See source video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6mcinR5maeIqLc
@SumTimezTheyHaveClipUs Жыл бұрын
Hey maybe you can look thru Mamy Saints of Newark I'm sure there are alot of stuff in that.
@TheToneytone Жыл бұрын
who put out the hit and for what reason,
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
@@TheToneytone I have not had the chance to vet this out yet. But I'm inclined to think that lower ranking members in New Jersey and New York made arrangements to each have the other take out their own top leadership. In other words, each said, 'if you kill ours, we'll kill yours." In this way, from the outside looking in, there is the appearance of a war while from the inside looking out there are two insurgencies taking place in parallel. I think Paulie, Patsy were the conspirators on the NJ side while Butch ran things on the NY side. Carmine was also aware of what was set to happen. There is actually an usual clue that Chase took directly from Scorsese to prove that Carmine was in the loop. In any event, taking this approach provides a clear benefit to the conspirators. It creates the impression that a natural transfer of power has taken place within each family.
@JUST_DEADPOOL14110 ай бұрын
The jukebox has "A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J,K" There should be an "I" between "J" and "K" but there isn't because Jukeboxes don't use I for some reason. The reason is I and 1 get confused. That's the actual reason of them leaving I off it. I , 1 = won "I won"??? "I is gone" meaning Tony is gone?
@robertlee41729 ай бұрын
Sorry I gotta do it this way but...The ringing of the bell, symbolizes the sacrament of the holy Eucharist in the Catholic church. "Thanksgiving" for the body of Christ. Each time the bell rings, our attention is called to the front of the alter, where the ritual takes place. The sacred and the propane.(by Mircea Eliade) The congregation has gathered for the 'last supper'. Moreover, in popular culture, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
@juanramirez-wk8ty Жыл бұрын
Whether this analysis actually corresponds to what the makers of the show intended or not I must say this is an outstanding interpretation, a prime example of how the best art can transcend even the conscious intentions of the artist.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thank you very much, Juan!
@juanramirez-wk8ty Жыл бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 Your welcome, THANK YOU for a great well done video. Keep up the good work!
@3hooks781 Жыл бұрын
As it should be! Great point,
@ripley_hicks_newt_86 Жыл бұрын
One of the Sopranos writers once said, that nothing in the show is by accident. So, I think that this analysis is pretty close to what David Chase had in mind.
@dionysusyphus Жыл бұрын
if unconsciously via the artist, one could imagine Carl Jung would be smirking in his grave;) hahah
@calwalker8861 Жыл бұрын
I have 3 favorite things about this scene that the show mentions in the previous episodes. First, tony walks in and sees himself sitting in the booth. This is him watching his death play out over and over, as it is mentioned that he thinks purgatory is just watching yourself die over and over again. Second, the shooter comes out of the bathroom at Tony’s 3 o’clock. When Christopher got shot, and either went to hell briefly, or purgatory, he warned tony that someone dead was warning him about 3 o’clock. Then we thought it meant time, but it meant direction. And third, when Tony and Bobby are on the boat, at the lake house, they talk about how you probably don’t even here it when it happens, and boom, sudden cut to black, with no sound. Tony never heard the gunshot. This show was absolutely amazing and couldn’t have had a better final scene. Love the video, some fantastic breakdowns that I haven’t heard before.
@mgonzo3881 Жыл бұрын
The ending was awful and lazy. But your explanation of what happens is the best I have read or heard. Thank you. You have finally brought me closure after all these years!
@danielplainview2584 Жыл бұрын
Yep, you're absolutely right. 0:19 and the edits there are what give it away.
@negritoojosclaros Жыл бұрын
Nice review
@OmniBedlam Жыл бұрын
@@mgonzo3881 No, you just didn't understand it. Big difference.
@mgonzo3881 Жыл бұрын
@@OmniBedlam No, I understood it. It wasn't a layered ending, just poor writing.
@maxkurtz6119 Жыл бұрын
i think carmela and aj could also represent the two criminals crucified alongside jesus, with aj being the repentent one and carmela being the sinful one
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your feedback, Max. Interesting idea. I'll respond more. Wonder if the configuration might be different. Anthony Jr. is the Christ figure, Tony is Dismas (repentant), and Carmella, Gestas (unrepentant). Not for nothing, but Tony greets Anthony Jr. warmly upon his arrival while Carmella does not acknowledge him.
@joeyvoidz11 ай бұрын
Wow wonderful analysis
@slurmzzzm245910 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624holy moly!! You are good!!!
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
@@slurmzzzm2459 Hey, right on. Thank you so much, Slurmzzm! Very kind of you.
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
@@joeyvoidz So kind of you. Thank you, Joey!
@nmolina58 ай бұрын
There are 3’s all over this scene, 3 Boy Scouts, 3 creams next to the guys coffee, Meadow takes 3 tries to parallel park, the cook is flipping 3 pancakes and 3 sausage patties, the song is the 3rd page and 3rd one down, I’m sure there are plenty more…also earlier in the series Paulie wakes up at 3am and hears wind chimes like the one on the diner door
@tristensherman95487 ай бұрын
The 3 Cub scouts are bears, which is the 3rd rank of Cub Scouts (at the time)
@fulldropz6 ай бұрын
It's literal magic. You'll find the use of 3 all throughout the entertainment industry
@nicolaiboensch66435 ай бұрын
@jool7793 you posted this response 3 days ago... 😬
@mannhouse80144 ай бұрын
3 o clock, too
@RyanPcliftonАй бұрын
You posted this comment 3 months ago @@nicolaiboensch6643
@gregsgoogle2947 Жыл бұрын
Also supporting the 2 shooter hypothesis is that it mimics the JFK assassination. One obvious shooter & one shooter in the shadows. Chase made MANY references about the Kennedy’s throughout the series. Almost too many. This may be one more & his most clever of all.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Hi Greg. That's very interesting. I had not made the connection. Thank you for the insight!
@seancondon146 Жыл бұрын
Possibly the mob working with the cia 😊
@matthiasheartman13428 ай бұрын
I prefer a 3 shooter hypothesis
@jazzyprince33357 ай бұрын
Where do you think the third one is?
@eddiekaspbrak46245 ай бұрын
@@matthiasheartman1342Who would the 3rd be though
@phillyfan4lifeEAGLES Жыл бұрын
The background with the football players has 1973 state championship banner. 1973 would mean Tony was 14, thus in his freshman year of high school. If tony was a varsity athlete he would have been apart of that team. Cool piece of symbolism.
@soul_Link12 Жыл бұрын
You have 14 likes.
@cliffarroyo9554 Жыл бұрын
But the thing is.... Tony never had the makings of a varsity athlete.....
@BoredLikeHelI8 ай бұрын
Do high school state championship teams usually have freshmen in them? I don't know shit but I would assume that unless you were an absolute freak of nature you would not be on that team at that age?
@spandexonjailers8 ай бұрын
i would say often times (especially nowadays) that most freshmen play on the JV team unless they are power 5 conference good generally, but this is also 1973 were talking about, so its a completely different sport basically.@@BoredLikeHelI
@mjfanelli315 күн бұрын
The "could have been"
@lwrunnels Жыл бұрын
When Tony walks into the diner from outside two red lights briefly appear on him (one at his temple, one on his chest). There's no source for these red lights and they don't appear again when everyone else walks into the diner. I believe Chase is letting the audience know that not only will Tony die in this diner but he will get one bullet in the temple (with his guardian angel Meadow not there sitting on his right to protect him - that's why her inability to parallel park the car gets so much attention) and one in the chest. As Chase has said, what happens to Tony is all there in the scene.
@tetarra2529 Жыл бұрын
I know it's theatrical, but those red lights don't align yo with his head it chest, remember Tony wouldn't let Eugene retire and the members only jacket and Eugene wife told him to kill Tony and with 2 million you can get anybody wacked, I know the creator of the show send you in different directions but think about it, that's the closest theory that can be true or carmine daughter that had an eating disorder and AJ had that girl at their house and she overheard them saying where they'll be eating at and made a face, Tony was gonna kill carmine sr, but he died before they could do the hit
@soulbitten Жыл бұрын
The source is actually a reflection of a van's brake lights. you can see it partially at 0:01 and superimposed over Tony at 0:02. Not disagreeing with your interpretation, just noting that there is indeed a source for the lights.
@laurenlane9564 Жыл бұрын
Loren! Great catch!! I went through slowly and took a pic of the exact moment. Brilliant!!
@CollDott Жыл бұрын
❤😂🎉 even deeeeeeeper!!😮
@AC-130....11 ай бұрын
U say this shit on so many videos
@terrortorn Жыл бұрын
When you like the Sopranos so much you just can't let it go.
@judywright4241 Жыл бұрын
I’m watching it even as I’m listening this analysis! Except it’s Meadow and Jackie Jr romance.
@ThruThaRoofComedy Жыл бұрын
Don't stop!
@Thedines01910 ай бұрын
Just when I thought I was out…
@showtime66679 ай бұрын
They pull me back in!!
@spawnsoldier14283 ай бұрын
@@ThruThaRoofComedybelievin!
@elpato598 Жыл бұрын
I never had any doubt that Tony was killed, but i never considered Anthony Jr and Carmela were killed too. The three white lights look like fixtures you might see in a funeral home. Nothing in this series was done carelessly and I believe there are Easter eggs everywhere throughout the series. This was enjoyable.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Nice one. Thank you so much, Karl!
@JohnHansknecht Жыл бұрын
But the mob doesn't kill family members of the victim. It is against their code of honor and they all know that what goes around, comes around.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
@@JohnHansknecht Thanks, John. I'll respond in more detail to your main comment. Here I will just point out that Carmella and Anthony Jr. are collateral damage. They are not targeted. If you are willing to accept that an assassination plot unfolds inside a diner, then you cannot but concede that collateral damage is possible. Thanks again.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
@@JohnHansknecht I thought you might find this interesting. Here is Henry Hill commenting on the "code of honor": kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXPZlYWKZrVpmbM
@Nanobot198911 ай бұрын
They weren’t killed. Only Tony. Not sure how this guy got there when we’re specifically told “families don’t get touched”
@jonathan_rosa3 ай бұрын
brilliant analysis... you've convinced me that it was a triple homicide, and that AJ/ Carm were collateral damage... Chase actually sets this 'collateral damage scenario' up in S7E2 "stage 5", the hospital orderly (played by Sydney Pollack) describes to Johnny Sack how he killed his wife for having a suspected affair, but that also he had to kill her aunt and the mailman, because "at that point I had to fully commit" ...
