Blogs from the Underground

        In ancient architecture, the keystone was thought to be the most vital part to the structure of an arch. It was the top piece which held the rest of the arch together. Today, the word keystone is commonly used to denote the importance of one thing in relation to what it belongs to. Episode 86 of the television series The Sopranos, although panned by critics and viewers alike, can best be appreciated as that keystone to the series.

Television is at a disadvantage when it comes to portraying elements like theme, metaphor, and character development. These ideas seem to be monopolized by literature, which has the advantage of narration. Through written prose we’ve seen artistic genius flourish. We’ve witnessed the philosophical and literary visions of countless authors and experienced there ideas. With the direct unencumbered authority of the author, the book has made this all possible. TV though, with all the complexities of production, acting, and the limits it has in the portrayal of the aforementioned literary elements, has for the last 50 or so years tended to present the quick laugh, heartfelt moment, and car chase. On June 10, 2007 the monopoly of the written book ended.

Made in America, the 86th and final episode of the Sopranos aired amid huge anticipation and speculation. Will Tony go to jail? Is Pauly a rat? Will New Jersey get it’s revenge against New York? In the newspapers there were even contests to provide the best ending. Being a faithful viewer and seeing the trend that the last season has been headed (both seasons 6a and 6b) I kind of got the feeling that with all this hoopla, people were missing the big the picture and they’d be in for a disappointment. Sure enough shortly after 10 o’clock, fans began to revolt. HBO subscriptions were canceled, bombarding web traffic almost brought the website down; people were ticked. I kind of had the feeling that this would happen, but this seemed a little overboard. All right so you didn’t like, but are you really prepared to pass judgment on a series which has provided so much enjoyment — Do you honestly think Chase just had a bad day writing this one? Of course not. Anyone who knows the series knows how meticulous and thought out it is. How could the final episode be any different. So, what was it people didn’t like? — Well, it’s I guess pretty obvious: the last scene.

Tony comes into a diner to meet his family. He sits down and observes the various people. He picks a song by Journey on the jukebox. AJ and Carmilla come in. They talk for a little. Meanwhile, Meadow struggles to park her car. The family eats a couple of onion rings. Tony seems to watch as Meadow comes running in. And then 11 seconds of nothing. That’s it. That’s the end. Roll credits.

Well, I guess at face value that sure is a disappointing ending. It’s almost like they ran out of film or something. But for those who were looking for that worthwhile ending and were disappointed, I can understand — You seem to be under the impression that you are watching any normal TV show. You seem to be expecting what normally satisfies your expectations from television — the quick laugh, heartfelt moment, car chase. Well it appears you didn’t get that for an ending. You got, well — nothing. Yes, apparently that’s your ending: nothing. It does sound kind of disappointing when you look at in those terms. But let’s just say that there was more than nothing. Let’s for a moment, speculate what this nothing means. And for the fun of it, let’s assume that we are fully expected and encouraged to do so. Well then we have ourselves an ending!

The perspective of the series has largely been 3rd person. That is we watch the characters and plot from an outsiders point of view. For the most part this is the perspective. However, every once in while it becomes a sort of 1st and 2nd person perspective. Every once in while we are thrust into the perspective (usually just visually) of Tony. There are many instances which I will bring up later, but this has been the basic pattern of perspectives for the series. Let us say that those 11 seconds of nothing was really being suddenly thrust into that Tony perspective. What would this nothing mean? Well, it would mean he is dead. Suddenly, without warning, Tony is dead. Well, how would he have a died? I don’t know about you, but did you notice that guy who barely touched his food at the counter go to the bathroom? We know how they do it. Inconspicuous. Methodical. Without warning. Headshot. Dead. So, Tony is killed in front of his entire family. Some may say how do I know if this is what the nothingness is? Okay, let’s say you’re right and Tony is killed, why wouldn’t they just show it. My reply is that I guess I’m not as heartless as you. I really don’t want to see Tony get offed. It seems a little perverse. And for you fans who would want to see it just to know, you really aren’t fans. A real fan would relish the opportunity to experience that last moment rather than merely witnessing it. A real fan (unlike Dr. Melfi) believes there’s something good in Tony worth experiencing. And for those fans who refuse to step into Tony’s world, David Chase gave you the ending you deserved: nothing. As for the true believers who have made it a habit to empathize and understand, we have the special treat of truly experiencing who the man is, his essence, and his purpose. And if you need any further encouragement to accept this interpretation, remember what Bobby said to Tony on the boat: When you die, all you see is blankness. Coincidence–probably not. For those who are now ready to step inside the world of Tony, remember that at the heart of understanding The Sopranos lies the viewers’ willingness to infer. (Parts 2 and 3 coming later this week)