Whether we get to see what comes next or not, which is a more entertaining, exciting, and/or thematically fitting conclusion to the story of The Sopranos: Tonys abrupt death or his continued existence? Pussy Malanga, the man Uncle Junior was convinced is after him and whom he eventually mistakes Tony for is the same mobster Uncle Junior wanted to kill in Artie Bucco's first restaurant in, Dr. Melfi recalls that Tony grabbed a pillow in order to smother, Dr. Melfi calls the home that Tony put his mother in a "retirement community" and Tony corrects her and calls it a, Tony refers to his forgetful Uncle Junior as ", Vito asks Agent Harris if he had lost weight due to the, When Eugene proposes retiring, he cites the precedent set by ", When Eugene's conversation with his wife is interrupted by a call on his cellphone, she says he is responding to ", When Junior says Pussy Malanga is prank calling his house Tony says they will get FBI director, The song featured in the opening scene and closing credits is "Seven Souls" by, The song featured in the scene where Tony and Carmela are dining at the, The song playing when Junior shoots Tony is "Comes Love" by, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 02:43. Tony's decision is relayed through Silvio: "Your Florida thing. Deep down, he recognizes that Carmela is a good mother. He loved his family, the only way they could get the inheritance money and go to Florida is if he was dead, he ended his life for their benefit. The loved ones who lost people to witness protection or because they ran away suspect they were murdered but cant prove it, even though we viewers saw it happen. Which is perhaps something he telegraphed by bringing that cat into it. With Barry on the loose, all Gene, Fuches, Hank, and Sally can do is crumble as they wait to see who hes coming for first. But the scene can be about the idea of Tonys imminent demise without actually featuring it and, if were being stubbornly pedantic, it doesnt feature it. This was Christopher's scene. This show - that had so honestly and meticulously . Tony is haunted by dreams of Sal . (Tony had Patsys brother killed in season 2.) Former Oregon, USC RB Travis Dye has signed as UDFA with New York Jets, per league souce. Because nothing in that scene says, Somebody just killed him and thats what the cut to black is about. The only objectively true statement that can be made about that ending is that its ambiguous. He does so by stalking the man, following him into a convenience store where the juror takes a drink and a candy bar. Why is this night different from all other nights? Its gonna show what you can do. Funaro saw what an opportunity it was going to be for him. The ultimate fate of Tony Soprano, the crime boss and protagonist of the television drama the Sopranos, has perhaps finally been revealed by the show's creator. To combat leaked storylines, the writers and Chase used to devise fake scenes to confuse the set. But at the. When the Soprano family meet at Holsten's diner for a meal, this man enters the diner ahead of Anthony Soprano Jr. and sits at the counter. The Sopranos David Chase On Tony's Ending & The Many Saints of Newark List of The Sopranos characters - Wikipedia But what he said, specifically and he was directing it toward everybody was, Whether Tony Soprano is alive or dead is not the point. Only the bravest celebs will go full catboy at 2023s Met Gala. But the very fact that Chase devotes so much time to what seems like nothing makes the whole scene all the more nerve-racking. The Sopranos: 10 Clues In The Show That Prove Tony Died - Screen Rant Phils murder ends the war, which had been disastrous for mob business in New York and New Jersey. So was it in part to free them? "Members Only" is the first episode of the last season. Excerpt from the new book The Sopranos Sessions by Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall published by Abrams Press; 2019 Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall. A live-action TV series based on Robert Kirkman's zombie apocalyptic water cartoon The Walking Dead. Alan: Yes, the Holstens scene is about death specifically, about the idea that we are all here on borrowed time, and our lives can be snatched away at any moment, without warning or explanation or the slightest hint of fairness. Having just rewatched "Members Only," I'm completely convinced. Gigi Cestone | The Sopranos Wiki | Fandom Kind of like SAMCRO. Alan: I dont know the answer to that hypothetical, because either one seems like the kind of thing The Sopranos might do. As writer Terence Winter told Entertainment Weekly , "At the beginning of season 5, we realized it would happen at the end of the season. Eugene is also an informant for the FBI, and has become more valuable to the Bureau since the death of Ray Curto; they, too, will not free him. Matt: Well, thats interesting, because it brings Chase himself into the mix, and I think we both should