@davew1647 Жыл бұрын
"Tony ordered something for the table." -Man, that gives me chills.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Awesome. Thank you, Dave!
@paulacurrie3992 Жыл бұрын
Great analysis. I also think that the painting directly behind Tony (between the 2 football players) is a deliberate reference to, and reminder of, the mansion dream sequence, (when Tony is in a coma). Meadow 'saves' him on that occasion, but is unable to do so here. I have always maintained that this is Tony's death scene. I love the 'cut to black'. Such an elegant and courageous way to convey Tony's death. Total genius.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thank you, Paula! As I understand it, the photograph on the wall over the two-top to Tony's right features the actual house from the dream sequence. In any event, I think you're on the right track. It's the same idea. The large, institutional-looking structure in each case calls to mind the great expanse of the afterlife. Thanks again!
@nicolasperez8352 Жыл бұрын
8 T la
@kevman22965 ай бұрын
"Don't read too much into it" Me 5 minutes later:
@scenicmedia86245 ай бұрын
Understood. Thank you, Kev!
@alecrichards8574 Жыл бұрын
First time I saw it I thought of it as how Tony is always going to be looking over his shoulder in paranoia, even during a nice family dinner. Or that maybe he's about to die. Then I saw a video or two about how the Members Only guy killed him, fade to black. I was convinced. As many other comments here state, this is the best analysis I've seen, all the little details included. The posters on the wall, the lights, the calendar, the communion, everything mentioned here was clear and makes total sense. Two shooters one from both side, all the details are there. Brilliant. Great video!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Right on. Very kind. Thank you, Alec!
@richyrich561 Жыл бұрын
Good points you made, about this video, but throughout the series it was emphasized that family members are not harmed, so although the opinion was entertaining I can not agree with it. There was nothing to gain by making it a tripe murder. It would have pushed much more heat from law enforcement toward the murderers than necessary AND with no up side.
@alecrichards8574 Жыл бұрын
@@richyrich561 Fair point. I still think if they are taking out Big Dog Tony, anything goes, and the family would be witnesses, and potential threats. At the very least Tony died for sure, maybe they spared A.J. and Carmela though.
@yevettebamber4273 Жыл бұрын
@@richyrich561 Thank you for saying so. I do like his thinking. But as someone who grew up in this kind of world NO WAY did they kill the family, and I do think Tony died but again it confuses me because they would not kill him in front of his family. So I'm not sure what the ending was trying to say. These guys know if there is a contract on them they try to keep the wife and kids close, buying them time.
@hedwardrodriguez2538 Жыл бұрын
It’s definitely so in my opinion that Tony dies. It’s a possibility Carmela and AJ get it also as collateral damage. But, yea, the signs are all there that it was a triple homicide.
@joemieszczur9735 Жыл бұрын
im sure a lot of people had this happen too: when i first seen the ending i saw meadow's face at the door before the cut to black. i was rewatching the episode much later when i realized i didnt actually see her but my mind showed me that. i had to go look it up online to see if i made it up or if there was a different version. turns out that was the intention, and many people had the same thing when it first aired and caused some debates like the mandala effect around the water cooler.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
The ending had that effect on me. I formed a picture of her coming through the door and believed that what I had imagined had been shown to me. It's a stunning piece of psychological manipulation. The simulacra - the copy without an original. On a related note. One of several unverifiable origin stories for the term Mafia involves the 13th century French occupation of Sicily during which a soldier raped a young girl. Her mother cried out ‘mia figlia, mia figlia’ (my daughter, my daughter) which in a Sicilian dialect sounds like ‘Ma fia, Ma fia’. Accordingly, the term Mafia became a kind of rallying against occupation and later devolved into a term for organized crime. I thought it was at least possible that this origin story for 'Mafia' might represent a kind of cruel irony here. When Tony looks up to see 'my daughter', he instead sees 'Mafia'. It might also inform why Meadow constitutes our final thought in the finale. In any event, thank you for pointing out the phenomenon. I had forgotten about it and it really is a strange and remarkable attribute of the finale.
@eddiekaspbrak46245 ай бұрын
Wait what was the mandala effect about the water cooler?
@brentcarl6621 Жыл бұрын
If you also remember Tony’s favorite scene in “The Godfather” is when Michael goes to the restroom and returns with a gun and shoots the other two at his table. Ironic that the same thing could have happened to him.
@bigvinnie3 Жыл бұрын
@Apoll0Spade you can't say that definitively. Do I think he did yes. But that's just it its art and up to individual interpretation.
@k45207 Жыл бұрын
@@bigvinnie3 exactly that’s why it’s so brilliant. Another example would be inception at the end with the spinning top. it’s ambiguous
@xBassCoversx9 ай бұрын
It’s just a movie
@miekgg8 ай бұрын
my guy you're sitll using that expression in 2024... how old are you man@@xBassCoversx
@miekgg8 ай бұрын
nothing nowadyas is just a "movie" or "just a show" - there's always a deeper meaning where you actually learn something @@xBassCoversx
@jvvreckz300910 ай бұрын
This is definitely the most sound and solid analysis from anyone on KZbin. Everyone gets so caught up and who did it and why. But no one wants to take a step back and see the timeless art Chase and the writers were aiming for. They want their work to live forever. Just like the classics that are always so unapologetically alluded to throughout the whole show. I love this take of yours.
@scenicmedia86249 ай бұрын
Very kind of you. Thank you, jvvreckz!
@oldmanyemiyamtvg4915 ай бұрын
Yes I certainly agree!! THIS is the best on KZbin!! 💯
@lisalu910Ай бұрын
I'd also add that when Meadow runs across the street with a car passing right behind her - looking like it could have run her down a split second earlier - it seems to signal that she will barely escape death.
@case_022312 күн бұрын
Maybe she tried to stop one of the shooters and received a non-life threatening gun shot wound
@kempokiai2 жыл бұрын
As someone who was gutted by the ending but has seen the light thanks to your video and hard work, I turn everyone I can to your video to who also feels like the ending was bad. Well done
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
So kind of you. Thank you, Bahnzai!
@RussellFlowers2 жыл бұрын
The 2nd gunman does fit in... Members Only guy calls back to the title of the season's first episode. The other guy wears a "USA" cap, referring to "Made in America".
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Nice catch. Thanks, Russell!
@1Funds Жыл бұрын
@russellflowers Genius.
@itsyaboi9214 ай бұрын
Members only the first episode and made in America the last episode 2 shooters and the 2 paintings holy shitttt
@johnnyappleseed9568Ай бұрын
USA is also 3 letters
@kiddjl93362 жыл бұрын
This may have been the best video I’ve seen yet on the ending.
@lambros36522 жыл бұрын
Agreed
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Kidd JL!
@ishakali86342 жыл бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 You should do one for The Shining.
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the tip. There is a guy named Rob Ager who does excellent film analysis. He operates under the banner "Collative Learning". He has done quite a lot of exceptional work on The Shining among many other films. See: tinyurl.com/4745nvvu
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
@@ishakali8634 New video for Goodfellas: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmKkcp9snd54ba8
@seanmoore77208 ай бұрын
Great analysis, but I disagree about Carmella and AJ, even as collateral damage. Tony specifically states is The Blue Comet that they don’t touch the family in these instances. Earlier in Made in America, we see Phil get taken out with his wife present and she’s not harmed. She even leaves the car and potentially puts herself more in harm’s way. Taking out civilians just isn’t done. I think it’s just as likely that the three lights symbolize Bobby, Silvio, and Tony. One piece of symbolism to add to the collection- when Tony starts “Don’t Stop Believing”, which buttons does he press (also “buttons” works in the mob metaphorical sense)? “K3.” Kill number 3? I choose to see that as Bobby, Sil, and now Tony, but you could also read it as Tony, Carmella, and AJ. To quote little Carmine. “Very allegorical.” “The sacred and the propane.”
@scenicmedia86248 ай бұрын
Hi, Sean. Thank you for your response. I did notice the jukebox selection but could never really verify the choice to an absolute certainty so I did not include it. Couple of quick notes on Carmella and Anthony Jr. There is an irony at the heart of the example you cite in “The Blue Comet”. Tony tells Carmella that families are not touched at the same time he is there to move her and Anthony Jr. to a safe house. I won’t labor the irony except to say that the lead character of the series acknowledges that collateral damage is possible. If it is possible then, there is no reason to imagine that it is not possible in the finale. I would argue from there that the symbolism in the finale demonstrates that possibility came to pass. The Phil murder is set up as the opposite to the finale. Notice that all of the same elements are present - Father figure, mother figure, two children, woman fails to park her car, mob boss murdered, completely unaware. The treatment of the Phil murder, however, is a deliberate caricature of the finale. II would argue it is designed to show how ridiculous it would look to depict Tony being killed. It is also designed as a kind of rebuke to those members of the audience who might actually want to see Tony killed. I think this is why you get the gruesome “overkill” aspect of Phil’s head being run over and why you see people reacting within the scene itself. All of that is to demonstrate why it is we should not want to see Tony killed -- it would cheapen the character we've come to know and we would cheapen ourselves in the process. I am quite sure the Phil murder is there to function as a contrast to the finale. The finale is dignified, honorable, and ominous. Finally, I cannot think of any reason to imagine that the lights in the scene are there for Bobby or Silvio. Bobby and Silvio are both properly put to bed in the series. There is a funeral for Bobby and Tony visits Silvio at the hospital. That is the end of the line for each of them respectively. There is just no compelling dramatic reason to conjure the presence of these two again in the finale. It doesn’t add anything to the scene. Finally, I will share with you a response from Lucchese associate Henry Hill concerning whether the Mafia observes a code of honor concerning family. You can tell me if you don’t think he sounds convincing. Thank you again for your kind feedback, Sean. I appreciate it! Henry Hill kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXPZlYWKZrVpmbM
@KennethKaniff9992 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624you're a genius. The contrast with the Phil kill makes so much sense how you put it! I hope you make/made more content on Sopranos, can't wait to watch it And about the rules, Tony breaks them all the time (killing Ralph etc) and essentially all the captains do too (code of omerta) so that weakens above comment's argument about rules.
@martrowe Жыл бұрын
The level of work put into this analysis rivals the scene's original. I, like many, thought I'd figured it all out, but your excellent video has brought so much more detail and insight. Congratulations on what will become a fantastic reference piece for future seekers of an explanation.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
That's very kind of you, Martin. I'm glad you liked it. Thank you so much!
