I don't expect a lot from a novel. Or a movie. Or a televsion show. What I do expect is that they have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Especially an end.

The end is where you get to actually judge the author or creator. If they've written themself into a corner, you want to see how creatively they escape -- and you give them kudos when they do it well. Sometimes, you pick up a novel and it doesn't end at all, and you have to pick up the next novel in the series to see what happens next, and then that one doesn't end at all, and so on. Peter Hamilton is an author I now refuse to read for just that reason. David Gerrold, the same. Elizabeth Moon is fast approaching that distinction.

A television series that runs seven or eight years, then ANNOUNCES they are concluding the series on a specific night and clues in everyone that they shot three different endings so no one would know how it ends.....

...owes you an ending.

Instead, it just stopped.

Maybe the creators thought that was clever. I think it shows how non-creative, inane, and disrespectful they actually were. I don't know whether to blame just those creators or HBO in general.

It's a good lesson on how television is ultimately a waste of an individual's time. Maybe that is the moral of the story.

Oh. I forgot to explain BRJDDs. When I was young and something sucked really bad, we used to say it sucked big red juicy donkey (well, I'm sure you get the idea by now)...

I've only watched a handful of episodes since the show never really interested me since nothing ever seems to happen. I did watch last night though since Francine is a big fan of the show. It had a great build up but, as Tony said, in the end it just cut to black. At first we thought something happened to the cable, then we thought maybe one of us sat on the remote. Nope. The show just... ends.

Critics seem to really like this episode but everyday viewers seem to think this was a horrible episode. I'm not a fan nor I have never watched every single episode and I was annoyed by the show ended. I can't imagine what those that did are going through right now.

...At first we thought something happened to the cable, then we thought maybe one of us sat on the remote....

I thought the same thing, as did my friends. I suspect all over America at that moment people were screaming at their respective cable companies.

I didn't like the ending. It was just too abrupt, and there were so many questions left unanswered.

But, frankly, even though I watched every season (except for the first when I didn't have HBO), I've long since tired of the SOPRANOS. I can't say I cared all that much about the non-ending.

..It's a good lesson on how television is ultimately a waste of an individual's time...

I disagree. I enjoy watching TV and find a lot that is useful. There's a lot that isn't, true, but don't speak for everyone when you say TV is a waste of time.

I've got a bunch of neighbors that loved The Sopranos. One even loaned me season one. I watched one episode and said, "so?" They've all told me to give it four episodes and then I'd be hooked. I've had that set of DVDs for nearly 8 months. I've still only watched the first episode.

Upon hearing of the non-ending, I think I'll just return the DVDs and call it a day.

It sounds like Seinfeld's finale has just been bested as the most disappointing finale ever.

Well the ending left it all to one's imagination. sigh I've heard that there were three endings filmed. Now "they" can sucker us with The Director's Cut and the Uncut versions. :mad:

I think an author/writer/creator owes you a climax, conclusion and deneoument once you invest a specific amount of time in their work. Otherwise, they aren't respecting their customers/audience/readers/etc.

I don't know who the big guy in charge is there, but maybe it's David Chase. If I see his name on anything in the future, I'm not watching.

I think an author/writer/creator owes you a climax, conclusion and deneoument once you invest a specific amount of time in their work. Otherwise, they aren't respecting their customers/audience/readers/etc.

I don't know who the big guy in charge is there, but maybe it's David Chase. If I see his name on anything in the future, I'm not watching.

Maybe the writers were clueless as how to end it?:confused:

I think an author/writer/creator owes you a climax, conclusion and deneoument once you invest a specific amount of time in their work. Otherwise, they aren't respecting their customers/audience/readers/etc.

I don't know who the big guy in charge is there, but maybe it's David Chase. If I see his name on anything in the future, I'm not watching.

In certain cases, an actual end is necessary. Could you imagine the finale of LOST or Heroes if it just faded to black? There would be riots in the streets, cats and dogs living together, total mayhem! But, with shows like Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens and Sopranos an ending can just end. Tie up a story or two, show a bit of resolution and ride off into the sunset. Many shows just end, that's it. There is always another story to tell and a reunion show to be made.

[SIZE="3"]This came via email today:[/SIZE]

"Wasn't sure if you guys picked up on this but the guy at the bar was Nikki Leotardo. (this is in the credits) The same actor played him in the first part of season 6 during a brief sit down concerning the future of Vito. He is the nephew of Phil. Phil's brother Nikki Senior was killed in 1976 in a car accident.

"Also, the trucker was the brother of the guy who was robbed by Christopher in Season 2. Remember the DVD players? The trucker had to identify the body. The boy scouts were in the train store where Bobby got shot, and the last crew to walk in (the black guys) were the ones who tried to kill Tony and only clipped him in the ear (I think season 2) So there were three people in the restaurant who had reason to kill Tony and then it just ends. It's the situation Tony has created for himself. At any moment it could be family or an enemy walking threw the door. The hard cut to black was the end of Tony. In the beginning of the season when he was talking to Bobby about getting whacked he said, "They say, you never hear it coming, and then it all
goes black." And that's exactly what happened. But who did it?

"Meadow was spared also, and I guess we are supposed to be happy about
that, because she would have been sitting between the shooter and Tony."

[SIZE="3"](I still hate it.)[/SIZE]