Having complained a bit about the shoehorning of Melfi's firing of Tony into the penultimate episode, I must salute the excellent close of the mob wars arc that started way back in Season One.

To wit:

Looking back from today, with Tony's Jersey crime family indeed looking like a "glorified crew" in the eyes of New York, one can see it, almost clearly:

Season One: Tony's issues were of ascension in that smallish Jersey family. Jackie Sr. was dying; Uncle Junior was the designated "front don," and yet bitter enough about Tony's power to use Livia's ambiguous directives to hit Tony. Didn't work. Junior was exiled and took on Federal heat; Tony had the others killed.

Season Two: Richie Aprile gets out of prison. A theme begins: guys out of prison resent Tony, who never served. But Richie, too, is "local Jersey trouble." His escalating conflict with Tony is going to be dealt with rather easily -- Tony wants Richie hit, but Janice delivers a dose of even MORE "local" justice.

Meanwhile, I think NYC underboss Johnny Sack turns up living in Jersey, but promising Tony "I don't want to wet my beak."

The main NYC Don is Carmine Sr, an old school guy. Tony can deal with Carmine Sr, but Sack starts getting that lean and hungry look...

Seasons Three and Four: Other issues are on the table (Jackie Jr., Tony and Carm's marriage), but Tony's adversaries are managable: made guy Ralphie and the ever-more-ambitious and angry Sack. Ralphie is eliminated, quietly (if NYC ever finds out...)Sack wants Tony to hit Old Man Carmine; Tony pulls out at the last moment. Sack looks to be vengeful.

Season Five: The big trouble all starts here, with the release of the "Class of '84". It's like four Richie Apriles. Tony has a lotta plates to spin: an old-timer named Feech who wants it all, locally, Tony's cousin Tony B, the "Rockford Guy" (Joe Santos) who Tony B idolizes as a father, and a real hothead named Phil Leotardo.

Carmine Sr. croaks. Phil joins with Sack against Little Carmine, Tony B joins with the Rockford Guy and Rusty in backing Little Carmine's play. Tony elects to back off and see how Jersey can benefit from the ensuing bloodshed, of which there is a lot.

During all this, two little matters occur: Seeking owed cash, Tony subjects Phil Leotardo to a body-breaking car crash and beats up Phil at the accident site as a "throw-in." Tony B kills Phil's brother Billy Leotardo.

In retrospect, these last two actions were perhaps...unfortunate.

Sack and Phil kill more guys than Little Carmine's team. Little caves ("It's a stagmire.") Sack ascends to Donhood. Tony can deal with Sack (having killed Tony B as a burnt offering), and Sack will stave off the still vengeful Phil Leotardo.

But right at the end of Season Five, the Feds nab Sack. Go directly to jail.

Season 6A: Sack's in prison, but the putative boss, with Phil fronting him on the outside. Tony's shot for a few episodes. The "gay Vito issue" gives Phil new reason for putting the pressure on Tony's Jersey boys. With Sack losing power by the day, Phil contemplates his rages against Tony: getting beaten up by Tony, paying money to Tony, brother killed by the cousin of Tony, gay Vito protected by Tony. Phil has a heart attack to match Tony's gutshot. Things seem peaceful between these two wounded warriors. But this guy Butch turns up, taunting Tony.

Season 6B. Tony's luck with New York runs out, via a series of crap outs: Sack dies of cancer; Doc kills Gerry; Phil kills Doc.. Phil is "the big boss man," finally, and the worst possible New York Don Tony Soprano could face. Filled with jailhouse vengeance and itching to consolidate power, Phil pushes Tony too far (with the sexual insult of Coco towards Meadow, ultimately). Tony retaliates (curbing); Phil says "there's nothing left to talk about," and here we are.

Now, I' m not sure how much of that was plotted early on by Chase and Company, but looking back on it, you see how this final, fatal gang war was literally years in the making. Tony Soprano fended off Jersey threats (Junior, Richie), kept the peace with Carmine Sr, dangerously duelled with Sack (the longest of Tony's strategic encounters), sat out the gang war to replace Carmine Sr...and ended up on the wrong end of Phil's bloody ascension to the throne of the New York Family.

Where things are now is where they HAVE to be. Inevitability.

If art follows life, Jersey gets wiped out, but not before someone spills the beans to the feds about New York. Phil's assertion that the Sopranos are a "glorified crew" is consistent with the real life view of mobsters in NYC and Philly (Jersey's still a suburb of both). Historically, they've been controlled exactly this way -- by treating them as a crew without a lot of independence.

Where we are is inevitable. Where we are going? It will also appear inevitable, at least in hindsight.

