tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post6586952988021705329..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Sopranos Rewind: Made in AmericaAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75263988971918546732008-05-03T01:42:00.000-04:002008-05-03T01:42:00.000-04:00I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Goode's comment. L...I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Goode's comment. Lauding Chase for "leaving it up to the viewer" to figure out the ending is like paying your surgeon extra when she tells you to suture the incisions she's made. Chase didn't do his job, plain and simple.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13162783410395554816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-50113747747286446222007-12-15T05:33:00.000-05:002007-12-15T05:33:00.000-05:00The theories are totally out there. This is it. Ch...The theories are totally out there. This is it. Chase's version. Short and simple. The man going into the bathroom was creditted as the man in the "Member's Only" jacket. Unless you are a DIE HARD sopranos fan and own all the seasons, ESPECIALLY SEASON 6 PT 1, you will know the first episode of that season is called MEMBERS ONLY. IT IS THE EPISODE TONY IS SHOT IN BY UNCLE JUNIOR. IT IS THE EPISODE WHERE HE IS WEARING THE EXACT SAME SHIRT HE'S WEARING AT HOLSTEN'S AS HE IS SHOT BY UNCLE JUNIOR. And that's not even it. In this episode there's a guy who's in Veto's crew who gets 2 million from his dead grandmother and wants to retire. THIS MAN CONSISTANTLY WEARS A MEMBERS ONLY JACKET. IN FACT, VETO MAKES FUN OF HIS MEMBERS ONLY JACKETS SPECIFICALLY. One of the jobs this man is assigned in this episode is going into a diner, going up to a man eating, and shoot him in the head twice. The man was seated in a booth, and the man was wearing his Member's Only jacket when he wacked him. The man later committed suicide in this episode before Tony is shot by Uncle Junior in the exact same shirt he's wearing in Holsten's. That and Bobby's comment on how you never even see it coming. Tony's perspective everytime the door opens, yet right at it does on the last time it CUTS to black, and the music stops "DONT STOP-", and it's the first musicless ending in the Sopranos ever. All the subtle hints in the music lyrics, "Some we win, some we lose, some are meant to sing the blues." We're not going to sing the blues. It wouldn't be Tony's way. What is the beginning of the show? it's basicly a view from Tony's car as he's driving down the Expressway. It's fairly from his perspective. It all starts and ends from Tony's point of view. As far as the noise of a gunshot, an earlier episode when a New York guy is wacked while eating with Sil demonstrates how quick it happens, when it went into slow motion when blood went all over sil's face. The man was dead before he or we knew what happened to sil's face, and we hadn't heard the shot yet. That was a huge hint to how quick death can come.<BR/><BR/> It's the episode name (Season 6 E1 "MEMBERS ONLY") and the jacket and the man in the bathroom that are all linked and are all crucial. This is your basic die hard evidence that Chase was behind his death, but didn't want to make it obvious. There's no other reason for the man to be creditted with that name in the episode.<BR/><BR/>And who knew it was that obvious. it's all in the episode names and the jackets. Oh, and I do believe Paullie betrayed him, and I think the whole thing with the cat goes to show it. The cat replacing Chrissy outside when Tony gives Paulie his new assignment. Flashback to when they were sunbathing together outside with the reflectors when Tony was recovering from the hospital.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-6779636781982724312007-06-14T13:24:00.000-04:002007-06-14T13:24:00.000-04:00Alan, where did you get the picture you used for t...Alan, where did you get the picture you used for this entry? I've seen it on another website as proof that Tony is dead (in fact, I think it's www.tonyisdead.com) because he's wearing a different shirt than the one we saw in the finale, and thus, that means two endings were shot, and furthermore, that means Tony was whacked (their logic, not mine).