The Sopranos Season 6 Episode 21 'Made in America' Full TV Reaction!!

But yes I definitely think Members Only Guy killed him right as Meadow was walking in. And I think it was set up by Paulie.

Jeremy Garner

I’ve noticed before that Sam really doesn’t like ambiguous endings so I was prepared for her to hate this lol

Jeremy Garner

Why are you being like this? You are doubling down on your insults and I don’t know why. I’ve done nothing but disagree with you about something as silly and meaningless as a TV show & now you respond like this? And please tell me where and when I was being insulting? All I said was that watching SOA would be like following a steak dinner with Burger King. And I think that’s an apt description. A lot of people like Burger King! So why would you take that as an insult? I don’t come here to be insulted and called names. I come here to watch these two react to movies and TV shows. This is abhorrent behaviour on your part and I’ve asked you to apologize to put this behind us. But you couldn’t even do that.

Stan the Man

Stfu you corny ass, phony douchebag, I'm not interested in what you think of my suggestions, and you were being insulting so spare me the sanctimonious horseshit too. Besides, based on the all the articles you need to mention, you don't even have an opinion of your own anyways. If you do, fine, don't post them under my comments, I'm done with this convo

Ken Veader

You guys should definitely check out succession.

Miguel Sanchez

This is a comment section. You are going to come across opinions that are different than yours. If you recommend something that I think is a poor choice, I’m going to voice my opinion on it. Why? Because this is a community made up of paying members who don’t want to see these two discussing a bad show. Being hostile and calling names is not what this channel is about. I don’t think Daniel or Sam would approve of it and I think an apology is warranted. I’ve never had someone respond with such vitriol & rudeness. I’ve suggested a TV show or movie that others have disagreed with and that’s fine. Not everyone is going to like the same things. I didn’t start calling that person names. So please. If someone doesn’t like the same thing as you, don’t get triggered, lose your cool & start throwing a tantrum. This isn’t kindergarten

Stan the Man

No asshole, why don't you try. If I recommend something I don't need you telling me you think it sucks, ok prick

Ken Veader

Oh. You didn’t delete this comment. But yes. Like I said before, I wouldn’t be able to comment on this channel if I weren’t a member. Again, I don’t know why you are resorting to name calling but it’s uncalled for. At no point have I attacked you or called you names. I’m just here to enjoy these two’s wonderful reactions and provide my own two cents. There’s no need for you to be trying to ruin that. I’m sure Sam and Daniel don’t appreciate someone acting aggressive, disrespectful & rude as it takes away from the purity of this place. Again, please try to be better. Please.

Stan the Man

I’ll say this about talking Sopranos. I learned more about Milton Berle than I thought I would. Also, you’ll learn to appreciate Steve Shrippa’s performance as Bobby more because oh my he is SO not that character.

Stan the Man

I support multiple channels including this one. Again, I wouldn’t be able to comment otherwise(it says the same thing when i click on your name about not supporting anyone FYI). I’m not sure why you are being so hostile, rude & name calling. Very weird & uncalled for. Not everyone is going to like the same show and have the same opinions as you. Try to be a better person please.

Stan the Man

The sopranos is always great watching may i make another great series selection in the wire,you’ll get addicted if you haven’t watched either….

darrell40

Wait...Tony was in the MOB??

Odd Thomas

My take is they were about to be assassinated - the killers were just waiting for Meadow so the whole family was there. Your guess that the sudden blackness is Tony getting shot in the back of the head by toilet dude is spot on.

Odd Thomas

Thanks for a great shared ride! I was pissed and puzzled at first, but after longer consideration I decided it was a poetically perfect ending. After all, what kind of dramatic creation could they cook up that would be sufficient or satisfying? Virtually anything would fall short. For a while I chose to believe that it represents that “things just go on and on, like life itself”. But after more thought and analysis, I thoroughly agree that Tony was hit by the guy in the jacket as he emerged from the restroom. Hence, everything goes black. It was referenced earlier that mob hits are never to take place in front of family. And this was ultimate revenge for Phil’s disgusting end in front of his family. They wouldn’t have taken out Tony’s family, but the family would witness it, up close. And there’s a long tradition of mob hits in restaurants. There are so many lightly concealed moments inserted within the long series, that it makes a very rewarding re-watch.

David Wilkins

You're a pretentious ass and I don't want you on my comments and I said that cause when I clicked on your page it said you don't support any channels.

Ken Veader

Steven Van Zandt (Sil) auditioned for Tony and of course lost out to Gandolfini. David Chase wanted him to still be in the show and offered him another part, but Van Zandt refused to take a role that would mean a "real" actor would not get a job because of a rock musician. So Chase wrote Silvio. Amazing performance.

JVTrickypants

Fun note I just realized - Hunter went back to SUNY-Purchase, which is were basically all of these actors met each other.

JVTrickypants

There was even a humorous moment where The Sopranos didn't win an Emmy for the fourth year in a row and James Gandolfini (RIP) said "I don't even know why we show up for this anymore." To which a West Wing cast member (Joshua Malina, totally in jest) said, "I thought he played Tony Soprano, not Big Pussy."

JVTrickypants

I have loved every minute of your reaction to The Sopranos. I'm sure you have other shows you're going to do, but a show that is PAINFULLY ignored in reactions is The West Wing. It came out and went toe to toe with The Sopranos and absolutely holds up just as well. There was a bit of a rivalry (West Wing winning Best Drama four years in a row) which I think was mostly due to a bias against non network shows...but I wish reactors as interested and intelligent as you two would watch The West Wing so I could relive it vicariously as I have done with The Sopranos.

