Re: In new article, Chase says Tony is not dead...

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No, Tony's dead Sorry. And lol, It was Paulie. Because way back in "Mayham" when Paullie was raping his ear while T was in a coma, it killed him. A.Js probably dead too. Tony looks less scared this time around. I finally got it. Carlos gonna testify but to a much higher judge. Look at Carmela's blue print of that house. F.O.A it looks just like theirs, and
It looks like one of those catechism houses. pictures you saw as a kid. It says aryeh siege architect on it. Aryeh means lion. "Members only"....I GET IT!! Tony made it to, if not Heaven, his happy place. Or at least to where hes at peace. and yes Journey and onion rings are no coincidence either. I couldn't figure out why Tony was smiling after Hesh g friend died and Tony gave up the rest of that 200k. Thinking wow Tony someone died and you lost 200k why is that satisfying?
. But I get it now. He's smiling because he's doing the right thing. Oh yah who was tony talking to in "Kennedy and heidi" when Chris was talking about not sweating the small stuff. Check it out its weird. He starts off looking at Chris for a sec then he's totally looking in the back. I love season 6, its like a Sopranos Twighlight zone meets 6 feet under. its like I can totally swear these families are dead at times, and they just cross over to the other side and just keep conducting business. Look at the Chris and Tony scene in "The Ride" Nobody knows they're there.
Will Hunting

Re: In new article, Chase says Tony is not dead...

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G-Money13 wrote:Tony is dead and it was way before any MOG walked in. MOG is probably dead too. Looks like Eugene anyway.
Finally! This looks like the Definitive wrap-up to the topic. (Wish the AJ/pool scene reference hadn't been edited out, tho.) Forwarding to Chase, Master-of-Sopranos, Vox, Variety et al.
Oh look, there's more. "...it goes on and on and on and-" cut to black, silence.

Re: In new article, Chase says Tony is not dead...

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FlyOnMelfisWall wrote:Well, I'm with you Billyv, in that Chase's irritability at the question (among other questions over the years that elicited his condescension) indicts his own level of psycho-spiritual maturity. I don't get the sense that he would be an easy person to relate to -- fascinating, but probably not easy -- especially if you are outside a circle of very trusted family and friends. But I'll cut him some slack, as I try to do with everyone, since I have plenty of growing left to do myself.:icon_lol:
I first became aware of the Vox article and retraction thanks to Detective Hunts post and provided link and bloodsports follow-up and started thinking, reacting, commenting and reading here and elsewhere. Initially I was a bit annoyed with Chase and/or the question seemingly being "answered then denied." Now, I think the journalist was entirely responsible for the "new" controversy and that Chase was being consistent tho frustrated by again having to try to explain what he feels he's explained over and over and can't explain anymore clearly or thoroughly than he has, with his best explanation being the Work itself.
He expected the journalist to consider everything he's said, publicly and in their years-long private communications, along with what he presented on film and whatever he said in the moment.
I'm cutting Chase a lot of slack now, realizing his frustration, perhaps wishing he could explain in one short crystal clear sentence, and by having his every word or thought or differing angle expressed on the topic suddenly broadcast as "definitive" evidence.
At this point, I think his recent communications clearly show that the ending shot was intended to be completely ambiguous, which confirms to me what's usually been my interpretation and perspective. Tony might have died at that final cut, or a moment, day or years later. He may have been murdered or lived longer than anyone else until his natural death. The story ended exactly at that instant cut to black regardless of whether or not it coincided with a bullet to his brain which also could cause complete darkness and silence in Tonys consciousness. But we don't, won't and can't know as Chase ended it right there, at that last glimpse, with a strong possibility, but without choosing and without knowing himself exactly what happened there or beyond. He doesn't know.
I don't want any sequels, or prequels or spin-offs which would dilute the magnificent work, and I don't need further "answers" from Chase, though his comments are welcome and interesting. Though I've often thought a comedy with Little Carmine as the Boss, Butchie and Paulie as primary underlings, Junior as honorary consigliere, and Artie as, well, Artie would be hilarious.

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Ummm...Ive had a break through in the case. I dont know if you or your associates read these, but its weird. I say that because this debate has been raging on for, what, 7+ years and I haven't found any website discussion where the answer has been revealed. I mean it goes without saying, this is the best show/movie/franchise ever made. Well, I have it all figured out now though. Now of course Im not just going to blab it out here. Umm ok hint. What do JFK, Hilary Clinton, and B. Obama have in common, and also April 7th is just a *beep* hair from the week of Cinco De Mayo.
Will Hunting

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G-Money13 wrote:Ummm...Ive had a break through in the case. I dont know if you or your associates read these, but its weird. I say that because this debate has been raging on for, what, 7+ years and I haven't found any website discussion where the answer has been revealed. I mean it goes without saying, this is the best show/movie/franchise ever made. Well, I have it all figured out now though. Now of course Im not just going to blab it out here. Umm ok hint. What do JFK, Hilary Clinton, and B. Obama have in common, and also April 7th is just a *beep* hair from the week of Cinco De Mayo.
Alert the media, the case is sol-ved!

Good choice not to "blab it out here" as the National Enquirer, Globe and similar entities pay good scratch for such.

Golly-Gee, G-Monet, me-thinks you've overlooked an abundance of intelligent writing in many threads on this site, word-press and others, as well as on several other venues during the 7+ yrs.
Btw, April 1st, not the 7th, is April Fools Day, and on which alternative universe calendar do you find a week of Cinco de Mayo?

