The Sopranos Cast Is All Signed, Clearing Path to Eight Episode End Run
Published July 05, 2006
It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without Paulie and Sil.
While an episode devoted to Tony eating ice cream while Carm nags him about taking out the garbage would be heaven for the most die hard Sopranos fans, the world and television historians can now rest assured that the entire cast of The Sopranos is now signed and ready to film the final eight episodes of David Chase's dark and masterful epic. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) and Steven Van Zandt (Silvio Dante), came down from their $200,000 per episode demand (which would have given them the most money on the show save James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) and agreed to something closer to doubling their previous salary of $85,000 per show.
But that's just the money part. What we really care about is what's going to go down to close out one the truly great dramas of our time, and perhaps any time.
When we last left the gang, it was in a strange place, wasn't it? Strange first and foremost because while it was the end of a season and a famously long hiatus lay ahead, there are the "final eight" episodes to go. What many looked forward to and largely expected – whackings, Jersey-New York machinations blowing up into all out war, a major character buying it a la Big Pussy, Adriana, another Soprano cousin, and so on – never materialized. (I was sad to see Vito see get clipped as his storyline was one of the brightest notes of Season Six, but that's another story.) Neither were we left dangling off the ledge of a mind-jangling cliffhanger.
Instead, events paused on an oddly calm, offbeat note, a Christmas Eve party where Tony doesn't flip out over AJ's Puerto Rican girlfriend (a mother, no less) and Carmela doesn't freak out over the fact that Meadow skipped the holidays to head out to California to be with fiancé Finn. It felt like a real formal family party in fact, dysfunctional and slightly uncomfortable but more or less tolerable.
I can understand why some may be disappointed. However, I'd counter with the fact that the genius of The Sopranos is that we rarely get what we have been trained to expect as television viewers. That's part of what has kept us coming back for more for six seasons and counting. And while this final hiatus will be frustrating (the final "bonus" episodes are slated to air in early 2007) I fully expect it to be worth the wait.
Eric Berlin is the Executive Producer of Blogcritics.org and publisher of Online Media Cultist. He's also prone to referring to himself in the third person in author bios in an attempt to make it look like someone Less Important wrote it for him.
Contact: dumpsterbust@gmail.com
- The Sopranos Cast Is All Signed, Clearing Path to Eight Episode End Run
- Published: July 05, 2006
- Type: News
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Crime, Video: Drama, Video: Film and TV Business, Video: Television
- Part of a feature: Cathode Ray Fray
- Writer: Eric Berlin
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Yep -- go find someone who taped Season Six "Part One" and catch up!
Great article and thoughts. Season six has been as captivating, interesting and unpredictable as the rest. The wit and dark humor of this show is truly like no other and I could debate anyone into the ground about season six "dropping the ball." The Sopranos has kept it's integrity thus far and will keep us guessing until the bitter end.
Thanks Octavio!
I agree that Season Six has been great. It's hard to rank the seasons -- they're all outstanding. But I like that our expectations keep getting sandbagged, I dig the character development, the strange pauses, the odd moments, the black humor. It's so much more than a "gangster show" in all of those ways.
It is my belief that AJ has already come to a cross roads and that he has chosen to not follow in his fathers footsteps. We have seen him actually working hard, at an honest job. Instead of taking the easy way out, like when his father to him he could get a discount for the jewelry he bought his girlfriend, he declines and says he has a job and can pay for it himself. Instead of committing Violent acts to get rid of the trouble makers outside his girlfriends house, he gives them his bike instead of using violence (like a pussy lol). He wasn't brought up like Tony in a violent background and it is my belief that he will not become a gangster.
Your thoughts Berlin?
PS
I agree completely with Octavio. I LOVED this season, and enjoyed your article Eric
Thanks figgy!
I found the bike scene very interesting, and I give Robert Isler (think that's how you spell it) a lot of credit as an actor -- man has he evolved physically as AJ has evolved along his own strange path. I'm not sure what AJ's motivation was for giving away the bik -- I think it shows a certain intelligence, actually. He knew daddy's connections would not help in that instance and knew he couldn't take those dudes on himself. He resolved the situation and kept his girl happy.
I'm not sure if eight more eps is enough time to see AJ's character arc really resolve... will be very interesting to see.
i think the cat is right. tony will be all alone in his empire emotionally. i think that fat gaurd at phils bedside in the icu will play a role in knocking off tennessee multisante. that might explain why the writing is really heavy on tony and christopher becoming close and might explain the aderiana dreams carmela is having. it would be so beautifully ironic since christopher is having a baby on the way.
im going to whack that pelican beak scumbag. multisante is the only guy i know who can smoke a cigarette in the rain without getting it wet. douchebag has got a real honker let me tell ya
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Is that show still on?