Tuesday, June 12, 2007

TV Writers on Sopranos Finale

The New York Times has this interesting article in which TV writers sound off on David Chase and the last episode of The Sopranos ever. As always, David Milch, creator of Deadwood and the thus far impenetrable John From Cincinatti, offers a particularly insightful interpretation:
“It was a question of loyalty to viewer expectations, as against loyalty to the internal coherence of the materials. Mr. Chase’s position was loyalty to the internal dynamics of the materials and the characters."

Tim Kring, Heroes showrunner, said he found “the storytelling in the finale a bit disjointed, so that you lost the cause and effect of some scenes.”

I'm not surprised that the creator of a show featuring some of the most wooden characters and unnatural dialog I've witnessed doesn't understand how David Chase structures his show. I've noticed that often in the The Sopranos, the consequences of a scene do not surface immediately; characters are not always aware of their own reactions to events, which may manifest in unexpected times and places. They're psychologically complex, sometimes as mysterious to us as they are to themselves. In this way, The Sopranos is like real life.

And the ending was like real life, too, in that it doesn't stop with a shattering climax; it simply... goes on.

5 comments:

Mark said...

It took me awhile to warm up to the ending, and I do think that is one of the weak points about it - you have to think about before you know how you feel about it.

I do like how it supports a multiplicity of interpretations. Some people have the "life goes on reading", which I am partial too, although I'm starting to think that "Tony got whacked" theory also has it's merits.

Alanna said...

They did make Tony particularly contemptible this season, in my mind. Tony getting whacked is ALWAYS a possibility!

Anonymous said...

speaking of finales ... what thinketh the boob tubers about the final episodes of studio 60 that they are burning this month?

Anonymous said...

Alanna, wow, a TV blogger who doesn't bow down to the altar of Heroes! I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only one who appreciated and enjoyed the ending to The Sopranos. Good work calling out a so-called writer who didn't get it.

Alanna said...

Thanks Joe. I watch Heroes, but Jeanette and I call it Multitasking-oes, because we get so bored during the show that we end up doing other things. Like the dishes.

Millie - I don't watch Studio Shitty so I can't comment.