In the End, the Joke's on Us

'Sopranos' finale sends Salon's TV critic a sign as clear as a fish wrapped in newspaper
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 11, 2007 12:17 PM CDT
In the End, the Joke's on Us
All dancing stopped so the patrons could watch the final episode of "The Sopranos" at Satin Dolls, which was portrayed as strip club Bada Bing on the series, in Lodi, N.J. on Sunday, June 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen)   (Associated Press)

Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?" may have replaced A3's "Woke Up This Morning" as the song “Sopranos” fans most associate with the show, but Salon TV critic Heather Havrilesky thinks she gets creator David Chase's message. He "played us like a grand piano," she writes, and "got his karmic revenge on us for caring too much."

The last season had laid on the suspense with turns melancholic and violent, Havrilesky writes, with regular reminders of how repellent Tony was willing to be. The series never delivered the expected apocalypse, and although the last several hours held many surprises, the biggest was a big "screw you" from Chase: Tony survived, happily munching onion rings at a diner. (More HBO stories.)

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