admit that our interpretation of the ending is affected by our conversations with him while writing this book. Even Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts), the least sensitive person about characters getting killed off, had words of encouragement. For more information, please see our I know it happened. Matt: I think its more interesting if he lives. Eugene Pontecorvo was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1959 to a family of Italian descent, and he became a made man in Tony Soprano's crew of the DiMeo crime familyafter having worked as a bodyguard for Junior Soprano during the 1990s. (April 2006) informs Eugene they also reject his notion to move to Florida, as they need him in New Jersey to help build a case against Tony in the wake of Curto's death. I like having to make a case for a particular interpretation or just throw my hands up. Matt: Yes. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And if Tony drops dead after the bell rings, whether from a bullet or (like poor Gigi Cestone) internal distress, obviously the next few moments involve Carmela, Meadow, and AJ being horrified and grief-stricken, but what comes after? Personally, hes on good enough terms with his immediate family that theyd all happily join him for onion rings and more at their favorite ice cream place. The following is an excerpt from The Sopranos Sessions, in which Alan and I debate the still-controversial last four minutes of the show and come to different conclusions about what it meant. Carmela's construction of her spec house is suspended, due to a "stop order" issued by a building inspector because improper lumber has been used. A New York mobster would most likely order Tony Soprano's murder at the conclusion of 'The Sopranos'. When Tonys meeting Agent Harris by the airport, or Butchie is wandering through the last remaining scrap of Little Italy while talking to Phil on the phone, or when Tony and Butchie and Little Carmine sit down to broker a peace in that cavernous truck depot, the cold and wind and snow are all so palpable that the only truly applicable phrase is, Youll catch your death.. The scene in which Uncle Junior shoots Tony was also shot with Phil Leotardo in a window shooting at Tony instead. Gene Killing himself It makes it so much harder watching that after the scene where he finds out his son his using heroin. Raymond "Buffalo Ray" Curto is a recurring character portrayed by George Loros. Or it could be like the decision in Long Term Parking to not only provide a glimpse of Adrianas daydream where she just gets in her car and heads south on I-95, but to deliberately stage her death scene so that shes off-camera when Silvio fires the fatal shot. 'Sopranos' 'Johnny Cakes' Oral History: Vito's Gay Love Story Remember, too, that Tony is the Homer Simpson of crime bosses, miraculously avoiding death or prison even as it claims other characters. In 2007, he killed himself after both his boss Tony Soprano and his FBI handlers refused to let him retire to Florida . Exactly 15 years ago, millions frantically yelled, thinking they lost their cable connection as HBO's "The Sopranos" ended its final season thanks to creator David Chase inventing one of the. So maybe it was the genetic legacy of depression and mental illness that Tony called "the Soprano curse." In a family therapy session after the suicide attempt, AJ cited Grandma Livia's assertion. The Most Devastating Deaths On The Sopranos - Looper Alan: This is all-important, and well see what happens to the conversation now that the phrase death scene is out there. This is an artist sorting through contradictory impulses, in hopes of reaching audiences in a deep way. I just did a bunch of googling and I'm shocked that it's not a more common theory. Teddy Spirodakis | Historica Wiki | Fandom I'm sure you can conjure up some reason, but what's more likely: Butchie had Tony killed for some undefined reason by a guy who looks like Eugene Pontecorvo wearing Eugene Pontecorvo's jacket, or Eugene Pontecorvo's brother killed Tony in retaliation for his brother's death? The actor had appeared in mob movies like "Goodfellas," and was also no stranger to crime himself. Or maybe nothing happened in that scene, but Tony went on being Tony and maybe died of heart disease or Alzheimers, which, given all that weve seen him go through, is a sadder outcome. That's traditionally the episode that sets up everything that happens throughout the season. What does that leave us with, if that cut to black means somebody somewhere shot Tony? Though the cut to black comes before any such execution occurs on screen, there . Raymond is also an FBI informant throughout almost the entire series. But in classic Sopranos form, the war with New York ends not with a bang but. Maybe, after spending a decade telling stories about this man and having spent a whole lifetime thinking many of the same thoughts as Tony, particularly where their mothers were concerned Chase just couldnt bring himself to direct a scene explicitly killing him, or even one where he asked James Gandolfinis face to point us more blatantly in that direction. 