Jun 11, 2007 12:01 am US/Eastern
'The Sopranos' Ends With Challenging Finale
KEARNY, N.J. (CBS) ―
Tony Soprano carries on.
The much-awaited conclusion of HBO's "The Sopranos" arrived Sunday night in a frenzy of audience speculation over the fate of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano: Would he live or be killed? Would his family die before his eyes at the hands of his enemies? Would he go to jail? Be forced to enter witness protection?
And what of his vindictive rival, Phil Leotardo? Would the Brooklyn boss, who had ordered a hit on Tony, prevail?
In the end, the only ending that mattered was the one masterminded by "Sopranos" creator David Chase. And playing against viewer expectation, as always, Chase refused to stage a mass extermination, or put the characters through any major transformation, or even provide his viewers with comfortable closure.
The most decisive development: Phil was crushed. But there were few other tidy resolutions.
This much-anticipated farewell, the series' 86th episode, was brilliant. But it was also perversely non-earthshaking -- just one last visit with the characters we have followed so devoutly since 1999.
Thousands of fans of the show turned out Sunday afternoon at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., where most of the cast of the Mafia drama had agreed to attend a private dinner for high-rollers and invited guests, coinciding with the final episode of the show.
As New Jersey said goodbye to the Sopranos after the show's eight-year run on HBO, there was intense speculation about what would happen to Tony Soprano and his associates.
Since the series about the fictional mob family began eight years ago, numerous towns in northern New Jersey have served as production locations.
Residents in Kearny got used to seeing flocks of tourists coming through on bus tours to gawk at the building used for Satriale's Pork Store, where many scenes were filmed.
One of the biggest viewing parties Sunday night was to be at the "Bada Bing" strip club, otherwise known as Satin Dolls in Lodi. The club was used as Tony Soprano's headquarters on the show.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Slideshow: 'Sopranos' Cast Gathers For Finale
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