JVTrickypants

The outro discussions are a big reason they are the best. Along with Sam and Daniel's 'WTF just happened?' expressions. 😊

Marcus Cato

oh please please please TBF Schmitt watch Succession!!! :)

Will D

Ahhh I gotcha. My mistake. More than likely I ran with it because it fit with what I wanted to be true 🤣

Christopher Runyon

Also it's an overt reference to the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey in which Dr. David Bowman witnesses his death. Not the only Stanley Kubrick reference when Tony gets shot. Right before Uncle Junior shoots Tony, it shows the Kubrick movie Paths of Glory playing on the TV.

Wayne Delaune (cardaderdention)

https://youtu.be/BQ4IVj6qdMc

Korny

I’ve had a chance to watch the entire conversation at the end and that’s something I probably should’ve done earlier but that was great. Just great. I loved Sam’s realization. And Dan’s thinking it out. It was just great. This prob the best finale reaction. It was honest and just seeing you two puzzle it out and look up the theories is terrific. Bravo!

Stan the Man

That’s a good call! I haven’t seen many react it that either. Great series! Way ahead of its time.

Stan the Man

That’s not true. He didn’t confirm anything. The writer misquoted him and he released a statement saying that. He has pretty much confirmed Tony is dead tho. He hasn’t outright said it. But it’s pretty clear.

Stan the Man

Why did you say I don’t subscribe to this channel and delete your comment? Was it because…obviously I’m subscribed to this channel otherwise I wouldn’t be able to comment?

Stan the Man

Sons of Anarchy, highly entertaining and wild show

Ken Veader

wow! What a ride! I've come to appreciate and like you both. I feel like an uncle (just turned 65) or something. You each have your own viewpoints, and they differ in a satisfying way, but your individual intelligences and screen presence, along with your obvious arm in arm affection, makes your channel sparkle. It's sad that the Soparanos is finished...but I will look forward to whatever you guys do here. Congrats on the upcoming family member, all the best to the both of you, Uncle Jim

James Battista

He's actually only ever confirmed that he didn't die, and then he took that back.

Kevin Charley

You don't even subscribe to this channel you cornball

Ken Veader

Shut the fuck you pretentious clown , you don't even support this channel

Ken Veader

I want them to see that show more than any but people around here won't vote for it

Ken Veader

The creator of the show, David Chase, has strongly suggested that Tony did indeed die. In 2019 he called it, “the death scene” and in 2021 he mentioned a different way he envisioned Tony being killed.

Christopher Runyon

Loved "Six Feet Under" Great show for sure. First time I'd seen Michael C. Hall acting.

Guston Zimasheen

Loved re-watching The Sopranos with you guys. If you want another Golden Era HBO series, you should check out Six Feet Under. It's an incredible series, and it'd be a blast watching you react to it.

ScotchBeard78

I hated reaction videos. Hated them, mentioned it in a comment on the first video I watched of you guys but then you started watching sopranos and I became a fan. Thanks for the ride. I’ve watched the series 7-8 times and this made it feel like it was the first time. Biggest mistake of the show was getting rid of Furio, he wouldn’t have let this shit happen

HoFX666

If you want a good short series before you do The Wire, I nominate Freaks and Geeks if you haven't already watched it. It's only 18 episodes and it's up there with the greats.

Kevin Charley

Haha and that was great with cutting off your reaction at the end. Like everyone else, of course, I recommend the Wire. I also liked Battlestar Galactica, though it wasn't really to the level of these shows, it was excellent in many ways with ideas it dealt with.

David Anderson

I didn't read many articles after, but what you guys thought about him getting shot definitely made sense. I started watching this a little while ago and am glad I caught up before you finished. I just wanted to point out the scene where Paulie is sitting alone outside Satriales with the cat. He and the little cat that reminds him of Christopher are sitting alone, when it used to be packed with so many wild and interesting characters. Now he's sitting there alone. It was sad, but I was also glad to see Paulie made it, despite all his flaws.

David Anderson

Oh that's interesting. I thought the issue was that he had put so much work, from the beginning, into convicting Tony Soprano, and he didn't want to see him get killed, and all of his work go up for nothing. But I guess he was getting into terrorism anyways, so that makes more sense.

David Anderson

Thank you so much for watching this series! It was fun to experience it all over again. I’ll also recommend “The Wire.” Only 60 episodes, so not as long as Sopranos. “ Succession” might be good for another shorter series. 39 episodes.

David Ross

I love this show so much, but even after 15 years I find myself in the "this ending is bullshit" camp. It's a great episode though. Congrats on the record scratch.

Tostito Buddy

Holy shit I just typed all of that before you guys started reading the theories in the video lol

daron85

There is so much symbolism in this episode (the whole series) but in this episode for sure. A few theories as to what happened at the end. If you're interested then you can read further. Maybe after coming up with your own theories. There are a lot but here are a few: My theory is that Tony was killed. Shot in the back of the head in front of his family. Remember how Tony recalled Bobby saying "you probably don't hear it when it happens" in the episode before this? I believe that's why it cut to black. That's actually a lot of people's theory. Also the title of the season 6 episode premier when Tony got shot was called "Member's Only." The jacket the suspicious guy in the diner was wearing was a member's only jacket. The cat is only around dead people. Kind of foreshadowing a doomed Paulie. The shot when Tony first walks into the diner almost looks like he's looking at himself. Just the strange way it was edited before the closeup of him at the table. Also that shot looks almost like the Last Supper... The LAST supper. Hmmmm. There are so many analysis videos of the Sopranos. You guys should really check those out! So interesting.

daron85

Thank you so much for this, it was nice taking this journey again with you. Recommendations for new shows would be The Wire and Succession, only 4+season shows to come close to the Sopranos In my opinion.

