Final scene - Running back ("rusher") 38 behind Tony

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Looking at the final scene, the painting on the wall behind Tony and above his right shoulder is of a football running back ("rusher" as in rushing yards), jersey number 38, wearing an orange helmet (the colour orange being used in the Godfather to signify impending death). This can be seen just after Tony's walks in and we get a shot of him sitting at the table.

The player is leaning toward Tony and is just above his right shoulder coming from a similar direction the Man in Member's Only Jacket would exit the washroom from and shoot Tony in the head. I note the running back on the other wall painting behind Tony's left shoulder is number "22" and is also facing in his direction. (Note: these paintings were installed by the production and are not those of the real life restaurant).

Both 38 and 22 are bullet calibres.

So it seems to me the painting is indicating Tony is going to be rushed and (indeed, if the player running in the life size painting was real he would be) hit by a number 38 from behind his right shoulder.

Re: Final scene - Running back ("rusher") 38 behind Tony

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TheJacket wrote:Looking at the final scene, the painting on the wall behind Tony and above his right shoulder is of a football running back ("rusher" as in rushing yards), jersey number 38, wearing an orange helmet (the colour orange being used in the Godfather to signify impending death). This can be seen just after Tony's walks in and we get a shot of him sitting at the table.

The player is leaning toward Tony and is just above his right shoulder coming from a similar direction the Man in Member's Only Jacket would exit the washroom from and shoot Tony in the head. I note the running back on the other wall painting behind Tony's left shoulder is number "22" and is also facing in his direction. (Note: these paintings were installed by the production and are not those of the real life restaurant).

Both 38 and 22 are bullet calibres.

So it seems to me the painting is indicating Tony is going to be rushed and (indeed, if the player running in the life size painting was real he would be) hit by a number 38 from behind his right shoulder.
I love it! Nice work...
Historically, that's been the case.

Re: Final scene - Running back ("rusher") 38 behind Tony

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Very nice pickup, Jacket! Your post is what brought '38' to my attention and have since amazed some others by bringing it to theirs. As for '22', here's what I picked up on my own (although I'm sure many throughout have also independently came up with this as well, and perhaps much sooner), 22 also being a calibre gun is a good point but how about the previous scene - Tony visiting Junior? Upon arrival he stands in the doorway. Above his left shoulder, on the door, reads 'Ward 22'. He not being aware of his blindspot is specifically hinted when the orderly at his other side repeatedly asks him to move and Tony doesn't hear or notice him at first. Well, looks like Tony also wasn't aware of Members-Only-Guy coming from that very side (beneath the 38 jersey, orange Cat of Death/Adrianna looking on) while 'number 22' hung over his left.

On a side note for what it's worth, and this HAS been mentioned elsewhere - maybe even HERE - 22 was how old Tony himself was when he made his first hit hense being 'made' soon after such the case with 'Members' being 'Made' (In America/Holsten's) as soon as he finishes the job. The cycle (circle/onion ring) is complete. And it "never ends, it goes on and on and on and on-ah..."

Re: Final scene - Running back ("rusher") 38 behind Tony

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TheJacket wrote:Looking at the final scene, the painting on the wall behind Tony and above his right shoulder is of a football running back ("rusher" as in rushing yards), jersey number 38, wearing an orange helmet (the colour orange being used in the Godfather to signify impending death). This can be seen just after Tony's walks in and we get a shot of him sitting at the table.

The player is leaning toward Tony and is just above his right shoulder coming from a similar direction the Man in Member's Only Jacket would exit the washroom from and shoot Tony in the head. I note the running back on the other wall painting behind Tony's left shoulder is number "22" and is also facing in his direction. (Note: these paintings were installed by the production and are not those of the real life restaurant).

Both 38 and 22 are bullet calibres.

So it seems to me the painting is indicating Tony is going to be rushed and (indeed, if the player running in the life size painting was real he would be) hit by a number 38 from behind his right shoulder.
I'm sure that none of that wound up in the final scene on the backboard by accident. BTW, it's NOT an image of Bloomfield High School as labelled. A Google Image search will show a much smaller Romanesque building without a tower or porch. As Master of Sopranos has noted, it's intended to resemble the Inn at The Oaks in Tony's vision, a place he refused to enter despite many entreaties by the same actor who played Tony Blundetto.

And the cat associated with Chris and Adrianna has morphed into an orange tiger, too.

Most important to me is that Tony chose to sit with his back to all of those things, all of them representing a path to death. Instead, he is depicted as symbolically taking communion with his family.

A .22 is a very bad choice for a hit on a human being, but just great for target practice, plunking, and killing squirrels and other rodents. When two very bad hitmen chose to use a .22 to kill Sam Eto (Ito?) in Chicago some years back in a car, they fled thinking they'd succeeded. But it bounced off Sam's head, he flipped, and the two hitmen wound up dead. That was years before Sopranos and is part of the culture here in Chicago, at least. I think the allusion to a gun calibre was intended. And I think the scene is intended to show that it's behind Tony now. One more David Chase misdirection leading us all to think it's about death, when the final scene means something spiritual about Tony.

I would love to see a better resolution image of that back board because what I've found on line won't clearly resolve what appears to be "Bloomfield High School". Got a link to a good resolution image?

Re: Final scene - Running back ("rusher") 38 behind Tony

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.22 kills enormous amount of people every year. Google it. . The references on the wall is death. The house is Tonys door to hell. The man (as in the credits) was forcing tonys entry. Even though he said no he kept getting closer. Meadow (guardian angel episode 1 s6) called out to tony and he was given a second chance. The numbers are calibers. Showing that tony is shot. The tiger is orange (means death) reference to the godfather movies. Its all there
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