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55072255137725137662007-06-13T21:57:00.000-04:002007-06-13T21:57:00.000-04:00With On Demand I have now watched the final scene ...With On Demand I have now watched the final scene about 25 times give or take a few... I think I have it....absolute nothingness/genius. We make something dark out of a problem that we all go through daily, paralell parking into a tight spot. We think the shady man is staring at Tony when all he's doing is looking around. When the couple (who is sitting behind Tony to the right) laughs out, the man is staring at them rather than Tony. We see the man in the trucker hat and WE project him as a dangerous figure-but WE see the man with the kids as harmless....its a scene that mixes our paranoia with Tony's...and by the way- the editing was all about the perspective (whether it was ours,tonys,camelas etc.)...the whacking doesn;t add up as it would have been shot from a side angel giving us Tony's perspectice of getting shot from the side and not seeing the guy coming. If I were to give an after scene to the finale it would simply be of Tony coming down his driveway and getting the paper the next morning...it goes on and on and on and on...( Out of all the choices, Chase has Tony choose this happy upbeat song)...also, the other song Titles such as "I gotta be me" were all there to tell us how song titles might trigure certain thoughts and interpretations from Tony...DONT STOP BELIEVING!<BR/><BR/>- Chris S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-11606122855753252122007-06-13T08:51:00.000-04:002007-06-13T08:51:00.000-04:00Actually it isn't the first time a Journey tune ha...Actually it isn't the first time a Journey tune has been used as the final track of an episode. "Wheel in the Sky" was featured in s02e10 (http://tinyurl.com/2erach), as Tony and AJ are together fishing, and enjoying a rare father-son moment of joy, as Tony has just beaten a potentially scary court-case. <BR/>Thematically "Wheel.." isn't all that unlike "Don't Stop Believing". Don't know if there's any clue in this or whether Chase really just is that much into Journey (I certainly hope not..), but thought I'd mention it.<BR/><BR/>/Mikkel<BR/>DenmarkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-41736421896226776582007-06-12T20:05:00.000-04:002007-06-12T20:05:00.000-04:00Alanput up some screen caps of 'members only guy "...Alan<BR/>put up some screen caps of 'members only guy " and that last shot,,,we can all go over it now like the zapruder film...I think tony got wacked <BR/><BR/>http://rockovergraceland.blogspot.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10251324167911763022007-06-12T17:02:00.000-04:002007-06-12T17:02:00.000-04:00What makes me laugh the most is the constant state...What makes me laugh the most is the constant statement that this ending leaves us all wondering what happens next.<BR/><BR/>Excuse me, it's a TV show and the last one. Nothing happens next. And thats the point why most people feel ripped off. I wouldn't invest 5 minutes watching anything David Chase does again. It would be a complete waste of timeMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11225286761293789232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-92215473240845681402007-06-12T15:44:00.000-04:002007-06-12T15:44:00.000-04:00what's this 8 loyal years crap you losers keep spo...what's this 8 loyal years crap you losers keep spouting about? you watched the show for 8 years because you enjoyed it. you're not shareholders in sopranos inc.--you're not "owed" anything by chase.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-54313005385597140922007-06-12T11:40:00.000-04:002007-06-12T11:40:00.000-04:00"Bimmer vs. Beemer": http://www.bmwccbc.org/misc/t..."Bimmer vs. Beemer": <BR/>http://www.bmwccbc.org/misc/tech-and-trivia/bimmer.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-14839043992914921682007-06-12T01:00:00.000-04:002007-06-12T01:00:00.000-04:00BMW's are commonly referred to as "Beemers."BMW's are commonly referred to as "Beemers."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76401682005249002552007-06-11T22:42:00.000-04:002007-06-11T22:42:00.000-04:00Alan: Re your comments about the Soprano's finale ...Alan: Re your comments about the Soprano's finale on Keith Olberman today: Please be advised that a "beemer" is a motorcycle, not a BMW automobile.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17558340561702014221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-18450892361427115192007-06-11T20:43:00.000-04:002007-06-11T20:43:00.000-04:00My theory is that the original ending had Meadow w...My theory is that the original ending had Meadow walk into the diner and the family had a quiet dinner together, albeit with dread hanging overhead. Then fade to black.