@martrowe7 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 did you ever get any feedback from anyone involved with the show? I'd love to know how close to the mark you are.
@scenicmedia86247 ай бұрын
@@martrowe Hi, Martin. No, I've never heard from anyone from the show. I'd love to talk to Michael Imperioli at some point. As an aside, close to releasing an analysis on "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Thank you for checking in!
@samuelminzey6471 Жыл бұрын
Wow, extremely well made and great analysis. It's funny how the show is able to make you wish Tony survived even after everything he did. He mentioned that he couldn't eat onions anymore after his surgery, maybe he just passed out after eating the onion rings 😂
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Too kind. Thank you, Samuel!
@gregsgoogle294711 ай бұрын
Ok that’s seriously funny 😆
@gman21xx7 ай бұрын
It was the onions! 😂 ... That's what I'm going with from now on.
@gman21xx7 ай бұрын
Love this video... But I'm loving this comment even more 😂
@obrunolegal434019 күн бұрын
there was nothing he could do about it. the onion ring was a made man and tony wasn't.
@charlesdemers2542 Жыл бұрын
Lots of novel insights here; really compelling stuff. I also think there is an echo of Uncle Junior’s “I was involved with that?” from earlier in the episode in Tony’s “I did?” when AJ has to remind him what he said; Junior has forgotten the place he once had in the crime family, Tony has forgotten the place he once had in the kindred family.
@scenicmedia86249 ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you, Charles! I think Junior lives in a kind of hell on earth. No past. No future. He has been cast into oblivion. I think this is an extreme metaphor for the position Tony finds himself in. Tony no longer has a past. All of his friends have been killed. Tony no longer has a future. Those who remain in his organization have betrayed him (even if he does not know that yet). Melfi has turned her back on him. The FBI no longer considers him a priority (recall that Tony was made to wait for a meeting with his contact. In other words, his days of being able to command an audience with the agency are over). Even his own lawyer intuitively understands that Tony no longer has any power. Recall that his lawyer is watching the strippers backstage on closed circuit television and eating a hamburger while feeding Tony cliches about going to trial. Everything is already gone by the time Tony meets with Junior. His death at the diner will be, in a sense, a formality. So I do think you're correct to draw a correlation between Junior and Tony. I think they are both finished and neither one of them has the ability to grasp that fact.
@dietdrpepper15 Жыл бұрын
I appreciate that the finale had to grow on people. At first it’s so jarring for viewers that of course they got in a rage. But the more time passes(and how other shows fumble their endings) the more this ending is seen for the masterpiece that it is.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Agreed. Thank you, Doctor!
@HOTD108_ Жыл бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624That's diet Doctor to you!
@ramirobenavidez1975 Жыл бұрын
We must also remember back in season 2 Christopher's near death experience where he tells Tony "Mike told me to tell you 3:00". This means dave chase already had this ending in mind since than and actually did it seven year's later. It goes to show why the Sopranos was the greatest show ever made.
@abdoundao8806 Жыл бұрын
The statement could be a hint that Paulie did the hit, it links to Tony’s death but the fact that Paulie never resolved his tie to the statement might imply he is involved in the hit.
@amyamyamy777 Жыл бұрын
@@abdoundao8806🤯🤯🤯🤯
@Gump3279 ай бұрын
Maybe i should give an enema to my teletubbies
@ThatAngloSaxonBlokeАй бұрын
I would say this is one hell of a reach, but what a reach it is. A very thorough and informative analysis. Thanks
@scenicmedia8624Ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you so much, Bloke!
@goofedman2 жыл бұрын
never seen anyone accuse the outdoorsman as a shooter until now. All the theories about whether it was Patsy, Carlo, New York or even Eugene's wife family member who hired members only to carry out the hit. Also if you remember that super bowl commercial this year, I wonder if by canon AJ is still alive as well. Excellent video
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your feedback, Goofed. Finishing up an analysis on the commercial now. Should have a video posted in the next few days. Will update. Thanks again!
@joshpointoh Жыл бұрын
If AJ were to still be alive, how would that happen? He could get shot up, and pull through, I guess. Or is it more likely that he comes up small, like he almost always did.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
@@joshpointoh I posted a follow-up video analysis on the 2022 Super Bowl car commercial. It may sound weird, but Anthony Jr. appears in the commercial as a ghost. There is a lot of evidence to support that. It was surprising to me how much the commercial supports the theory that all three family members were killed. If you care to check it out, it's here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYi3ZoWarpuAp68
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Quick follow-up. I published a video on The Sopranos 2022 Super Bowl car commercial. Surprising to me how much the commercial confirms the argument that all three family members were murdered, including Anthony Jr. He appears to his sister in the commercial as a ghost or an expression of wish fulfillment. If you care to check out the video, is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYi3ZoWarpuAp68
@valentinabrown8939 Жыл бұрын
I also like the idea of Tony looking through the jukebox of many great "hits." Tony choosing "Don't Stop Believing" which is one of the biggest hits of all time...symbolizing Tony's "hit" as one of the biggest, as well.
@bigb2650 Жыл бұрын
Oh wow I didn’t catch that myself that makes perfect sense! Also, “A Hit Is A Hit”
@nondrip107 Жыл бұрын
I don't think that this has ever been pointed out, but the shot showing Tony flipping through the list of songs shows the previous page before he finds "Don't Stop Believing", the song directly behind it is "This Magic Moment". This song plays in "Soprano Home Movies", after Bobby comes home to his family after completing his first hit. For Bobby, the magic moment symbolized the line he crossed with becoming a murder, and perhaps the magic moment for Tony is leaving the mortal realm.
@yeadogthazmyboi Жыл бұрын
@@nondrip107t’s not this magic moment it’s “Magic Man” @2:05
@nondrip107 Жыл бұрын
@@yeadogthazmyboi It's on the previous page of the jukebox. You gotta watch the full clip in motion, it shows Tony flipping through the pages and the song behind it is this magic moment. Different band but still a neat touch
@prepaidtrash55522 ай бұрын
such elementary analysis lol
@schaffer5653 Жыл бұрын
Wife and I just finished watching the series for the first time and immediately went to the internet in search of meaning as we were both so disappointed by the ending. This analysis completely changed our perspective...Brilliant analysis, brilliant ending. Thanks!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Excellent. That's great to hear. Thank you very much, Schaffer!
@laurenlane9564 Жыл бұрын
I’ve sent this analysis to several friends who loved the show as much as I, and the consensus is unanimous, you have created a brilliant video essay!! It opened my eyes to so many elegant storytelling details. I’m grateful for your hard work creating this and your generosity in sharing it!! More content please!!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
That is very kind of you, Lauren! I'm really happy to hear that you enjoyed the work. Thank you so much! I'm writing the script for the next video now. I'll share with you when it's posted. I think it's going to be interesting. Thank you again, Lauren!
@sbhouston7 ай бұрын
I don't understand how this analysis hasn't gotten more attention. Excellent work.
@scenicmedia86247 ай бұрын
That's very kind of you. Thank you, Scott!
@fletch48137 ай бұрын
As the old shrink said to Carmela. "You can't say you haven't been told." For my part, I'll never play journey, order coke, eat onion rings whole, or dine in a place that has a bell on its entrance.
@scenicmedia86247 ай бұрын
You are wise, Fletch.
@smellsuperb1 Жыл бұрын
As David Chase has stated repeatedly, "nothing in this show is coincidence".
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
This final scene really is a master work. It is so densely constructed it's kind of staggering. I did almost 30 minutes and definitely did not cover everything that's going on.
@aaronalonso4267 Жыл бұрын
Man, this is the best of analysis I've ever had
@scenicmedia86248 ай бұрын
Right on. Very kind of you. Thank you, Aaron!
@KennethKaniff9992 ай бұрын
He's got the makings of a Varsity video essayist.
@scenicmedia86242 ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you, Kenneth!
@RandomPerson-ml4wh2 жыл бұрын
Chrissy says “tell Paulie and Tony 3o’clock” after getting shot and being clinically dead. Just like how members only enters at Tony’s 3o’clock.
@brenthenshaw35852 жыл бұрын
Three O'Clock and the Rule of Three permeate throughout the series. It takes Meadow three times to park the car right, which prevents the Guardian Angel from blocking the shot to Tony's Three O'Clock. And it is also the third attempt on Tony's life.
@smellsuperb1 Жыл бұрын
@@aj99080 yup, 3 lights extinguished 💯
@BuffaloveBills Жыл бұрын
Paulie put the gun in the bathroom, fate put Tony at 3 o’clock
@meg2231 Жыл бұрын
Rly though wtf was Paulie up to at the end
@mmaallday118 Жыл бұрын
The direction of the death bullet from where Tony is sitting is also e o clock
@tommyhemlock7915 Жыл бұрын
Hard to see if this scenario would have worked in real life. Killing a mob boss in front of his family is nothing to the Mafia, but killing his family as well would be the quickest way to start a mob war, especially if the hit was ordered by the head of a rival family (which I think it was in this case). And having witnessed her parents and younger brother being killed as she walked through the door, wouldn’t Meadow’s likely reaction have alerted the assassins as to her identity, thereby possibly ensuring she didn’t survive? I believed from the outset that the ending meant Tony was killed, but that it was he alone, and not his family.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for checking out the video, Tommy. Thanks also for your feedback. To be clear, I don’t think Carmella & Anthony Jr. were targeted. I mean to present them as collateral damage. The basic argument is that if we’re willing to accept that the murder plot unfolded in the restaurant then we cannot but concede that collateral damage is possible. If we accept that the family was not killed on purpose, then Meadow would remain unharmed based on where she was physically at the moment the screen cuts to black. There would be no impulse on the part of the killers to murder her on their way out the door. The fact that Carmella & Anthony Jr. are collateral damage is also how we address the fact that organized crime observes a code of conduct that forbids families from targeted violence. Lastly, I’m not inclined to think that the deaths of Carmella and Anthony Jr. would spark a mob war in this case. The original game plan stated by “New York” was to kill off all of the "New Jersey" leadership and “do business with whatever is left”. Following Tony’s murder, there would not be much of an organization left to retaliate. In any event, my sense is that the deaths of Tony, Carmella, and Anthony Jr. are preordained. Once they step into that diner, all of the mobster machinations, rules, and codes become irrelevant. The family is taken over by a kind of divine inevitability. They are fated to die and Meadow is fated to carry on.
@BagelKaren Жыл бұрын
They could've been killed as fallout from Tony protecting Tony B for being family. And meadow was dating Patsy son and Patsy was probably behind the sanctioning of the hit.