UNC

Thank you for your comment. It's been a blast watching this with Daniel and Sam and sharing insights with all the other patreons on this site, especially yourself. Interesting fact: I first learned that little anecdote on another forum when someone argued that Agent Harris feeding that info to Tony Soprano was the most unrealistic part of the show. A bunch of other commenters set him straight! 😂

Marcus Cato

I didn't watch the series along with y'all, but I did watch it when it aired. I popped in for the finale. It was a fun time, glad you enjoyed the series so much!

Grand Moff Slackin'

Members Only was a popular brand of jacket in the 80's.

Grand Moff Slackin'

Random aside, watching this finale when it aired made me paranoid about parking my car on unpaved surfaces.

Grand Moff Slackin'

Don't stop believin'. It's like Bobby said, you don't hear anything. it just fades to black.

Grand Moff Slackin'

She was also the mom on Out of This World

Kevin Charley

I don't remember where I read it, I think it was Stevie Van Zandt that said David Chase didn't want the show to end with Tony's death or going to prison but he also didn't want to end it with the message that crime pays and Tony gets away with it. So he did the cut to black and it could be anything.

Kevin Charley

I was wondering whether anyone would bring up DeVecchio here--I should have figured it would have been a sharp guy like you, Marcus. I wasn't gonna mention Lindley because we think my mom might be distantly related to him (yikes!). BTW, I've enjoyed your comments and sharing perspectives with you on here throughout this run here. It's been a fun ride.

VivendoBem

In the last episode of Sopranos, the reason they showed the FBI agent having an affair with another FBI agent is because she is who he got all the Mafia / Phil info from. That's why she's pissed, she just caught him passing info to Tony that she divulged to her lover.

Ed R

I'd much rather them cover 'Deadwood'. It is critically acclaimed and it's cancellation was universally mourned. 'The Newsroom' is well, the complete opposite. I get why some people might like it, but I always thought 'The Newsroom' feels like Sorkin's shower conversations made into a show. It feels very self-indulgent.

Jeffrey Miller

For me, The Wire is the only show that can fill the void on Mondays. It's not as long as The Sopranos at 60 episodes, so I'm hoping. But I understand if they want something even shorter next. For shorter shows, I would love Deadwood (36 episodes), which is kind of like if The Sopranos was a western. Or The Newsroom (25 episodes), which I think they would love after seeing their reaction to Moneyball (same writer, Aaron Sorkin).

Future Boy

LMAO!!

Guston Zimasheen

You know what. I would like to say 2 things...1 you are both adorable. Your reactions to the end was adorable especially when you guys were like "I guess, we talk." so cute. 2nd. Thank you for watching this series. I remember messaging you guys last year or two years ago ( I am positive I am not the only one) and Sam or Daniel messaged me back saying "I think that would take too long." Thank you. Maybe you guys will do Boardwalk Empire or The Wire next.

Ghost Crusaders

For the record...no one liked the ending when it happened. Also it takes a few years for you to actually like the ending. Took me 20 years so.....just hold on. lol

Ghost Crusaders

The guy came out and shot Tony from Tony's 3 o'clock

Ghost Crusaders

Agreed with the sentiment that David Chase is a curmudgeon, lol. He actually revealed during TMSON press junket that him and Gandolfini grew to not like each other during the later seasons. JG would refer to him as "Satan" in front of the cast and crew and he obviously found it disrespectful. He also snubbed him at an awards ceremony when he waved at JG to come sit beside him and his wife, and chose to sit somewhere else instead. I think he ended up resenting Chase because of what was required for the role as Tony. Doing multiple takes of gorging on food and flying into full blown Tony rage couldn't have been fun, and most likely took years off of his life. They did however patch things up when DC casted him in a supporting role in "Not Fade Away". Sad to learn about these details :(

JG

Patsy's wife is the girl that wanted to be with John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever If u guys haven't watched that yet u should. It's great.

Ghost Crusaders

America was a completely different country in 2007 compared to what it was in the late 90's. It was like going from summer sunshine to winter at midnight.

David Murray

It's like his version of smashing the metal guitar at the end of a concert. Even though he sounds like a surly dude the man stuck to what made the show so special. I always loved that The Sopranos was so anti-fanservice. It's always incredibly obvious in other shows and would usually take me out of it. Tony's end coming in the form of him eating onion rings and cutting to black is fitting for someone like him.

Sol95

Whenever I listen to it on the radio I expect it to cut off after "don't stop-" lol

Sol95

A show you will quote for the rest of your lives!!

f hf

It was definitely Paulie that sold him out. Goes back to his dreams, and Paulie’s dreams. Paulie and his barbers scissors from the hair salon Butchie owns in Flatbush. They didn’t put that in for nothing. Paulie definitely double crossed him. Butchie didn’t make peace. He let them take out Phil for him. And all of Paulie’s anger and harsh looks weren’t for nothing. Bobby Bacala and Christopher even talked about this theory in real life being written in kinda with hints. It’s a shame.

