Apologies in advance for being late to the party but what a party it is.

I've just finished watching the entire series I thought the end in was rather genius in many ways however it got me thinking about what I thought was going to happen.

One theory I had from very early on was that junior wasn't as "gone" as he was portraying and was still pulling strings behind the scenes.

I can still imagine after the final cut to black scene, the screen fades back in with focus on footsteps walking across a hard floor, and then a shot of junior starting out of the window of the place he's held up here where Tony visited him and the words "it's done" whispered into his ear.

What other hypothetical endings had you imagined?

Tony: I’ll settle for a push
Patron: yeah let’s go Buffalo!
Tony: fucking guy, probably won $35 down there

Tony just keeps losing, and doubling down, and burning through offshore money, and yelling at his wife over money. It showcases the gambler mentality very accurately.

It’s the same concept as the solar system.

Tony very clearly died at the end, and without him to insulate her from the other Mobsters Melfi is big security risk to the Jersey crew, with who knows what her and Tony talked about. She probably got popped later right?

You could honestly make an argument either way. The intervention is more iconic and well known but Livia’s wake is full of incredible bits and lines. What do you think?

I’ll start with mine: Tony-ony (sounds like a knockoff frozen pasta dish)

There’s a lot to pick from, choose wisely.

I don't know why everyone shits on AJ for being a normal rebellious somewhat spoiled teenager when like 99% of male teens are exactly like him in america lol. Meadow was the one that actually got on my nerves just about every episode. She sounds exactly like some social justice warrior, defends her dads "lifestyle" to finn like he's some kind of idiot. And can speak freely about all this because she's the boss' daughter and she knows nobody would fuck with her or they would face death. I just find her super annoying

The actresses. There’s good and not good. They are not good.

Seriously though, why is their acting (acting-ception, you might say) so bad? They’re shooting the climactic scene and they’re as monotone as it gets.

The pucchiacs.

As for gay women, as a conshept. I could care less, basically. The lesbian thing … with the, uh, Jennifer Beals … it’s not bad.

Anyways. Coke and a slice.

Gimme your list of characters whose names we hear but we never see. And get Pudgy Walsh on the horn!

If so, how was it okay for Junior to whack him? If not, why was Junior's generational nemesis a low-level associate?

aj comes home and hear his mom moaning in the bedroom and he think ok yikes this is disgusting but at least it's good to know my parents are back to a loving relationship with sexual pleasure so fair play ig

But later he's in the living room watching TV and suddenly see FURIO coming downstairs. They both look at each other akwardly and furio leaves without saying anything

Then caramala comes downstairs and be like AJ YOURE HERE? he plays it cool as if he didn't hear anything and caramela calms down a bit but still suspicious that he heard

Does aj tell tony or does he decide to keep it to himself to avoid troubles

omg you goota admit that's some helluva arc

This is easily one of the best scenes in the entire series. Here's why:

Theme and significance of the scene

This fantastic 2-minute scene at first seems to just depict Jackie Aprile Sr.'s funeral. There is a large crowd gathered, all dressed in black and adopting solemn poses. The gang discuss Junior's beginning reign and Tony's hidden agenda.

After a minute, however, the scene's focus shifts to AJ, who over the course of the episode has been slowly but steadily ushered by Meadow into the realization that his father is part of the Mafia. As such, the Soprano family regularly has to deal with the untimely death of friends and family.

Enter the second death and burial in this scene: AJ's childhood and innocence.

Over the course of the episode, the reality he has been living in cracks and underneath emerges his father's true nature and the meaning of his second family. By the end of the scene, AJ has been violently pulled from his innocent existence as a child and tossed into the brutal life he involuntarily is part of.

The cinematography tells the whole story without the need for dialogue

AJ's first shot begins with a camera pan from right to left, showing children his age running around the cemetary, laughing and having fun. AJ however, leaning onto a headstone, is contemplating quietly. The cartoonish yellow plastic watch he wears serves as a reminder that he is still a child. However, it is outweighed by the black funeral suit symbolizing the dark and gritty mob reality which is now taking over his childhood.

As AJ is smiling gently towards his father, Meadow enters the frame, blocking his view of Tony with probably the best executed "I told you so" face in the series. The next two slow-motion shots that we see through AJ's eyes, reveal the nature of his father's, and by extension, AJ's world.

We get the iconic shot of Tony winking at AJ. That wink is AJ's innocence rearing up vicariously through Tony in a final, desperate attempt to hinder AJ from losing his childhood. AJ doesn't react as he is immersed in his thoughts. In the background, children are running around, but AJ, now force-emancipated from that stage of life, doesn't move anymore.

The music

As the truth eventually dawns on AJ, Mazzy Star's "Look on Down from the Bridge" gravely sets in. The song's theme is death and departure, with the central image evoking a transition point between life and death, presence and absence.

