “They won’t make as much money, they won’t get as many Emmy nominations, but they have more distinctive programming than HBO,â€

[Fawst]

I finally watched the finale the other night, and I have to say, the ending was great to me. The tension really was turned up to 11, and to be honest, everyone saying that Tony got whacked is missing something.

Meadow runs across the street, to the door of the restaurant, with no one else in sight (that I noticed). Cut to Tony. Door opens. Cut to black. It was Meadow opening that door. That's it. The family was all together again. It ended on a perfect note, Tony looking over his proverbial shoulder. Always expecting that final moment. Always wondering if he's safe or not. No reason to over explain it, and certainly no need for a followup movie, or episode, or whatever. The only thing I'd accept are MAYBE a novel, but only because it could take place at any time prior to the finale, and actually work.

[Fievel]

The only thing I'd accept are MAYBE a novel, but only because it could take place at any time prior to the finale, and actually work.

Yeah, but watch they'd do something like The Godfather Returns and make one of the guys g@y or something. Oh.. wait... they already did that.

RIP Vito.
Love,
Johnny Cakes

[CrushedDove]

It would never happen but if The Soprano's was to be revived, I'd love to see a prequel set in 60s-70s with Johnny Boy and Uncle Jr.

[Fievel]

It would never happen but if The Soprano's was to be revived, I'd love to see a prequel set in 60s-70s with Johnny Boy and Uncle Jr.

Chase has recently said that he might (keyword = "might") be interested in looking into that era if he were ever to revisit the Sopranos. I'd love to see it myself.

[wharto]

I just rewatched the entire series yesterday and thursday, and I never mentioned (or saw anyone else) how good Dominic Chianese was in this series, especially the final episode.

[SilentBobX]

Pretty much says it all, eh?

[PervOmatic]

It turns out that David Chase had actually worked on the Star Trek TNG finale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm8IFi62gr8

Well, who whacked Jean-Luc Picard? I would like to hear your theories.

[Evil Hobbit]

It turns out that David Chase had actually worked on the Star Trek TNG finale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm8IFi62gr8

Well, who whacked Jean-Luc Picard? I would like to hear your theories.

Hahahaha, cracked me up big time. My guess is with Geordi, you see his glasses sliding off a bit, with a shiny little red flare underneath it. I bet it reveals his optic powers.

[Pacino86845]

I just watched the first half of the first season of The Sopranos for the first time!!!! It's a pretty solid show so far, I can already see how this became more or less HBO's tentpole series.

For now I find it a little too "safe" to give me the level of glee I got from watching The Wire, Deadwood or Rome, but I'm definitely liking it so far and will continue watching it steadfastly!!

[Pacino86845]

Heh, so I guess I'm so late to this party I might be the only person posting in this thread.

I just noticed something extraordinary about mega-MILF Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Melfi... Dr. Melfi has that psychiatrist "stare."

I used to be friends with a psychiatrist, and she used to have that same stare, almost like a deer looking into headlights. I don't know why, but that stare, if you're ever faced with it in real life, will make you spill the beans on everything about yourself, your family, your history, etc.

[stereosforgeeks]

Heh, so I guess I'm so late to this party I might be the only person posting in this thread.

I just noticed something extraordinary about mega-MILF Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Melfi... Dr. Melfi has that psychiatrist "stare."

I used to be friends with a psychiatrist, and she used to have that same stare, almost like a deer looking into headlights. I don't know why, but that stare, if you're ever faced with it in real life, will make you spill the beans on everything about yourself, your family, your history, etc.

Glad your liking Sopranos.

It definitely doesn't have the grit of Wire or Deadwood, but it's not pretending to.

[Pacino86845]

So I just got through season 2, and my opinion more or less holds... saw less of Lorraine Bracco unfortunately, as she's one of my favorites, but I was glad to see Carmella (Edie Falco?) step up in season 2.

I bought these on DVD, about forty bucks USD a pop, and while I believe the purchase was worth it, I'm not sure I'll follow this show any more. It wasn't awesome enough for me to rush and get the other seasons. Maybe some time in the future when I'm earning more $$$...

[stereosforgeeks]

So I just got through season 2, and my opinion more or less holds... saw less of Lorraine Bracco unfortunately, as she's one of my favorites, but I was glad to see Carmella (Edie Falco?) step up in season 2.

I bought these on DVD, about forty bucks USD a pop, and while I believe the purchase was worth it, I'm not sure I'll follow this show any more. It wasn't awesome enough for me to rush and get the other seasons. Maybe some time in the future when I'm earning more $$$...

seasons 3 and 4 go downhill imho. 5 is back to goodness. beginning half of six is slow and the second part is good.

[Lord Voldemoo]

For now I find it a little too "safe" to give me the level of glee I got from watching The Wire, Deadwood or Rome, but I'm definitely liking it so far and will continue watching it steadfastly!!

It's a different type of show. I've always liked the play between Tony's business life and his home life...which is of course the principal arc of the entire series. He's a powerful mob boss...and yet his life is so mundane in many ways. Same with Chris...many people wonder what it would be like to be a Made Man or enforcer...Chris IS those things and dreams about hollywood.

For all of the hype around the show...and the mob setting, it's mostly just a quiet little character drama. And in that way it works pretty well.

I hope you keep watching, Pacino, though the DVDs ARE expensive. Do you get A&E? I know they are showing it there as well, but i don't know how heavily it is edited.