@detectiveMM9 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 I really liked your video, but why would they be collateral damage? As soon as the shooters start shooting, they’ll likely just freeze up and it will take the shooters less than two seconds to get the job done.
@scenicmedia86249 ай бұрын
@@detectiveMM - Thanks, Detective. You can hypothesize one outcome. I can hypothesize another. You can also claim "best odds" for your outcome. I would even agree with you. But, ultimately, we don't how it happened. The only way to attempt to discover how things net out is to look at the symbolic evidence. Three family members take Holy Communion while one family member is conspicuously and crucially absent from the ritual. This tends to bind the three family members together in a common fate. Three lights persist throughout the scene and individual lights are consistently associated with each character throughout the scene. Light is a common and uncontroversial symbol for spirit. All of this indicates that violence touches all three family members. I would go one step further here. The finale that takes place inside the diner has an atmosphere of the divine. To mean, everything that is slated to happen seems to be preordained. In the end, Tony and Carmella must confront a moral universe. Anthony Jr., who is still a boy, is sacrificed as both their punishment and their redemption. The ending is a kind of metaphor for Christ on the cross alongside Dismas, and Gestas. Anthony Jr. is the Christ figure. Tony is the 'Good Thief' and Carmella, contrary to her religiosity throughout the series, is the 'Unrepentant Thief'. The point is that by the time we get to the finale, there is only so much to be said about what would happen in the real world. The death of the lead characters have moral implications that are also being addressed. Below see a few real world example of collateral damage: Joseph Peraino Sr. Attempted Murder 1982 Two shooters opened fire with shotguns on a primary target and his son in 1982. Son was murdered. Nun was killed by stray buckshot. www.nytimes.com/1982/01/05/nyregion/two-slain-and-one-hurt-in-a-mob-style-shooting.html Carmine Galante Murder 1979 Three shooters with pistols and a shotgun respectively entered The Joe and Mary Italian‐American Restaurant and murdered Galante, 70, and his bodyguard, 90. The restaurant owner was collateral damage while a teenage boy was critically wounded. www.nytimes.com/1979/07/13/archives/galante-and-2-shot-to-death-in-a-brooklyn-restaurant-son-of.html Colombo Leadership Murder 1972 Contract killer working for the Gallo family mistakenly killed two civilians and wounds two civilians when attempting to murder senior Colombo leadership at the Neapolitan Noodle restaurant in Manhattan. www.nytimes.com/1972/08/16/archives/hunt-for-gunman-pressed-by-police-scores-in-mafia-families.html
@nativesun76619 ай бұрын
@@detectiveMMdisagree. AJ’s the same person who took an effing KNIFE into a State-run mental institution to try and kill his uncle to avenge his father. The shooter would literally have been standing RIGHT NEXT to where AJ was sitting when he walked up to the table and began shooting. AJ would have at the very least tried to push/knock the gun out of the shooter’s hands, try to push the shooter away or even try to physically cover his dad (all instinctive and without thinking, AJ’s not a hero or particularly brave but he DOES love his father) and Carmela would *instantly* jump up to protect AJ. Hence putting both of them in the crossfire (there were two shooters).
@nikousenpai2 жыл бұрын
Never seen someone dissect the ending so deeply. Wether one believes this theory or not, I gotta say, kudos, you've elaborated your theory pretty well!
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Nikousenπ!
@billyb6001 Жыл бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 ya dude. im kinda mentally exhausted after that . not sure if you read to much into it or Im missing so much symbolism in life.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Hey @@billyb6001 - it's all there, my man. Thank you so much for checking it out!
@YannChe6 ай бұрын
Just stumbled upon this examination of the ending and I have to say you changed my mind on how I felt about it. At first I didn’t feel like the ending was a good fit for such a great show but your video made me realize I might have overlooked a lot of details that condensed a lot of meaning. Thank you for taking the time to make this for those of us who didn’t quite get it the first time!
@scenicmedia86246 ай бұрын
Very kind of you. Thank you so much, Yann!
@juansantiagoyv9 ай бұрын
This is one of the best video analysis I’ve seen in many many years. The complete understanding you have of symbolism and that great directors don’t rely on coincidences makes everything seem so simple. The scene is a microcosmos of the whole show but it is all leading to the tragic ending of the Soprano family, the kindred and the crime family.
@scenicmedia86248 ай бұрын
Right on, man. Very kind. Thank you, Juan!
@joshpointoh Жыл бұрын
The reason I don't see them all dying, or if they did, it was accidental: Most obvious, it's against the mom's usual rules to involve family. Doing it in front of family is different but shooting them would be really extreme, to say the least. They don't wait for Meadow, meaning it clearly wasn't an essential part of the plan. There's no real indication, due to the black out happening when it does. If it wasn't planned, AJ could jump up and try to stop the main shooter, causing him to get shot as well, and somehow Carmella would be caught in a crossfire. Definitely plausible but just a lot of assumptions required.
@JohnHansknecht Жыл бұрын
Correct. The mob has a code of honor regarding family because they know what goes around, comes around.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for chcking out the video JK! Thank you for your feedback as well. My apologies for responding to you so late. To start, I consider Carmella and Anthony Jr. collateral damage. There would have been no reason to target them. However, given the symbolism throughout the finale, it appears they are ultimately killed in the process. I think if you're willing to accept that a murder plot takes place inside a busy diner, then you cannot but accept that collateral damage is possible. If it were important to the mob to protect his family from harm, then another time and place would have been selected. The same is true in real life. Look at what happened with the Joe Gallo murder in 1972. I think that is the closest comparison to be made. Colombo shooters opened fire on Joe while he sat with his family at Umberto's in Little Italy. His sister, his wife, and her ten-year-old daughter were all caught up in the crossfire. None were harmed but they could have been very easily. It certainly was not the case that primary shooter Carmine DiBiase decided to wait until he could be sure no one else might get hurt. In terms of the finale, I tend to think that once the family steps into the diner, they're stepping into a kind of divine space where their deaths are preordained. Carmella and Anthony Jr. are destined to die along with Tony and the killers are instruments of fate. Thank you again for checking out the video and for your feedback, JK. Regarding the mob "code of honor" this response from Henry Hill has a ring of truth to it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXPZlYWKZrVpmbM
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
@@JohnHansknecht - Suspect you're right to point out that the 'code of honor' is a practical calculation at its core. I suspect that it started as a top-down mandate imposed to maintain order in the ranks. The mandate was packaged as a "code of honor". Best way to encourage a subordinate to internalize a prohibition is to make it honorable.
@christopherconnelly44779 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 Fantastic job on the analysis. My only hang up was the supposition that the hit included Carmela and AJ. However, I've reconsidered this and I think this could be a nod to Godfather 2 wherein Don Ciccio orders the murder of young Vito Corleone (and his mother) so that they cannot get their revenge. Great job!
@theguitarfather18373 ай бұрын
One shooter not two.....the importance of meadow being late is that the shooter wouldn't have a clean shot upon exiting the bathroom.... the Italian mafia does NOT kill family....only other members that took an oath....this is a great analysis but is also over reaching so far up its own ass lol
@indicatoker420 Жыл бұрын
The series has a strong stench of Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. It was obvious to me after just a few episodes. Tony is like a grown up Raskalnikov that has a family. And in modern society, is seeking psychiatry. The number 3 has a lot of significance in the novel, and this is Tony's 3rd time in danger like that. It came to him in the end or maybe it was a dream. Nobody got to know who by if so. So, 'don't stop, believin...' the song plays all the way through the scene. I think that gives it away that it is all down to however you perceive/believe it to be.
@Dgusting Жыл бұрын
The other Journey track with that is also Any Way You Want It which makes sense to that point as well
@alexthrailkill2 жыл бұрын
Liked, subbed, commenting for engagement. This is such a thoughtful video even if half of it wasn’t intended by Chase, I already loved the ending but some of these bits you’ve pointed out add a lot more to it. I never assumed AJ and Carmela died and I’m not sure if Chase did either but man does it make sense.
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Nice. Thank you, Alex!
@GLING17 Жыл бұрын
Very interesting analysis of that final Sopranos scene. It's such a good show, one of the best I've seen. Rest in peace, Tony, Carmella and Anthony Jr.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Very kind of you, Gling. Thank you so much!
@serotoninsyndrome9 ай бұрын
That's a fantastic catch about the Rockwell painting in the kitchen. I always had a feeling that every single cut, every single shot, was somehow very important to the overall Final Scene, and i always wondered what was going on in the grill shot. The entirety of Holsten's has an eerie, supernatural feeling. I've always felt like it was filled with ghosts- there are customers that even resemble people in Tony's life- Phil Leotardo pointing a finger gun at the cub scouts, below a picture that says "Philip" lol. There's a woman that kinda looks like Janice. The young laughing couple always reminded me of AJ and Meadow. It's like everyone there is an echo of a character from the show. Love your analysis and I'm waiting to see what else you're going to release in the future. Excellent work!
@scenicmedia86248 ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you, Thorne! If I were to do this video again now, I think I would simplify my discussion on the Rockwell painting. The diary is simply a symbol for the real reason she updates her birth control. Her secret. She does not want to subject her child to the same mortal dangers to which her own parents subject her and her brother. The relevance and urgency of the symbol is present at the very moment her worst fears will come true. The fact that Anthony Jr. is part of this symbolic composition is also simple. The fact that we see him learn the secret in the image foreshadows the fact that he will live out the underlying scenario. In other words, he will be killed. I think I put the basic idea across in the presentation, but I also think it gets a little abstract toward the end. I talk about substituting Meadow for her mother and Anthony Jr. for her own child. All of that stuff is technically correct, but it is a little confusing. I think the more cogent argument is the one here. In any event, it is a very clever image to use in this context. I suspect Chase likes the idea of using an icon of white Americana like Rockwell to transmit the secret fears of a Mafia daughter. The pairing is so unlikely. Furthermore, the painting itself is weird, salacious, incestuous. I would agree with your assessment that the atmosphere is supernatural. There are definitely outright discontinuities in the scene. The first woman to walk in appears to head into the dining area and yet later she can be seen at the counter. There is a man at the counter who later disappears. A second booth of Boy Scouts spontaneously appears to the left of Tony. My intuition on the Boy Scouts is that they are angels who gather to prepare to ferry the dead into the afterlife. The young couple seated in the back strike me as the youthful expression of love between Tony and Carmella. It is as if we see a kind of hologram of where it all began. In any event, I thank you for your insights and for your kind compliments. I am feverishly working on my next presentation. Thank you again, Thorne!
