Sopranos Finale? (SPOILERS galore)

Curious as to whether people liked the penultimate chapter in the series that aired last night. Word around these parts is that everyone I know absolutely HATED it and thought it was a cop-out.

As for me, I thought the ending was perfect based on the tension and the way they filmed it. If it had ended wih all four at the table talking with that sappy camera pull back to a slow fade, it woulda ruined it, but what they did I thought was brillinat.

Never have I sat through 3-4 minutes of "nothingness" and been so on the edge of my seat. The camera work and hard edits of Meadow parking were so well done, you were just waiting for the car to blow up or someone to walk up and pop her. Same goes for the guy in the diner after he went in the bathroom.

Overall, the episode wrapped up the NY/NJ feud about as quickly as it could. Phil's death was classic with the kid barfing at the service station. Paulie and the cat was also kinda spooky/symbolic/funny, take your pic.

Getting back to the final scene, I thought it was good cause the watcher got a small glimpse of what his life musta been like --- constantly on edge, looking over his shoulder, waiting for the hit to come. While others by the water cooler here say it was the chicken shit way out. I thought the opposite. To rub out Tony and leave the last shot with him lying on the floor in some "police sketch pose" with blood oozing out of his head with some Italian aria playing in the background woulda been so stereotypical and cheesy ala Carlito's Way or Untouchables (which I thought was how it was gonna end). This way I thought was so much better, IMO.

Just curious as to what others thought.....

ElF

The second Bob Newhart sitcom (Newhart) was still my tops for most creative ending of a series. Worst? Probably Cheers.....

Blake's 7.

Now that was how to end a long-running series!