Everyone in the Blogosphere gets to voice their opinion on the ending of the Sopranos. Here’s mine…

I can see why people are saying that Tony died based on the “everything goes black” quote and Chase saying “everything is there”, but I have a few issues with that theory. I’m not saying it isn’t true, just that it isn’t the slam dunk other people are claiming.

Ultimately, any ending to this show that was presented literally without interpretation or ambiguity would have been anti-climatic. How do you end a story of 86 episodes in one hour? You can’t. That’s why you create an ending that will be timeless. And ending that will never be forgotten. That will create a buzz that even people who’ve never seen an episode are suddenly curious about. It’s perfect. It’s an unsolved mystery. It makes everyone into a detective.

First, the line itself (“everything goes black”) could have been foreshadowing Tony’s death, but why should that one hold true while the countless other hints are ignored? Bobby isn’t exactly a genius either; why is his opinion important?

Second, the diner was filled with extras, not actors from previous seasons as some people keep saying. The guy who goes to the bathroom (member’s only jacket) is an extra. I’m confused why people are calling him Nicky Leotardo. Did HBO play with the credits to deceive us?

Third, if the “everything goes black” line is referring to Tony’s death, then it would make more sense for the final shot to be from Tony’s perspective, perhaps looking at Meadow coming in the door, or Carmella and AJ sitting across the booth. Instead, the final shot is of Tony, from Carmella’s perspective. If there was a gunman, maybe he missed and hit Carmella? Maybe he meant to kill Carmella to really mess with tony. NJ crew killed a few Leotardo’s, so why not? Maybe ending it like that would make his death too obvious. But, if they wanted us to believe he died, then wouldn’t that be worthwhile? The point is, they don’t want to make us believe he died. They want us to be unsure.

I believe The Sopranos meant to show you what it’s like to be Tony Soprano, to always watch your back. To never trust anyone. To live in fear of being shot in front of your family. Watching those last few minutes was stressful as hell. Almost intolerable. Have you ever been so effectively put in the shoes of a fictional character? Look what he lives with. A simple dinner with his family means looking at everyone around him. He must live with a paranoia that justifies why he has all those panic attacks and stress.

So, in the final minutes of the show, you become Tony Soprano. You feel his anxiety. And maybe you do get killed. And maybe you don’t. But you will never know. Genius!

This isn’t a story that can end with a cliff hanger or a climax. It’s life. It’s not a stupid 2 hour movie that starts and ends without ever giving you an opportunity to think for yourself. You can hate the ending if you want, because it doesn’t hand you the answer and let you forget about Tony Soprano, thinking everything is resolved and now you can move on with your life. But if that’s what you hate about the ending, then aren’t you saying you hate it because it makes you think for yourself? Think about that.