<BR/><BR/>Once the betting and "Will Tony get wacked or not?" hype grew too much, Chase recut the ending so that no one could collect and money but he still ended the show on his terms. <BR/><BR/>The disappointment people feel is augmented by how ramped up the tension was in the final scene.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05135139008278044619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-7773054968942909812007-06-11T19:07:00.000-04:002007-06-11T19:07:00.000-04:00Actually, the worst part about the finale is that ...Actually, the worst part about the finale is that now I have frickin' Journey as an earworm. Damn you, David Chase!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-84567355895295645572007-06-11T16:37:00.000-04:002007-06-11T16:37:00.000-04:00How could Chase pick out a sappy, dated Journey ba...<I>How could Chase pick out a sappy, dated Journey ballad to close the show?</I><BR/><BR/>Because it's the kind of song Tony would listen to.TLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03618949223191406067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-73782651218063082302007-06-11T16:24:00.000-04:002007-06-11T16:24:00.000-04:00Small correction, but Meadow never "quit med schoo...Small correction, but Meadow never "quit med school" because she never went to med school in the first place. She was taking pre-medical and MCAT classes in the hopes of being admitted to medical school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81346011911126915992007-06-11T15:54:00.000-04:002007-06-11T15:54:00.000-04:00"This was a punchline by a comic who never wants a..."This was a punchline by a comic who never wants another booking."<BR/><BR/>I remember reading this is Chase's last television show, per his desires, so perhaps you're on to something.<BR/><BR/>"How could Chase pick out a sappy, dated Journey ballad to close the show?"<BR/><BR/>I doubt the music selection in any average American diner is very exotic. And not that this necessarily means anything, but this song was played almost every Friday and Saturday night (and sometimes on Tuesdays) at some point in the area where there's no dancing. In one way or another, it's a standard song.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-69959591897257505912007-06-11T15:30:00.000-04:002007-06-11T15:30:00.000-04:00Loved it, loved Alan's and Mark's insights, loved ...Loved it, loved Alan's and Mark's insights, loved it all. What WILL I do with my Sundays now?<BR/><BR/>This final episode was full of call-backs to past seasons/characters, i.e., the reappearance of Hunter, the ducks quacking, photos of Christopher and Nica (or is it Janice?), the discussion of the deaths of past captains, including Gigi Cestone ("he died takin' a sh*t!"), Tony's attempt to jog Uncle Junior's memory by talking about his father Johnny Boys' hey-day, the Davey Scatino look-alike in the diner, etc.<BR/><BR/>Did anyone think that maybe the cat was the spirit of Adriana (purring while looking at Christopher's photo)?<BR/><BR/>Someone on some blog asked why Gab Dante would bother putting on Sil's hairpiece. That wasn't Sil's hairpiece - it was Sils' actual hair(it was *Steven Van Zandt's* hairpiece).<BR/><BR/>The last scene of Paulie, in front of Satriale's, sunning himself, then joined by the cat. Just beautiful, and poignantly sad. "And then there were none."<BR/><BR/>Thank you, David Chase!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57262871385813196542007-06-11T15:28:00.000-04:002007-06-11T15:28:00.000-04:00Rent the John Sayles movie "Limbo". Because I've s...Rent the John Sayles movie "Limbo". Because I've seen that film, I predicted at the middle of the diner scene that were were going to go to black screen. Same vibe.<BR/><BR/>I thought the ending was brilliant. I loved how tense Meadow's paralell parking made me: the boy scouts, Tony sitting alone at the table, everything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51213414708694464122007-06-11T15:15:00.001-04:002007-06-11T15:15:00.001-04:00Thanks Alan...will miss your analysis almost as mu...Thanks Alan...will miss your analysis almost as much as da' show.<BR/><BR/>faxman75 (from another board) wrote: <BR/>think it's great, people are doing EXACTLY what Chase wanted. Choosing their own ending. