Forget Tony and the Soprano family for a moment. These two men who play these characters are great great actors, cause I really hate them lol. Could it be that David Chase is just going to let NY win? I mean if it was all out war of course NY would win, but I can't see the other families backing Philly on all of this, even if Tony survives, I want to see Philly and Buthie executed by someone.

Will David Chase give the fans what they want
or will he hit us with the harsh reality that Phil really is that much control of his situation. That Phil is the real epitome of the mafia and tony and the crew are just some 'pgymy"

Though not every single character's arc need be resolved, I do suspect we will see Phil return to prison. The template for these characters has been to flirt with changing, redeeming or rescuing themselves but then returning to destroy themselves. This happened for Tony B, Vito, Christopher, Johnny Sack and seems to be happening with Tony. Phil's near death experience followed Tony's, as did his fleeting perspective change and relapse into his old role. I'd be very surprised if Phil, like Tony, escaped unscathed.

That Phil keeps harping on his long, hard prison time as entitling him to do what he's now doing feels very much like foreshadowing that that will be his end rather than violent death. And of course, Harris has told us there's a cooperator in Phil's circle.

I think we'll likely see Phil in a degrading prison scene not unlike we saw Tony in "Home Movies" or Sack in "Stage 5". And there might even be another subtle hint that the man who ordered Vito's murder himself has a flexible sexuality.

I have never really wished anybody dead on the show before. I've seen certain character's deaths likely and upcoming before, but I've never really wanted a certain person to die. I just sit back and watch it unfold, believing that Chase really knows what's best for each and every character in regards to the story.

Having said that, I would really love to see Phil get his. This doesn't necessarily mean a happy ending for Tony, as a million other things could crush him before the finale's over. Just as long as Phil get's popped, I'll be satisfied. The character has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and death is certainly the most appropriate ending for a person like that. Seeing him shipped back off to prison, though, wouldn't be bad either.

Universal Polymath wrote:I have never really wished anybody dead on the show before. I've seen certain character's deaths likely and upcoming before, but I've never really wanted a certain person to die. I just sit back and watch it unfold, believing that Chase really knows what's best for each and every character in regards to the story.

Having said that, I would really love to see Phil get his. This doesn't necessarily mean a happy ending for Tony, as a million other things could crush him before the finale's over. Just as long as Phil get's popped, I'll be satisfied. The character has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and death is certainly the most appropriate ending for a person like that. Seeing him shipped back off to prison, though, wouldn't be bad either.

True, I rather see him get tortured though, by someone, he needs to die, but if we can only have one of them killed off, I rather it be Butchie.

Another reason I think Phil will go to prison is what I read as double entendre foreshadowing in The Second Coming...

PHIL "Compromise? When I was in prison I wanted manicotta but I compromised, I ate grilled cheese of the radiator. I wanted to fuck a woman but I compromised. I jacked off on a tissue. See where I'm going?"

TONY "Yeah."

Phil pops the phallic symbolic cigar back into his mouth.

The secondary meaning is "See where I'm going?" The place Phil was just describing is exactly where he's going. Complete with sex with a guy because there are no women around.

I hope they both get taken out. There is a shot on HBO's website in the "Final Episode: Spoiler" video segment that has Butchie looking frightened. He appears to be in Chinatown.

As long as Butchie gets it somehow I don't care what else happens....lol

Credit to the actor though because he is really is doing a great job with that character....

They say that the only things that will survive a nuclear holocaust are cockroaches, nature's ultimate survivors.

Cockroach fits Butchie perfectly