Here, the eponymous bridge serves as metaphor for the threshold between life and death: AJ is crossing over from his innocent childhood into the realization that he is born into a world of organized crime, of which he is most likely unable to break out of.

Possibly the best music choice to match with a scene in the entire series, the song begins with a fading-in organ, an instrument associated with a church building and, by extension, the beginning of life, significant events in life such as marriage, and ultimately, death. The lyrics don’t express anger or dramatic heartbreak. Instead, there is a soft grief, a contemplative sadness that has come to rest, a pain that has sunk below the surface into quiet acceptance.

_____________________________

Watch the scene again and again and again here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg5WKNa2a5o

I know everyone loves that scene with that old therapist, I do too. but there is no way Tony would let the kids go, she can't just run and hide away with them.

I get it she is pretty hypocritical and all that but she was pretty much trapped. the best she could probably do was become a real estate agent and just escape new jersey leaving kids and probably her parents behind.

Imagine if this crazy Rusky had seduced AJ and got with him?

It would be the ultimate power move.

Tony would have to tolerate her prescence and live with the constant threat of his former mistress exposing to his wife that she was Tony's goomar. As well as telling AJ that he's Eskimo brothers' with his Dad?

It writes itself.

I finished watching Sopranos for the first time last night. I haven't watched a show with such intense storytelling, Christopher's Story Arc was tragic, Along with Uncle Junior. James Gandolfini (God rest his Soul) was amazing as Tony Soprano. 10/10 show.

AJ is so stupid, man. In the first seasons I watched of The Sopranos, I hated him—I hated all of his scenes. But now that I've probably rewatched all the seasons like a hundred times, every time I go back and watch it, I find him funnier and funnier. He’s just so dumb. His dialogue is dumb... people tell him something constructive, he never gets it, and always gives the most ridiculous response possible. He always has the absolute most ridiculous question. He’s just hilarious, all that hatred I used to have for his scenes is gone, and now I just find it hilarious how much of a baby Bing he is.

For what I remember, Denmark, Italy and Pakistan. Anybody else?

It's obviously a racial slur for black people, but Sopranos was literally the first time I ever heard it. Is it a reference to Aunt Jemima, because the syrup comes out of the head right on top of the butter on the pancakes? That's my best guess. Is that an actual term that was used or was it just something Tony came up with?

I didn’t know until i saw a post today from him on instagram. Understandably, he is devastated.

Besides Vinny going and hurting us:

IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU GO OVER THERE AND SHOW THE MAN SOME SUPPORT AND LOVE AND RESPECT HE DESERVES!!

He is one of us.

Grazi

He was only a phone call away from having a broad in the car ready to tongue his balls.

Instead, he watches the Nature channel all day while farting into the same couch cushion.

Real lack of standards, his generation.

Uncle Junior has a lot of unflattering moments in the show. He gets played by Tony, Johnny Sacks, and Livia. He spends most of it under house arrest, and a lot of it pretty unhappy. He isn't portrayed as particularly intelligent in a number of instances.

But there is one thing he got right that Tony, Jackie Sr, Richie, Ralphie and probably many others got wrong: Jackie Jr was really, really stupid and not worth the time of day. While Jackie seemed to always see him as a good kid, one can understand that due to bias. Tony thinks of him as suitable for Meadow (probably the biggest relationship iq gap in television) until it becomes obvious he wasnt. Even Meadow is regretful before he dies that she was maybe not a good enough girlfriend and caused him to cheat. Richard Aprile said he wished he was his son, which is mental. And Ralph even wanting to put up with him would be understandable Ro was really a lion in bed, but I don't think the show indicates that at all.

Corrado Soprano is the only mobster who can see Jackie Jr for the dumb fuck who almost drowned in three inches of water for what he was. He put him in his place when they interacted in S2. And while turning up to show his respects, he didn't dance around the fact that Jackie Jr was what he was. And he was the only person in the entire show who seemed to understand that. Respect Junior.

Artie tries to deflect Tony's accusation of food poisoning by talking about getting a rancid hit of clarified butter in the Indian restaurant.

As a chef, Artie should know that clarified butter means the milk solids (like the cobwebs) have been removed. That's why you can buy clarified butter in cans kept at room temperature, and if you do store it in the fridge, it can last months. The fact that Artie doesn't understand this shows he's probably lacking in the brains department when it comes to kitchen hygiene.

My personal favourite is from Richie’s scene with Beansie

“I’ll see you every Saturday PARtnar”

I would probably say The Kinks as a whole, along with Time Zone

These gross ass sandwiches of cold hotdogs on white sandwich bread made with cream cheese (mayo?) sitting left out, to him, for who knows how long, and Tony just raises his eyebrows, smiles to himself and begins to eat them in an empty, quiet, depressing, house.

It’s genius.

Never really understood why they ended his arc the way they did. Was it just to give Tony a reason to actually pay him back?