Thanks. The Jersey Boys really do look small-time as NYC comes after them (only ONE NYC family yet). Jersey may strike some counterblows, but the structure is severely weakened already -- Chris and Bobby dead, Sil disabled or dead. There just wasn't much there to begin with.

And I agree about the future.

From this week, we can already start looking back at the whole course of the series and see the form of "what it all means" (which will take a lot more thinking and re-viewing of the whole series over time when it is over.)

And yet, we still require that one last puzzle piece to have the whole story.

It may not be all-inclusively comprehensive in its explanation, but it will very likely give us the final verdict on the families Soprano.

and welcome. And thanks for the kudos to you and attorneymsd. Having everyone here has made the contributions much more interesting.

The Meadow Lane business would explain the name perfectly -- there never really was another credible reason (it's very un-Italian and not even soap operaish enough for Rosalie Aprile!).

Checking in with thanks to attorneymsd -- you treated me gently this time, I didn't have to look up so many of your well-chosen words. (But, you, ah made some observations of your own in passing which, as they say before the DVD commentaries, do not reflect the views of Luca or any of his subsidiaries.)

I bring certain enthusiams to this party, but there is certainly a wealth of writing talent, advanced education, and professional experience brought to these boards before which I can only bow in humble supplication. Outta my league. It's a pleasure to even get invited, ya know?

I think we'll be doing a LOT of talking for awhile after the final episode, but I certainly here thank rundeep, attorneymsd, and everyone who have added immeasurably to my experience with "The Sopranos" by contributing to these boards. rundeep in particular made sure to "get the ball rolling" on this year's boards, lead discussions, and contribute great insights along the way.

But that we have attracted poetry experts, attorneys, members of the psychology professions, and others here is testament to the value of the show and the depth of talent here.

As for "The Sopranos," I would offer this. If you like the movies and certain TV productions, you come to realize that there are a select group of them in your life that turn out to be IMPORTANT in your life. You never forget them. This is perhaps more usually an affliction of youth -- movies perhaps "grab" us better when we're young, and our emotions and fantasies and hormones are in their most intense state.

Still, "The Sopranos" has surprised me by reawakening almost that same kind of thrill, at a much later age. It is philosophical and worthy of analysis, but it is also massively entertaining and exciting as only the best told stories can be.

The first decade of the 21st century is close to over. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a more grand entertainment memory I'll have of it than "The Sopranos."

But we're not quite done with it yet. Or more to the point: it is not quite done with us.

I have to agree. The post of all posts this year on the Sopranos' mob war, or more correctly, art imitating the disintegration of the tradional mob since 1984 (during the midst of Rudy's initial claim to fame, the Pizza connection cases), and the big RICO cases through the early 90 to mid 90's. After these prosecutions, the entire East Coast La Cosa Nostra has really been nothing more than a collection of "crews" of which Phil's motley crew is really no better.

Not to quibble with our fish sleeping friend on any real issue with the post except for two comments, one of them substantive:

First, I thought that Sacks referece was he just wanted to get his beak wet, i.e. his interests in Jersey were minor or trivial and he would never try and really drink from the cup so to speak. That is truly a minor quibble and dependent upon my memory.

Second, Luca's premise appears to be that the "family" conflict, i.e. LCN conflict, drove the ongoing family conflict. On this substantive quibble, I simply quote Clemenza, "Drop the gun, take the Cannoli." In other words, no good Italian boy worth anything is going to piss off the womenfolk by wasting perfectly good pastry. The real family is always the story, as it was in the Godfather and every other good mob film. The real family issues are the driving force throughout this series. The mob war is the secondary force and really the minor story. In other words, I don't disagree with Luca's characterization of the mob war, only that it is really secondary to Tony's struggle with his family history and his legacy.

The major change in the series came with the death of Livia, and perhaps this may have elevated the relative importance of the mob war. But the intrique of the mob genre, has always been the peculiar integration of the criminal's family into his criminal lifestyle. The artificial boundaries that were allegedly erected to separate the two, have always been opaque. And a uniquely American feature. Recall in GF II, the don's plan was to kill young Vito so that some day he would not seek venegance. That is true old school mob. So my comment to Luca is FAMILY first, then "family."

koplaw wrote the following post at 06-07-2007 1:45 PM:

I have to agree. The post of all posts this year on the Sopranos' mob war, or more correctly, art imitating the disintegration of the tradional mob since 1984 (during the midst of Rudy's initial claim to fame, the Pizza connection cases), and the big RICO cases through the early 90 to mid 90's. After these prosecutions, the entire East Coast La Cosa Nostra has really been nothing more than a collection of "crews" of which Phil's motley crew is really no better.

