Like many people I didn’t know what to make of the final episode of The Sopranos. Afterward I sat and listened to my friends debate why it may have have, or may not have sucked. It should be noted that they eventually said it didn’t suck, but I at the time I didn’t agree.
The dust has settled now though and I’ve found a way to enjoy the ending. People have already pointed out that in an earlier episode of this last mini-season Tony and Bobby discussed what they thought it is like when you get killed. In that talk Tony says something along the lines of how you never see it coming and everything goes black. This is obviously important to the story since there is an uncharacteristic flashback to the scene. Some people try to use this as proof that Tony was killed in the end. If that is the intention then the ending isn’t so great. However, I don’t think that is what happens at all. As far as we know nothing went black for Tony, it only went black for us, the viewers.
When the screen goes black it isn’t Tony who dies, it is us. Our time as viewers is ended, but the family continues, they are all still there continuing down whatever paths their lives will lead them, only we don’t get to see it. Since the first episode we should have known that our days, like most mobsters, was numbered. The hit was finally ordered and last Sunday we were taken out. This is an ending I can live with.
