What if we turned this thread into a discussion about what storylines we would like to see play out in the event of another season? If nothing else it would be a intellectual jerkoff session! Like what happens the night after Holstens, where would the Soprano family go from there? I think the biggest mindfuck chase could pull off would be coming back and telling more after so many assume that was the end. I mean you could do so much with the ending cutting to black like that. He could've had a panic attack, been shot, woke up from a dream, etc. etc. The cut to black might even suggest an unfinished story. Dont stop believing could mean dont stop believing the Sopranos will return someday. This is all very subjective yet we havent really considered the possibility much in our discussions in here. In light of recent comments, What do you think?

Janice singing Karoke in "Sopranos home Movies" doesnt count either!!!!!

Re: 8th season speculation. Never thought i'd be interested in this, but curiously, now i finally am- like other members used to be when we were waiting for a new episode.

So here goes: 8th Season Opening:

The infamous "cut to black" is never explained, at least not yet. The 8th Season opens up farther into the future, with much that has passed already, now to be slowly revealed. The mood is similar to the Members Only Intro.

For some reason, i keep thinking of the Seven Souls narrative intro to epi 6.01, Members Only-- and the shot of Janice's RollingStones lips/tongue tatoo on her breast as Domenica nurses like a Satriale's suckling pig. It had a surreal feel to it, as it had to cover a lot of time that had passed, and a lot of changes in storyline due to the big gap between seasons.


Implied Theme: Satriale's Pork Store offered suckling pigs for sale "at any age" (per sign on window shown in every scene of the store-- which borders on unethical and is creepy).- This symbolizes a parallel metaphor of the suckling-nursing offspring of The Soprano Family, or any Mafia Family, as symbols of the results of the sins of the Fathers (and Mothers) that are visited upon and passed down to the next generations. They ultimately sell out their own children to some degree, in spite of themselves or their best efforts not to; but hopefully with some improvements with each generation (my hopeful bias).

This theme is carried over to the new 8th season opener: (Picking up after long lapse since the Holsten's Diner scene)--

The first scene opens to the camera view of Meadow in a somewhat similar scene as Janice's with Domenica: nursing her new offspring like Janice was. Meadow is married by now- and not necessarily to Patrick. She could be on husband number two after being dumped by Pat after changes in her status and coups at the top of the food chain. In fact, she may already be some sort of divorcee or widow due to many events having happened between seasons that will only later be revealed as the 8th season progresses. Not sure what narrative would be played- not Seven Souls, but something equally mysterious and compelling, like some of the William Blake stuff that came to mind due to the Tiger references on the Diner wall, or some offbeat philosophical diatribe. What music? Has to be awesome.

i do imagine that the Soprano Family may be in completely different circumstances, possibly way poorer or having reduced status as a result of pending problems already referenced in previous actual seasons; but not necessarily in Witness Protection- that just seems too far-fetched for an 8th season. The overall theme would be one of the Family needing to scratch and claw their way back up the ladder, or regain top position thru murderous methods. The background of this opener could also be a setting where Meadow is shown with her new offspring at a baptism (not with Father Intintola-Eww!), which would afford the opportunity for all the various characters in attendance to be introduced from the beginning, giving eachother glances and mysterious expressions. Of course, Paulie would be there. And who else anyone? This opener would also make a perfect throw-back to Godfather scenes. We see a shot of the Church bell tower, with a flock of distantly quacking ducks flying overhead- south for the impending ominous winter.

Perhaps Tony would be in Jail from the previous season's indictment, and the scene would show how he was let out for just this occasion, like Johnny Sac to his daughter's wedding, or perhaps he has already been incarcerated for a number of years, and is soon to be let out, with a whole different crew situation and status as a benevolent patriarch, running things from behind the scenes, his true power base not completely made clear yet.

Uncle June i have decided is NOT truly mentally ill, and would be calling some shots on Family business from the facade he will hold from the State Loony Farm. The whereabouts of his buried/stashed fortune will continue to be a theme that keeps him in the game and fresh on other character's minds as they hope to get at it. Somehow, the Soprano Family holds some info or power that keeps them in some sort of special status with the other families, but we don't yet know what it is. Even while Tony was in jail and the family had to lay low and stop spending lavishly, they are still protected from New York and no one dares lay a hand on them.

This might satisfy the lust many have to see the Soprano clan taken down a notch, and Carm stripped of her ability to hide from the truth behind her materialistic firewall. Not necessarily serving food samples at a grocery store, but not so Jersey Glam either. Yet-- "proud poor" in a head-up post-civil war sort of way. Angie would definitely be back as a counterpoint. I would totally expect Janice to take a major lead role in future eps, as the female character most capable of the really evil stuff, like the equivalent of poisoning cannoli given to dear relatives. i mean- i used to just hate her character at first! A testament at how well she played it. Not sure how much AJ would evolve at his fairly young age into future eps, but he was really progressing at the end there, so what does anyone else think?

That was good bada!

Continuing on Pussy's wife storyline would be a sure bet. She could become a "boss" of sorts in Jersey with Tony in Jail. She already has been outed as to having "money out on the street".(Carm walking in on the meeting with Patsy and Vito) So we know she was starting to get connected. Sil recovers from his coma after having a similar experience to Tony and like Tony, for awhile he tries to change his ways. After recovering, he finds Patsy as the acting boss as Paulie and Sil don't want the job. Little Carmine is outed as a Federal Informant and goes into the witness protection program as do hoards of other in NY, using Tony as a Fall guy. Tony's experience in Jail could be flashback type scenes or matbe an episode or two showing him there. Carmela loses the house but moves into the Spec house on the shore, living off the stashes of cash at Melvins office and offshore money. She still maintains it but more and more becomes like her friend Ro. (how about a lesbian relationship between them? Juicy?) When you think about it, there really is alot there to work with. I look forward to seeing others ideas.

