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The Screen Going Black Was 'The Sopranos' Only Option

Alternate endings of 'The Sopranos' had no real prospects.

By Rich MonettiPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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I didn’t have HBO when TheSoprano’s ended, but I certainly heard about the outcome. So I wasn’t that jarred by the screen going black and was pretty accepting of the climax. Now binge-watching the series, I’ve been contemplating a more conventional ending and realize that there might not have been one.

Either way, David Chase previously clarified for us in an interview with the Directors Guild of America’s DGA Quarterly:

I thought the ending would be somewhat jarring, sure. But not to the extent it was, and not a subject of such discussion. I really had no idea about that. I never considered the black a shot. I just thought what we see is black. The ceiling I was going for at that point, the biggest feeling I was going for, honestly, was don’t stop believing. It was very simple and much more on the nose than people think. That’s what I wanted people to believe. That life ends and death comes, but don’t stop believing. There are attachments we make in life, even though it’s all going to come to an end, that are worth so much, and we’re so lucky to have been able to experience them. Life is short. Either it ends here for Tony or some other time. But in spite of that, it’s really worth it. So don’t stop believing.

Stop believing.

Unfortunately, there’s a big inconsistency. We didn’t just watch seven years of the (relatively) good people of Lost trying to get off their Island or the crew of the Galactica trying to find Earth. When you valiantly struggle (and possibly fail), that’s when you Don’t Stop Believing.

Everyone on The Sopranos should stop believing. They should fail, and we can’t possibly draw any inspiration from their struggle. As such, Chase’s explanation is rather silly.

Still, I can accept his explanation that death is coming, and if not now for Tony, soon enough. So we really don’t need to see it.

Any betrayal lacked teeth.

But if we didn’t actually go black, what might have we seen. A rival kill would have been old hat. So bloodshed on the back of a serious betrayal would be a definite requirement.

The only ones left to participate were Silvio and Paulie. The betrayal, though, wouldn’t really have much teeth.

In terms of Silvio, the relationship never rises to a significant personal affair. He diligently gives advice and carries out the directives. But you never get the sense that the consigliere acts out anything other than business considerations.

There’s no deep personal loyalty, and he would never sleep with the fishes if so required. Of course, Paulie has no loyalty to anyone other than himself, and he demonstrates self-centeredness at every turn.

So if either character killed Tony, it would hardly rock our epicenters. Imagine, by contrast, if Tom Hagan killed Michael Corleone. Yes, the business considerations would be shocking, but the personal betrayal would have shaken us to the core.

On the other hand, if Tony had done either deed, the loyalty would have played just as lame. He has as little invested in them as they do him. Their deaths also would have lacked any real tragedy. Neither character—unlike Tony—has any redeemable qualities.

The counter kill scenario involves Fredo and Michael. Fredo’s love of father and family is obvious and touching, but it’s his frailties that make him an unforgettable victim. And Michael’s betrayal towers because business considerations play no part in his soulless act of revenge.

The only thing that could have come close was leaving Christopher’s murder until the end. The shock/betrayal value was there, but the suffocation was also diminished by the business aspect of the act.

In the crossfire?

Closer to home, Tony’s life choices would have betrayed himself if Carmela, AJ, or Meadow were killed in the crossfire. But that was already done in the Godfather III.

All avenues expended, I will offer one. AJ hedges toward the family business, and while Tony is reluctant, he can’t help express a degree of pride. The push AJ needs, this sets Carmela and Tony up for a final, fatal showdown. You decide the winner.

The only problem: any future movie would have required both characters. Beyond that, my mind goes blank—or black.

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Author can be reached at [email protected]

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Rich Monetti

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