The radio and television teaser ads provide quick snippets of past events and a somber sense of foreshadowing of the near future. Of all the quick release lines in the thirty second spots, the one that seems to scream out at the listener is from a weary wife, tired of her daily tribulations, “everything comes to an end.”
Sunday, perhaps we shall view the beginning of the end!
The final nine episodes of the Soprano’s will air on HBO (and Movie Central in Canada), as everyone’s favourite anger management patient, Tony Soprano, begins to take us all down the uncharted path ahead (well uncharted for the viewers, David Chase we suspect has an idea where this all is going) for his New Jersey families.
The Feds have been getting closer over the seasons, his enemies bolder and there is the whiff of insiders to his very own organization perhaps playing pretty loose with their loyalty. All issues that don’t suggest a happy outcome for the middle manager of crime incorporated for upper New Jersey.
The Soprano’s has been a most remarkable television show, unlike anything that most of us had ever seen on the television. It has changed mindsets in the entertainment business as to just how grown up an audience is these days. It has angered and amazed large numbers at times, blurring the lines of where television should and could go with their product.
It is most likely the one show that launched HBO to its major player status in the United States and changed the viewing habits of many Americans over the last seven years, from the very first episodes The Soprano’s built up a cult following that abandoned the networks on Sunday evenings, a sea change of viewership that continues at full speed to this day.
From that early beginning for HBO, the channel that was dedicated to movies and entertainment specials suddenly became a major player in the world of television programming.
With The Soprano’s leading the way, HBO provided quality television for adults, those not afraid of the odd curse word or an overtly violent act. Viewers that wanted plot development, real characters and realistic portrayals of life, not some Hollywood sanitized version of how things could be.
Once the Soprano’s took hold of the television clickers of the continent, the television gates would open to bring other equally well made productions to the screens that normally lower themselves to a base common denominator.
Shows such as The Wire, Rome, Deadwood, Carnivale, Brotherhood, The Shield to name but a few, can all raise a glass of wine in salute to Tony and his crew, they blazed the trail for television that took chances and found an audience anxious to break free of the formula of the network offerings.
It’s no surprise that network television has changed in the seven years that the Soprano’s have ruled their empire, for most part the night time dramas on the networks are now more powerful and more entertaining than a decade ago. While still not as graphic as those that appear on HBO or Movie Central, the themes have become more complete, reflective of a maturing of commercial television completely due to the acceptance of the upper pay channels offerings.
Sunday, Tony will begin to settle his accounts, for Canadians the opening night offers up a rendezvous with some Quebecois gangsters who apparently rub Mr. Soprano the wrong way, not something you would wish on your worst enemy (well okay, sure your worst enemy, but not just some shmoe you're mad at for the moment).
As the mid season finale was winding down, there were hints that Tony had problems within his own organization. Maybe Paulie, who doesn’t project the term loyalty very easily will turn on his boss, maybe someone else close Silvio or Christopher, who knows for sure who may crack should the pressure mount.
Then again, there is the building tension between Tony and his New York rival Phil, who has been the stone in Tony’s shoe for a number of seasons now. With Phil’s boss John secure and unhappily in jail, there is no one to reign Phil in, an explosion of violence seems to be only a matter of time between to the two branch offices.
Compared to business, Tony’s family life seemed happier than ever by the time Christmas had rolled around, but considering the past history on the home front and the numerous skeletons waiting to be revealed, the next nine shows surely won’t be a rerun of the Walton’s.
Though the promise of perhaps feature movies from time to time in the future is interesting, it’s been the ritual viewing patterns over the last seven years that have made the show the fixture it became. The events of Sunday were always up for debate on Monday, leaving us with six days of wondering who would be whacked next, who would turn out to be a rat or where Tony would go next in his quest for his share of the prize of organized crime. There will be a few more weeks of debate and analysis before Tony and his crew fade to black.
We’ll pop the popcorn and get ready for A3 to lead us into the night on Sunday; the show has been one in a million, complete with that shotgun shine.