[Pacino86845]

Man, I live in Europe. Out here, watching TV is watching a hamster run on a wheel!!

Ok, not really, but most shows are dubbed when they air, plus I'm so out of whack with what's airing now I have no choice but to follow these sorts of programs on DVD.

I get the character drama bit, Moo, and Tony's double-life IS the best part of the show, but I just feel as though a lot of things are sort of grazed over, or some threads are just left hanging. On the one hand, it doesn't feel as though there are that many mob guys, and on the other hand, there are too many bloody civilians in Tony's life. So a lot of the secondary civilian characters show up once or twice, and then disappear, whereas I kept wondering how the hell Tony runs things with just three Capos and Chris!

I dunno, there's a disorganization to the show, which I believe stems from too few episodes for the stories they're trying to tell. Again, I'll go back to what I said earlier about the show "playing it safe." They sort of convey hints of this or that, without taking any real chances in spending time on some of the secondary happenings.

Like for instance, Dr. MILFi and Tony's sexual tension... it's sort of hinted at here and there, and then BAM!!! All of a sudden they give us what we wanted, when Tony has that dream where he's banging her, and it's just such a wasted opportunity, and hits the viewer, to use MILFi's words, "like a rock."

[Lord Voldemoo]

Man, I live in Europe. Out here, watching TV is watching a hamster run on a wheel!!

Ok, not really, but most shows are dubbed when they air, plus I'm so out of whack with what's airing now I have no choice but to follow these sorts of programs on DVD.

I get the character drama bit, Moo, and Tony's double-life IS the best part of the show, but I just feel as though a lot of things are sort of grazed over, or some threads are just left hanging. On the one hand, it doesn't feel as though there are that many mob guys, and on the other hand, there are too many bloody civilians in Tony's life. So a lot of the secondary civilian characters show up once or twice, and then disappear, whereas I kept wondering how the hell Tony runs things with just three Capos and Chris!

I dunno, there's a disorganization to the show, which I believe stems from too few episodes for the stories they're trying to tell. Again, I'll go back to what I said earlier about the show "playing it safe." They sort of convey hints of this or that, without taking any real chances in spending time on some of the secondary happenings.

Like for instance, Dr. MILFi and Tony's sexual tension... it's sort of hinted at here and there, and then BAM!!! All of a sudden they give us what we wanted, when Tony has that dream where he's banging her, and it's just such a wasted opportunity, and hits the viewer, to use MILFi's words, "like a rock."

I can't disagree with your analysis. The disorganziation in the show is one of its biggest problems. A few plot lines that surface in the first 2 seasons ARE addressed in later ones...but it's unclear to me if that's planned or just cleaning house.

There are plot problems, occasional writing problems, but the characters and the acting is so good that I've always been able to overlook it. Tony's interactions with 3 people (1) Carmella; (2) MILFi (love that btw, lol); and (3) Christopher have always been worth the price of admission for me.

[Pacino86845]

Ok so finally I sprung for the Season 3 DVDs (you knew this would happen, didn't you!!! )... watched the first episode so far, and seeing Adriana in her tennis outfit has already made the purchase worth the money. Wow. I heart Adriana.

[bamf]

Ok so finally I sprung for the Season 3 DVDs (you knew this would happen, didn't you!!! )... watched the first episode so far, and seeing Adriana in her tennis outfit has already made the purchase worth the money. Wow. I heart Adriana.

Poor, poor Pacino...hang on every "Chris-TO-pher" you can. Love that ep

[Pacino86845]

Just got through the sixth episode of season 3... jeez, between Meadow's psycho roommate and the Tracee storyline, what a brutal and depressing friggin' episode!!

Holy crappa, depending on where they go from here I might just conclude that this was done in poor taste!!! One of the things that made the show easy to get into so far was that they avoided blatant displays of brutality... I really hope they had a good reason for having Joe Pants's character do what he did. Damn.

[bamf]

Pine Barrens 3.11

This is one of my top favs of the series, with Tim Van Patten and Terence Winter giving Buscemi good stuff to work with. Does anyone else feel like they left a big unresolved hole regarding the fate of the Russian in the woods?
I able to accept that he most likely died in the woods. I don't need everything answered for me. The thing about that episode is it seems like thats when the Russian mob pretty much left the saga. There would have been major repercussions had the Russians found out about the debt collection gone bad. This had some meat to it, some drama that seemed bigger then the NY/NJ stuff.
Now don't get me wrong, I love the ambiguity of the ending. Instead of thinking of it as a missed opportunity I'll take the "you don't have to know" answer. And hell, it gives me stuff to chew on while spacing out at work.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

the ending, really, there was controversy and bitching?

it's called anti-climax, and it's been one of the tried and true techniques of the show since its inception.

and the non-ending, up-in-the-air outcome is one of the greatest examples of what most episodic TV actually is - "kinetic stasis -- the dramatic equivalent of running in place."

and, to use again the cat I took that quote from - "It was the perfect ending. No ending at all.
Write your own goddamn ending."

[Fievel]

Have been watching a lot of the Gandolfini tribute clips.
Fuck, were he and Falco just amazing.

The rest of the cast shone as well, but those two.....
(language!)


I will re-watch this entire series at some point in time down the road, and I know it will hold up.

[Fievel]

David Chase's Eulogy for James Gandolfini - (with another/more complete ending for The Sopranos?)