@serotoninsyndrome8 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 I like the idea of the boy scouts being "angels", or maybe in Tony's case, "demons" who will escort him to the afterlife. If you'll recall, in one episode, it is a Boy Scout-like troop of kids that finds the washed up remains of the man killed in Adriana's club on a beach. There's definitely a tie-in with Death and Boy Scouts in Sopranos-world. I find that one shot of the "ghost of Phil Leotardo" talking to them so creepy. As they listen intently, he talks to them as a group while making the sign of the gun with his fingers. It's as if he's telling them about what happened to him in his life, or preparing them for what they're about to see, or possibly what they are here to do, which will happen any minute now. Maybe he's reminding them to always remember the boy scout motto: "Be prepared"...
@melloone6117 ай бұрын
I’ve been a faithful watcher of The Sopranos since the pilot aired back in’99. I’m on my 3rd lap of watching and at the first half of the last season. This was definitely in the top 3 analysis of the series finale! Excellent work.
@scenicmedia86247 ай бұрын
Very kind of you. Thank you so much, MelloOne!
@marco996210 ай бұрын
This is such a brilliant analysis, and such a well-crafted video. Thank you! I watched it yesterday and I haven't stopped thinking about it. You know, just the taking of the three onion rings, just that, for me, proves your premise. Seeing those three moments, in sequence, and then side-by-side, sent chills down my spine. There it was right there! I'll add one thing not mentioned in the video, but surely observed by others previously: when you referred to shooter one as "members only" I realized that the scene where Gene, in his members only, shoots the guy in the pizza joint in Boston, directly foreshadows this hit on Tony. My God - the episode - the first of the final season - was called "Members Only"!
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
Very kind of you, Mark. Thank you so much! I went back to watch the murder scene with Gene in the roadside eatery. I think you're totally right; there is foreshadowing here. Not least because the killer steps through the door and rings a chime. For anyone who may read this thread, I'll include a link to the scene here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHbCdXioos2Xj9Usi=W7pekBkeZzfxSEaL There is another scene that foreshadows the finale that you might find interesting. There is a kind of miniature dress rehearsal featuring Carmella and Tony at the reception for Bobby's funeral. You'll see the couple for a brief moment. Carmella sits facing the camera with a plate on her lap. Tony stands off to the side and faces away from the camera; he contemplates a large painting of Mt. Vesuvius viewed from the Gulf of Naples. All of the basic elements from the finale are here. The two are dining together. There is a large mural on the back wall. There are mounted light fixtures. Consistent with the symbolism in the finale, we see two light fixtures portending death for Carmella and Tony respectively. As an aside, it is interesting to note that the position of the light fixtures facing out from either wall mirrors the character blocking. Next, there is a shadowy figure of a man who temporarily blots out our view as he passes before the camera; this happens throughout the finale. Finally, the funeral reception itself provides the atmosphere of death that otherwise lingers in the finale. Here is the link to the scene if you care to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep_coWuvlpWMbrcsi=eAkFlSn0DWEFSPWz&t=38
@marco996210 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 Thank you for taking the time to reply. Last night I watched the full episode, and the final scene was especially thrilling for me, having been thinking about your analysis all day, and paying close attention to all the details in the setting, the direction, and the symbolism. Stunning! And I had noticed that tableau during the funeral dinner, with Carmela and Tony, when I felt a dreadful foreboding of what lay ahead. The craftsmanship of your video is exceed only by the craftsmanship of the episode itself. Thank you for producing it and for sharing it. I don't know which explanation would be more impressive: that you created a convincing narrative from a bunch of unrelated unintentional details, or that you were able to unpack the deliberate and intentional meaning and design of the scene!
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
@@marco9962 Too kind. Too kind. Thank you, Mark! Working on an analysis of the The Sopranos opening credits now. Will be curious to hear what you think. Thank you again!
@NicholasBennettC6 ай бұрын
Brilliant and refreshing. You presented your case and peaced out without being for bell notifications or subs. I'm now subscribed.
@scenicmedia86246 ай бұрын
Right on. Very kind. Thank you, Nicholas!
@ParadigmShifted Жыл бұрын
You have mentioned so many different things that i have never heard referenced before….and it’s provided me a “fresh view” of this final scene. You really dug deep into this….like really deep. I’ve listened to hundreds of podcasts, participated in dozens of round tables with other fans, and picked through many websites with everything written out and broken down into pieces….a LOT of what you mention in here has NEVER been referenced to, or brought up to be thought/debated about…. Seriously this is fvcking impressive.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Very kind of you. Thank you so much, Paradigm Shift!
@ParadigmShifted Жыл бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 you’re very welcome:)
@nativesun76619 ай бұрын
I agree with your analysis of his analysis. 100 percent. Truly great, great work Scenic!
@videosolutions1683 Жыл бұрын
That was deep. I always knew Tony was going to be killed but I never thought the family. Very interesting
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Very kind of you, Video. I'm glad you liked it. Thank you so much!
@papi-sauce Жыл бұрын
they good as dead anyways. i m sure they all got enemies.
@bobby.m1362 жыл бұрын
I've seen a lot of analysis on this and this probably is the most in depth yet. There's a lot you point out that is supportive evidence but I do hope that all three of them didn't get killed lol. Thank you for a well thought out video, this one is to be taken seriously.
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Very cool. Thank you, Bobby!
@meadowdrive5 Жыл бұрын
I will say this, I believed he was dead, as was everyone else at the table. This just explains to me what my brain couldn’t see. Bravo!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Hi, Rob & Tracy. Great to hear was able to elaborate on your original impression. Very kind of you. Thank you so much!
@dannigro8794 Жыл бұрын
This is a very nice analysis and a lot of things I didn’t even think of. We don’t know what’s real and what’s not but all these breakdowns really make you think. Thanks for the video.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Very kind of you. Thank you, Dan!
@robertlee41724 ай бұрын
You missed the part, where during the recreation of the last supper, whereby during the Catholic ceremony, each stage of the performance of the Holy Communion, the altar boy rings the bell. Bringing attention to the parishioner, to observe the ceremony at the front of the church. Each time the bell rings at Holsten's, Tony looks towards the front of the store. An eerie simulation of how the church service is executed.
@scenicmedia86244 ай бұрын
Yes, I’ve heard that; that each chime is meant to draw the attention of the parishioner back to the altar. I definitely understood from the start that the door chime provides the scene with the cadence of a religious ritual, but I had not known that it was a feature of the ritual of Holy Communion. The chime in the scene also participates in another layer of symbolism designed to demonstrate that Anthony Jr. enters the space without sin. The use of the chime connotes sin in this context. Notice, for example, he is the only person we see enter the diner without ringing the chime. Instead, he enters behind the primary shooter. Conversely, Meadow is the only person who we hear ring the chime without seeing her enter. In other words, the entry of each sibling is inverse to the other. The distinction is a further indication that each sibling meets a different fate.
@lambrosk37902 жыл бұрын
Awesome video! By far the best finale breakdown. Another interesting thing is how in season 4 Carmela was wearing an inverted type outfit; red pants with a leopard print top (though, it looks to be black and white) when she says “I can tell you this or you can watch the news, everything comes to an end!”
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Lambros!
@feiticeiras2 ай бұрын
I enjoyed your analysis, very interesting and well explained insight 😊
@scenicmedia86242 ай бұрын
Very kind. Great to hear that you found it interesting. Thank you, Angel!
@lakota_himself2 жыл бұрын
Damn. Brilliant video mate, and a very fresh take on things. Salud!
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Lakota!
@WP36366 ай бұрын
Amazing work.
@scenicmedia86246 ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you, WP!
@OaksArm10 ай бұрын
I personally think this scene is THE finest display of the medium in the entire history of motion pictures (to the extent I know) and this analysis reinforces that. Absolutely brilliant job, here.
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
Very kind of you. Thank you so much Oaks! Agree with you, this scene is an exceptional piece of work.
@joshpointoh Жыл бұрын
As weird as it sounds, the moment that screen went black, that was a moment I will never forget where I was when it happened. To think this scene will go down in my life as one of those few moments I can completely recall, up there with 9/11, really goes to show how powerful it was.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Interesting, JK. Thank you for your feedback.
@laughman7357 Жыл бұрын
Similar to how Christopher depicted Hell actually, this scene in my opinion. The dream state feel of the scene makes me feel like if you played it on repeat, you'd be experiencing Tony's Hell. Chris said about his dad that every night they wack him the same way they did in life, and it's painful. I'm not saying I think we're actually seeing Hell on screen, but I couldn't help but think about that every time I've watched this ending. A father, almost getting his whole family together one last time, but doesn't ever get it. Sounds like Hell to me.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your feedback, Laughman! I appreciate it. Personally, I don’t think we’re looking at hell in this scene. There are a few things that suggest otherwise. First, the hell that Christopher described featured the dread of knowing that death will come again. As you indicate, the damned know that death will come and that it will be painful. In other words, foreknowledge is an integral part of the punishment. There is no sense that Tony knows what is coming in the diner scene. Now, you could argue that we are there to witness the “first” time it happens and that forever after he will know. However, there is nothing we can point to that indicates we are looking at the start of an eternally recurring pattern. Next, we are shown a depiction of hell before Tony arrives at the diner. When Tony visits Junior, I think we are meant to see what it is to be in hell - hell on earth at any rate. Junior is in a kind of perpetually frustrated state of amnesia. He cannot quite grasp who he is, what he has done, who is around him, nor how he got to be where he is in the present moment. He is forgotten, alone, and without hope. That is hell. Tony seems to realize this, and looks upon him with a kind of pity. Interestingly, it is the exact opposite of the hell Christopher describes. To mean, it's not about knowing too much, it's about not knowing enough. Finally, I would argue there is an atmosphere of grace and forgiveness inside the diner. Personally, my sense is that Tony is granted a divine grace before his assassination. His grace is to be liberated from the total grip of his criminal sociopathy and granted an opportunity to be a father before he is murdered. This idea plays on the notion of a last supper. The last meal granted to a criminal slated for execution. Notice that Tony does seem different in the scene. He is relieved to see his wife arrive. He looks at her lovingly as she situates herself in the booth. He looks hopeful when he thinks Meadow may be pregnant and disappointed when he learns that she is not. He is pleased to see his son arrive and clasps his hand when he sits down. I suspect this grace is also in part why he seems slightly out of it at times. For example, he cannot remember what he told his son, nor does he notice the killers closing in on him. That is the price of his grace although I would argue that everything happening in the diner is portrayed as preordained. In any event, both Tony and Carmella will be punished. Each will be murdered but, more importantly, their son will also be murdered. This is the price they pay. Meadow told Anthony Jr. that, as their son, he will always be more important to them than her. Moreover, Anthony Jr. will die as an innocent. He is without sin. We see that in the final scene. In this way, he can serve as both punishment and redemption for his parents. This is the centerpiece of the Catholic symbolism at work in the scene. This sits underneath the ritual of the Eucharist. Tony and Carmella must pay for their sins through the death of their son; and through the death of their son they will also be redeemed. You may be right about Meadow. The fact that she does not show up in time to be with her father before his death is frustrating for him. But he must bear that to spare her life. As if he knew what was to happen, he did have his own separate dinner with Meadow in the run up to his death. Thank you for checking out the video and thanks again for your feedback!