Jonny Kerr (JK)

I think it's pretty simple. Tony knows that his life will end one of two ways. He'll either get clipped or he'll go to prison. Both fates are hinted at. Tony talks about Carlo flipping and the suspicious guy looks suspicious because Tony knows he's forever a target. He's just trying to have a good time before it all ends. It doesn't matter what happens. Nothing happens because there is nothing after the cut to black. Anything after that is merely someone's personal headcanon. I admit, I don't understand the need so many have to have something more definitive, but I think the ending is actually great if you look at it through a more thematic lens and not a literal one. I do think it's so ironic that Tony and Carmela spend the whole series telling AJ he's a spoiled brat, but when he decides to take charge of his life they spoil him to the max to keep him from making a decision on his own.

Jeffrey Miller

Agreed. This ending allows someone to throw a briefcase at David Chase to say that Tony was alive and well after the final episode (as long as Gandolfini was still with us). I know I'm cynical but that's a big reason I'm still not a fan.

Marcus Cato

Don’t worry, when this happened live in 2007 we were all confused and hurt. It was all people could talk about for days and weeks afterwards. Theories galore and at the time David Chase told us nothing. You’re supposed to be shocked. It was memed and lampooned to death. It’s either genius or terrible, I don’t know. It’s still the greatest tv show ever.

Richard Cowgill

Thoroughly enjoyed your reaction to Sopranos. Glad you loved it. However don't expect to get the same kind of quality film-making from "The Many Saints of Newark" if you ever decide to watch or do a reaction. Most of the performances in that are over the top by "caricatures" from the show with throw back one liners SMH etc A lot of things are wrong with that movie that I can't believe David Chase was a part of it. Anywho, I hope you react to one of these series LOST, Dexter, Six Feet Under, Boardwalk Empire

Joe Lazarus

He’s talking about an alternate way of doing the blackness. It’s clear he slipped up when calling it a death scene. He pretty much confirms it in the DGA interview where he breaks down the scene almost moment to moment and it’s exactly like the “Master of Sopranos” essay where the door bell ringing is a Pavlovian cue that we are in Tony’s POV(and a callback to Sopranos Home Movies. Where we get Bobby’s infamous “Maybe you don’t hear it..”). If you’ve read the book where the quote comes from it’s clear Chase accidentally let it slip. He’s talking about an alternate way in which the same idea would happen. Chase went on to say one day he looked in at some mom & pop ice cream parlour/restaurant and said “Yeah Tony could get it in a place like that” but that version of ending would’ve cut to black while he was driving thru the tunnel to NYC. The idea being Tony was killed. So while yes Chase has said contradictory things, it’s all because he just doesn’t want to outright say it. But when you take everything he’s said(where he isn’t being flippant), it’s obvious what his intentions are. But he’s said numerous contradictory things but I think that’s just because so hes so sick & tired of getting asked about it. And I think you are misconstruing what Chase was saying about the Scarface thing. He was disgusted that they wanted to SEE IT. That after cheering him on for years and years as he killed and ruined lives, he was disgusted that the audience wanted to see his brains splattered on the wall. He isn’t saying the idea of Tony dying is disgusting. He’s saying the audience DESIRE for it is. And yes the Breaking Bad ending is a great example. I truly feel like The Sopranos ending is one of the greatest artistic statements of the 21st century. Forget about all the theories and everything Chase has stated afterwards. Having people glued to their seats, feeling the tension, feeling like something major is about to happen to one of the greatest characters ever created and suddenly…everyone watching live thinks their cable of satellite goes out. It’s brilliant. Brilliant. Then when you add on all the extra layers of the foreshadowing and symbolism, it gets even better. Chase has said he wanted to feel as if a life was being “ripped away”. And that when he watches the scene he gets sad, not because it’s the final scene but because of what it’s about and what happens. He referred to an alternate version as a death scene. Confirmed the POV pattern and doorbell. Then there’s the fact that when Tony wakes up from his coma, he sees white for 10 seconds before the camera focuses on Carm and Meadoes face. In season 3 Meadoe and AJ have a discussion on the metaphors of black and white(that white can mean death and life). Then when we take the “Don’t hear it” with the Sil “I didn’t know what happened until AFTER the shot was fired” which Chase has confirmed is part of the ending. I think it’s pretty obvious what Chase’s intentions are

Stan the Man

Sam, I loved your outro, no worries about unsubbing. ❤️ I loved watching you guys working through it and talking it out after the initial shock. I had a fantastic time re-watching with you.

Jen Barnes

He does not say that.

Kevin Charley

It's on HBOMax now, too. They added clips from the show to it

Kevin Charley

I don't know if anyone recommended this podcast to you guys but it's called Talking Sopranos. With Michael imperioli ( christopher) and Steve schrippa ( Bobby) .. It was done during the pandemic. You'll hear from stars , directors , writers from the show. Also Steve and Michael go over each episode breaking down each show, giving you background info, where the shows were shot and theories into some episodes you may not have thought about..Steve is the funny man to micheal's straight man but its very informative. Its on you tube. I've thoroughly enjoyed your reactions to my favorite show the sopranos.

