..life goes on.” those were the immortal words of Paulie Walnuts during the last episode ever of the Sopranos.

i am in the overwhelming minority who found the finale fantastic. it was ideal, everybody was in perfect form:

• Carmella’s reaction to finding out Hunter is in med school

• Janice jokes about having to hook another husband

• A.J. forgoes his noble ambitions to serve his country for a new beamer

• Meadow is getting married, going to law school, but can’t parallel park her lexus.

• Paulie is paranoid about a creepy cat (most likely the reincarnation of adrianna) and avoiding accepting more responsibility.

• Tony is still saying things like “we keep telling him he’s making a mole hill out of it.” (god, i’m gonna miss the mixed metaphors)

that’s all classic soprano continuity, the characters are nothing if not true to themselves. then there were all the subtleties in the background:

• overhearing the tour guide explain that little italy used to spread out for more than 40 square blocks and now its only one row of storefronts and restaurants.

• overhearing the tv when they’re hanging out in the safe house, it’s a conversation about what people want from television now and how the writer is a commodity (btw this last episode was written & directed by chase himself).

• the songs that Tony looks at on the jukebox, “where you gonna run to,” “mr magic man,” “i gotta be me,” “a lonely place,” before settling on “don’t stop believing.” and the focus on Carmella for the lyrics, “just a small town girl, living in a lonely world.”

it’s all priceless! that along with the fact that you were on the edge of your seat in anticipation, pulse racing the whole time. what other tv show ever delivers that?

and what about the future? yes, i suppose it was left to interpretation and speculation that the guy came out of the men’s room and blew Tony away when we cut to black, but i don’t buy that at all. what we’re seeing is that in fact, life goes on. there will always be funerals, there will always be indictments, there will always be the need to sit facing the door, looking up every time somebody walks in. Carmella will always be in denial, pacified by gifts, and A.J. & Meadow will always be a big disappointment to their parents.

and what about Karma? well, Tony is left with only the guy who annoys the hell out of him to rely on, and he has seen his future and it ain’t pretty. he’ll either die in jail like johnny sac, or end up like uncle jun, who had to be reminded that he used to run north jersey and in response could only say, “that’s nice,” demonstrating that it doesn’t fucking matter either way.

life goes on for the sopranos like it does for the rest of us, pretty much unchanged. we just don’t get to watch anymore.

and if all that was not enough for you… Philly’s head got smashed like a melon!! how can you complain about that?

in fact, the only unanswered question is.. Why shouldn’t I park my SUV in the leaves?? and i have to admit that one does have me perplexed.

ps: almost forgot one of my favorite lines… Meadow defending her legal career choice,
“You know that the state can crush the individual.”
to which Tony replies, “New Jersey??”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! and by the way, yes - new jersey can definitely crush the individual! god, i’m gonna miss this show!