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Which is better I think. I can't believe friends of mine who watched every week are so pissed today. "I wanted closure," they whine. First, there was too much to close. Second, this is Chase's style. Just because movies/shows always show scenes/characters for a plot reason and people are accustomed to have everything neatly wrapped up for them after being spoon fed manipulative story **** during the entire feature doesn't mean Chase has to do it. And yeah....he is the biggest manipulator of all....but at least he does it in an impressive art form and doesn't insult the viewer's (especially his loyal viewers) intelligence. The best compliment to Chase now is that his ending last night was no ending and the show actually goes on in millions of individual imaginations...we just don't get to watch it on t.v. <BR/><BR/>Tony is not dead when the show ends. He could be in a few seconds but probably not. All those characters in the diner could be a mixture of coincidence and mirages...or maybe one of them was gonna whack Tony...or maybe get killed doing so (Tony was ready)....or maybe just a process server....or no one significant at all. Who knows? I know everyone has denied any future movie unless its a prequel (which would suck and probably just another head fake from Chase). Chase doesn't have to touch it again but just in case....five years down the road....so much Sopranos pent-up demand with the series aging like a fine wine with time, so much $$$....well, Chase has the table set up for the most anticipated movie of all time. And all the right characters for that are still alive. <BR/><BR/>My final thoughts on the series: <BR/><BR/>1) How could Chase pick out a sappy, dated Journey ballad to close the show? A show that was so genius and actually improving in its music selection with such amazing picks over the last few years like Calexico's Minas De Cobre during Tony's peyote high & Tim Buckley's pristine cover of "Dolphins" during Christopher's return to smack last year @ the carnival. And @ the end, we get the most sappy Journey ballad evah? What the ****? And...I'm not a Journey "hater". Sure I hate a bunch of their stuff but there was some 80's pop bliss in even some of their most poppy #s like "Ask the Lonely" & "Girl Can't Help It". I could see why people including Tony love those Steve Perry led skirt-attracting ditties. In final analysis, I have to give Chase & the show credit here. Tony picked the song himself and it was true to Tony, who loves classic rock...and 80's pop.....plus the song, in a typical Sopranos moment of irony & real truth....fit. The only fallout is that Journey lives now for 20 more years. <BR/><BR/>2) I was always most fond of the black humor this show had in spades. <BR/><BR/>3) I love how Chase blew the top off of so many things. Showing the rackets (acceptable and non-acceptable by the populace) in just about everything. Therapy. The ivory-tower PHD pros who are just as ruthless, self serving, and hypocritical as anyone else portrayed in the series. Teachers, FBI Agents, kids, parents. America.Dr. Hündhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11376607857669243590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-40220159836370677452007-06-11T15:15:00.000-04:002007-06-11T15:15:00.000-04:00Thanks Alan...will miss your analysis almost as mu...Thanks Alan...will miss your analysis almost as much as da' show.<BR/><BR/>faxman75 (from another board) wrote: <BR/>think it's great, people are doing EXACTLY what Chase wanted. Choosing their own ending. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Which is better I think. I can't believe friends of mine who watched every week are so pissed today. "I wanted closure," they whine. First, there was too much to close. Second, this is Chase's style. Just because movies/shows always show scenes/characters for a plot reason and people are accustomed to have everything neatly wrapped up for them after being spoon fed manipulative story **** during the entire feature doesn't mean Chase has to do it. And yeah....he is the biggest manipulator of all....but at least he does it in an impressive art form and doesn't insult the viewer's (especially his loyal viewers) intelligence. The best compliment to Chase now is that his ending last night was no ending and the show actually goes on in millions of individual imaginations...we just don't get to watch it on t.v. <BR/><BR/>Tony is not dead when the show ends. He could be in a few seconds but probably not. All those characters in the diner could be a mixture of coincidence and mirages...or maybe one of them was gonna whack Tony...or maybe get killed doing so (Tony was ready)....or maybe just a process server....or no one significant at all. Who knows? I know everyone has denied any future movie unless its a prequel (which would suck and probably just another head