Oh Yeah, having Angie as counterpoint to Carm is the perfect setup for fireworks, as Carm has to give up her Porsche Cayenne, while Angie always has the latest model Corvette gleaming with fresh paint from her bodyshop. Sil's wife character would be developed more, and side with Carm in the clash of old mafia-wife's roles versus the new emerging roles of widowed mafia wives needing to survive and becoming part of the Family business. Meadow would be somewhat caught in the middle, but as a young new member of the club, she would have more involvement in the business than Carm before her, and have mother-daughter issues developed in the storyline. Meanwhile, AJ, as just on the fringe, would be either clashing or bonding with his dad on family business issues. Still not sure how Chase would go with this. Would he bring back the old theme of AJ as constant whiner and bucking the family traditions? Or would he become more a team player and sold out to the fall of the empire? He hasn't thus far been portrayed as smart enough to be the new emerging white-collar mafioso that has taken over in real life, and i'm not sure how he fits in. And since these characters directly play to a targeted age-group in the potential audience, i'm not sure what would actually "work" for the viewer of AJs agegroup. Would they relate to an AJ who suddenly found his niche in "this thing of ours"? Or would he need to continue the previously constant annoying angst to better resonate with real-world viewers? Basically, AJ had started to turn that corner, so i can't quite imagine what Chase would do with that character.

I dont picture AJ being like Sonny's son in GFIII. I think his storyline could follow him into a similar line as Chris. Maybe a drug addict or dealer or something of the sort. Tony always rescuing him ala' Chris. And AJ continuing to be an embarassment to the family. I think him and Chrissys' story are paralelled alot in the show and this theme could follow AJ into adulthood. Meadow becomes the family lawyer aka consignlere for the new Jersey family. She would be the legal arm within the family. Carmella wouldnt become a gangster I dont think. Although she has had her gangster moments, I see her being Tonys' wife still with her Real Estate thing being her form of organized crime. And all of Tonys' associates would buy properties from her. They never realy disclose how much money Tony has so they could make up any number at this point. He alludes to having stashes of money in accounts and in cash around much like Uncle Jr.'s buried cash. It could be alot of money. Also we could see new NY family members we havent met before. On and On and On........

SilvioMancini wrote:I dont picture AJ being like Sonny's son in GFIII. I think his storyline could follow him into a similar line as Chris. Maybe a drug addict or dealer or something of the sort. Tony always rescuing him ala' Chris. And AJ continuing to be an embarassment to the family. I think him and Chrissys' story are paralelled alot in the show and this theme could follow AJ into adulthood. Meadow becomes the family lawyer aka consignlere for the new Jersey family. She would be the legal arm within the family. Carmella wouldnt become a gangster I dont think. Although she has had her gangster moments, I see her being Tonys' wife still with her Real Estate thing being her form of organized crime. And all of Tonys' associates would buy properties from her. They never realy disclose how much money Tony has so they could make up any number at this point. He alludes to having stashes of money in accounts and in cash around much like Uncle Jr.'s buried cash. It could be alot of money. Also we could see new NY family members we havent met before. On and On and On........

i think your spot on about how it would probably go with Meadow and Carm in an 8th season- but i never really thought so much about the AJ-Chris connection until you just mentioned it. If AJ ends up like Chris- and Chase felt a need to continue having someone in that type of role- i would be fairly disappointed, but not surprised, now that you point out the possibility. i mean- that whole overdone belabored storyline of Chris's drug use relapses got really boring. Not as overdone and boring as the ridiculously re-hashed Vito issue, but close. I liked how AJ was becoming something else, and was extremely bored with the previous chronic whining and refusal to grow up.

And as for speculation, i cannot imagine Tony pinching the nose on his own blood son, but since i felt that there was some element of justification when Tony did it to Chris, i could see how, in our fictional 8th season, if AJ became the family embarassment and loser like what Chris became, i could see Tony taking drastic steps to do what was necessary to protect "the good of the order" and preserve the Family by eliminating the bad seed. Perhaps in Godfather-style (sending Fredo out to Las Vegas), Tony would take different measures to get rid of the problem child if he couldn't shape up. i would love to see an 8th season explore the Sopranos branching out to some different locations like Florida or California. Or ha ha - Cuba!?

13 episodes of nothing. Just a black screen, with of course the HBO "whoosh" at the beginning and the end.

Sounds like a Seinfeld concept! "Lets write a show about nothing!" LOL
Maybe the show could be about the cat at the end of the show and its life being the pet of a Boss? You know it could be 9 episodes long and one storyline would be Paulie stalking the cat and trying to off it!

With the discussion of storylines focused on the females: Carm, Roe, Angie, Gabrielle, Janice, Meadow... I feared this show could become a version of Mob Wives.
I wish the series could have continued with the quality level intact but perhaps it was ended at the right time before it deteriorated. The story arc concluded; the only appropriate way for the series to have had more episodes would have been to develop storylines and characters with scenes that took place before Holsten's... and not because Tony was allegedly killed.
I'd have hated to see a version continue that was too convaluted and stretched too thin. Did anyone like the next generation of Dallas????