Like a night at the Bada Bing, we expect that these next nine shows will not disappoint.
Sunday, perhaps we shall view the beginning of the end!
The final nine episodes of the Soprano’s will air on HBO (and Movie Central in Canada), as everyone’s favourite anger management patient, Tony Soprano, begins to take us all down the uncharted path ahead (well uncharted for the viewers, David Chase we suspect has an idea where this all is going) for his New Jersey families.
The Feds have been getting closer over the seasons, his enemies bolder and there is the whiff of insiders to his very own organization perhaps playing pretty loose with their loyalty. All issues that don’t suggest a happy outcome for the middle manager of crime incorporated for upper New Jersey.
The Soprano’s has been a most remarkable television show, unlike anything that most of us had ever seen on the television. It has changed mindsets in the entertainment business as to just how grown up an audience is these days. It has angered and amazed large numbers at times, blurring the lines of where television should and could go with their product.
It is most likely the one show that launched HBO to its major player status in the United States and changed the viewing habits of many Americans over the last seven years, from the very first episodes The Soprano’s built up a cult following that abandoned the networks on Sunday evenings, a sea change of viewership that continues at full speed to this day.
From that early beginning for HBO, the channel that was dedicated to movies and entertainment specials suddenly became a major player in the world of television programming.
With The Soprano’s leading the way, HBO provided quality television for adults, those not afraid of the odd curse word or an overtly violent act. Viewers that wanted plot development, real characters and realistic portrayals of life, not some Hollywood sanitized version of how things could be.
Once the Soprano’s took hold of the television clickers of the continent, the television gates would open to bring other equally well made productions to the screens that normally lower themselves to a base common denominator.
Shows such as The Wire, Rome, Deadwood, Carnivale, Brotherhood, The Shield to name but a few, can all raise a glass of wine in salute to Tony and his crew, they blazed the trail for television that took chances and found an audience anxious to break free of the formula of the network offerings.
It’s no surprise that network television has changed in the seven years that the Soprano’s have ruled their empire, for most part the night time dramas on the networks are now more powerful and more entertaining than a decade ago. While still not as graphic as those that appear on HBO or Movie Central, the themes have become more complete, reflective of a maturing of commercial television completely due to the acceptance of the upper pay channels offerings.
Sunday, Tony will begin to settle his accounts, for Canadians the opening night offers up a rendezvous with some Quebecois gangsters who apparently rub Mr. Soprano the wrong way, not something you would wish on your worst enemy (well okay, sure your worst enemy, but not just some shmoe you're mad at for the moment).
As the mid season finale was winding down, there were hints that Tony had problems within his own organization. Maybe Paulie, who doesn’t project the term loyalty very easily will turn on his boss, maybe someone else close Silvio or Christopher, who knows for sure who may crack should the pressure mount.
Then again, there is the building tension between Tony and his New York rival Phil, who has been the stone in Tony’s shoe for a number of seasons now. With Phil’s boss John secure and unhappily in jail, there is no one to reign Phil in, an explosion of violence seems to be only a matter of time between to the two branch offices.
Compared to business, Tony’s family life seemed happier than ever by the time Christmas had rolled around, but considering the past history on the home front and the numerous skeletons waiting to be revealed, the next nine shows surely won’t be a rerun of the Walton’s.
Though the promise of perhaps feature movies from time to time in the future is interesting, it’s been the ritual viewing patterns over the last seven years that have made the show the fixture it became. The events of Sunday were always up for debate on Monday, leaving us with six days of wondering who would be whacked next, who would turn out to be a rat or where Tony would go next in his quest for his share of the prize of organized crime. There will be a few more weeks of debate and analysis before Tony and his crew fade to black.
We’ll pop the popcorn and get ready for A3 to lead us into the night on Sunday; the show has been one in a million, complete with that shotgun shine.
Like a night at the Bada Bing, we expect that these next nine shows will not disappoint.
You can do a little research on the season finales with the stories below:
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