@OaksArm10 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624I have little patience for effusive KZbin comments but I have to break my own rule: this is phenomenal.
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
@@OaksArm - Very kind. Very kind. Thank you, Oaks!
@eddiekaspbrak46245 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624Yeah I agree. There is that one part of Tony’s pov before we see him sit down in the restaurant where he looks tired, bored (almost like he’s seen this all play out) but again, as you’ve said, I don’t think there’s any real evidence that he is in hell.
@oldpossum578 ай бұрын
Overall, a very fine close reading of the scene. Your explication of the Norman Rockwell illustration, your calling attention to the jersey numbers, are details I had not noticed. I think sometimes though we find convenient connections when we are perhaps just speculating. I do not see enough of a pattern for the suggestion that “The first shall be last”, etc. But very fine work. I learned a lot.
@scenicmedia86247 ай бұрын
Right on. Very kind. Thank you, Old Possum!
@emperortgp24248 ай бұрын
I'm sorry if it has been brought to your attention before, but Meadow succeeds in parking her car on the 3rd attempt, and Tony mentions to Melfi "Three strikes and I'm out" when he was talking about the attempts on his life. Wonder if these two are connected.
@scenicmedia86248 ай бұрын
Hi, Emperor. I never actually counted out the number of times she attempted to park. Looking back, that was an oversight. It does not surprise me though. The number three in the finale is especially relevant in the Catholic context. I suspect if we pursue of ritual of the Eucharist to its logical conclusion we are looking at reenactment of the crucifixion. Anthony Jr. is the Christlike figure whose death is both punishment and redemption for his father and mother. Punishment because he is their prize progeny and their own immoral life choices are the immediate cause of his death. Redemption because Anthony Jr. will, for intents and purposes, die as a child. He never grew into an adult. He never struck out on his own. Not like Meadow for example. He would have, sooner or later, but simply had not yet. In this way, his death can redeem his parents. In the context of the crucifixion, I would image that Tony is Dismas, the 'Good Thief', and Carmella, contrary to her religious preening throughout the series, is Gestas the 'Unrepentant Thief'. My general sense is that the family is granted a kind of divine grace - a moment to commune together before their death. I think this is why Tony seems a little out of it. He is liberated from his sociopathy and allowed to be together with his wife and son. In any event, I think the number three is all over the final episodes particularly the finale given the prominent Catholic religious symbolism. Here is another "3" that also includes a JFK assassination reference. When Tony visits Silvio in the hospital. There is a radio ad playing the background for a slice-and-dice kitchen gizmo. The ad copy refers to "all three [dishes] ready to heat and serve"..."with the original magic bullet that does any job in 10 seconds or less." The copy seems foreboding somehow. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mImTo4ylnrSpq8k
@jayfreeman3004 Жыл бұрын
The people who created this masterpiece series sure knew how to end it .What a great finish.
@ljboutabag488410 ай бұрын
It’s crazy because it was said that most mob related killings suspects would enter the bathrooms before killing their targeted victim in restaurants. This shows how well directors put The Sopranos story aligned with real life events, one of the greatest shows ever❤️
@DisparityOfBeliefAndTruth Жыл бұрын
Man, I’m only 4 minutes in and I’m already struck by this analysis. Great work! K, back to the vid….
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Hey, right on. Very kind. Thank you, Tom!
@4chub896 Жыл бұрын
Incredibly thorough, intelligent analysis. Brings out all the meaning of the last scene. Solidifying this show as the best to ever been made.. for the longest time I pondered the death of Tony through the perspective of Carmella and AJ and Meadow, how horrible that must of been and how could they have continued life after? now I have to think about this all over again. Meadow, the " Guardian angel" is the only perspective left.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Very kind of you, 4 Chub! Thank you so much. I think the 2022 car commercial works as a legitimate epilogue to the series. In particular, it indicates what has become of Meadow. Thank you again!
@BiteYourBicep2 жыл бұрын
Extremely impressive analysis, you've got a bright future.
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Too kind. Thank you, Bite!
@JM-ql7mh Жыл бұрын
Subbed. What a rollercoaster of a watch. Keep it up.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Will do. Thank you very much, JM!
@corey33811 ай бұрын
Well done. Quality cinematic analysis. Watching this part of the series right now.
@scenicmedia862411 ай бұрын
Very kind of you, Sensei. Thank you so much!
@cptkangaroo Жыл бұрын
Bravo!! I’ve seen many analytical videos concerning this final scene over the years ….but this one tops them all. Especially well done re. the light symbolism as well as the waitress’s repeated eclipsing of all 3 table occupants. I’d never heard of either of these insights before. Well done!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
That is great to hear. Very kind. Thank you so much, Sunny Joe White!
@LexFlowStateАй бұрын
I know I'm a little late to this comment section. But I just want to say that was the most in-depth thesis I've ever seen on the end of sopranos. Thank you so much! Great job done!! 👍🏽
@scenicmedia8624Ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you, Lex!
@gravyfish46846 ай бұрын
Brilliant. Eager for your next upload.
@scenicmedia86246 ай бұрын
Thank you, Gravy Fish! Very kind. New upload on "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" soon. Finishing script now. Thank you again!
@emanuele20x Жыл бұрын
Best analysis I've seen on YT for all mob related movies or tv. well done!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Very kind of you, Emanuele. Great to hear that you found it interesting. Thank you so much!
@ronaldlymm72482 жыл бұрын
Or maybe they just finished their meals and left for a quiet evening 😊
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Could be. Thanks, Ronald! 😃
@Lacroix677 ай бұрын
Interesting analysis. very thought provoking
@scenicmedia86247 ай бұрын
Right on. Very kind. Thank you, Chuck!
@aaronrowell69432 жыл бұрын
Considering tony survived two hits in the series, he's a varsity athlete at surviving hits. I don't blame whoever ordered the hit sending two guys. Also I never thought too much about the religious symbolism of the ending scene but makes a lot of sense when you put it into that context because a lot of the series has been how these practicing Catholics are only in church during funerals, spend the whole time talking about business, and really much of the series is about secularism versus religion. When you look at a psychiatrist as a confessor versus a Catholic priest that makes a lot of sense. Varsity athlete.... Two football players behind tony... Son of a Bitch!!!
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Interesting. Thank you, Aaron!
@paulsimpson3916 Жыл бұрын
They aways sent two
@flowerforsyte56714 ай бұрын
Wow! Excellent analysis.
@scenicmedia86244 ай бұрын
So kind, Flower! Thank you. I will respond to your other comments. Thanks again!
@ionrsm2 жыл бұрын
the actors for meadow and AJ did a Chevrolet commercial for this years superbowl playing their respective characters meeting up again. would you consider this as canon? i know it sounds stupid but it’s possibly the only evidence we have that, at the very least, they both survived Holsten’s. it was also directed by David Chase who is very meticulous and im sure must have considered this possibility
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
First, thank you so much for raising this point. I wrote out a complete response and posted it. But now I think I'm going to try to make a quick video on this. So I pulled it. In the meantime, suffice it to say that the commercial confirms the thesis presented in the video above. If you got my comment in your alerts (I hope you did), then you know what I'm talking about. Otherwise, will reach out to you when it's done. Thank you again for your feedback!
@ionrsm2 жыл бұрын
thanks for your response!! i look forward to hearing your thoughts on it soon :)
@brendanmuller73012 жыл бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 Don't have enough time to watch as I'm currently coughing my lungs out with covid can you give me a quick rundown on the thesis?
@flightofthebumblebee95292 жыл бұрын
@@brendanmuller7301 you have to watch it. There is too much to breakdown. You'll be glad you did. This is the Soprano ending analysis I been waiting 15 years for as a die hard fan. Even I never seen all these deliberate clues. Chase admits they did indeed add the paintings of the tiger and the football guys and Normal Rockwell stuff to Hostein's. Plus when you watch the mediocre Sopranos film it makes sense that Tony waiting for Dickie to show up at Holsteins was heavy foreshadowing of his own death. (Dickie never shows up because he was killed that night).
What a fantastic break down. I always knew Tony was killed. The question i had was about Aj and Carm
@scenicmedia86246 ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you, Troy!
@phaze13uk412 жыл бұрын
This is the best analysis of this scene over seen. I believed Tony died and also felt that at least one of Carmela or AJ had to get caught in the cross fire. I never gave the second shooter a thought. Great Video have a sub and a thumbs up 👍
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Hey, right on. Thank you, Phaze13!
@johnboy78568 ай бұрын
I’ve watched this scene so many times. I just made another observation though. The 2nd Journey song is Anyway You Want It. Perhaps this is David Chase saying to the audience “Whatever you think happens in this final scene, is what happened. Anyway you want it.” 🤷🏻♂️
@scenicmedia86248 ай бұрын
Hi, John. Thank you for your feedback. I wonder if the pairing of these two songs is not actually a metaphor for what is happening within the scene itself. The characters are preparing to leave the earthly realm and to enter the after life. Imagine that the dividing line between the two songs on the juke box selection card is a horizon line that separates heaven and earth. The afterlife is achieved through faith (i.e. "Don't Stop Believing") while life on earth is governed by free will (i.e. "Any Way You Want It"). The lyrics tend to support this. The narrator in "Don't Stop Believing" has a kind of omnipotent roving eye that passes over all kinds of people in different unhappy circumstances each trying to find there way. The narrator also looks across an eternal horizon when he suggests "the movie never ends." The narrator in "Any Way You Want It", is a single individual who encounters the joy of life. The "she" who is referred throughout the song is a metaphor for Nature, for the joy of life. "She loves to dance, She loves to sing, She does everything" and, like Nature, she is unrelenting, "All night, all night, Oh every night". "She" is the rush of life itself. Interestingly both songs encourage the listener to "hold on". This is because, I suspect, the one through line connecting these two songs is a recognition that the life experience can be joyous but can also be difficult. Finally, I think the primary sentiment of each song articulates the dividing line between the spirit and the body. "Don't Stop Believing" is about keeping faith that there is a higher power. Faith represents mind and spirit . "Any Way You Want It" is about the physical experience. It's about nature. That said, the song also endorses the concept that human beings express free will - "what you want, what you choose, is what you need." In any event, I think the songs are more of a comment on the internal contents of the scene. The transition from one realm to another. I'm less inclined to think the juxtaposition is a "wink" to the audience that they're watching a "choose your own ending" finale. Thanks again for your feedback!
