My Disappointment with the Sopranos Ending

I know that I am so far behind the times on this story, but this is what happens when you rely on DVDs rather than HBO for your Sopranos kick. Anyway, I finally finished the Sopranos last night and I must say that I'm disappointed, but not for the popular reasons. Contrary to popular opinion, I loved the ending scene on an artistic level, although I had been prepared for it by the loud criticisms surrounding the episode.

Rather, I was disappointed in the Soprano family. The strength of the Sopranos as a show was getting the viewer so involved in its characters. Throughout their six seasons, I have seen the characters grow, take steps back, and yes, get whacked, but through it all, I developed a connection with them. It's because of this, that I was disappointed to see Meadow compromise on her beliefs so that she can become a high paid defense attorney for the mob. I was glad to see A.J. show some backbone in working hard, but just as disappointed when he compromised his beliefs because his parents made him a better offer.

Throughout the series, I had been hoping that the Soprano children would be able to avoid making the moral lapses of their father. Unfortunately, the finale offered us bleak moral prospects for the Sopranos, let alone the ambiguous immediate future of the family's patriarch. This, however, is not an artistic criticism at all.

The final scene was nothing short of brilliant, living up to the show's reputation for writing and cinematography. The public outrage over the disappointment says something about the blood lust and lack of imagination of Americans. We have no room in movies, books, or television for endings where there is no clear cut resolution. Artists are supposed to wrap up the message for their viewers, rather than let the audience struggle with it themselves. (Look at the response to my favorite movie this year: No Country For Old Men) Sure I love conclusions that are made for me, but I find them to be more artificial than natural. The Sopranos ending was true to life in the respect that it was morally ambiguous and anti-climactic.