When The Sopranos series finale aired, it left fans on the edge of their seats with a dramatic finish that no one could have predicted—not even the legendary James Gandolfini himself. It was a moment that redefined television endings and left fans talking for years. The episode was full of suspense, and the cliffhanger ending was unlike anything seen before on TV.
Lorraine Bracco Recalls Gandolfini’s Reaction to the Finale
Lorraine Bracco, who played the iconic role of Dr. Jennifer Melfi in all six seasons of the HBO series, recently revealed how Gandolfini reacted when he learned that the show would end in such a dramatic cliffhanger. In the new HBO documentary, Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, Bracco shared her memories of that moment.
“I was with Jim, and he was completely taken aback,” Bracco, now 69, said in the documentary. “He just kept repeating, ‘That’s it? That’s it?’ He couldn’t believe it. I think he was as shocked as the rest of us. It was like David Chase pulled the rug out from under all of us, including the cast.”
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Gandolfini’s Legacy Lives On
Unfortunately, James Gandolfini passed away on June 19, 2013, at the young age of 51 from a heart attack. His portrayal of Tony Soprano remains one of the most iconic performances in television history, and his reaction to the finale is a testament to how unexpected and groundbreaking the ending truly was.
Drea de Matteo, whose character was tragically killed off in season 5, also expressed her surprise at how the series concluded. She vividly recalls watching the finale with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” playing in the background. Many fans speculated that the sudden black screen meant Tony met his fate at the hands of a mysterious man wearing a Members Only jacket.
“I remember thinking, ‘Did my TV just go out?’” Drea said. “And then I realized, ‘This is David Chase. This is exactly how he wanted to end the show. He doesn’t want anyone to know what’s going on right now.’”
David Chase’s Vision for the Finale
In the documentary, David Chase explained his reasoning behind ending The Sopranos in such an unexpected way. He chose the song “Don’t Stop Believin’” as the final soundbite, and the lyrics resonated deeply with his vision for the series finale.
“It wasn’t just to be contrary,” Chase reflected. “As I worked on the finale, I started hearing one of the lyrics in that song: ‘The movie never ends. It goes on and on and on.’ I was thinking about how the universe goes on forever, even if we don’t. The movie keeps going, whether we’re there to see it or not.”
David Chase has spoken about the finale numerous times in the past, and it’s clear that the reaction from fans was not what he expected. In a November 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he admitted that the level of controversy surrounding the ending surprised him.
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“I had no idea it would cause that much of an uproar,” Chase said. “What really got to me was how many people wanted to see Tony killed. They wanted to see him face-down in linguini, you know? That really bothered me.”
Interestingly, Chase initially had a different idea for how the show would conclude.
“The scene I had in mind wasn’t the diner scene,” he revealed. “I wasn’t even thinking about cutting to black. I imagined Tony coming back from a meeting in New York in his car. At the start of every episode, he drove from New York into New Jersey, so I thought the last scene could be him driving back into New York for a meeting where he was going to be killed.”
Ultimately, Chase decided to go with an ending that would leave fans guessing. He drew inspiration from a real-life moment while driving on Ocean Park Boulevard near the airport.
“I saw this little breakfast shack of a restaurant, and for some reason, I thought, ‘Tony should meet his end in a place like that,’” Chase said. “Why? I don’t know. That idea came to me about two years before the finale.”