Re: In new article, Chase says Tony is not dead...

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I'll admit, I've found myself caught up at points in the past in the kind-of superficial debate over whether Tony literally "dies" at the end of the series. And while that one quickly wore me out and I mostly steer clear of those endless conversations now, in the end, it is my preferred personal interpretation that the cut-to-black does signify his death. I find that to be a dramatically and thematically satisfying conclusion to the final season's arc, which begins with the opportunity of Tony's redemption, and ultimately peters out with his rejection of that opportunity. That makes sense to me, that satisfies me (even if I admit that it's a little morally simplistic), but you'll never find me shoving it down anyone else's throat.

And that's because I also recognize that the ending, as it exists independent of mine or anyone else's personal interpretation, is an inherent question mark. It has no answer by design. Which is what really rubs me the wrong way about how the Vox article is framed. Those few words by Chase - "No he isn't" (notice the author doesn't even bother clarifying the manner in which the question Chase was allegedly responding to was even phrased) are sold by the author as a way of clearing up the ambiguity of the ending. What she fails to recognize is that "No he isn't [dead]" is not the same thing as saying "Yes he is [alive]". The whole point is that neither are strictly true. I firmly believe it wasn't conceived by Chase to be strictly anything in particular, at least in such a literal sense.

In yet another new Chase interview after the Vox article, he had this to say:
Well, your response to the story was interesting. You issued a statement saying, “Whether Tony Soprano is alive or dead is not the point. To continue to search for this answer is fruitless. The final scene of The Sopranos raises a spiritual question that has no right or wrong answer.” So, I gotta ask: What is the “spiritual question” that it raises?

[Long Pause] I’ll say this: The question is, to be really pretentious, what is time? How do we spend our really brief sojourn here? How do we behave, and what do we do? And the recognition that it’s over all too soon, and it very seldom happens the way we think. I think death very seldom comes to people the way they think it’s going to. And the spiritual question would be: “Is that all there is?”

Source: The Daily Beast
I love this quote from Chase, and I think this is all that really needs to be said about the ending. And I think more so than ever before, after reading how he explains it here, I sympathize with Chase's frustration over the never-ending debate. The spiritual questions raised by that single black screen are the far more interesting ones, and far more worthy of lengthy discussion.

Even without buying the "Tony is dead" theory wholesale, it might be granted that the ending at the very least evokes the feeling of death. Take it to symbolize the frailty of life, the finality of its termination, the abruptness with which we could simply cease to exist. One of my favorite aspects of the ending - assuming this death imagery - is the stark contrast between the prolonged black void in the end and the prolonged white light full of (false?) promise that bathes Tony as he emerges from the coma. One could take it to mean that within the beautiful simplicity of a silent black screen, Chase is affirming Livia's deeply nihilistic worldview; in the universe of The Sopranos, perhaps it really is all "a big nothing". Perhaps Chase's own answer to the question “Is that all there is?” is "Yep, pretty much."

That's a conversation that can be had without thinking Tony literally had to be shot dead into his bowl of onion rings to get to.

I suppose that's only one way to look at it. And I recognize that my affinity for this reading is deeply informed by my own worldview (which does tend toward the nihilistic). There are many other ways to read it, I'm sure. It's a deeply thoughtful, powerful scene, and so as I said, I do find myself sympathizing with Chase. I'm sure it does get really old for him to constantly encounter the conversation reduced to, "Yeah, but did someone blow his brains out or not?"

Re: In new article, Chase says Tony is not dead...

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I really appreciate reading the above and nearly any new comments the "old guard" care to share when they stop by. They are wise, eloquent in articulation, and familiar with previous discussion posts here. Thanks and all due respect. Please let me know if u find this ridiculous as I may not always be sane.

To me, and perhaps others who've often stared at the abyss, the "is that all there is" question, though understood, is not the point. While we might wish for more in regard to both life and The Sopranos, I'd have to say that there was quite a bit "there", though maybe much went unrecognized or unappreciated.
Tony had a rich life, full of family, friends, physical and spiritual adventures. Yes he was unsatisfied, yes he wanted more, and yes he had a few moments of insight , contentment and clarity of understanding ( i.e. as AJ reminded him at Holsten's) when he valued the good times. He had an occassional "fleeting glimpse" but couldn't keep it within grasp or focus. Sounds familiar to me.
"Is that All there is?" Seems there was plenty.
"Is that all there is?" As UP says "Yep, pretty much". So we damn well better appreciate what there is during its time.

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Brilliant post, UP, and I really appreciated your reply as well, Billy. This is the kind of discussion that I lived for a few years ago. These days, nearly all of my energy is devoted to finally trying to artistically express the perspectives that my own life and experiences seem to be screaming to have me express on questions similar to those UP highlighted (through a film I started over two years ago and then put aside for 18 months while I dealt with what I hope was the last installment of a five-year "dark night of the soul.") So even though my limited personal resources don't move me to respond with detail, I'm heartened whenever I cross paths with those who are serious about the questions that ultimately push the evolution of human consciousness -- in all its exquisite, mystical interconnectedness -- forward. In case no one else has thanked you for your contributions in that vein, let me be the first.:smile:
Tony, his spirits crushed after b-lining to the fridge first thing in the morning: "Who ate the last piece of cake?"
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