Sunday nights series finale of HBO's critically acclaimed hit show The Sopranos was a big-time disappointment. It's not that it was bad per se its just that we all expected so much more from arguably the best TV drama of all time. Part of it was that my expectations were higher than with most series finale's but thats because the series as a whole was so damn good. The last season was one of the worst if not THE worst season.
Episode 86 - "Made In America"
Highlights
Tony wakes up in the morning gets himself a gun. Meets up with the FBI agent to give him some new terrorist information in exchange for Phil Leotardo's whereabouts, but doesn't get it.
Tony visits Carmela and family at their temporary hideout house. Carmela complains about the smells and how she wants to be back in her mansion. Carmela makes yet another racist comment about AJ's ex fiance the MILF Blanca.
Tony befriends stray cat that freaks out Paulie who calls it "a snake with fur." The cat is good at catching mice and staring at Christopher's picture on the wall at the back of The Bada Bing.
NY crew talks with Phil. Phil is upset they still have not gotten the job done. The NY family sort of suggests making peace with the NJ crew after weeks of trying to track down Tony to kill him.
Tony has a sit-down with prominent Brooklyn captains about squashing the beef between the 2 families. The Brooklyn family acknowledges that Phil has changed. Tony is given the OK to take out Phil, but NY will not tip him off as to where he is.
As expected Phil Leotardo gets whacked after Tony gets a good tip about his wherabouts by the FBI agent Harris (he's been making too many appearances on the show this season). Phil gets shot at a gas station and then has his head run over by his wife's car. Eyewitness vomits at the sight.
Janice talks to Tony about her situation (raising her kid and Bobby's kids). Tony senses she wants to abandon Bobby's kid, since she is after all a bitch. Tony visits Uncle Junior at the psych hospital to make sure he does not let Janice know where his stash of cash is because she will take it for herself and shaft Bobby's kids. Uncle Junior is too far gone to even recognize Tony much less some stash.
Janice talks to Tony about her situation (raising her kid and Bobby's kids). Tony senses she wants to abandon Bobby's kid, since she is after all a bitch. Tony visits Uncle Junior at the psych hospital to make sure he does not let Janice know where his stash of cash is because she will take it for herself and shaft Bobby's kids. Uncle Junior is too far gone to even recognize Tony much less some stash.
AJ finally hooks up with his hottie friend, who we learn is a junior in high school. Score! But as they sit in the car listening to Bob Dylan and then make out the car catches fire because he was sitting idle on top of dry leaves. His yellow SUV blows up. Nissan cringes as Xterra sales will surely plummet.
AJ feels reborn since the accident with the SUV and after much thinking while jogging has decided to join the armed forces. Tony and Carmela don't like the idea of AJ becoming cannon fodder so they propose to him an alternative solution that appeals to his dark side. They get him a BMW M3 and an entry level job on the set of a movie Carmine Jr. is producing.
Tony asks Paulie Walnuts to take over Bobby's crew, Paulie declines saying that the crew is cursed since all the captains to that crew have died. Tony does some Jedi mind tricks on him and Paulie reluctantly accepts the position (spoilers all over the net had Paulie being handed the position of boss).
The episode ends in a diner where Tony arrives and selects Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" on the mini jukebox. Carmela enters as music starts. AJ then arrives right behind a mysterious fellow in a members only jacket (Phil's nephew?). Meadow takes forever to parallel park. She is about to enter, Tony looks towards the door. Cut to black, kill the music. The End. Millions of people all over mistakenly think something is wrong with their cable or TV.
The episode ends in a diner where Tony arrives and selects Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" on the mini jukebox. Carmela enters as music starts. AJ then arrives right behind a mysterious fellow in a members only jacket (Phil's nephew?). Meadow takes forever to parallel park. She is about to enter, Tony looks towards the door. Cut to black, kill the music. The End. Millions of people all over mistakenly think something is wrong with their cable or TV.
The America Motif
America and the American condition (Americana, perpetual war, the American dream, etc.) is a theme throughout. Phil has his head run over by his wife's car a Ford (made in America) SUV. AJ thinks about joining the US Army to fight terrorism in Afghanistan. FBI agent tips off Tony as to Phil's location. American flags are all over the place. At Bobby Baccala's funeral we hear the younger generation have an all too typical American conversation revolving around such things as the Acadamy Awards and American Idol that symbolizes the rags to riches American dream ideal that is often perpetuated in the United States. Phil's head gets run over by a Ford SUV. The last scene in the diner (how American) shows a man wearing a hat that reads "USA." We also see a family with what looks like Boy Scouts (their kids).
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