Goodbye Boda Bing!

Well, it’s already happened. I’ve had several debriefings on The Sopranos finale. It worked. The writers and producers managed to end the show in true Sopranos style with lots of questions and open ends. J was disappointed from the very beginning. Why was it only an hour long? Will Paulie turn on Tony? Are they going to waste the entire show with this? I’m sure he’s not alone in his criticism.

We’re used to the grand Godfather endings where multiple people meet their grisly demise at the same time while classical music plays over the actions. But The Sopranos stayed true to its macabre and cerebral leanings. The show has been known to spend a lot of time on what seems like trivial action. Remember the endless dream sequences while Tony was in the coma. I personally felt like the writers were putting a mind fuck on us. The last five minutes were painful. Is Meadow that useless that she can’t park?

I liked the ending. It did what it was supposed to do. We know Tony survived and Phil died in what was the best whacking in Sopranos history. Brilliant! You knew he was dead as soon as was playing with the grandkids. I threw my hands up in victory when the gun appeared near his head. Getting his head squashed and making the bystander throw up was the cherry on the top.

Tony coming to term with his crazy family was another piece of closure. His sister is a raging bitch. He did the right thing by seeing her but realized when it was time to walk away. His visit to Uncle Junior had me on edge. My paranoid thoughts made me think he would turn on Tony. Instead it was a sad ending to a tough little man. Tony even came to terms with the fact that AJ is to the Soprano family what Fredo was to the Corleones. The weak link.

The cat. What was the significance of the staring cat? I think it was Adrianna. I know that’s a bit mystical for the Diva but I think it was someone they knew. It could be Christopher. And the Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” at the end. I think it was very telling. They want to keep the mystique alive long enough for a movie.

With that said, I took a look at other finales that got it right.

The Wonder Years

After years of watching the adorable Kevin Arnold spin tales of his childhood, it was bittersweet to see it end. The writers cleverly wrapped up the show by telling the future of the character. It was sad to hear his father died and they he remained only friends with sweetheart Winnie.

Six Feet Under

I stopped watching this show in the second season but felt compelled to watch the finale. It took the same approach as the Wonder Years but took it a step forward. We saw their lives evolve and the moments of the deaths. For some reason I cried during the entire ending.

Sex and the City

I liked this one the best because it had the great declaration of love we had waited for. We found out Big’s name and each woman saw closure and growth in their character. My favorite was brassy Miranda who found compassion for family.

What was your favorite series finale?