Sopranos Tunes Up for Swan Song
It's the beginning of the end for Tony Soprano—whether that's just the TV end or the end end remains to be seen...and, in some corners, wagered upon.
Backed by heavy anticipation, The Sopranos final nine-episode run kicks off on HBO Sunday, bringing to a close eight years and six seasons of the mob family drama. And heading into its swan song, the most anticipated question of all is what fate will befall the small screen don.
As the second half of the extended final season is ready to roll, the show's cast and crew remain mum on whether James Gandolfini's don will go out with a bang or simply a bada-boom.
In an interview with NPR several years ago, creator David Chase made it clear that the end was not only nigh for Tony Soprano, but that it was already decided upon.
"The gangster movie is a long American tradition," he said. "But they've all been, except for The Godfather trilogy…it's usually the rise and fall. It's been that way since the beginning. The criminal rises from the gutter, has his moment of glory, and then goes down and pays for his crime in a hail of bullets. That's usually the template."
It's a sentiment Tony Soprano himself agrees with, when questioned in Sunday's premiere episode on his take on the life span of a mob boss.
"My estimate? Historically?" he says. "Eighty percent of the time it ends in the can like Johnny Sack, or on the embalming table at Cozarelli's...No risk, no reward."
The online oddsmakers at bodog.com seem to agree. The gaming site is taking wagers on whether Tony will survive, and the line favors him sleeping with the fishes before the end of the season. The site is also taking bets on which main character will be offed first: Johnny Sack (1-to-1), Uncle Junior (3-to-1), Christopher (4-to-1), Paulie Walnuts (4-to-1) and Phil Leotardo (6-to-1) are the current favorites to join Big Pussy, Adriana, Ralphie, Vito, et al. in the so-called "whacked pack," while Tony (10-to-1), A.J. (13-to-1), Dr. Melfi (14-to-1), Meadow (18-to-1) and Carmela (20-to-1) should be sticking around for at least a few episodes.
In any case, the last go-round opens with Tony celebrating his 47th birthday with wife Carmela (Edie Falco), sister Janice (Aida Turturro) and several other family members in their upstate New York vacation home as trouble brews back in New Jersey. Tony's rivals are plotting and the feds are busy building their case against him, which sets up the a story line that could see him enter the witness protection program.
Back for the season opener is rival mob boss Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent), who has recovered from his heart attack, but not his beef with Tony. Johnny Sack (Vince Curatola), who's suffering from terminal lung cancer, continues to languish in prison. The question of succession remains unanswered and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) is finishing work on his gangster slasher flick, something, in a wink to Sopranos fans, Tony praises.
"One hundred years from now, we're dead and gone, people will be watching this f---ing thing," he says.
People will also be watching this thing now, though how many remains unclear.
While the Sopranos continues to be considered one of the best dramas on television, its audience has dwindled in recent years.
The show hit its ratings peak during its fourth season, averaging a series-high 11 million viewer. Last season, The Sopranos averaged closer to 8.5 million, which is still a hit by anyone's standards, especially pay-cable.
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