“I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there. People get the impression that you’re trying to (mess) with them, and it’s not true. You’re trying to entertain them. Anybody who wants to watch it, it’s all there.”
—David Chase, Sopranos creator and man responsible giving many viewers an aneurysm after the series finale concluded last Sunday.
Being a long time Sopranos fan and not an HBO subscriber I was prepared for a grueling wait until the DVDs hit the street. Hearing how things ended, it’ll be even more agonizing. Chase and Co. spent six years crafting an epic story that was as personal a vision as it was at times entertaining. Viewers over the years carped that the Sopranos lost its direction, sharp teeth, and lacked the violent punch that gained people’s attention when it premiered.
To his credit, David Chase never lost sight of any of those elements because he stayed loyal to his characters and their story, allowing them to dictate the action within each season. Not compromising his vision for the big picture, Chase constructed characters that were monsters and humane enough that the audience could care enough to erupt when left without a finite ending.
It’s that kind of dedication to storytelling that audiences and cable subscribers for that matter should be demanding. The good storytellers, like Chase, are the ones we remember and discuss long after things fade to black.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Chad Hugo // Jun 12, 2007 at 2:00 pm
How profound.
You only watched the Sopranos for the fake boobs and the little hope that Chase and Co. would somehow incorporate your favorite band of all time, the Black Keys, into the soundtrack.
Well, 2/3 ain’t bad.
2 Chad Hugo // Jun 12, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I mean 1/2.
3 Jason Miller // Jun 12, 2007 at 2:35 pm
You are on two sides of the Sopranos finale camp: loved it or hated it. I read an article on CNN today that summed it up pretty nicely. Additionally, the way it ended wasn’t only ambiguous; it was abrupt, to the point where I thought my DVR was playing tricks on me (and I watched it live). I feel like the end of the show is unresolved, but some say that’s the point of life in many ways.
4 Hennessy // Jun 12, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Wow, this could be an all time high for comment activity on the site.
The thing I would like to know is how many people called their cable/satellite providers and bitched to high heaven because they initially thought they had a hiccup in their service.
Fielding those calls…that would be fun.
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