I did read all that, Paul, and understand that the "fade to black" may have represented Tony getting whacked and not seeing it coming. But I just think the creator/producer should have proven he was creative enough to actually do it on screen, as well as include a few minutes of resolution of the conflict, as well.

I mean, You give your time to watch 86 episodes spread out over eight years, and I think the guy owes you something other than AJ's mocking rant about how you're wasting time watching the very show you're 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.

I'm with you, Scott. It doesn't need to be completely resolved. That's kinda the whole point. That's life. That was the Sopranos. Stuff happened that you couldn't always control, no matter how much you tried. Not everything gets resolved. And I don't think there will or should be any movies or reunions. It's perfect the way it is.

Plus, I love the fact that everyone is bitching about it. How they feel they are entitled to a different ending - that the writers/producers owe them something. Nobody owes you jack squat!

You know, I've never really watched The Soprano's and haven't even seen the final episode. But everywhere I go (both in life and on the internet) people are talking about that finale.
Because of my indifference, I had, or have, nothing invested in the final at all, but I have to say, having read FPW's description, that it sounds like it was handled okay.
With two or three people standing around as potential gunmen and then a hard fade to black, coupled with the fact that Tony said that one day his life will fade to black and he wouldn't even see it coming, it sounds like the writer knew what he was doing.
It would be interesting to know what the alternative endings were though. Anyone have any ideas?
And reading about this finale reminded me of Blake's Seven, a seventies TV show that I don't remember too well (being born in '73) but remember well enough to know (or think) that this ended in a similar way. Wasn't the main protagonist (Avon?) surrounded by gunmen just before a hard fade to black and the sound of gunfire?

I loved that episode. It had a real artsy feel to it and was beautiful to look at. I've hated Phil for years and was thrilled when he got popped in the head and then had his head popped. Laugh out loud funny. " Say goodbye to Poppy".

Tony's fate is immaterial. Doesn't matter. The whole point of the show is that he was never worth caring about in the first place. It might as well have ended when Dr. Melfi finally identified him as the conniving sociopath that he is and gave him the boot the week before.

I'll miss the show. I don't know if it was the set design or the cinematography or whatever but it was great to watch in HD. Second only to Lost.

How they feel they are entitled to a different ending - that the writers/producers owe them something. Nobody owes you jack squat!

I dunno. For example, say you've bought ten Repairman Jack novels and the last one just stops, three or four chapters before the end of the saga that you've invested years of reading about. You don't feel like the money you invested in buying the books earns you some kind of ending?

I dunno. For example, say you've bought ten Repairman Jack novels and the last one just stops, three or four chapters before the end of the saga that you've invested years of reading about. You don't feel like the money you invested in buying the books earns you some kind of ending?

Not to answer for Jimbow but it's not the same. I see it as a seven years out of the life sort of thing.

I dunno. For example, say you've bought ten Repairman Jack novels and the last one just stops, three or four chapters before the end of the saga that you've invested years of reading about. You don't feel like the money you invested in buying the books earns you some kind of ending?

No.

Besides, there are plenty of people who may like that ending to the book (much like many people liked the ending to the Sopranos). Why does your money earn you more than theirs does? I might not read any more of their books, true, but why would I be entitled to anything?

(How can a book stop 3 or 4 chapters before the end? If it stopped, that IS the end. That's where the author wanted it to end.)

Not to answer for Jimbow but it's not the same. I see it as a seven years out of the life sort of thing.

So now those seven years were a complete waste because you didn't like the last two minutes of the series? That makes no sense to me. There was some awesome stuff in that show, and none of it is any way negated by the finale.

(86 episodes X approx 50 minutes ea = 4300 minutes)

BTW, for full disclosure, I didn't actually see the last episode - any of this last run of episodes actually.)