I had thought, for instance, that the sense of paranoia instilled in the viewer by the rapid editing style Chase uses for the scene was shared by Tony himself that, perhaps, the point of it all was to finally put us in the mind-set of the main character, to make us realize, This is how miserable it is to be Tony Soprano: to spend every minute of every day worrying about who could be coming through a door to kill you.. Why the ambiguity at all? After Raymond Curto dies of a massive stroke while giving potentially damaging information to Agent Robyn Sanseverino about Tony discussing a murder, the F.B.I. Are you gonna be like him?. Lizzy Caplan Would Return for One More Season of. With his wife bitter and his son using heroin, Eugene hangs himself. is now attending college. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Fuckin internet. Alan: Its hard to play dumb about what we discussed with Chase, but the great thing or the maddening thing, depending on your point of view is that even with all he ultimately told us, theres still no definitive answer to the dead/alive question. I've also seen it suggested that Eugene's wife ordered Tony's murder. Tony says he'll consider it, but he states Eugene took an oath indicating it's highly unlikely he'll approve. The Obama-Springsteen friendship continues on. In both of those, Chase employs an unusual editing style, cutting directly from a shot of Tony looking out at the space hes just entered to a different point of view where hes already crossed most of the distance to the relative hes come to see. This accomplishment catapulted Aglieri s name to the top of the ranks. Later, Tony gets Phils location from FBI agent Harris (Matt Servitto). The juror is stopped by Eugene, who reveals he knows this man and is a juror and "I know you'll do the right thing" (implying he will vote not guilty and result in a hung jury). Because nothing in that scene says, Somebody just killed him and thats what the cut to black is about. The only objectively true statement that can be made about that ending is that its ambiguous. Since Eugenes suicide in the season 6 opener, Funaro has racked up over 40 credits (including The Irishman and American Gangster). -All 92 deaths analyzed, evaluated, and . Adam McKay Has Sold His Next Celebrity Hangout. Is it possible the man in the Members Only jacket did the job? The actor had appeared in mob movies like "Goodfellas," and was also no stranger to crime himself. Between that, his sketchy upbringing, his junkie son who hates him, and the Florida letdown, Gene was under a bunch a heavy shit. And the single most obvious thing to do in a gangster movie is to kill the main character out of reflex, or because the storytellers want to express that crime doesnt pay. Raymond was approached by Tony to replace Jackie Aprile, Sr as boss of the DiMeo crime family, due to his age and experience (Jackie was in and out of the hospital and close to . With a despondent wife, a drug-addicted son, a dangerous and stressful job he hates and can't leave, the specter of the FBI looming over him, and no hope of the new life that seemed so close, Eugene hangs himself in the basement. He was never interested in the Russian, the rapist, the stable fire, or any of the other characters and threads that he left dangling over the life of the series, except as forces that test the main characters and reveal their essence. But the scene can be about the idea of Tonys imminent demise without actually featuring it and, if were being stubbornly pedantic, it doesnt feature it. This is a show thats very interested in dream language, psychoanalysis, and the contradictory, mysterious forces that make us who we are, and its inevitable that this series, perhaps more than other works of art, would have become a Rorschach test. The bulk of the episode is devoted to Eugene Pontecorvo, previously a very minor character who appears infrequently and barely ever has any lines. In a single close-up, we can see that the man strongly physically resembles Eugene. It could refer to the Mafia code of being a member-only and never a retiree, just what Eugene Pontecorvo attempted to become. He is a prototypical underachiever and a constant source of stress and anxiety for his parents. He knew someone in his family would find him, but why would he want them to. If Meadow just walks in and the family enjoys the rest of their onion rings, a nice meal, and some ice cream, what happens to Tony Soprano after? The following is an excerpt from The Sopranos Sessions, in which Alan and I debate the still-controversial last four minutes of the show and come to