@Dgusting Жыл бұрын
I also just moticed that the other track with Dont Stop Believing was Any Way You Want It which whether by design or not, speaks to what Chase has claimed about the ending. By that i mean, hes said before that the ending is whatever you (the viewer) wants it to mean.
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for checking out the video, Dgusting. Thank you for your feedback as well. You are probably correct that the title of the B-side track cited on the jukebox title card doubles as a message to the audience. I think your reading of the message itself is the most natural and plausible. The message tells the audience that the ending means whatever we want it to mean. In this way, the ambiguity inherent in the cut-to-black ending allows each individual to determine the fate of the series as they see fit. It's a fill-in-the-blank finale. I wonder if the message conveyed in the song title is not ironic. Your claim is based on the following logic: Nothing is necessary, therefore anything is possible. This presents a problem, however. If there are no wrong answers, then there is no right answer. In other words, if the meaning each viewer draws from the ending can be “Any Way You Want It”, then there is no meaning to be drawn. In this way, the message cited on the jukebox title card undermines its own implied meaning. The message does not encourage the audience to draw our own conclusions; the message informs us that whatever conclusion we may draw cannot but be meaningless. To compare. You’ve probably heard generic statements like, “everything is relative” or “nothing can be known for certain.” Here we find a similar problem to the jukebox title card. Both statements cited here define an absolute category that revokes the truth of the statement. Let’s take the first one, “everything is relative”. If we want to be strictly logical, we could respond, “yes, ‘everything is relative’ except the fact that ‘everything is relative’. That is not relative. Therefore, not everything is relative”. The same holds true for the second statement, “nothing can be known for certain.” In response, we could say, “correct, ‘nothing can be known for certain’ except the fact that ‘nothing can be known for certain’. That is something we can know for certain. Therefore, some things can be known for certain”. These statements wind up in the realm of internal contradiction (which is inherently meaningless). I think something similar is going on with this B-side title card. It is not permission to choose-your-own-ending; it is a nihilistic reminder that whatever you choose is meaningless. That nihilistic inversion, to me, would be closer to the kind of thing Chase might actually try to do. For example, consider the time displayed on the clock in the SUV as Tony drives home in the opening credits. This small, fleeting piece of information changes the meaning of the entire scene. The scene mocks our conditioned impulse to believe that we see a family man come home in the evening after a hard day at work (as opposed to a gangster coming home in the morning after a night of criminality). That is Chase. He is a trickster. I’m not inclined to think he is anymore truthful or trustworthy in interviews. I suspect it's all performance. Personally, I don’t think that’s what the title of the B-side is there to communicate. I suspect you want to compare the meaning of the two songs and you want to look at the position of the two tracks on the jukebox title card itself. I think the A-side (above) is about the family accepting their grace and ascending into the afterlife. I think the B-side (below) is about life continuing down here for Meadow. You can make an argument that the lyrics support this. Here is a kind of thumbnail sketch comparing the two songs. The narrator in “Don’t Stop Believing” is a disembodied, omnipotent eye that roams over an eternal array of lost souls who search for meaning in a “movie that never ends.” Conversely, the narrator in “Any Way You Want It”, is himself but one lost soul who is delighted to have finally found meaning. He “never knew what good love could do” but now he does. Furthermore, it is arguable that the “she” cited in the song refers not to an individual woman but to “nature”. This would explain how the song can claim that the expression of a desire is tantamount to the expression of a material need (i.e. "Any way you want it, that’s the way you need it"). ‘Needs’ operate at the level of nature. In any event, I think you can argue that the A-Side describes surveying life from an omnipotent, eternal perspective while the B-Side describes the rush of life as it is lived on the ground. Interestingly, both songs encourage the listener to ‘hold on’.
@gregsgoogle294711 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 Thing to realize is “Anyway You Want It” is NOT actually the b side to “Don’t Stop Believin”. Both songs were released as 2 independent A side singles, almost 2 years apart from each other & both are from separate albums too. The writers clearly added those songs together as a single just for the show. “Don’t Stop Believin” was written & recorded in 1981 & b side was a song titled “Natural Thing”. “Anyway You Want It” was written & recorded in 1979 & the b side is “When Your Alone It Ain’t Easy”. The appearance of the 2 songs as an A side & B side single is purely fictional.
@scenicmedia862411 ай бұрын
@@gregsgoogle2947 Nice. Thank you for your insights, Greg! I do think the songs are thematically related. They both tell versions of the same basic story from two different perspectives; and both songs tell the listener to "hold on".
@gregsgoogle294711 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 Oh I absolutely agree they are thematically linked. That was my point. The writers deliberately presented them as an A & B side single to draw our attention to both songs. Good fictional writers deviate from real life facts to draw our attention to what’s important to their story. Fictional writers aren’t documentary writers or news writers bound only to telling us what factually happened. I’m sure you know Chase’s passion for music. I promise you he could sing every good Journey tune written from memory. In fact he chose songs that actually explains and/or advances the script. The Sopranos is about 60% drama, 30% comedy & 10% a musical. All deliberate & meaningful to the story. Sorry if I sounded critical of your analysis. Quite the opposite. Was actually trying to help confirm it by noting it was a deliberate choice of the writers to present the songs as 1 single at the diner.
@scenicmedia862411 ай бұрын
@@gregsgoogle2947 Hi, Greg! No, I didn't think you were being critical. I totally appreciate your response, man. Thank you! Personally, for me, I do my level best to take no account of how something comes to be present in a fictional work. It is a matter of principle to ignore any conception of authorial intent. For example, I will agree with you that Chase made the decision to put those A & B sides together to articulate a message. Conversely, let's imagine Columbia records pressed an industry-only 45 for exclusive distribution through jukebox vendors. Would that somehow make the message less meaningful? I would say "no". For the kind of analysis I'm trying to do, these would be divergent paths to the same end. How ever it is that those two songs came to be paired together, they are there. The fact that they are "there" is all that matters. I would not attribute any more value to the object (whatever it may be) because I believed or even knew for a fact that the author had gone to some effort to put that object in the scene. Authorial intent is an inherently unreliable framework for narrative analysis for many reasons. It is certainly possible to talk about the author and his or her works. But that is a different domain of discourse. Narrative analysis, for me, is about sticking to the text with the least deviation possible. For me, authorial intent means everything when the work is being created. It means nothing after the work is released. Once a finished work is out in the world, it stands or falls on its own. I realize this may sound like I am dismissing your feedback. I absolutely am not. I totally appreciate what you're pointing out to me. I know this idea of setting authorial intent aside is not exactly intuitive so I just wanted to explain the process behind the analysis. Thank you, Greg!
@nativesun76619 ай бұрын
Brilliant analysis. This was grim. I had always known (or believed) that there was no ambiguity to the ending: Tony died. That was resoundingly clear. To me. But this…wow. I had never considered or even slightly imagined the possibility that the entire family (sans Meadow) was killed. That is extremely unsettling… Again, great work with this video.
@JamieKkos2 жыл бұрын
Bravo! Excellent analyzation about the ending scene. I too believe there is purpose in everything we see in that scene. Then it makes me sick how people did NOT like how the show ended. I thought it was perfect.
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much, Jamie! Agreed, the ending is genius.
@derekprospero17 күн бұрын
Did anybody consider the symbolism of the salt and pepper shaker on the table? Or what about the gum on the underside of the table? You can’t see it but that’s the GENIUS.
@scenicmedia862417 күн бұрын
kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4K6hJxviLR5bqs
@brenthenshaw35852 жыл бұрын
A couple thing I gotta take issue with. Everything in Holsten's was put there to represent Tony's life flashing before his eyes. The guy in the USA hat is not a contract killer, but representative the Government building a RICO case against Tony. I also don't believe Carmella and AJ were killed, but that Tony was killed in front of them, possibly because of Phil Leotardo being killed in front of his wife. Killing Carmella and AJ has nothing to do with business. Lastly is a whole point entirely missed here: At the beginning of Season 6, with the William S. Burroughs reading of the Seven Souls, a portion mentions the soul that is the Guardian Angel, and is read over a scene with Meadow. Meadow is the Guardian Angel. It's her voice that brings Tony out of the coma and keeps him from dying. In Holsten's the Guardian Angel is late, and if she would have been there earlier, Members Only would not have had a clean shot at Tony.
@scenicmedia86242 жыл бұрын
Thank you for checking it out, Brent. Thank you for your feedback too!
@tracyupshaw78622 жыл бұрын
spot on
@ColinoDeani16 күн бұрын
This was actually good.. I think the communion thing was a lil stretched but it was logical.. really cool break down of the assassination.. love your Imagination and thought process... got my Sub.. Well done.. interested in seeing what other scenes you've broken down from other genres... +1
@alipanroosendaal9503 Жыл бұрын
Fascinating. I totally agree that each nuance of the scene has been orchestrated by Chase. Everything has meaning, perhaps multiple meanings. For example, the number 22 also refers to Catch 22. In that story the lead sees being diagnosed as insane as the only way to escape his fate. This would break the notion for Tony of the only options being death or the can. However, I think that the onion rings are the key. Yes, they clearly are an allusion to the sacrement, but, as has been pointed out, Tony can no longer eat onions. This being so, then this scene is not reality. It must then be another dream sequence. Tony is projecting such a scenario; his unconscious reaching back to his favourite scene in The Godfather for the manner of assassination. This could also conflate with the most famous of all assasinations where 4 people were sitting together. Meadow would have joined them and then the attack is carried out. But....the dream stops abruptly. Does something wake him, or does he die in his sleep?
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for checking out the video. Thank you also for your feedback. Interesting theory. Thank you for sharing!
@goldeneramedia1 Жыл бұрын
I agree I just commented that feels like a dream sequence. He’s had them when he’s asleep and awake. Good call on the onion rings he can’t that kind of food or sausages anymore.
