SPOILER WARNING!
It’s all come down to this–the final season of the world-renowned The Sopranos. New York and New Jersey are at odds with one another. Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) still don’t see eye to eye. The world around the Soprano family and its constituents appears to be crumbling–leaving just a shadow of what Tony has come to know. Bullets are flying and the titular family is holding on for dear life. It ends here, and not everything will go as planned.
Throughout the majority of The Sopranos, the narratives present have moved slowly–leading viewers down a path that felt legitimate and realistic. That path was sometimes daunting, as it could occasionally feel as if it were moving too slowly–but regardless of this, the pacing was realistic. Individuals don’t change overnight, and regardless of the fact that some viewers may have wanted to see characters like Tony or Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) adjust more quickly, I believe that the pacing of the narrative and nearly everyone’s character arcs were effective. This season, season six of The Sopranos, however, sees characters developing at insane rates–sometimes literally overnight. The characters that we hate become more of themselves, and the characters we love travel down some dark alleys, and the traits that have allowed them to stand out as fan-favorites come into question. I get it, it’s the final season of one of the most highly-regarded shows of all time, and the ending needs to wrap things up nicely, but speeding up the pace, and changing the face of all that we know about The Sopranos isn’t necessarily the answer.
Let’s talk about the titular Tony Soprano–the boss, the one who runs the show. Without Tony, there is no show, and his character changes dramatically over the course of this extended season. Tony has always struggled with the power that he has and the power that he took from others. He's always had difficulty with honesty–but in season six, Tony struggles far more with these aspects of his existence, and he further blurs the lines between good and bad. Goomars, bloodshed, loyalties, and more play a role in Tony’s existence like never before, and there comes a time when viewers must question whether or not we can accept him as the series’ protagonist any longer. I love a dynamic character, of which Tony most certainly is, but there are times when he goes too far (when the writers go too far), and viewers see not enough good, and far too much evil inside of him. I still love the character, and his flaws certainly resonate with me–but seeing him change so often becomes tiresome and grueling, so much that there were times when I felt like giving up on the lead character.
Now, it may just be me, but as the narrative sped up, and numerous storylines came and went, I found that the final season felt somewhat overcrowded–and there were even times when I felt lost in the seemingly never-ending shuffle. In that overcrowded world, something that had been brewing for some time continues–characters like Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) and Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt) take a backseat to many of the other, less-interesting characters. These characters, the ones that were appropriately developed throughout the course of the series deserve more screen time, and they deserve better arcs–but in this fast-paced season, this is not the case
Moving past the final season’s flaws, there are a lot of things that make the season great. The thing that I noticed about the series more than ever before this season is how poetic the writing is. And in my brief revisit to the first season, it’s clear that many of the things that characters allude to in the pilot come to be true as the series concludes. Having studied English and poetry for years, this aspect of the show appeals to me more than nearly anything else. The metaphor and symbolism present throughout the series, particularly the final season (and the final episode), is impressive and well-constructed. In the final minutes we see Meadow Soprano (Jamie-Lyn Sigler) trying to parallel park, eventually finding success on the third try, A.J. Soprano (Robert Iler), Tony, and Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) eating onion rings (perfectly round onion rings), and the song “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey plays in the background, and these aspects of the closing moments of the series signify massive plot points–closing out the series in poetic fashion.
SECOND SPOILER WARNING!
In November of 2021, The Sopranos’ creator David Chase expressed, definitively, for the first time, that Tony Soprano is dead. As the series ends on the words “Don’t stop…,” viewers are left to speculate what actually happened to Mr. Soprano, whether or not he was still alive, and if the conclusion of the show was appropriate. It took fourteen years for the creator to finally express the truth–and regardless of how you feel about the situation, he is gone. I have issues with the way in which the series concludes, because it just doesn’t make sense. Tony has had this massive character arc that has lasted the entirety of the show–he’s grown, devolved, killed, and almost lost his own life numerous times, and the world finally gets to see him sit down with his family, happy, eating what he believes to be the best onion rings in New Jersey, just for it all to crumble in an instant.
Bobby ‘Bacala’ Baccalieri (Steve Schirripa) expressed to Tony earlier in the season that he believes that death by gun greets us with instant darkness, the victim ultimately having no idea that it’s coming or that it has happened. Viewers see that darkness fill their screens instantly, and while that’s symbolic of the death that Bobby spoke of, it still makes no sense to have seen Tony experience all that he has, just to be taken out in the final second of the series. While I appreciate what Chase has to say on the subject–because, well, he’s the authority on it--I will never be able to fully accept that Tony has passed, because it just doesn’t sit right. That’s all I have to say on the subject, but that’s enough in my opinion.
The Sopranos comes full circle by the conclusion of the series. Certain deaths, murders, character editions, and even singular lines touch on previous instances in the series. The final season, especially the series finale, possesses so much fan service, and that’s a great thing for the series and for its viewers. The entirety of the finale is used, obviously, to wrap the series up with a tight little bow, and it does that for the most part (with the exception of the sloppy final second). Things come together in the end, and just about everything else makes sense–concluding this long-running show, and giving most fans what they likely would have hoped for at the time.
Season six of The Sopranos is a crowded season, full of a seemingly never-ending cast, dozens of storylines, and collusion unlike anything we’d seen before in the series. Chase and the others tasked with bringing this season to life are effective in their attempt to conclude the series. There is so much to dissect within the final season of The Sopranos, and much of what occurs has me conflicted–unsure if the decisions made by Chase and his team are appropriate. However, the fact that I’m so conflicted, forced to revisit the entire series and attempt to break down what has occurred is a testament to what this crew is able to create. I can’t accept what Chase says regarding Tony’s death, and I’ll stick to my guns like a stubborn child, but his demise is ultimately poetic and it allows aspects of the series to feel complete. Again, I’m conflicted about the character arcs, storylines, etc., but the very fact that I’m forced to think so deeply about this season makes it the best of the series.
Created by David Chase.
Directed by Tim Van Patten, David Nutter, Jack Bender, Alan Taylor, Steve Buscemi, Danny Leiner, Steve Shill, Phil Abraham, Terence Winter, & David Chase.
Written by Terrence Winter, David Chase, Matthew Weiner, Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, & Mitchell Burgess.
Starring James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Robert Iler, Jame-Lyn Sigler, Aida Turturro, Steve Schirripa, Joseph R. Gannascoli, Dan Grimaldi, John Ventimiglia, Vincent Curatola, Frank Vincent, Ray Abruzzo, Toni Kalem, Kathrine Narducci, Sharon Angela, Gregory Antonacci, Max Casella, Carl Capotorto, Arthur J. Nascarella, Maureen Van Zandt, Matt Servitto, Cara Buono, Dania Ramirez, Drea de Matteo, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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