Darnell Goodmon

It was the only way to react too the sopranos finale, y'all were amazing 🙏

dieselbeast

Just my own theory. David Chase didn't like how everyone wanted to see Tony die after spending all these years with him. "What was annoying was how many people wanted to see Tony killed. That bothered me. I just thought: god, you watched this guy for seven years and I know he's a criminal. But don't tell me you don't love him in some way, don't tell me you're not on his side in some way. And now you want to see him killed … You're a criminal after watching this shit for seven years." - David Chase However I believe in his mind the ending was going to be Tony's death. And yet this annoyance and irritation at the audience somehow did not allow him to give them what they wanted. Livia was based on his own mother and some of that has to be in him. Maybe he doesn't think we deserve to be satisfied or get what we want. Despite this, I still really love The Sopranos and am very grateful for its high quality throughout. A TV show is so many hours, and I don't believe you should judge it based on the last hour. As a whole, it's been incredibly satisfying. Thx again for all of these Sopranos reactions!

Ellie Miller

Yes, great post and I agree about the outro.

Korny

If that's the interview I think it is, Chase was talking about an idea he had for the ending two years before they actually shot it. The ending would have had Tony going to a meeting in New York and getting killed there. It would have been intended to be a reverse of the intro sequence that features Tony driving into Jersey from NYC. An ending that they ended up not going with. I still say this show gives us every reason in the world to not care about what happens to Tony at all. I also see that ending as focus on a lot of the mundane day-to-day that happens in between all the mob stuff - which has always been a focus of the show. Chase ALSO went on to talk about how morbid it is that people watched this guy for years and in the end they just wanted to see him get blown away in a Scarface type of ending. He's given contradictory statements. Kind of like David Lynch, he'll never come right out and say what he's intended in a concrete way. Daniel at the end even talks about the ending of Breaking Bad being perfectly wrapped up and you can forget about it, whereas THIS show keeps you thinking about what happened and it has for almost 20 years now. IMO even though I love Breaking Bad, the "perfect" ending is usually less interesting. That, and cutting to black right before someone gets blown away is what they do in college films...

Brandon

Very good read. Thanks. I'm convinced!

Mike LL

Daniel, Sam, sincere thanks for every single one of these Sopranos reactions. They've been the highlight of my week for 10 months. It has truly been a pleasure re-enjoying my favourite show with both of you. I've got the same knot in my stomach that I had when the show ended in 2007. Monday nights will never be the same again. (By the way, that was the best outro you've ever done.)

Future Boy

You guys have to watch this.. the real life Meadow and A.J. are practically best friends and do a really fun podcast together. https://youtu.be/G9BdttCfBTI

David Crabtree

Tony certainly didn’t lack for enemies. It could’ve been any number of people. But no. The ending wasn’t about letting anyone off the hook and it wasn’t Tony looking up at his daughter and feeling nothing. David Chase has gone on record about what he wanted the audience to feel what was going thru this head. He’s all but confirmed Tony died(infact he did sort of confirm it in the book “The Sopranos session” when talking about how he initially came up with the idea. He accidentally called it a “death scene”)

Stan the Man

Find the scene where Bobby talks about what it must be like to die. He says he thinks you just go black.

Shaun2342!

Yeah, you can see the guy in the "members only jacket" carrying something heavy in his left jacket pocket as he walks through the door.. I mean, all the clues are given to us throughout the whole show about Tony's fate.. but one thing I can't decide on if this was personal about Eugene Pontecorvo or did Paulie flip and conspire with New York.. I mean, to me both are open for interpretation and possible.. On a side note, I lived in a duplex during the airing of this episode back in '07 and I could always hear my neighbors through the wall because of where our living rooms were located.. I remember when the scene cut to black the 1st thing I did was look at my girlfriend like wtf!! pick up the remote and try flipping the channel.. about a second later, I literally hear the guy in the other apartment through the wall yell out WTF!! lol.. then my father who was staying with us in the guest bedroom call for me saying the cable went out.. lol.. right after this occurred the credits rolled, I look at my girlfriend and she's got a hand over mouth trying not to hysterically laugh.. lol.. I remember my first thought before getting past the shock was.. David Chase just literally trolled all of America at the same time.. lol.. Thank you Daniel & Samantha for sharing your "Journey" with us.. awesome outro..

PastaDon

https://masterofsopranos.wordpress.com/the-sopranos-definitive-explanation-of-the-end/ Give that a read. It tells you everything going on with season 6 and how it all relates and what it all means

Stan the Man

That’s the thing about theories tho. Some are right and some aren’t. While I personally don’t believe Eugene’s wife hired a hit man(I mean…Eugene died how long ago? So why now?) the connection can be made. She advocated for his murder, Chase wanted us to either implicitly or subconsciously related the guy in the jacket to Eugene(hence the name of the character and the name of the first episode). I also don’t think Paulie is a stretch either. I don’t think it’s him but could it be? Yeah. He’s betrayed Tony how many times? But yeah I think the real answer is probably Butchie.