10 'Sopranos' Characters Who Were Whacked Too Soon, Ranked - Collider Eugene then walks out calmly. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Off the Back of a Truck: Unofficial Contraband for the Sopranos Fan So does AJ, who luckily fails to kill himself Tony happening to come home at that moment is a Tony caliber stroke of good luck and in this very episode, the kid survives a truck explosion. It gets harder to watch the episode everytime. Theres a reason The Twilight Zone keeps coming up, whether in conversation or on the safe house TV in the finale. In the episode Eugene and his wife have an unexpected financial windfall when a beloved aunt, the wife of a successful Hollywood agent, leaves him $2 million in her will. Its a great show, Chase told him. Eugene reveals his mean streak once again in the episode "Eloise" when he and another associate engage in jury tampering, in which they are sent to intimidate a juror who is on Junior Soprano's trial. The episode marks the first appearances of: "7 Surprises From The Sopranos 20th Anniversary Celebration", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Members_Only_(The_Sopranos)&oldid=1134519036. Alan: Okay, but then, why the cut to black? Matt: You mean does it matter if Chase knows what happened? So when he walks into the restaurant, judgment has already been passed, or maybe suspended. Whos Going to the Met Gala Dressed as Karl Lagerfelds Cat? It's a town in Italy, but the name translates to "crow bridge." Chase was right about Funaro going out on a strong note, of course. David Chase had this all planned out since at least the beginning of Season 3, when Eugene first appeared. The Sopranos Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Eugene Pontecorvo was introduced on the show as an associate in the Soprano crime family in the episode "Proshai, Livushka". A.J. Are you gonna be like him?. After Eugenes death, his wife would be devastated and most likely his family would be too. That matters much more to me, ultimately, than a definitive answer. I am now 100% sure that Eugene Pontecorvo's brother killed Tony He begins developing serious stress with his home life due to his wife pushing him to talk Tony into their retiring to Florida with the money and also his son's incessant drug-use. Its also easy to see that Chase is of two minds on the last scene. The significance of the crow in that scene has been much discussed. The head of the Barese crew helps the FBI locating the body of a murder victim who was killed by Tony over 25 years ago. Did Eugene kill himself so his family could move to Florida? Biography Butchie gave Tony permission to kill Phil. In real life, when it was found out that John D'Amato, the Jersey boss of the DeCavalcante family, was bisexual, he was killed for it. Crows are a symbol of death, and have appeared as such on the show, during the ceremony when Christopher and Eugene are made. Sometimes, a cat is just a cat, but its hard not to consider this one within the context of what happens, or doesnt, a few scenes later at Holstens. The Sopranos ending: Did Tony Soprano die in the diner? - Metro That is not to say that he would not get back at her in other ways, but he would never physically harm her. Serious Question. If Furio-Carmela infatuation had reached - Reddit But at the same time it could mean a boost for an actors career, as it was for Vincent Pastore. Alan: What I mean is, maybe that cat is Christopher reincarnated, or maybe its just a cat that wont stop hanging around Satriales and staring at a photo of Christopher. I've also seen it suggested that Eugene's wife ordered Tony's murder. RELATED: The Sopranos: The 5 Tallest (& 5 Shortest) Actors In The Cast. But is that enough to convict Chase for murdering his main character? Eugene Pontecorvo | Historica Wiki | Fandom Eugene is also an informant for the FBI, and has become more valuable to the Bureau since the death of Ray Curto; they, too, will not free him. He loved his family, the only way they could get the inheritance money and go to Florida is if he was dead, he ended his life for their benefit. Pontecorvo ran a low-stakes poker game, a sports betting agency, and held a no-show job at the Esplanade construction site. I think its also interesting if he dies, though thats a less disturbing ending to me, because its the standard gangster-story ending, and no matter how you read it, for reasons of genre history it always comes back to Dont do crime, kids.. The Sopranos: 10 Things About Christopher That Have Aged Poorly I mean its a prompt for us to think about death and life, and what weve done with our lives. Travis Dye signs UDFA deal with New York Jets - Yahoo News It seems so obvious now. Whenever the Sopranos ending is discussed, and somebody starts with the presumption that Tony is dead, I ask the same follow-up question: Why do you need for Tony to be dead? Because you have to need him to be dead to insist not only that he got shot right there in the diner, but that him being dead is in fact the entire point of the scene, and that no other approach is permissible. The Walking Dead (Drama) - Namuwiki This is the first episode of the final season, seriously? There has to be something else going on here, otherwise the scene wouldnt end as it ends, in such a studied inartful way. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Plus, that last stretch of 21 episodes does have a persistent chill, visually and plot-wise a series of deaths and declines, with a lot of the color bleached out. On the Talking Sopranos podcast, Funaro spoke about originally getting hired on the show to play Ralph Cifaretto. And I would argue that, if the main takeaway from that scene is, Oh, they shot him, then either the show has failed and suddenly decided to give up and be a typical gangster story in its final four minutes, or theres something else happening here. A celebration of life will be held in Redwood City on Wednesday for Pete Liebengood, a longtime Bay Area sportscaster, anchor and author who died in Redwood City on Dec. 22. Did Eugene die in Gattaca? Adriana is remembered by a worrying Carmela. In the season premiere, Bacala raised the idea of what happens when you die, speculating, You probably dont even hear it when it happens, right? a line so clearly important to the end of the series that the conversation is replayed at the end of the penultimate episode, after poor Bobby had that question answered. willie boy johnson wife. Roy Wood Jr. Talks Scandals at White House Correspondents Dinner, Watching Frank Oceans Coachella Set Online Wont Be Easy. Chase provides glimpses of all the other customers a scout troop, two unidentified black males at the jukebox, a man in a Members Only jacket like Eugene Pontecorvos at the counter because he wants us to wonder if one of them might be there to take out Tony. Jack Nicholson Reprises Role as Courtside Lakers Fan. Eugene Pontecorvo, played by actor Robert Funaro, is a fictional character in the HBO television series The Sopranos. The cat turns up at the safe house and gets brought back to Satriales, much to Paulies horror You cant even put them near a baby; they suck the breath right out! particularly once it starts fixating on a photo of Christopher from the set of Cleaver. Of course, these questions occurred to Tony after Junior shot him, and thathis response was to absorb rather shallow lessons like, make better choices in the moment, and try being a better listener while ignoring bigger ones like, Maybe youre depressed all the time because youre a gangster. Melfi steers him toward this realization throughout the series, even in the pilot. You'd expect the family to be long gone, living their lives in Florida, trying to forget Jersey. Eugene is reluctant, but has to follow Christopher's order due to his rank of capo. And by that, I dont mean he handed us the answer, because The Sopranos was never the sort of show that made you hunt for answers in that way. I understand what the scene was about and, more importantly, I know how it made me feel the first time I watched it, every time since, and through all these conversations Ive had with you and the rest of the Sopranos-loving world about it over the last decade. His jobs include running a low stakes poker game, a sports betting agency and a 'No Work' job at the Esplanade construction site. Most people think the crow was there for Christopher. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Obviously he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. But did he end up doing it to free his family? Blow-Up is one of his favorite films, and it has a famously non-definitive ending that invites the viewer to project their own meanings. Hes just looking up at the sound of a bell ringing, and if classical continuity editing is to be our guide here, the person entering is Meadow, last seen in the third-to-final shot of the scene, walking toward the diner. Photos from The Best Sopranos Deaths - E! Online Trying to escape, Eli is knocked down by a hit-and-run driver and seriously injured. The Sopranos abruptly cut to black at the end of the series finale. why max never talk in max and ruby. 