It's all a matter of preference, Sopranos was more a character study so it got more in depth when it came to certain emotional traits and development. Whereas The Wire was a study on a systemic level and the corrupt machinery that keeps the bureaucracy barely running. Another thing is humor, I absolutely loved The Wire but I think Sopranos was a step above, and in many cases underrated, in the humor department. It was dark comedy but it was comedy nonetheless. James Gandolfini spoke about in the Studio Actor's Guild where he said the writing was incredibly funny. So I think the way the show merged elements of humor and extremely dark themes was genius.
Also, the Tony Soprano character was the first time in a television series where viewers rooted for an evil person. One of the first big confrontations between David Chase and the HBO suits was over the 5th episode of the first season, College. This is the episode where Tony's first kill is depicted. HBO execs felt chase was effectively killing off the franchise character by showing him murder someone so brutally. Chase didn't budge though and insisted that Tony needed to be shown doing this act. So there is no Walter White to root for without Tony Soprano, Breaking Bad show runner admitted as much.
Anyway, this sort of character development led some critics to compare the Sopranos to some of Shakespeare's classical plays, which were filled with intrigue, deception, adultery, betrayal, murder, lust for power and material gain.
But it's interchangeable, I wouldn't argue with anyone who has The Wire as number 1, half my friends do.
Carmela was an accomplice, her silent complicity gave Tony the flexibility to operate his business. She knew he was a murderer and condoned it.
As far as Dr. Melfi is concerned, she was the moral compass of the show, which is why Chase never had her sleep with Tony. She also served as Tony's conscious; having Tony sit in a circular room when speaking to her was a stylistic choice drawn from classical Greek plays where the protagonist would sit in a circular stage and express his most inner thoughts.
Junior had some of the best lines in the show
- "Hold on to your cock when you negotiate with these desert people"
- "We go way back to when Moses wore short pants"
- "Some people are so behind in the game they actually think they're ahead"
- "I'm sitting here waiting like patience on a monument"
- "if you're going to lie to me, tell me there's a broad waitin' in the car who wants to tongue my balls"
- "Retired?!! What are we in the fukking Navy?"
A funny scene was:
Junior: "Did you offer my nephew something?"
Branca: "I'm a nurse not a maid..."
Junior: "Did you offer him an aspirin?"
Nurse leaves: "c*nt"
As far as the ending is concerned, Chase is on record as stating "it's all there" - my interpretation comes from a combined reading of different blogs, watching interviews with the writers, and my own viewing of the show.
I believe Tony was shot at the end, and the clues are littered through season 6, specifically Sopranos Home Movies and the episode were Sil's dining companion gets shot at the restaurant. In Sopranos Home Movies when Tony and Bobby are on the canoe fishing, Tony says
"My estimate, historically? Eighty percent of the time it ends up in the can like Johnny Sack. Or on the embalming table at Cozzarelli's." and Bobby says
"You probably don't even hear it when it happens"
In the Stage 5 episode, when Sil's eating with the NY Mobster who gets shot, time slows down and the bullets hit the mobster before the sounds of the gun is heard (bullets travel twice as fast as the speed of sound). Later, Sil says
"fukking scary thing about it, i didn't know what happened until after the shot was fired. fukking weird".
Out of all 86 episodes, the finale was the only one to end without music and a cut to black for ten seconds before credits show up. I believe that was done for a reason, it represented his death just as the first scene ever is a cut from black to Tony being birthed to us between the statues legs in Dr. Melfi's office:
The shirt Tony is wearing when Junior shoots him:
The shirt Tony is wearing in the final scene:
The final season opening episode “Members Only” where Tony is shot by Junior. In the same episode, Eugene, in his “Members Only” jacket shoots Teddy Spiradokis (T.S.=Tony Soprano) in an eatery.
Eugene’s wife, angry that Tony will not let Eugene retire to Florida tells Eugene: “Tony, Tony !!…why don’t you kill him,
put a bullet in his fukking head.”
Eugene tries to placate his wife: “A year from now [or] two years, everything could be different. Tony could be
gone.”
An FBI agent tells Eugene “You are our designated
hitter” (because Ray Curto has died).
The final shot of the episode is an overhead shot of Tony losing consciousness after he is shot by Uncle Junior. The opening shot of the final episode is the exact same shot as Tony wakes up as organ music plays on the radio.
In the final shot of Tony in “Members Only” discussed in, the screen
fades to black as Tony slowly loses consciousness and the music playing in Junior’s kitchen fades out. When Tony is shot in the final episode, the screen cuts
sharply to black (and the music cuts out) representing instant loss of consciousness and death.
After Eugene’s murder of Spiradokis, Eugene listens to Blondie’s
Dreaming. Tony enters Holsten’s as Little Feat’s
All that you Dream plays in the diner.
One Final Dinner: In the final episode, Tony’s dinner with Meadow foreshadows Tony’s death. Tony has dinner with Meadow in New York City and Meadow asks Tony why they’re having dinner, Tony answers that “We used to have dinner all the time, you’re gonna get married and my chances are flying by me.” This
would be the last time Tony has dinner with Meadow as she never makes it to the booth at Holsten’s before Tony is killed.
The Abraham Lincoln references: The first reference is in the 6a finale “Kaisha” as Tony watches a History Channel documentary on Lincoln. During the scene, the voice over on the documentary refers to Lincoln’s depression which in turn echoes Tony’s depression. In “The Second Coming,” Carmela makes A.J. “Lincoln Log” sandwiches.
Later in the episode, A.J. is seen at the hospital watching a T.V. commercial for a sleeping pill in which we see an actor portraying Abraham Lincoln.
In the second to last episode, “The Blue Comet,” Tony offers Janice a five dollar bill. The bill is shown in close-up and Lincoln’s face is visible.
These Lincoln references foreshadow Tony’s death: Abraham Lincoln was the leader and president of the United States. Lincoln was shot in the head in front of his wife by a lone shooter after Lincoln had won the Civil War. Tony Soprano was the leader of a mafia family. Tony was shot in the head in front of his family by a lone shooter after he won the NY/NJ mafia war. Lincoln was famously murdered in the “Ford Theater” and in the final episode, Chase has multiple close-up shots of the “Ford” logo when the SUV rolls over Phil’s head.
Tony watches a Lincoln documentary in the 6A finale “Kaisha.”
Carmela makes “Lincoln Log” sandwiches.
Aj watches Lincoln commercial in “The Blue Comet.”
Close-up of Lincoln on 5 dollar bill
“Seven Souls” montage:
Carmela is “The Remains” after Tony is killed.
Tony’s first appearance in the final season: digging his own grave?
Recurring symbols- Oranges = Connotations of Death (Godfather Connection)
- Tony eats an orange or drinks orange juice in each episode prior to being shot. Orange juice before the shooting in Isabella. Orange juice prior to being shot by Junior, while talking to AJ about family being the only people you can depend on. Tony eats an orange in the final episode at Carmella's new project house.
- Before Fat Dom is murdered by Sil and Carlo, he mentions the Syracuse Orange lost again.
- After Chris dies, and before Nucci dies, Chris's step-father mentions the Syracuse Orange losing.
- Ralphie brings back oranges from Florida before Johnny Sack plans to have him killed. He gives them to Tony, who later kills him.
- Chris is having orange juice with his breakfast when Carmine calls him to tell him that Ben Kingsley "passed."
- Carmine Sr. is having eggs and a glass of orange juice before his stroke
Adriana as cat/tiger:
Orange cat stares at Christoper’s picture.
Freeze frame close-up of orange tiger behind Tony (just like MOG when he shoots Tony).
I didn't know this. I just thought he was a fat fukk!
