After watching tonight’s series finale of The Sopranos, and verifying that what I had just seen, was in fact, what I was supposed to be seeing, I couldn’t help but voice my thoughts on the subject. I’ll do my best not to spoil anything plot-wise here and just talk in general terms.

This episode, more than just about any other hour of television I’ve ever seen, seems like it was made to spark discussion. Unfortunately, it also seems like a huge cop-out. I’ve been pondering for a while now the various strengths and weaknesses of television as a storytelling medium. I think HBO has made great strides in disproving many of the criticisms of TV in recent years; for instance, almost all of their shows have significant budgets, high production values, great visuals, solid acting, and complex writing. They are also taken from beginning to end by the same creative team, guaranteeing that the story you are seeing is, by and large, part of a singular artistic vision. And yet, the one stumbling block that I keep coming back to is the fact that serialized television can almost never arrive at a satisfying conclusion.

All movies by their very definition have a beginning, a middle and an end. That ending might not be brilliant, but at least you know it is already there on paper before the movie heads into production. (Yes, movie sequels and trilogies wreak havoc on this rule, but let’s just go with it for now.) Continuing TV shows rarely have a preconceived ending when they start. In the case of HBO, I think they plan out each season one at a time, which means that the seasons individually might have some strong story arcs that wrap up nicely, but as for the overall series, there is no master plan. So how can you possibly come up with a final episode that encompasses every storyline and character that we’ve previously seen? You can’t. And that’s why so many TV fans find themselves coming away from their favourite shows feeling let down and betrayed.

I won’t go so far as to say that I feel betrayed by David Chase and the writers of The Sopranos. I understand that there is no perfect way to end the show, and you certainly can’t make everyone happy. But when you go for that cryptic, open-ended finale, you’re basically admitting defeat. You’re saying, “Hey, this is just a TV show and we didn’t plan it all out ahead of time, so we’re leaving it up to you to fill in the blanks.” Some people will theorize that they are just leaving the door open for a feature film franchise. Maybe… but I don’t completely buy that. I think this is the ending they wanted, and that’s what I find most frustrating.

It has people talking, but after 6 seasons of following The Sopranos we’re all left wondering, was there really a point to it all? I think back to where the show started, and where it ended up, and I don’t see any connections. Maybe it’s wrong to search for meaning in a show about mobsters killing each other, but with a final season that seemed so ambitious and determined to explore as many issues as possible, it really was a letdown. It’s a testament to the strength of the show that people were expecting something more, but I think Mr. Chase is going to have to answer to the wrath of the fans on this one. In general, I’m convinced that this is a barrier that TV can still overcome in the long run, but right now I have to admit it’s frustrating as hell.