Mas Sopranos Por Favor

I was just going to post a comment under Rich’s post (well done my friend) sharing my thoughts on The Sopranos finale. But, like usual, once I get to writing it’s hard to stop so I had to turn this into a post. One might say my words run like a ducks ass….think about that one for a minute….

Rich and I have had some great banter on this topic, along with 50 million other people in the world. While I think we have some strong points, I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this. What did you think of the ending? What did you think was the significance of the “cut to black?” I’d love to hear from everyone on this (if there’s not enough space in the comment box, shoot me an email at antploza1908@yahoo.com and I’ll post your thoughts).

Random thoughts….

• I tried to go to hbo.com immediately after the finale aired but I couldn’t get on either. I did find some other message boards and it wasn’t pretty. Almost everyone seemed to be pretty pissed how the show ended. Like you, I was completely shocked when it happened but the ending has grown on me. Just as long as I didn’t have to see Tony get whacked, I can live with that. The ending I like to imagine is everything goes on like normal and the next chapter in his life is trying to beat these new indictments. (*Note* - I wrote this comment on Monday and the ending continues to grow on me. I don’t think I’ve ever been this captivated by a show…aside from my growing crush on The Wire and my first Girls Gone Wild tape.)
• Can you believe Carlo flipped like that? All so he could get his son out of a distribution charge? Weak…WEAK!
• Glad Philly got whacked. Like I said in my post last week, I think this absolutely had to happen. Shelly and I actually cheered when it happened and I’m pretty sure there was a fist pump or two involved. I am, however, troubled by how easily a small, yet formidable NJ mob family was able to dismantle a powerful NY syndicate. Even if that same NY family is now working under it’s 4th boss in the past 6 months. Has a real mafia crime family gone through this many bosses in such short a time? The only real-life comparison I can think of is Loan Services Supervisor.
• The one point I vehemently disagree with is the part about Tony being an FBI informant. I think this scenario is near impossible and I don’t say that just because I didn’t want it to end like that. What would Tony have to offer the FBI? He’s the boss, he’s the target…who would he be snitching on? The guys from NY? They’re all dead too. Let’s just say Tony was an FBI informant and Phil was the target. The FBI agent involved (Tony’s contact) would have been pissed to hear Phil was popped. Coppers don’t want to see their targets killed, they want them brought to justice.
• If you’ve got a couple hours to burn, check out The Sports Guy's chat wrap. Good stuff.
• In an email exchange we had, Rich said someone in Vegas called into a local radio station and said they noticed a lot of things were happening in 3's in the final scene, e.g. 3 people at Tony’s table, Meadow tried to park her car 3 times, 3 coffee creamers on the table. This might be a stretch but does anyone else remember the episode in which Uncle Junior (pre-dementia) said people died in threes? Bobby, Sylvio…..Tony?? Again, I think this is a stretch but it’s worth mentioning
• Did anyone else see the B-side Journey song on the little juke box? Tony picked “Don’t Stop Believin’” but the song underneath that was “Any Way You Want It.” As in, the show ends any way you want it to?
• The cat that was hanging around the safe house and Satriale’s was cracking me up. Not so much the cat but Paulie’s reaction to the cat…classic. In The Sports Guy’s chat wrap (above) a reader asks if the cat is supposed to be a reincarnation of a previous character. I think the cat played an important part in the episode but I don’t think it was Aida or Christopher reincarnated. Anyone remember the character “Big Pussy” that got whacked in the season 2 finale? Well, I think since the show started with a “pussy” it had to end with one. So that’s what the cat represented….or something. This is an actual character from the show. I don’t just love saying the word pussy or anything…..
  
  The more I watch the finale (going on 5 or 6 times now) the more I appreciate the beauty of the ending. For the first time we the audience can genuinely feel what Tony Soprano feels. The nervousness every time someone walks in the door, the heightened sense of awareness, knowing that death could be around every corner. For once, we know what it’s like to be Tony. I couldn’t ask for anything more out of the ending (other than maybe a Cubs World Series win playing in the background).
  Again, this is just my interpretation, but I think the abrupt ending was just that, the ending of the show. Life goes on for Tony Soprano. I don’t think the “cut to black” was Tony dying or, like I said earlier, maybe I just don’t want it to mean that. Herein lies the beauty of it all….it ends how we think it ends. And that is much more satisfying than a bloody shoot-out where everyone dies.