Stan the Man

Here’s the link to the original Master of Sopranos essay. It’s an essential read. I really recommend it. You’ll want to rewatch the show right away. https://masterofsopranos.wordpress.com/the-sopranos-definitive-explanation-of-the-end/

Stan the Man

Shout out to You Me and the Movies. They reacted to the Sopranos last year and their reaction to the finale is so great. Mrs Movies at first doesn’t like it. But then you literally see the wheels turns as she starts putting it together and by the end they both are digging it. Everyone who watched this live thought their cable went out. I almost wish you two would do a follow up video after you’ve had time to sit with the ending for a bit. Here’s the thing tho. The Sopranos is a show that operates on so many levels. Comedy, drama, some action and thriller. Even a bit of horror(Fran Felstein singing Happy Birthday to Tony is terrifying). Not everyone appreciates all that this show has to offer. But you two consistently would talk out what the show was going for and it was very impressive. Don’t forget. Most of us here have had multiple rewatches and so all the references and characters and plot lines we’ve got figured out backwards and forwards. I was very impressed, particularly with Sam, who really seemed to get the show on instinct. You guys were great and this was so fun and I’m really going to miss watching this every week. Thanks so much for dedicating the time and energy it takes to bring this show to us every week!

Stan the Man

Ok, thanks for that clip. It is a very good argument, lol.

Mike LL

The problem with such massive in-depth theories is that they throw simple logic out the window. Eugene's wife or Paulie is a massive stretch to say the least. Butchie? New York just made peace and you can tell that Phil's guys didn't want an all-out war or to wipe out an entire crime family. That, and these guys are all middle-aged or even 65+ at this point.

Brandon

One interesting bit of trivia: the scene where Agent Harris celebrates was based on a real life FBI agent that got way too close to the Colombo family, R. Lindley DeVecchio. Supposedly he said 'we're going to win this thing' after hearing about a hit on another family. He later got indicted for providing info to the Colombo family that led to four murders.

Marcus Cato

Holy shit. I’ve read every theory on the ending and somehow this is the first time I’ve seen that. Tho now that I think about it isn’t it “they whack him the same way every night, and it’s painful”

Stan the Man

Spot on, man. Spot on. David Chase has an unbelievably peevish and arrogant personality and he was filled with annoyance about the fans not liking the show for the right reasons. I have no doubt that he relished sticking his finger in our eyes.

Marcus Cato

Michael pissing him off with fan theories and myths about the Jersey Devil and whatnot is enough to listen to it though XD

Shehab Dawoud

I very much second The Wire. I loved that show so much, I didn't have the deep void that others talk about with The Sopranos, I had that deep void after The Wire was over. And there are so many shows and movies since that I go, "Oh yeah, he/she was in The Wire."

Mike LL

IMO going to black is the show's way of letting you off the hook. Think about your own reactions to Tony's behavior, especially in these last nine episodes. It's like the show is telling you that you shouldn't even care at all what happens to this guy, whether he lives or dies at all. Personally I don't believe he got shot in that moment and nobody has ever been able to provide a reasonable explanation as to who pulled the trigger. New York is too busy rebuilding to keep a mob war going (you can tell Phil's guys didn't like the idea of wiping out an entire crime family) and anything else is pure speculation. Tony's legal problems are only getting worse and he'll likely end up dying alone in prison (like Junior will). You can easily picture him further alienating himself from his family and whatever friends he's got left. Instead of getting the Scarface 'blaze of glory' ending his life will just go "on and on and on" like the song says. And that final look on his face? It's just the look of a man who doesn't even experience joy anymore. His daughter just walked in and he feels nothing? Screw this guy *cut to black*.

Brandon

A little history lesson on the finale: No one and I mean no one figured out the ending until one person wrote an infamous blog post that detailed every single thing that lead up to the ending. I’m referring to the “Master of Sopranos” blog. He was the first to get it. The blog is still up and it isn’t until reading that blog that I knew I was dealing with something next level. Tony’s coma trip, the peyote, it was all leading to here. It’s only when you rewatch the show does it become implicitly clear that what we are seeing is the blackness of death. Tony was shot and killed in front of his family. Remember the scene where that guy is killed in front so Sil? He’s splattered with blood? Remember when Bobby said “Maybe you don’t even hear it when it happens”. That’s what this was. The real question isn’t whether Tony lived or died. The real question is…who killed him and why? The guy sitting at the counter is credited as “Man in Members Only Jacket”. The first episode of season 6 is called “Members Only”. Because Eugene(the guy who hung himself when the FBI and Tony wouldn’t let him move to Florida) wore that jacket(which Vito calls out). So are we meant to see a connection between the guys and that jacket and Eugene? Did Eugene’s wife use the money and hire a hit man? Was it Paulie? Butchie?

Stan the Man

I've never had a big idea about what happened at the end of this episode. I think their lives went on. The person I most missed in this episode was Dr. Melfi. Did she have any second thoughts of dismissing Tony? And what was that with Agent Harris? When he heard that Phil was offed, was he saying, "Yay, Team Tony is going to win this thing!" ?? I would like to hear others thoughts on this. And yeah, I didn't remember who Carlo was either.

Mike LL

LOL, Blue Bloods and Blue Chew. The guest interviews were good, but the segments where they were talking amongst each other got old pretty fast as Steve wouldn't allow any in-depth discussions. After awhile, Michael was just like "Fuck It", lol. So frustrating as it could of been soooo much better than it was.

JG

Oh god no. That’d be like eating Burger King after a nice streak dinner

Stan the Man

LOL you forgot to mention all the times he brings up Blue Bloods as if anyone gives a shit😂😂 he’s definitely obnoxious most of the time but I tried to get over that because Michael is so smart and interesting to listen to. The guests were top notch as well.

Shehab Dawoud

Phil implicitly threatened to kill butchie with the "sit down". It makes total sense that butchie would turn on phil.