fake from Chase). Chase doesn't have to touch it again but just in case....five years down the road....so much Sopranos pent-up demand with the series aging like a fine wine with time, so much $$$....well, Chase has the table set up for the most anticipated movie of all time. And all the right characters for that are still alive. <BR/><BR/>My final thoughts on the series: <BR/><BR/>1) How could Chase pick out a sappy, dated Journey ballad to close the show? A show that was so genius and actually improving in its music selection with such amazing picks over the last few years like Calexico's Minas De Cobre during Tony's peyote high & Tim Buckley's pristine cover of "Dolphins" during Christopher's return to smack last year @ the carnival. And @ the end, we get the most sappy Journey ballad evah? What the ****? And...I'm not a Journey "hater". Sure I hate a bunch of their stuff but there was some 80's pop bliss in even some of their most poppy #s like "Ask the Lonely" & "Girl Can't Help It". I could see why people including Tony love those Steve Perry led skirt-attracting ditties. In final analysis, I have to give Chase & the show credit here. Tony picked the song himself and it was true to Tony, who loves classic rock...and 80's pop.....plus the song, in a typical Sopranos moment of irony & real truth....fit. The only fallout is that Journey lives now for 20 more years. <BR/><BR/>2) I was always most fond of the black humor this show had in spades. <BR/><BR/>3) I love how Chase blew the top off of so many things. Showing the rackets (acceptable and non-acceptable by the populace) in just about everything. Therapy. The ivory-tower PHD pros who are just as ruthless, self serving, and hypocritical as anyone else portrayed in the series. Teachers, FBI Agents, kids, parents. America.Dr. Hündhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11376607857669243590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65823811920075822692007-06-11T14:58:00.000-04:002007-06-11T14:58:00.000-04:00We should sue.We should sue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12276125549729589392007-06-11T14:10:00.000-04:002007-06-11T14:10:00.000-04:00Why two different shirts at the end?Why two different shirts at the end?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39279832694970472972007-06-11T14:08:00.000-04:002007-06-11T14:08:00.000-04:00OK, I will leave the deconstruction to others. Ar...OK, I will leave the deconstruction to others. Artistically, I have no problem with the ending. As a solution to the "Gore vs Bore" audience schism, it's as if Solomon had decided just to keep the baby. Culturally, however, I think that Chase had a duty to balance the scales a little in the end. To this point, the narrative has overwhelmingly glorified these guys. On the other hand, "civilians" have long been treated with contempt and cynicism, without benefit of the "cool" factor that the wiseguys get to balance it out. <BR/> The FBI agent who cheers Phil's demise is obviously a standin for both segments of the audience, who sympathize with Tony for different reasons. There's really nothing here for the small number of us who never did. <BR/> I guess I can sum it up this way: This ending is pure brilliance if you buy that the show was just holding up a mirror, not leading you anywhere. IF, however, the show was leaning one way or the other, then it's kind of a cheat. By saying, "Life goes on..." you are also saying that what went before was "life", and nothing more.<BR/> Either way, the fans who are pissed are completely justified. This was a punchline by a comic who never wants another booking.Homertojeebushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14716825626940216299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-29855877883438199362007-06-11T13:56:00.000-04:002007-06-11T13:56:00.000-04:00Why was Paulie so nervous and troubled after every...<I>Why was Paulie so nervous and troubled after every conversation with Tony during this episode??? </I><BR/><BR/>I think it's simply that he didn't want what he perceived as the "automatic death sentence" job. Paulie is very superstitious (as noted with his reaction to the cat).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-85223723563080990112007-06-11T13:01:00.000-04:002007-06-11T13:01:00.000-04:00Who was the guy who actually killed Phil?Phil was ...<I>Who was the guy who actually killed Phil?</I><BR/><BR/>Phil was killed by Gonorrhea. (a little more BoB humor...)BFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15264282750160516858noreply@blogger.com