[gmku]

The more I think about, the more brilliant it seems!

Very unconventional but at the same time, very "Sopranos"--open-ended, gray. The last sequence I think is probably the most suspenseful scene I've ever sat through, especially for television. Allowing the audience to decide for themselves the fate of Tony? But one spin on it that I've heard, that I think fits the mood perfectly of that last scene, is that the audience ourselves gets whacked at the end. That's why we suddenly can't see or hear any more of the scene. It's like the creepy gangster guy came out of the restroom and blew us away in the back of the head.

Personally I like the lack of closure, since, the Sopranos have always existed in such a wonderfully (and human) gray-area, it wouldn’t seem right to have everything come to an end wrapped a nice little bow.

But there was still some payoff. Phil gets killed, Tony and his guys reach out and negotiate peace between NJ and NY, Tony visits Junior and seemingly come to terms with him (not forgiving, but at very least accepting), Tony visits Janice and seems come to terms with her, too, et cetera.

Chase is brilliant at poking fun at audience expectations. I think that not giving us a big bloody typical shootemup gangster ending was fitting, not to mention genius on Chase's part.