'The Sopranos': If Tony Soprano Got Whacked at the End, Who Ordered the Since Eugenes suicide in the season 6 opener, Funaro has racked up over 40 credits (including The Irishman and American Gangster). Its hard to imagine him putting together such a career without The Sopranos. I know this is a minority reaction, but I like being baffled or challenged or frustrated by art. We can assume he's boss because Phil is dead, so he benefited from Tony's actions. This guy lives a charmed life. But I dont think he has to be dead for us to think about all that related stuff, and I dont think thats the only possible interpretation. At times a little too much, but Livia never did at all. But in rewatching the series and writing this book, its clear that among Tony Sopranos greatest gifts is his ability to live in the moment, shrug off the overall pain and paranoia of his life, and enjoy the many fruits that come with being the boss of New Jersey. why did eugene kill himself sopranos - albertawater.com All rights reserved. The Roys continue their downward spiral into total desperation as Matsson and their dead father loom over every decision they make. Do the Feds show up a week later to arrest him, Carlo having finally given them the missing piece of their RICO prosecution? It's also been suggested that it was there for Eugene. This leads me to believe that a relative of Eugenes, The Man In The Members Only Jacket is the one who killed Tony out of an act of revenge for Eugenes suicide. "Members Only" is the 66th episode of the HBO series The Sopranos, and the first of the show's sixth season. Matt: If youre lucky, youll remember the little moments, like this, that were good. The end of season one. This is a show thats very interested in dream language, psychoanalysis, and the contradictory, mysterious forces that make us who we are, and its inevitable that this series, perhaps more than other works of art, would have become a Rorschach test. I think it would fit with the cycles of experience depicted in the series. Man in Members Only jacket | The Sopranos Wiki | Fandom The Sopranos: Explaining the Final Scene | Den of Geek This accomplishment catapulted Aglieri s name to the top of the ranks. This week, Tom and Shiv get it on. That coffinlike image isnt the first major allusion to death of the final season, nor the last of Made in America alone. Nearly two years have passed. Alan: Made in America opens on Tony asleep in the safe house. As for Patsy Parisi (Dan Grimaldi) ordering the hit, that theory does have some validity. At Chris's behest, he then kills a debtor; in return, Chris says, "I'll put in a good word to T about the Florida thing." Disputes between Tony and Phil are resolved, and it is explained that the New York associates were protecting Gerry's area and did not know Eli was associated with the Sopranos; they agree to pay Eli $50,000 compensation. Is it possible the man in the Members Only jacket did the job? Getting killed off on the hit mob show meant losing a well-paying job with unbeatable exposure. Certainly. The War Room Episode 50 - Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut by The Clonestar Podcast To have that storyline, I jumped on it and tried to ride it as best I could.. Alan: Maybe we should ask the cat. It's very rarely discussed, but names are often significant, with probably the best example being Adriana La Cerva, "the doe." Page 4 | The Sopranos: Definitive Explanation of "The END" But here's what really clinched it for me, what made me switch from "this is probably what happened" to "this is definitely what happened." With that out of the way, we can focus on a more interesting question: Who ordered the hit on Tony Soprano when his time finally came? Does Paulie freaking Walnuts somehow become boss of the Family, or does Butchie throw up his hands at this point and decide to put his own guy in charge of the gang that couldnt shoot straight? Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Now, Off the Back of a Truck takes you one step further into the world of Tony Soprano and his families, offering an Italian potluck of fresh and fun takes that any true fan can get lost in for hours. -All 92 deaths analyzed, evaluated, and . In fact, his debut is the same episode where Livia dies, and if I wanted to get really conspiratorial, I might suggest that he was introduced specifically because Nancy Marchand had died in real life between Seasons 2 and 3, and the original plan was for Livia to have been instrumental in Tony's death somehow. Eugene killed himself because of the FBI, more so than because - Reddit He and his traveling companions Abraham Ford and Rosita Espinosa were en route to Washington, D.C., before Eugene revealed that he had been lying about being a scientist due to being scared of surviving on his own. With his wife bitter and his son using heroin, Eugene hangs himself. Before I wrote about television for New York Magazine and Vulture, I wrote about it for the Star-Ledger, New Jerseys largest daily newspaper, sharing a beat with my friend Alan Sepinwall, who is now the TV critic for Rolling Stone. Pete Liebengood, longtime Bay Area sportscaster, dies at 73 Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Teddy Spirodakis: Killed at a diner by Eugene on orders from. When that didnt work out, creator David Chase and his writing team came up with the Gene Pontecorvo character for him to play.
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why did eugene kill himself sopranos