Tommy Smith

Going black was Tony’s 1st person view of death. Paulie sold him out to New York. Even after his meeting with Butchie at the Flatbush Waxing and Hair Salon Paulie comes in with his barbers scissors. He’s played both sides with NY since Johnny Sack. Don’t put it past Patsy to do the same and jump right on that train. But Meadow definitely watched Tony get shot. If I had to guess….AJ also got killed so the only son wouldn’t avenge his father.

Jonny Kerr (JK)

Oh yeah...good catch!

JG

On a serious note, sometimes when I finish this show I'll jump straight to the pilot again and the stark contrast between the finale and season 1 is so overwhelming.

Sol95

Thank you for reacting to this show. It’s been awesome watching this with you! It’s always been my favorite series and it makes me happy that you both loved it too. Chase stayed very quiet about his ending. But there have been many rumors that his goal was actually just an open ending because he wanted the ability to make a movie going forward. I firmly believe that. In fact, I believe had Gandolfini not passed away we would have a Soprano’s movies with him starring instead of the prequel that was made. Just my opinion, I could be totally wrong.

Chet Overholt

I agree with everything you said, except for Talking Sopranos. Steve Schrippa is incredibly obnoxious and talks over Michael with absolute nonsense. Everything from his petty rantings about Robert De Niro, to his stupid interjections... "It's not dat deep!" "Didja havta read fur David?".....smh. It got so bad that Michael was pretty much counting down the days to when the podcast would finally finish up, so he wouldn't have to deal with Steve as a co-host anymore. Once it became apparent there would never be any in-depth discussions about the show, I checked out. Michael tried to bring up topics of substance, but it was unfortunately just a pay cheque to Steve. He grinded everything down to a screeching halt. My two cents.

JG

Ken Veader

I definitely think Paulie sold him out too. And Butchie owns the Flatbush waxing and hair salon. Hence Paulie with his box of barbers scissors. After his meeting with the New York guys.

Jonny Kerr (JK)

You should watch an explanation video to the ending.

Tommy Smith

Noah finally punched Tony's lights out lol

Sol95

"Without Tony Soprano, there is no Walter White" - Vince Gilligan

JG

Also in the restaurant there is a photo by the bathroom of a house that looks kinda similar to the house featured in several of Tony's dreams, which in the dreams represents the afterlife.

Tommy Smith

In my opinion y'all hit the head on the nail when y'all said butch had phil killed to make tony feel comfortable going out with his family, it takes most people alot longer to figure that out lol also in my opinion once butch took tony out, either he(butch) would absorb the rest of the new Jersey crew or he would have a good relationship with Paulie (the new boss) in my opinion Paulie was ok with tony getting whacked so new Jersey and NY can have a decent relationship and/or New York absorbing new Jersey 👀

dieselbeast

Also the opening shot is done in such a way that it makes it seem like Tony is watching his own death, which is what Chris says hell is like.

Tommy Smith

I think if you look at it that Tony died in that diner it’s pretty definitive because of gives that line new relevance. “You’ll never even see it coming.”

Night King01

"Tell Tony and Paulie 3 o clock" Tony got hit from his 3 o clock side.

Tommy Smith

"We used to play catch". In the end Junior didn't remember the mafia, violence, money or power, he just remembered playing catch with his nephew Tony. Junior remembered the little moments.

Tommy Smith

Some believe Tony’s indisputably dead, while others (now that he’s vanquished his foes) conclude he’s alive, though sentenced to a perpetual existence of looking over his shoulder for would-be assassins as the FBI’s Sword of Damocles swings perilously above his head. Still others suspect it’s deliberately ambiguous and therefore no opinion is right or wrong, while conceding maybe it is actually us, the viewers who got whacked. Over the years, I’ve vacillated myself, but the only thing I believe unreservedly in my heart is that DAVID CHASE HATES US. Long a frustrated artist and film director cursed to an unfulfilling career in purgatorial American Network TV, he improbably became anointed as the genius auteur he’d always aspired to be—yet not for movies, but rather for creating the greatest television series in history. The commercial and critical plaudits are unprecedented (almost orgasmic in many cases) and all entirely deserved, but for Chase it was maddening, as the recognition came in the medium for which he has such utter contempt. For him, it’s like holding the record as World’s Tallest Dwarf. His hostility to fan service is well documented, but more than that I believe the same distaste he harbors for TV itself he also bears for the very philistine fans who made The Sopranos such a sensation. So the interminable black screen is one giant Fuck You to us. Maybe it’s because I’m a paisan, but I kinda admire that. It’s the most Italian (American) thing ever in its spitefulness.

VivendoBem

You will never be able to listen to "Don't Stop Believing" the same way again, especially if you understand this ending.

Vwlss Nvwls

Watch Lost!!!

Tom Occhipinti

The FBI agent was cheating and that’s how he got the info about where Phil is.

Stan the Man

I'm like you - when I saw this I first thought oh NO! TV just went out, no way! Then the credits rolled and I was pissed. It was as bad as the ending to Lost (won't spoil it if you haven;'t seen that one). 15 years later looking back and re-watching I think it was a genius ending - you get to make up your own ending. My opinion is the guy coming out of the restroom was the shooter and Tony dies, hence fade to black. But what are you gonna do?