@betsybbb9 ай бұрын
But, if he knew or had a premonition that that was possibly their ‘last supper’…wouldn’t he order something he truly enjoyed regardless of how it currently effects him knowing that it could be his last meal. He says to AJ ‘best in the state as far as I’m concerned’
@alipanroosendaal95039 ай бұрын
@@betsybbb That is interesting. I reckon this all points to multiple interpretations which is Chase's way of handing over the reins to us, allowing the viewer to write the ending, for themselves. 👍
@AJG7617 күн бұрын
Thank you for all the hard work you put into this - very impressive and enjoyable 👊🏻
@scenicmedia862416 күн бұрын
Very kind of you. Thank you!
@michaelcosta277410 ай бұрын
Brilliant. I always accepted it was Tonys assassination but this makes total sense (two killers, the three of them killed, the football posters, the lights, the waitress blocking, etc.) Can't wait to watch it again.
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
Very kind. Thank you so much, Michael!
@deb75188 күн бұрын
A very thought-provoking analysis. I knew something was up when I spotted the brief close-up of the guy getting 3 creamers with his coffee. I knew that was significant, maybe a signal to someone?Your further highlighting of all the threes present in the scene was spot on, I think, as well as the bell announcing each arrival. Also, quite a few of the song titles Tony flipped through on the table's jukebox seemed to have meaning, to foretell some poignant family moment being highlighted. I really started feeling the vibe that something was up when they focused so much on Meadow's holdup in trying to park the car. My original take on the ending was simply that " you never know when it's your turn", not even Tony Soprano. I liked your pointing out the "You never know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for Thee" reference.
@crusoe90006 ай бұрын
When Tony enters Holsten's and "teleports himself" through one weird jumpcut, this is pure Kubrickian scenery. It's exactly how Dave Bowman sees himself getting old instantly, at the end of "2001, A Space Odyssey". This is a brilliant nod to Kubrick and a fastastic reuse of his metaphore. I'm sure this has been brought up before. At this very moment, Tony's expression is sadness, as he witnesses the inevitable. In other words, the "first Tony" we see might just be different than the one sitting: he's already dead, like a ghost that entered that eerie house in S06E03 where "everyone is waiting" (the house resembles the big paiting on the main wall, but maybe I'm stretching it). And then, along with the ghost, we reenact the "real" tragic act. Are there are references to purgatory in this whole final scene?
@scenicmedia86246 ай бұрын
Hi, Crusoe. Thank you for the great feedback. I think you're actually the first person to make the teleport connection to "2001". I think you're absolutely right about that. As an aside, I also did an analysis on The Sopranos Super Bowl car commercial and found a "2001" reference there. I failed to make that connection here though. Very insightful of you to spot that. Nice work. I will agree with you that the version of Tony who scans the dining room is not the version Tony who looks back toward the entrance. There we have all kinds of very clear transformational symbolic elements to choose from. Generally, I think we can say that when Tony walks through the door he is a gangster and a sociopath. He stands, overwhelming the screen; he wears the leather jacket like a kind of armor; he scans the landscape for threats. On the earthly plane, he is a powerful and menacing figure. When he is "teleported" into the booth he becomes something else. He has been prepared to pass into the afterlife. Where he stood, he is now seated. Where he overwhelmed the screen, he now appears greatly diminished and vulnerable. Gone is the leather jacket. He now wears a short sleeve shirt. My personal sense is that Tony is granted a kind of final grace before his death. He is freed from the sociopathy and depression that have entirely dominated his life and he is given a moment to commune with his family on this plane before they are all taken together into the afterlife. You'll notice that he is kind throughout the scene. He chooses the music. He orders the drinks. He orders the onion rings. He looks genuinely relieved to see Carmella arrive. He looks at her lovingly as she settles into the booth. He asks about Anthony. He asks about Meadow. He is excited at the prospect she might be pregnant. He is disappointed to learn that she is not. He greets Anthony Jr. warmly upon his arrival. The two share a moment of kindness and mutual appreciation. I also think the fact that he has lost his sociopathy is why he seems slightly out of it (he cannot recall the advice that he gave Anthony Jr. about "remembering the times that were good"); this is also why he is not alert to the dangers around him. He's been made ready to go. I don't think there is anything like purgatory going on here. I think this is a kind of interdimensional space between the real world and the afterlife. I think the narrative framework is not only based on the The Eucharist but also the subsequent Crucifixion. I think Anthony Jr. is the innocent who will be killed as both punishment and redemption for the sins of his parents. Anthony Jr. is still a boy. He has not yet become a man and so he is an "innocent" in that narrow sense. In this way, his death can take on a redemptive aspect. He can redeem them. He is also their son, their prize progeny. Meadow tells us this in the final episodes. She says to Anthony Jr. something like, "We're Italian. You're their son. You'll always be more important to them than I am." In this way, his death is also their punishment. The life of the son they value so much is cut down as an immediate and direct consequence of their own selfishness, greed, and cruelty. To complete The Crucifixion model, I would argue that Tony is Dismas, "The Good Thief", and that Carmella, in spite of all her preening throughout the series, is in fact Gestas, "The Unrepentant Thief". We have one modest indication for this. Notice that Tony voluntarily and warmly greets Anthony Jr. when he arrives whereas Carmella does not acknowledge his arrival at all. In any event, I think in this religious context, there is something kind of positive about the finale. Tony and Carmella will be redeemed and Anthony Jr. will die a meaningful death and be granted everlasting life for the sacrifice he made for his parents. I know people like to refer to the depiction of purgatory that Christopher gave upon waking up in the hospital after being shot. That's not what's going on here. This is really about setting the crimes of these individuals against the backdrop of eternity and finding that there is a way to redeem them and forgive them.
@crusoe90004 ай бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 Thank you for your elaborated response, very insightful. Your analysis of the Sopranos Superbowl commercial was fascinating, as well. By "purgatory", I meant exactly what you said: "a kind of interdimensional space between the real world and the afterlife". My choice of words was wrong. And the purgatory theme was already touched in a more literal way at the very start of this last season (didn't Chase say that Tony's coma was "not a dream"?)... But now that I think about it, I believe there's something too eerie about this whole scene that could be "kinda" representative of purgatory in itself: we get a rush of expositions of known subjects, yet there are not exactly "it" (Tony's sister, Tony's "murderers")... although that could be a play on Tony's subconscious constant and justified paranoia (he even looks up, at some point - so I would say, contrary to you, that he is "alert to the dangers around him"). But then, this seems counter-balanced by the fact that we see whole shots of other unknown/unseen people in the restaurant (eg. the laughing couple), and I have yet to grasp why they were shown? Why is our attention diverted to "nobodies doing nothing"? It's the very last scene of the series, so surely this has a purpose. Or am I over-stretching it? I don't think I am, because David Chase was very aware of the importance of his show and its legacy at the time of creating this ending. Up to the point that he doesn't want to make another one, ever. In any case, I agree completely with you that this is 100% Catholic scenery, and you nailed it. I'm just not entirely convinced about your "Junior's redemption through death" explanation, but the rest is brilliant.
@juniorsoprano7013 Жыл бұрын
Outstanding analysis. Nice work!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
Very kind, Junior. Thank you so much!
@flawedpeacock10 ай бұрын
A long time ago I came across this video, and I'm glad I was able to come across it again as my buddy is about to finish the series. Seriously one of the best videos I've seen on the subject and is what inspired me to make videos myself. I've returned to thank you, Scenic!
@scenicmedia862410 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Flaw! That is very kind of you. I just started to watch your analysis on "Suspiria". Nice work! Thank you again!
@oldatarigamer9 ай бұрын
To me it was obvious Tony is killed. But a good reason the screen goes black is because that bloody death scene would have overshadowed the entire series.
@scenicmedia86249 ай бұрын
The cut-to-black ending was dignified, subtle, and far more powerful. Conversely, to have shown the character(s) being murdered would have diminished the finale and degraded the character(s) in the process. I think you're right that a bloody death scene would overshadow the series, but it would have done so in a way that cheapened the series. I suspect the murder of Phil Leotardo is provided as the "other" version of Tony's murder. The Phil murder is meant to mimic and satirize the idea of killing Tony on camera. There are some interesting similarities between the gas station murder and the finale. There are two adults in the scene; there are two children in the scene; and there is a woman behind the wheel throughout the scene. When the moment of truth arrives, we see the back of Phil's head. He is shot as he is talking. He dies mid-sentence. Conversely, with Tony we see his face. He pauses in silence. Then we cut to black. The Phil murder itself is just not particularly compelling. We are surprised and then the surprise fades. I'd argue the car rolls over Phil in an effort to satirize the impulse to dramatize gangland violence. I think the director is satirizing anyone in the audience who would want to see Tony murdered on camera. I think that is why you see people in the scene reacting when the car rolls over Phil. They represent the audience shocked and disgusted at excessive, explicit violence. With Phil we see the gaudy portrayal of a murder, with Tony we experience something deeper; we glimpse the finality of death. One is a garish cartoon, the other is existential.
@maxeyre2024 Жыл бұрын
I'm only half way through the video but this is a phenomenal analysis-- so many things I have not caught after years, as well as watching many other interpretation videos. Shows how amazing the series, and your content is!
@scenicmedia8624 Жыл бұрын
That's very kind of you. Great to hear you find it interest. Thank you so much! If you're only halfway through, be prepared, the second half gets a little wobbly particularly around the explanation concerning the Rockwell painting. The basic theory is correct. But I think I could have simplified it. I still think the representation of a diary in the scene forms a connection between Meadow's worst fears for herself and her family and the events unfolding in the restaurant. I also think the diary is there to correlate that fear to her decision to update her birth control. I think the idea of substituting her mother and brother for herself and her own child is not wrong per se. But it feels a little too elaborate. I think there is more simple, compelling reading. The boy reading his sister's diary is a symbolic representation of Anthony Jr. But the image of him learning her private thoughts is a metaphor for him being killed. In other words, he will learn the worst fears contained in her diary because he will live them. We are seeing Anthony Jr. discover his fate beforehand, so to speak. That reading also helps to substantiate the notion that the Rockwell painting represents a kind of premonition of the murders. If I were going to make one change to the video that would probably be it. In any event, hope you enjoyed the rest of it. Thanks again!
@maxeyre2024 Жыл бұрын
@@scenicmedia8624 I found what you said about the Rockwell painting also very interesting. Once again, great job!