Ahem, not really. Try picking up garments, hauling trash (btw, read Takedown as it accurately portrays the carting cartel) getting napkins and tablecloths, etc... and let's not even discuss JFK/EWR/MIA cargo issues.

Chase never really knew how long the thing was going to last, so there's no real likelihood that this particular arc was planned in advance. In fact to me it seems the very antithesis of planning, or for that matter "inevitability." It seems organic and messy, like real life. Something has to lead to Tony's downfall eventually, but you could have called "halt" to the series at just about any point, given Chase two or three episodes to wrap it up, and it would have been fine.

Well, koplaw, the only problem I have with your analysis is that it appears to be out of sync with the distribution of Tony's own attention. Specifically, Tony very rarely gives any real thought to AJ at all - save for rueful ruminations usually incanted as asides in the chair facing Melfi. In fact, the only times he seems to be really concerned with AJ (at least of late) are those occasions on which AJ presents/intrudes a problem of such magnitude that it cannot be ignored. On these occasions, family does come first, not because Tony wants to attend to such things but because (and to Tony's real credit) he chooses to rise above his conflicts. I do think that Tony would like to be a different kind of father and/or have a different kind of relationship with his son, but, in practice, business seems to either get in the way or come first - maybe by some force beyond Tony's control. [Tony certainly didn't have a great role model on this account - he, surely and for all his human and parental failings, is a quantum leap better in the fathering (for that matter, husbanding) department from Johnny who, at his very best was completely indifferent, and, at his worst, was outright evil as/for a parent - maybe worse even than Livia.] In any case, Tony doesn't have much to work with in AJ, a feckless, callow, utterly indifferent (moral and physical) coward and preternaturally stupid to boot. The character makeover AJ requires being, by all accounts, beyond Tony's means in any event.

As for Meadow, Tony has no idea - certainly no realistic idea - who she is to begin with. Tony's view of her being filtered through various unfulfilled needs he has, and Meadow, being markedly smarter and more disciplined than her hapless sibling, serves as a receptacle for those needs of Tony, rather than an actual daughter. In fact, you might even call Meadow a virtual daughter, which she surely is - at least in relation to Tony. Not to say that Tony doesn't love and care for Meadow, he clearly does, but the truth is that most of Tony's consciousness - what thereof is available to attend to reality - is mortgaged to the requirements of maintaining his "other" family.

I wish to respond specifically to koplaw and maroci, figuring that’ll kill the proverbial two stones and make for a shorter post (hah).

To koplaw: I would agree that “family” figures in the biggest way on “The Sopranos” because here, with just one episode left, what happens to Tony, Carm, Meadow, and AJ is entirely unknown and “up for grabs.” Whereas most of the “business family” (Big Pussy, Chris, Bobby, Sil) is accounted for. Dead. Except for Sil (and if Sil finishes the show in a coma, that’s a “loose end.” TONY came back from one. And Chris survived a shooting, too.) Paulie lives for now.

David Chase sold “The Sopranos” by making the case that the violent mob story would be the “genre framework” that he could use to tell some new stories: about a man and his Mother; about therapy; and about upper-middle class suburban life at the turn of a new century. I certainly don’t see the “mob wars” arc as what “The Sopranos” is “about”; but it is certainly the most exciting part of the show, and it drives everything: many people have been killed, and maybe some more will be.

With the “mob wars” as the main “plot arc,” “The Sopranos” has had many, many hours focused on other things: Tony’s therapy, his marriage, his kids, his “parental family” (Junior, Janice, the ghosts of Mom and Dad). Also, his affairs (the fatal one with Gloria most of all.)

I was watching an A and E rerun the other day where Tony and Carm met with AJ’s principal over his misbehavior. Tony was “the poor sap dad” who, in Carm’s disgusted eyes, didn’t stop the Principal from letting AJ off with a slap on the wrist. It was well-written suburban sitcom stuff, and you almost forgot that “poor Tony” was a mob boss. Almost.

One problem remains that AJ and Meadow are simply not as interesting as all those guys who’ve been killing each other. They’re “kids,” they aren’t fully formed. But the Tony-Carm marriage has indeed been a fascinating thing to watch, and a duet of two great actors.

I would add that some of Tony’s killings have been apart from the mob-war arc and “hidden” from NYC: Pussy and Ade (rats); Chris. Arguably Ralphie. Thus has another dimension been added to Tony’s murderous side.

One key thing I think I now realize (and this will segue to maroci): “The Sopranos” shifted course in a major way in Season Five, and I believe the show HAS been pretty fully plotted in advance from then on.

