For years, the only thing I knew about The Sopranos was the controversial ending, when the screen abruptly cuts to black and the audience is left to interpret what that means. But nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to watch. Simultaneously frustrating and brilliant, the final episode truly captures what The Sopranos has been about this entire time. Whether Tony dies in that diner or lives to see another day, it doesn't matter. As Tony himself said, a man like him has 2 endings: dead, or in jail. Tony may have survived that night but in the end, it makes no difference. His fate was sealed from the first episode, the only thing that can change is how often the miserable cycle of his life repeats itself.
The Sopranos is interesting because a lot happens, but no one really changes. There is no "arc", no redemption, no salvation. The characters try to better themselves but it never lasts, everyone is ultimately doomed from the start. Any effort towards self improvement is inevitably crushed by the world they find themselves in. Christopher gets sober but is pushed back into addiction by his supposed friends, who then betray him. Carmela considers leaving Tony, attempts to get a divorce, tries to be more independent by working, but always comes back to Tony and the subservient life she's used to. Vito is given the chance to live a "perfect" life where he can express himself without fear, but he basically chooses to dig his own grave because he can't stand being away from the Mafia lifestyle. Even characters like Meadow, a girl with so much talent and ambition, will inevitably fall into the same cycle as all the other women in her life. Tony... I don't even need to explain this one, Dr. Melfi says it all when she decides to stop treating him. And that's what the finale really means. Tony could live another 10, 20, 50 years and it would make no difference. His life would be defined by constant paranoia, anger, and misery. He could receive therapy from Dr. Melfi for the rest of his life, and he still wouldn't change. He could wake up from 100 comas, and he wouldn't be any better of a man. There is no way out.
The Sopranos is interesting because a lot happens, but no one really changes. There is no "arc", no redemption, no salvation. The characters try to better themselves but it never lasts, everyone is ultimately doomed from the start. Any effort towards self improvement is inevitably crushed by the world they find themselves in. Christopher gets sober but is pushed back into addiction by his supposed friends, who then betray him. Carmela considers leaving Tony, attempts to get a divorce, tries to be more independent by working, but always comes back to Tony and the subservient life she's used to. Vito is given the chance to live a "perfect" life where he can express himself without fear, but he basically chooses to dig his own grave because he can't stand being away from the Mafia lifestyle. Even characters like Meadow, a girl with so much talent and ambition, will inevitably fall into the same cycle as all the other women in her life. Tony... I don't even need to explain this one, Dr. Melfi says it all when she decides to stop treating him. And that's what the finale really means. Tony could live another 10, 20, 50 years and it would make no difference. His life would be defined by constant paranoia, anger, and misery. He could receive therapy from Dr. Melfi for the rest of his life, and he still wouldn't change. He could wake up from 100 comas, and he wouldn't be any better of a man. There is no way out.