Hell, New Jersey-style

As "The Sopranos" winds down, members of Table Talk, Salon.com's reader community, assess the loss of another wiseguy and wonder where Tony goes from here.

Published May 18, 2007 10:18AM (EDT)

Television

The Sopranos: The Final Seasons

Aunt Snow - 07:11 pm Pacific Time - May 13, 2007 - #2263 of 2501

Whoa.

Michael Castellano - 07:40 pm Pacific Time - May 13, 2007 - #2270 of 2501

All credit is due to Chase for not sentimentalizing any of the characters and for finally removing any obstacles preventing us from despising each and every one of them -- as we should.

One can only imagine how it will all end. But knowing Chase, I suspect he's going to surprise us with the ironies of all ironies and end the series as it began, not with a bang but with Tony complaining in Dr. Melfi's office about the same old shit.

Any other ending wouldn't be Chase. So Bookmark this prediction, folks.

JoshD - 08:44 pm Pacific Time - May 13, 2007 - #2296 of 2501

I think that what ultimately led Tony to be able to kill Christopher was seeing the branch through the baby seat. Tony needed a reason beyond his own self-interest to help him rationalize the horrible deed

Did anyone catch the look on Sil's face when Tony talked about how the death report would show blood in the lungs? He definitely knows Tony killed Chris.

In my experience, hallucinogens always make you feel like you "get" "it," but it is always impossible to articulate what "it" is. However, in watching the scene I felt like Tony was making a connection between the death of Christopher and the return of his luck at the gaming tables.

Sam Deeds - 08:05 pm Pacific Time - May 13, 2007 - #2280 of 2501 "

I think what pushed Tony to actually go through with killing Christupha was the admission about being on drugs. That made the opportunity too hard to pass up, since it suggested he could get away with it.

Jenni P - 05:33 am Pacific Time - May 14, 2007 - #2304 of 2501

Tony mentioned several times that the tree limbs had broken through to the car seat (in an attempt to make Christopher look bad post-mortem).

And the "I get it!" at the end was a typical, hallucinatory "I get how the universe works" type of exclamation. I thought the whole peyote experience was very well done (I haven't tried it, but, ahem, I've tried other things).

My prediction has changed for this series. I think Tony will come out tougher and meaner than ever (maybe dead, but no more ambivalence about what he is). I think that he has now truly crossed over and will fully embrace the type of person he has to be in order to be a Mob Boss and he's gonna go full steam ahead. Again, I predict more bloodshed between his crew and NY.

That evil look that Tony gets on his face was never more present than when he was holding Chris' nose closed in that car. His eyes were just filled with disgust and contempt. It's amazing how awful these characters have become in this season. Not that they were angels before. You could see him becoming more and more disgusted with him in the car though as he came to realize that Chris was hopped up on something. The car accident was like a gift once Chris confirmed that he wouldn't be able to pass up.

Otto Hemi - 08:01 am Pacific Time - May 14, 2007 - #2322 of 2501

Note to self: Don't say things like "Life's too short" and play sappy songs from a movie called "The Departed" while not paying attention to the road. You don't handle irony that well.

Ultimately, though, Christofuh's death was either brilliant writing or just Chase taking the easy way out. I mean, we all knew his demise was coming, but how satisfied would we have been if it had been at the hands of somebody we liked even less? (I'm looking at you, Phil and Paulie.)

LaDeeVah - 12:56 pm Pacific Time - May 14, 2007 - #2349 of 2501

Christophuh put up no fight. I understand he was badly hurt (if not mortally even without Tony's help), but the expression in his eyes was of resignation and acceptance -- not fear, not fury, not supplication. I feel Michael Imperioli has earned another Emmy nom.

oxane - 01:00 pm Pacific Time - May 14, 2007 - #2350 of 2501

Dialing 911 but stopping after 2 digits. Tony thinks quick on his feet. My child was watching and he knows you can't dial 911 and hang up -- they'll come out, anyway. Remember the scene in the hospital with Artie where Artie said he could see Tony's mind moving steps ahead of everyone around him?

Arcey - 01:07 pm Pacific Time - May 14, 2007 - #2351 of 2501

That close-up of the phone screen and the dialing of 9-1 and then a pause and then Tony closing the phone was brilliant writing and directing. The subtleness of the details is still amazing on this show. Those two numbers -- 9 and 1 -- were chilling and shocking. To me, anyway.

BeeZee - 12:55 am Pacific Time - May 15, 2007 - #2367 of 2502

If his airway was blocked, the blood wouldn't have had to get into his nose to suffocate him, would it?

But it's hard to suspect he was deliberately suffocated when you've got a perfectly good frequently fatal injury staring you in the face. Especially since the only suspect would be his loving uncle.

Come to that, Tony wiped his bloody hands on Christopher's jacket after killing him. But maybe that only shows that he touched him.

Maggie O. - 09:04 am Pacific Time - May 15, 2007 - #2389 of 2503

Tony will try to strangle Carm during an ambien-induced sleep-eating experience, but he will be stopped by the Fonz, who is working for the FBI now. Tragically, Fonzie will be shot by Meadow, which will horrify her, because the bullet will go through the Fonz and into Tony's heart and Tony will die in Fonzie's arms, covered in both their blood, while holding a single thumb aloft and saying, "Heeeeeeeeeeeey" with his dying breath.

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