The People's Champ

Belmont Wrap-Up and Sopranos Finale

Wouldn't you know it? Rags to Riches, the first filly in over 100 years won the Belmont. Came in at 4-1. I literally walked into the casino sportsbook as the horses were loading into the gate. Probably was the last one to get action on the race. I walked back to a good spot to watch the race in the surprisingly crowded sportsbook just in time to hear, "And they're off...". Normal race until they made the final turn. The sportsbook went nuts. Both Rags to Riches and Curlin had made their move. Neck and neck down the stretch. Rags to Riches simply had more heart than Curlin, winning by a head. Gutty performance! Outstanding race! As they crossed the wire, I could overhear people saying it was 100 years since a filly won. Even people that had losing tickets, as did I, were in awe of what transpired. If Curlin had won, my trifecta ticket was a winner...but once again my horse got nosed out at the wire. Close. Again.

For those people that have never seen a major sporting event in a sportsbook, it's truly a sight to behold. For a true sports nut, it often gives you goose bumps. The room split into various rooting interests, all taking their turns to cheer when their wager is looking good. Only once have I seen the entire sportsbook in unison cheering for the same team. UNLV's NCAA second round upset over Wisconsin last year. I took down the largest payout I've ever had that day, and was not the only one in the room who did so. UNLV +250 to win that game...still can't believe we got those odds. That story is for another column. I do have one question however: why is Nevada still the only state with legalized sports wagering? What sense does this make? Was the retarded guy from Sling Blade involved again?

If you weren't a fan of the Sopranos, don't bother reading anything more in the column.

6:00. Show started. Highlights of the previous shows and then the theme song came on for the last time ever. Let the record show it was a little dusty in my house. The show starts exactly as I expected. Tony made it through the night. That's about the last prediction that I was correct about (besides Paulie staying loyal to Tony). The show started like a normal episode, and kept going. Tony spends time with each family member and even Uncle June. I couldn't help but keep looking at the clock wondering how the show is going to have time for this and this and that to happen.

Finally, Phil gets whacked. Now we're getting somewhere. What am I going to miss about this show? One great example here. Phil's last words: "Wave bye-bye to grandpa". Immediately he's shot dead on the spot. Classic. The show keeps going, yet Tony doesn't seem to be worried about his own fate. Phil's dead, and he's made peace with New York.

The final scene happens. Tony's family, all driving separately, one by one enter the restaurant. At the same time, it appears Tony is being watched by a couple people at the restaurant. Meadow has trouble parking her car. Finally successful, she runs across the street and opens the door to the diner. Tony hears the bell, looks up, music stops and cut to black. This has to be the greatest WTF ending ever. After this happens I'm confused. I'm almost angry. What just happened? Nothing? Tony got whacked? The show is really ending like this? I immediately logged on and tried to get on the HBO website to see what other people thought. The website was down due to high activity. Unbelievable. All night I let it soak in. Was this a brilliant ending or a terrible one? What was Chase (the director) implying happened there? Several different interpretations, but here are the three most common.

1. Tony gets whacked by the guy who entered the bathroom. Straight out of Godfather 2. In a previous episode, while talking with Bobby, he explains death as everything turning to black. That's exactly how the show ended. Instead of us seeing a bloody gruesome death to the show's main character, we saw black.

2. Tony was an FBI informant the whole time. The people at the diner that kept watching Tony were watching out for him and making sure he was protected. This would explain why the FBI always took him away and he never got indicted. Also, it would explain why Tony was told by the FBI where Phil was and why the FBI person Tony was working with stated "we're going to win this thing after all" after he learned Phil was whacked.

3. Nothing happened at all. Part of the beauty of the show. The writers made the audience constantly second guessing themselves. At times, we see things that are not there at all. Always suspense, and nobody ever really knows where it's going. It's been a lot of fun to try and predict how the show would end. Was anybody correct about the way the show actually did end? And since the show ended the way it did, it leaves the door open to a movie or a DVD release with alternate endings. If of course, nothing did happen at the diner.

So even though the show at first left viewers like myself more angered than complete, upon further review, I've got to say this was a brilliant ending. Open to interpretation. The ending was just as unpredictable as anything else in the show's history. Great writing. Even now that the show is over, people are still talking about it. How many people are sitting around a water cooler talking about the ending today? I listened to Colin Cowherd (ESPN radio) on the way in to work. (And yes I'm posting this as I'm supposed to be working). As he explained, it would be a disservice to the listeners to breakdown an undramatic NBA Finals game/series with the Sopranos ending the way it did. As much as I disagree with him on several things, he nailed this point right on the head. The Sopranos sucked people in like no other show in my generation...possibly ever. It transcended what any other show has ever been able to do in this respect. And now that it's over, what now? Will anything ever fill the void? What happens when there is no wait until next year? The question, like the show, is left open ended.