different conclusions about what it meant. On the Talking Sopranos podcast, Funaro spoke about originally getting hired on the show to play Ralph Cifaretto. When people ask me, Do you think Tony died? I sometimes answer, Of course. And then I pause and add, Sooner or later, everybody does. Which admittedly is a dickish thing to say but you know what I mean? At Chris's behest, he then kills a debtor; in return, Chris says, "I'll put in a good word to T about the Florida thing." Death is what happens, end of story, right? Professionally, he has just survived a war with New York has, in fact, enough juice that he was able to . Alan: I hear what youre saying. Though the cut to black comes before any such execution occurs on screen, there . Matt: I think its more interesting if he lives. But at the same time it could mean a boost for an actors career, as it was for Vincent Pastore. Or if we cant discern that, what is this ending trying to make us think about? Off the Back of a Truck includes: -New looks at everyone's favorite episodes, scenes, and characters. who is kenaz in the bible; how to connect universal remote to philips tv; who helped prospero and how While DiMeo crime family capo Paulie Walnuts had the highest kill count (9), Tony Soprano came in at a close second with 8 kills. Alan: Back in the day, I felt like death was an easier sentence for Tony to take, because so much of his life thanks to genetics, mental health, and the monstrous business he has chosen brings him so much misery. Eugene Pontecorvo was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1959 to a family of Italian descent, and he became a made man in Tony Soprano's crew of the DiMeo crime familyafter having worked as a bodyguard for Junior Soprano during the 1990s. 15 years later: Did Tony die in 'The Sopranos' finale? - New York Post I think the ending is sadder and more powerful if you think, All those people he killed, all those people he loved that died, all the stuff hes been through personally, including getting shot and being in a coma none of that really made much of a dent in this guys thick skull.. Alan: Right. The Sopranos: Tony's 8 Coldest Kills, Ranked - Screen Rant But is that enough to convict Chase for murdering his main character? Raymond "Buffalo Ray" Curto is a recurring character portrayed by George Loros. I knew where I was going. Eugene Pontecorvo has one of the most tragic arcs of all characters on The Sopranos. Shazam! Fury of the Gods - Wikipedia Cookie Notice There are no cookies for figuring things out. I dont believe its necessary to establish that to discuss the ending of the show, nor do I think the evidence necessarily points to that. Feeling that there was no way out, Pontecorvo hanged himself in his basement. (April 2006) The Sopranos was so deliciously bold, fresh, funny, complex and authentic that, for me, it rendered most other dramas on television unwatchable. After Eugenes death, his wife would be devastated and most likely his family would be too. As for Patsy Parisi (Dan Grimaldi) ordering the hit, that theory does have some validity. Now, Off the Back of a Truck takes you one step further into the world of Tony Soprano and his families, offering an Italian potluck of fresh and fun takes that any true fan can get lost in for hours. Matt: Yes. Alan: Yes, the Holstens scene is about death specifically, about the idea that we are all here on borrowed time, and our lives can be snatched away at any moment, without warning or explanation or the slightest hint of fairness. Theory 1: Little Carmine (Lupertazzi) had Butch Deconcini kill Phil (Leotardo) and Tony (Soprano). I mean its a prompt for us to think about death and life, and what weve done with our lives. He wants to retire from the mob life after he receives a massive inheritance, but Tony isn't too keen on the idea. In the episode Eugene and his wife have an unexpected financial windfall when a beloved aunt, the wife of a successful Hollywood agent, leaves him $2 million in her will. 1) Carmine Lupretazzi, Sr. Carmine Lupretazzi, Sr. ( Tony Lip) is the best boss on the show by a country mile. Did he just want out ? Im not saying Holstens is Heaven! or anything like that. Alan: So for a while, it seemed easier to just go with the idea that he dies that the cut to black follows on Bacalas line from Soprano Home Movies, Silvios reaction to the Hairdos death in Stage 5, and all that death imagery. Then right before the final scene he's looking at the family album. And its true that, the longer the Holstens scene and the parallel parking go on and on and on and on the harder it becomes to shake the feeling that Tony, or Meadow, or maybe everybody, is about to get whacked. We dont get to watch the show anymore. He is a capo in the DiMeo crime family and leads the Curto crew. Cuz I hear a lot of people blaming Tony which sort of makes sense, but as it turns out he wasn't gonna be able to go to Florida and get out of the mafia anyways if they didn't let him. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Do Silvio and Paulie die in The Sopranos? - Daily Justnow Chase was right about Funaro going out on a strong note, of course. At times a little too much, but Livia never did at all. Because his wife is a raging buzz-jam. Maybe, after spending a decade telling stories about this man and having spent a whole lifetime thinking many of the same thoughts as Tony, particularly where their mothers were concerned Chase just couldnt bring himself to direct a scene explicitly killing him, or even one where he asked James Gandolfinis face to point us more blatantly in that direction. Then Chase called to say they would kill off Gene by suicide. This show - that had so honestly and meticulously . He couldve had a coronary or another panic attack. Chase provides glimpses of all the other customers a scout troop, two unidentified black males at the jukebox, a man in a Members Only jacket like Eugene Pontecorvos at the counter because he wants us to wonder if one of them might be there to take out Tony. With a friendlier boss who didnt have an 80-90% chance of being indicted, New York could make its money with fewer headaches. In a resurfaced. And they weren't. 18 comments 88% Upvoted This thread is archived Eugene Pontecorvo (1959-2006) was a DiMeo crime family soldier and FBI informant. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But at the. Matt: All right, let me back up for a second and say that at no point during my now ten-plus years of arguing about the meaning of this scene have I said that Tony died is an inconceivable or unacceptable interpretation. Alan: I spent many years after the finale as a card-carrying, vocal member of Team Tony Lives. The explanations arent entirely satisfying. This week, Tom and Shiv get it on. In fact, its the most obvious interpretation, given that Tonys pissed a lot of people off over the years, and in the overwhelming majority of gangster stories, the main guy dies at the end. Gene Killing himself : r/thesopranos - Reddit Tony Soprano has clearly made many bad choices, as have the other people at that table with him, as have nearly all the characters with whom weve spent these 86-plus hours of television. Why is this night different from all other nights? Matt: Well, this isnt how I thought this would go. Galvatron1117 2 yr. ago He loved his family, the only way they could get the inheritance money and go to Florida is if he was dead, he ended his life for their benefit. What is this ending saying? And you dont know when its coming. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Eugene then walks out calmly. While he is the only son of the Tony, it becomes obvious he lacks potential for a career in his father's organization, though . The show absolutely dabbled in the supernatural throughout, from Paulie being haunted by Mikey Palmice, to Tony dreaming something that Tony B was actually doing, to whatever and wherever Kevin Finnerty was. But he always manages to avoid going there. Michelle Obama and Bruce Springsteen Tore Up the Stage with Glory Days. Christopher Moltisanti had him kill Teddy Spirodakis in Boston as a favor for him; Moltisanti promised to convince Soprano to let Pontecorvo retire as a reward. The Sopranos: Explaining the Final Scene | Den of Geek Actors with recurring roles on The Sopranos lived in fear of their characters dying. And I think I would have been equally disappointed if hed said, Tony is alive. And thats because I like not knowing, and to me, everything about this ending says, Youre not supposed to know, youre supposed to live in the not-knowing.. And, other than a couple of ugly fights, he has been getting along much better with Carmela since she took him back than he ever did during the first six seasons of the show. He and his wife plan to take the money and retire to Florida, but Tony turns down his request because he's a made man and there's no retiring from that. Taking place in the aftermath of a brutal gang war as Tony Soprano sat down with his family in a diner to enjoy a meal as he had dozens of times before in the show, the scene seemingly built up toward Tony's execution at the hands of an assassin within the diner.
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