No wonder in the end Melfi has to let him go. It is literally a battle for survival. Melfi listens to her own therapist and realizes that what she is doing will never “save” Tony Soprano, because he doesn’t want or need saving. So Melfi does the only sensible thing she can do: she saves herself. Only by extricating Tony from her life can Melfi be healthy again.
So now let’s get to that ending. Remember, it’s all about the journey and not the destination. That’s why that Journey song is playing. As Tony hears the bell and looks up, we might be tempted to think this a For Whom the Bell Tolls moment, but that’s not Chase’s point. It is more of a nod to It’s a Wonderful Life, a kind of “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings” kind of thing. Meadow has been Tony’s angel all along, and as he looks up and sees her, there is nothing more to say. The core family is alive, well, and together. The journey continues; we just won’t be a part of it.
Obviously, Chase isn’t such a bad businessman either. This “journey” is left open-ended for many reasons, all of them rather lucrative. The DVD can be advertised to have an ending (or alternate endings), which would generate even more interest. Also, with all the talk about a movie being made, this ending leaves all sorts of possibilities for the characters.
At the last second Episode 86 of The Sopranos, “Made in America,” gives us a blank screen, and if that is not a surprise ending, I don’t know what is. We don’t have to like it; we just have to live with it for now. Bada-Bing!
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
Just some interesting info about Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Heard a report today that sales of the song online are soaring; people are also buying the Journey album Escape (1981) online as well. I imagine the band must be more than happy with this. I think the song broke the Top Ten in 1981 but never made it to number 1. Now, maybe it has a chance. Strange.