They should have just ended it 2 seasons ago. The show is beyond hyped up. Every year we wait with baited breath for the big shockers and they never deliver. Ever! Yet again we hear about how great the season is, and three episodes in, there were only few interesting moments. They only have 5 left, and the preview for next week looks as boring as today's was. Oh well, at least there was a few good years out of it before it turned to crap.
Man you guys are harsh! I thought this episode was GREAT!!!! Paulie's wings almost got wet! I was on the edge of my friggin seat! I thought the asian kid in the mental health facility with Junior was spooky, after seeing that VT shooter's face on the news all week, and knowing that he had been in a similar facility also dealing with anger issues... at the en of the episode the kid seemed incredibly emotionally detatched and ready to snap... cue twilight zone music. Who the hell was the guy who took over as the boss of the NY family after Sacrimoni died? Short lived stint at the top!
It doesn't (other then a few hints here and there) seem to be arcing in a major way as to a definitive conclusion, ie these episodes seem fine if there were still deep in the middle of the run. That said, they are dropping these hints that are slowly giving shape to how this will play out, even if they are being a bit too obvious about about at times.
I see the show wandering aimlessly. Last week it was Chris who was "almost" about to get clipped. Before that it was Bobby. This week it's Paulie. They keep doing shows like they are discrete events instead of an ongoing series with a plotline. They have so many unfinished plot lines, but they need to keep starting new ones? Most of this episode was devoted to Junior in the nut clinic - but it wasn't really very interesting. It's not like Junior's plotline has been very interesting for quite a while, and I didn't need to see 75% of an episode (when there's only a few left) of him peeing himself and cracking fart jokes to old people. The rest of the episode was Tony and Paulie running away (to what end?) from the feds about some guy that was shot 20 years back... so they develop this big plotline and.... right at the end they abandon it with a phone call from Sil. We don't need so many new plot lines. Plot lines are interesting undercurrents of a long running show, but this show starts them and ends them abruptly and un-interestingly. There are so many things from the past that they could be developing, continuing, or wrapping up, I don't see why they need to make up new ones with 5 episodes left to go and so far to go from "here" to "there". It's like they just ran out of ideas so they come up with things and start/finish them in the space of one show. Then at the end Tony will probably die from choking on a Canoli and that will be it. I just feel so underwhelmed. I used to love watching the show. Now I put it on in the background while I try my best to pay attention but end up doing other things.
I think Tony is going to snap. The look on his face when they were back in NJ and Paulie was telling Chris a story, I thought he was going to do something to paulie right then. So far it isn't too bad, I think it is better than the first half of the season was.
I'm glad Pauly didn't get clipped. He's my fav character, thought he's going through some morphing phase during the last few episodes. Not sure what his problem is. I don't think the whole idea was about Pauly getting wacked anyway, it's about Tonys changes since the shooting. Before, he would have either knocked Pauly off, or never gave any of this any thought at all. Personally, I think he's loosing it, just like JR. He's loosing his grip, and getting soft. There is so much to the show that people miss. Pauly's shoes are all white, that has an amazing significance. Remember John's shoes? As for the plot lines coming and going, they usually have something to do with the mob stuff. This show isn't about the mob, it's about Tony, Carmella, and family. I think the majority of the shows meaning has been stated for the most part, and all this ending stuff is feeding the fans. The tension, the war with NY, all the mob stuff, the clippings, etc, it's all feeding the sharks. Best show ever.
Money talks. Dozens of shows should have ended LONG before their time finally came, ie M*A*S*H, WKRP, Cheers, Friends... and I'm thinking all of the CSI shows are about 'done' as well.
I may be in the minority but I think the show is still great. The fact is David Chase has no intention of pandering to his audience, in fact I'm starting to think that rather than anyone going out in a blaze of glory they are going to end up as pathetic, irrelevant caricatures of their former selves. Junior is a perfect example, he is still (in name at least) the titular head of the Soprano family, yet he leaves us (forever perhaps?) as a useless, incontinent, beaten shadow of his former self, incapable of even completing a joke without forgetting the punch line. The entire last episode reminded me of the old Neil Young lyric, "it's better to burn out than it is to rust". These guys are just rusting, no glory here. Carmela said it best- "This is what life is still like at our age??" Contrast that picture of Paulie...young, vibrant, strong. Fast forward to present day Paulie, body sagging, alone, watching reruns of some dumb sitcom and laughing out loud. Tony has always had a complex love/hate relationship with his past. In this episode Tony's past (his first murder) was unearthed (literally). Paulie also constantly dredges up the past and it was driving Tony insane, "Playing lets remember is the lowest form of conversation". Of course Paulie shooting his mouth off to every Tom, Dick and Harry about murders didn't help. LOL
I won't say it's been boring, but they have a very short window to wrap all of this up. Personally, I always thought "Six feet Under" was the superior show on HBO and am sorry to see it gone. I think that may have been the best series to ever grace a television set. RMX
I never got into "6FU" but I do miss "Deadwood"! The Sopranos have kind of overstayed their welcome IMO.(like has been said in previous posts) Dave
I watch TV to have fun! I was hoping for some crime, drama, action! Over the last 8 shows, lots of time spent in hospital beds, coma, slow realistic death by cancer, Junior's plotline 50% of an episode about him peeing himself. Who is writing this crap! Fun value = 10% Action value = 05% Crime story= 02% For people that don't want to be reminded, your going to die one-day of normal dull old-age...I don't see how the Sopranos are giving me much in the way of TV entertainment? .
its still an awesome show..Mobsters 99% of the time dont end their careers in a very interesting way, they either die a quick death or go to prison or go hide somewhere.
I'm with you, not sure it's the best ever as I'm undecided with Sopranos, but it's for sure one of the top 3 best shows in history. Saw every episode. Amazing...never a dull moment Deadwood was great too, in it's short run. Very theatrical.
WOW, another SHOCKER of an episode! I am just floored at how amazingly awesome this season is!!!! Who could have foretold of all the wonderful action, thrill, drama, and interesting plot twists that were revealed just now! Great job, writers! </sarcasm> So, let's keep track... 8 episodes of the final season. One devoted to Uncle Jun peeing himself and how he's getting on in hospital. One devoted to Bobby telling "T" to f-off (at least that developed the plot a bit). And now one devoted to Vitos kid being an ******, Tony's kid being a whipped loser, and in a completely unnecessary NEW major plot twist (that will probably not be developed anymore), Tony has a major gambling problem. Sorry folks, the show ended 2 seasons ago. It's wandering aimlessly. Just end it. Stop it before it gets any worse!
I hate to spoil it for you..... next two shows- Guess what? Tony has a weight problem (I know Shocker). Get ready for the diet episodes LOL