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Emperor1956 -> RE: Sopranos (6/11/2007 1:07:30 PM)
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Ok. Some slightly inside scoop (and no I'm not telling you how I know this. You can either believe me or not. I signed a confidentiality agreement.)
So hypothetically lets just say I heard ...
LaM has a pretty good grasp on one of Chase's and the writing team (and that ending was greatly influenced by the writers) ideas: The moral vacuity of everyone involved. But that seemed to be a moot point. These are mobsters. Of course they are a/immoral.
In fact, there was a desire for a "BIG BANG" of an ending. Tony was going to to the feds, and roll. In a version I liked better, AJ was going to roll, ...with the last episode cutting from AJ to Tony: AJ in the Feds, protection, talking ... Tony rounding up assets, and telling others to get out...arranging for Junior's care (in a sort of odd touching "well he IS family" scene. And the big dilemma, did Tony set up AJ to be whacked?
But other writers HATED it, and lobbied for Tony to be wiped out .. by members of his own crew, by Leotardo...even by the Ukranian Mob, moving in to take over from the Italians (this last was decided to be too "Italian Job" to work.
So there was a stand-still...until DC decreed that he'd sculpt/script the ending where .... NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED.
So we have this weird second 1/2 of the last episode where the viewer keeps waiting for something bad...Tony looks like he's afraid he's gonna get wacked. The little bell over the diner door? Every time it rings its a "he's gonna get it NOW" moment. We called this the "I see soon to be dead people" sequence.
And that's how it went down. And there were HUGE fights over that, and over the music. Including using "Don't Stop", a song I personally detested. I wanted the family to go out with "I can see clearly now..." But...weak ass consultants on the show get NO vote.
Bonus points for those who got the "odd 1/2 filled coffee cup guy" walk to the bathroom -- a direct homage to the sequence in TG where Michael Corleone goes to the bathroom to get the gun.
Take two asprin, watch "Casino" and "Goodfellas" straight thru, and call me in the morning.
Dr. Mob.
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