Recall that some critics (and, maybe HBO viewers) complained that “Sopranos” seasons 3 and 4 had too MUCH family stuff (AJ at school, Meadow with Jackie Jr, Tony and Carm going at it.) Only Ralphie’s murder really had that mob-shock charm.

I think maybe Chase took those complaints to heart, because came Season Five, we had “the Class of 84,” Phil, and a gang war, and EVERYTHING has followed from that start-up.

Which brings me to maroci:

Chase didn’t know how long the show would last during Season One. But from Season Two on, it was pretty much his call. And he took months off to plot seasons well ahead of time. Sure he could add in popular recent topics like “Saw” and movie “swag bags,”, but I’ll bet he’s had most of this arc set since “the class of 84” showed up in Season Five, with some ending stuff included from his first vision of the show in 1999.

By properly building the story, Chase DID create a sense of “inevitability,” I believe. All of the possible New York Dons with whom Tony could have lived peaceably -- Carmine Sr, Little Carmine, Sack, and likely Gerry (young) and Doc (no prison time?) – died or quit the wars (that’s only Little Carmine alive.) Phil Leotardo is “the inevitable one,” and he is killing Tony’s people and coming for him.

Last week I was at a labor-community meeting downtown and someone, let's say, representing an organized group, told one of the community members that "your choices (in major construction contracting) are going to be either a local company with an Italian name attached to it, or a big national firm. Like Halliburton."

More on that in another Fray, when I have time to write it up...

I think Tony is dead. Like his mother said, when you die, that's it. As someone who overdoed and came back to life three days later, that is pretty much what death looked like to me. It just ends.

Tony got shot dead so the camera went to black as the show ultimately revolves around him. I don't think that's so ambiguous. Plus he was facing jail anyway with the grand jury, so he was screwed regardless. I guess they didn't spell it out in case they want to resurect the characters for a movie or something. But they way it just cut out the music and sound had an air of finality to it. It had to indicate something, and Tony's death is as logical as anything. I'd love to hear any other theories.

I think this final episode underscores the brilliance of the series. It seems to me that there were enough clues that anything could happen that viewers could take what they wanted from it.

The unknown characters milling about in the diner and the sudden black screen (as you rightly point out) could signify Tony's death. As I saw the one man get up from the bar and go to the restroom, I couldn't help but remember the famous scene in The Godfather.

Or, given the 90% probability of Tony's indictment and upcoming grand jury testimony from other wiseguys, these unknown characters could be undercover FBI agents there to arrest him.

Or, since Phil Leotardo is out of the picture, Tony had reached out to Phil's boys, and Tony's crew is essentially gone, the scene could possibly set for Tony's ascension to New York.

Or, things just might stay the same despite turmoil, as evidenced by AJ this last season. Even though he suddenly had opinions about things other than himself, he quickly eased back into his previous life.

I tend to believe that things will just stay the same and life will go on for the Sopranos. Tony will die, eventually, and when he does, AJ will be there to take the reins and shuffle around in a bathrobe and undershirt just like he did last night.

Sorry, I am so late in getting back to you. I don't mean to imply that organized crime is dead, or that it doesn't have significant control over certain legitimate (e.g. carting) and almost total control over cerain illegitimate businesses (sports betting). But the old five families are a shadow of their former selves and really operate as cooperative "crews" rather than the integrated Mob, Inc from the 30's- the mid-eighties. In the sixties and seventies, the mob literally controlled on of the largest union welfare benfits in the country (Teamsters). The equivelant today would be the mob being in charge of Fidelity Investments or Morgan Stanley. They operated without any real fear of legitimate prosecution until the Rico cases, which decimated most of the sophistocated leadership. They were part of the very fabric of East Coast public urban life.

The other part you ignore is the rise in economic status of the Italian American. Like the original Irish and then Jewish mobsters who eventually turned their attention into more legitimate enterprises as the whoe community moved out of the ghetto, Little Italy, Bensonhurst, and some of the other traditional strongholds where the mob operated with impunity, are almost tourist attractions. There is no longer a large base of recent immigrants whose best chance for economic success is the mob. IAmbitious talian Americans become doctors, lawyers, and heads of corporations. The dirt bags become criminals.

That's an excellent take. I did not think that he was definitely dead, but I thought that they wanted to leave us with a sense of how precarious his life is and how he fears for his life now. He eyeballed everyone coming through the door of that diner. Because he was expecting AJ and Meadow, or a hit? It certainly had me on the edge of my seat.

But could that sudden dark-out have been the moment that guy came back from the bathroom and popped Tony point blank? Good point. But I guess we'll never know.