The Sopranos and its ending (spoilers of course)

Finished a Sopranos rewatch after 15 years and was amazed at how well everything was tied together.

Watching it from an older perspective now, I noticed throughout the entire series there's an undertone show going on within the show itself.

But specifically I want to talk about the finale. Not from the standpoint IF he dies, but moreso about all the hidden references that lead up to his death at the end.

"Everything just goes black", and "you probably dont even hear when it happens"...

These concepts are mentioned throughout the series. The most recent prior to the finale is when Tony and Bobby are sitting in the boat.

But also there's a scene early in the series, maybe whe Tony's visiting colleges with Meadow that this is also brought up.

And the episode where Sil is in the restaurant, everything cuts to slow motion, and you see a blood splatter on Sil's face, followed a couple seconds later by the sound of the gunshot.

If Sil would have been the target, he'd be dead before even hearing the gunshot.

"Members Only" is the first episode in the last season, and in it the guys joke about Eugene's Members Only jacket.

Eugene is campaigning for Tony to let him move to Florida after getting his aunt's inheritance and Tony says no even after all the favors Eugene pulls for Tony.

As a result, Eugene's wife comments that someone should just put a bullet in Tony's head.

Then during the last episode, "Made in America" (a play on Members Only being an American brand?) the guy wearing a Members Only jacket, who resembles Eugene, is the one who walks in the bathroom.







The camera follows his path in the bathrooom and he isnt seen again before the cut to black, suggesting he was the one who put a bullet in Tony's head.

The first scene at beginning of the finale is Tony laying in what looks like a casket with the organ playing in the background (the beginning of "You keep me hanging on" by Vanilla Fudge) is another foreshadowing.



This is the same camera angle of Tony as is the "Members Only" scene when Junior shoots Tony.

At the beginning of Made In America, after Tony wakes up he goes into the kitchen and begins peeling and eating an orange. Oranges are infamous in The Godfather as a sign of imminent death and this is blantantly visible in the finale.

Meadow not being able to parallel park, having tried 3 times before she's successful, puts her getting into the diner late. 3 times to park to be successful, 3 attempts on Tony's life to be successful.

The Rule of Three's, which is mentioned earlier in the series, I believe by either Paulie or Christopher.

Because of this, she's not sitting in the booth, where had she been there she would be sitting next to Tony on the right The same angle that the Members Only guy is coming out of the restroom.

But because she's not there, she doesnt get in the middle of the bullet and Tony and she survives as a result. Because as Tony told Carmella earlier in the season, "Family members dont get touched".

The thing I'm unsure about, but is definitely some sort of sign, is what the orange cat signified in the last episode.

First staring at Christopher's picture all day. And then showing up to sit by Paulie outside the meat market after Tony leaves.

The meat market scene in the last episode is a direct callout and contrast to every other episode where a bunch of the guys are all hanging together.

In the last episode it's just Paulie and Tony. Tony trying to convince Paulie to take over Ralph's crew.

Paulie is hesistant at first because the head of that crew always ends up dead.

After some manipulation on Tony's part, Paulie accepts the offer, and immediately Tony leaves and the orange cat replaces Tony. The scene cuts out with just the cat and Paulie sitting together.

Was the cat signifying death as well (he was in fact orange), meaning Paulie setup his own death by accepting the offer.

Or was it to signify that after Tony is killed, Paulie and the cat are the only ones left.



There's so many undertones prevalent throughout the show even outside of the finale setup that I've come to appreciate the genius as to how that show was written and directed.