Rich Kim

Say Goodnight To The Bad Guy

**SPOILER ALERT** If you have not be watching the last few episodes of The Sopranos, skip this post and go read my NBA Finals prediction.


We are approaching the end of an era. It’s tough actually saying those words out loud (or typing them). This almost feels like breaking up with a girlfriend or quitting a really cool, long-lasting job. Even as I put my thoughts together I can't really express exactly how I feel. I'm numb, I'm sad, I'm scared, I'm excited, I'm leery, I'm....weird yeah I know but this show means a lot to me.
Flashback - 2001. I had just moved into a three-bedroom apartment with two of my best friends in the whole world. We were fresh out of college and ready to take on the world. The apartment was a kick ass bachelor pad...3 bedroom/3 bath, fireplace, vaulted ceilings, but the best part was our deck out in the back. We were regulars out on that deck, beers in hand, bbq grill a blazin. But, like most people with roommates, we had our struggles for a while. Arguments over dishes, bills, dirty underwear hanging from the ceiling fan, and people coming and going at all hours were common.

The one thing that really brought us together was The Sopranos. We had our Sunday routine down, no matter what had happened during that week. We would stock the fridge full of cheap beer and buy the best cuts of meat $8 an hour could buy. We even broke a few man laws by inviting over one of our girlfriends so she could cook some side dishes (twice-baked potatoes were our favorite - thanks Stephanie). Sundays were the best! As you can probably tell, by the time the show started we were stuffed and half drunk...it doesn't get much better than that.

That's just one example of how much this show means to me. And I would have to agree with Rich's point that The Sopranos is the greatest show of our generation. The character development has been top-shelf. The writing has been superb, granted there were a few bumps in the road. Overall, there hasn't been a show in our lifetime that comes close to the social impact The Sopranos has made on our society. (If anyone mentions Sex and the City, I'll piss in your martini....just saying is all.)

With that being said, it's time for the show to end. While these last few episodes have been great, the writing has slipped a bit...even if nobody wants to admit it. The show just doesn't have that same oomph. It's lost a bit on it's fastball. It no longer throws down thunderous jams. It has to cheat a little up the middle to turn a double play. The Sopranos was on the verge of turning into that star athlete that hangs on too long. It was almost Michael Jordan suiting up for the Wizards, or Emmitt Smith donning a Cardinals jersey, or Willie Mays playing for the Mets. Plus, there's no turning back now. Bobby and Christopher are dead, Silvio is in a coma, AJ is past the point of no return. Who's left to run the "family"....Paulie?

So here we are, the end. How's it all gonna play out? The rumor for years was that Tony's mother, Livia, would be the one to kill him. But Nancy Marchand's death in real-life made this ending impossible. Will Tony get whacked? Will he end up in jail? Will he live happily ever after? My money says he gets whacked. I think it's almost a must that he kill Phil Leotardo so we don't remember Tony as a coward, hiding in his Uncle's bedroom. I see this playing out something like this.....Tony kills Phil but takes a bullet and dies a slow death. I think we'll at least get a moment of reflection from Tony, whether it be on his death-bed or from a jail cell. The popular ending is that Paulie Walnuts turns on Tony and whacks him himself. But, after much deliberation, I don't think this will happen. I think we'll be led to believe Paulie is going to turn on Tony but he'll come through in the end....always has, always will.

The end...huh....still tough to admit it's almost over. I still don't want to let go. Oh well, at least we'll always have cheap beer and burnt bbq to get us through the tough times.

The People's Champ

Ponies, Paris Hilton, and Pacman Jones

BREAKING NEWS

A judge orders Paris Hilton back to jail, CNN confirms. She was taken from court screaming, The Associated Press reports.

The nation can now breathe a sigh of relief. Paris is off the streets. No more hiding, lockdown, or mandatory curfews. We got her. People can walk the streets feeling safe once again. In a country where sports celebrities such as Barry Bonds, Michael Vick, and Pacman Jones have still not been prosecuted, at least we can feel safe that Paris is behind bars. Ironic? Yeah, a little bit.