Opie Wan

Lots to unpack here, so I'll touch on the main points and supporting clues on what I think happened… Long story short: Tony was shot and killed in front of his family, and he never heard it happen; hence the messy cut to black. In S2, when Christopher woke up from his coma, he delivered a message to both Tony and Paulie from spirits in the afterlife: 3 o'clock. In S6A (The Ride), Paulie wakes up in a distressed state to call about his biopsy. He wakes up at exactly 3am. Where was the Members Only jacket guy positioned in relation to Tony when it suddenly cuts to black?...3 o'clock. Who orchestrated the hit on Tony?... There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that both Butch (Phil’s underboss) and Paulie were involved with the hit. During Tony's dream, in the S2 finale (Funhouse), he's walking on the boardwalk (his conscious mind) when Sil gives him the Godfather line "Our true enemy has yet to reveal himself." This suggests that his paranoia is always at the forefront of his conscious mind. In the next scene, he uses a tower viewer to look out at the ocean (his subconscious mind). From there, he watches him and Paulie playing cards when all of the sudden getting up from his seat and shoots him. This is a warning from his subconscious mind to kill Paulie. In S6B, (Remember When), Paulie dreams coming home from Florida and sees Pussy in his kitchen. He asks him "When my time comes, tell me, will I stand up?", then Paulie wakes up and start curling dumbbells in a frantic motion. This is his way of preparing himself for Tony's inevitable wrath knowing he came very close to getting whacked on that boat. From this point forward, Paulie's loyalty towards Tony has completely eroded and he's not waiting for the other shoe to drop. In S6B (The Blue Comet), Butch is orchestrating the hit when someone asks about Paulie, and he says "No, management". Paulie is in Tony's inner circle and one of the oldest made members from his outfit. Why didn't they include Paulie on their hit list unless there was some behind-the-scenes scheming going on as to who would replace Tony as boss of the family? There were also a couple of cryptic scenes with Paulie about getting promoted to be captain of the Aprile crew. His facial expressions indicate he felt conflicted and ambivalent about something, despite receiving good news from Tony. My take: Paulie conspired behind Tony's back to take him out and become the new boss of the family. I highly recommend you read this fantastic article which covers the insidious downfall of their relationship… https://medium.com/@jameskhubiar/the-sopranos-ending-explained-64547c40774b PS: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to watch this groundbreaking show and relive these moments through your fresh eyes. There will never be another show like The Sopranos! :)

JG

You guys just said point of view. Well never mind that link then! lol

Sergeant Pepper

I felt the same way at first. Well, actually, at first I thought my cable had gone out. Then I was confused. But let it sit with you for a bit. It grew on me, and now I like it a lot.

TGrimace

Haven't finished the reaction and I don't know if you went researching - but as for the ending - this is the theory that more or less makes the most sense to me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vc4DWdOuBw

Sergeant Pepper

Where the wild things are is a fucking masterpiece.

Shaun2342!

Fun fact, they made a cast mold of frank Vincent’s head for when they ran it over. Frank Vincent kept the prop head as a souvenir after they wrapped filming.

Night King01

It's pretty sad that this is over. When Daniel mentioned that you were thinking of taking on this show, I knew it had the potential to be incredible, and you guys did not disappoint. Thanks for sharing the craziness with all of us.

Marcus Cato

Simply want to say Thank you to the both of you! For embarking on this journey on one of the greatest television shows of all time some argue the greatest, this has been such a treat! I Woke up this morning...... 🙏

dieselbeast

I hope you cope with the absence of this show better than I did. There was a legitimate void in my life after I finished it. I just didn't know where I could go from there LOL. As others have mentioned, next is The Many Saints of Newark. Despite its issues and flaws, there are good things about it, particularly the performance of Michael Gandolfini who does a damn good job as young Tony. And if you're going to re-watch the show down the line, I recommend listening to the Talking Sopranos Podcast with Steve Schrripa (Bobby) and Michael Imperioli (Chris). They break down every episode and invite guests who either acted in, wrote, or directed the show. Worth a listen. As for where you can go from here in terms of TV... the obvious one is The Wire. To me, it's the only show that comes close to The Sopranos in its overall quality. Anyway, here we go, one last time! EDIT: No one would've held it against you if you hated the ending, a lot of people did initially. But one thing no one can deny is that it's genius. Me personally, I've been going back and forth for years. There's a part of me that thinks that life just goes on for the family and we're not privy to it anymore. But the thought of Tony's lifeless body in that booth, with his family screaming in horror.. that's harrowing! I hadn't heard of the film Daniel mentioned early on, but Gandolfini was a GREAT actor. You've seen him mainly as a tough guy but he had range. His penultimate film 'Enough Said' is one I'd recommend to see how versatile he was. Thanks for the journey!

Shehab Dawoud

Time for Fargo? 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 You won’t regret the 1st 2 seasons. Amazing show. You’ll be just as into it, if not more so.

Jonny Kerr (JK)

LOL can you imagine! We're just like "sorry, we can't do this right now, come back in 6 months" -Sam

TBR Schmitt

A bittersweet moment for sure for all of us...ending of Sopranos reaction.

Marko Horvat

Hopefully you didn’t edit out Daniel taking his gabagool break!! Gabagool?? Ova heeeayahhhh

Jonny Kerr (JK)

Back in 2007 I had this episode recorded for over a month before I watched it, so that it wouldn't be over. Maybe you should have posted this in December?

Future Boy

We opted to leave this a lot less edited than normal, so if you're seeing lots of pauses this is our raw thoughts! I hope you enjoy! I could cry, I can't believe it's over! We also had so much fun with that post yesterday haha -Sam

TBR Schmitt

Christmas came early!

Korny