Bonds purjured himself. Yet the Feds can't gather enough evidence to press charges. Michael Vick's dog fighting case has now been handed over to the Feds. So far, nothing. According to several experts, there is already enough evidence to convict Michael Vick of organizing dog fights...yet we wait. And Pacman Jones. Wow, that's too easy. The fact that he is still not in jail is beyond me. The incident here in Vegas alone should be enough to put him away for a while...yet we still wait. Maybe there will eventually be justice served against all three of these people? And maybe, just maybe, OJ will find the real killers.

I'm all for not judging people until they are proven guilty...but c'mon people. Seriously? It's not a black/white/brown thing. It's a power and fame thing. If you have enought money and power, you can either limit your punishment or avoid punishment altogether. Literally, you can get away with murder. But hey, at least we got Paris Hilton behind bars.

Sopranos. Last episode. All week, fans of the show have been left to wonder: how is the show going to end? A column from the sports guy (ESPN), offers an interesting observation:

Sunday's episode was so tense, I almost started smoking again. Unbelievable. But why am I terrified that Paulie Walnuts is in cahoots with Phil Leotardo? Doesn't it seem fishy that Phil went after Tony, Silvio and Bobby but ignored Paulie, or that Paulie was in charge of Phil's whacking but it got "screwed up"? I'm fearing the Paulie backstab-out-of-nowhere, as scripted by Vince McMahon.

Honestly, this thought never even crossed my mind until the Sports Guy brought it up. From watching the last episode, it does seem like a reasonable conclusion as to how the show will end. I've seen every Sopranos episode, most of them multiple times. Even though the above does seem possible, it just doesn't make any sense that Paulie would turn on Tony. It's just not his character. What would make him have such a change of heart? Is he that power hungry? I don't think so. Paulie is one of the more likable characters on the show, although it could forever change in an instant, I don't see it happening. Here is my prediction.

Tony and the gang live through the night at the house. No attacks, everything goes quiet for a while. Tony visits Janice, Carmella, and his daughter the next day. Janice and Tony get into a fight (as usual)...except this time it involves Janice blaming Tony for Bobby's death and pissed that Tony has abandoned Uncle June. As a result, Janice finds a way to tell Phil's gang where Tony is hiding out. Tony, at some point, feels doomed and thinks about trying to go to the Feds for protection but ultimately decides not to. Who kills Tony? I don't know. Phil? A no-name in Tony's crew who has been working with Phil? No good answer here, and it may not matter who actually does the deed. Janice is behind it, not Paulie Walnuts. The show ends with Janice taking her kid to an ice cream shop feeling relieved that finally she can raise her kid without mob influence. Not a very happy ending, but very poetic.

Odds on who actually whacks Tony (all bets off if Tony lives):
Any member of Phil's gang: 3-5
Carmella: 9-1
AJ: 14-1
Paulie: 7-1
Patsy Parisi: 20-1
Janice: 30-1
Uncle June: 50-1
Field: 3-1

Wild cards:
AJ. With the knowledge of his dad's death at the hands of Phil's gang, does he try and lash out against Phil's gang himself? Maybe with his friends? Does he strap a bomb to his chest and try and take out Phil's gang at some point? This could happen. The weakest character in the show exacting revenge. Interesting.

Patsy Parisi. Why did he escape when they clipped Silvio (although he's not dead yet)? Was this a mistake or luck? Maybe nothing to it, but you never know.

Silvio. My take is that he'll die a quiet death early in the next show. But who knows?

Uncle June. Is the only reason the show hasn't killed him off because Janice can have another reason to hate Tony? Really? Doesn't seem logical.

Paulie. Discussed earlier.

Feds. Alternate ending: Tony goes to the Feds. He rats out on everybody and is given a new identity...and new life. The identity: Kevin Finnerty. Straight out of episode 68. Unlikely, but it could happen. For those that have no idea what I'm talking about, Kevin Finnerty was Tony's identity in his dreams while in a coma after being shot by Uncle June.

With all those wild cards, and probably more I haven't thought of, it's pretty tough to guess what's going to happen. All I know is, at 6 PM on Sunday: my phone will be off, the house locked up, my wife in her cage. To me this is the most anticipated television event in...well...ever.

Last subject: Belmont Stakes. I'm not really looking forward to this race that much. No possible triple crown winner and Curlin is the only proven horse running. Rags to Riches will be 0nly the 23rd filly to attempt the race. Only 2 have ever won. At 3-1, I'd like more of a price to take this horse. Good horse, could win...but not worth 3-1 in my opinion. Trifecta: 3/6-7/all. Cost $12. Probably won't pay much, but looks like a pretty good ticket. Good luck!

Rich Kim