Regarding the Analyze This vs. Sopranos question, there's a little nod to their similarity in the first episode of season two, when Tony visits a new shrink in the absence of Melfi. The shrink refuses to treat Tony on account of him having seen Analyze This.

Tony's response: "Analyze This? Come on, it's a fucking movie."

As the Journey song suggests "the movie never ends it goes on and on and on" - it never should have ended. Soap operas last 30 years, why shouldn't this, it was great entertainment and they had plenty of scenarios to play out for at least 3 more seasons which would have put them over the 10year/season mark. Closure? As far as I can see, I have none, so why not give us a few more seasons, forget shooting ONE scene over the course of 3 days in film, only to convert to digital only to deliver with a 6-month break inbetween? Just shoot the damn thing, give us a normal 25-episodes per year, and this could have been good, fun stuff, for at least 3 more years given all the scenarios. Logically, this story does not end in an icecream parlor in bloomfield... it ends with AJ 10 years in the future (not in 10 years but over the course of 3 years), Tony passes on naturally or unaturally... we can all be writers on this level but logic dictates, let's see what happens to the THIRD generation... thats not too much to ask of a series that had full steam.

I respectfully disagree. The most important factor in the Sopranos not returning was the fact that Gandolfini wanted it to be over. If you see interviews with the cast, every single actor/actress said that they could do the show for another ten years - except for Gandolfini, whose response was, "Frankly, Im sick of [Tony Soprano.]" For a series whose focal point was 90 % Tony Soprano, it would be hard to continue life after Tony and still have the same fan base. I think a continuing trend in season 6B was to have viewers actually start to dislike Tony (I.E. Tony choosing the better financial option for Vito Jr, rather than the better moral option, and killing Chrissy).
secondly, what hugely popular show has 25 episodes per season? I think the norm is between 10-13, unless it is a low-budget show. The Sopranos shot on location, so it wasn't low-budget.
I do agree that there was the potential for at least another 3 seasons. That could have occured during the long breaks. I'm also fairly certain that any and every Sopranos nut would love to have the show continue for another 10 years, let alone one last hoorah, a movie. But, alas, unless Gandolfini needs some quick dough, I think we've seen the last of The Sopranos.

Only network television has shows that have 25 episodes a year. HBO/Showtime shows are higher quality and are higher budget, thus shorter but better seasons.

Show ended when it was on top, most shows should end that way, not milk it until it's dry. By the way, did you suggest that AJ joins the family? That's laughable.

I agree they ended it correctly... I just hope they dont try and make a movie that might ruin it.

Such as?

i have started to watch the whole series again and im in season 2 21 Full Leather Jacket at the moment...just as good as when i first watched it

pure class

I wholeheartedly agree. Us humans make me laugh. We moan that they could have done more. And all the brilliant writers felt otherwise, or they would have had scripts that would not have been refused. I feel that if we had had just one more season we'd all be saying they should have ended it when it was good. They did the right thing, however sad I am to see it go.

I don't know how many times I have watched all the series but my girlfriend just picked up on this first time she watched it. In the episode 28 "Proshai, Livushka", Livia Soprano is put in to the episode through CGI. I never picked up on it, but when you look at it, her head is kind of shimmery at times and all her dialogue is pre-recorded from other episodes.

Yes i noticed that to a while back,its because she died during filming the 3rd season.

I noticed that right away. Tony keeps talking to her and she mostly sits there and waves her hanky.

Check out her hair style in that scene - it changes 3 times!

Are you kidding? So much was left to ponder:

1. What happened to Tony

2. Did Sil recover

3. Whos the new boss of the Lupertazzi family

4. What happens with Meadow and AJ

5. Does Carlo really flip

6. The Russian in the woods

7. Janice has a history of dating made guys in the family: Richie Aprile, Ralphie and married bobby. Whos next?

8. Benny was on the rise and they could have elevated his character to a very high level.

And on and on and on....It was purposly left open ended and could have had atleast 2 more highly productive seasons.

Nice work.

I was very upset with the way it ended.

I think it could have lasted without Tony and kept going with someone else at the helm.

Ending SUCKED ! So what ya got court and stuff going down, setting in a cheap ass fucken diner, gotta admit talken with your kids and ole lady ! But the rest is shit ! Bad fucken ending !!!!!!!!!!!! When I finally got ta watch it another story , at a different time ! But liken onion rings hell ya ! All getting along , court coming up . Holy Mother Mary, let Joe Peshi woke throught the door and say "What the F%%%K is this here ? Your making me crazy !

I hated when just like that pow Artie killed Tony.

Totally out of the blue eating his zucchini flowers and boom artie blasts him with a revolver, twice in the chest and one in the shoulder.

Artie snears - "thats the last zucchini flowers you'll eat you fat son of a bitch".

I am thinking about buying that DVD collection that is out. I was hoping to find a good deal on all the episodes. At one time, a year or so ago, it was pricey, gonna have to check that out on ebay etc..

Holy shize i was drunk last night.

haha

the ending pissed me off .. I felt kinda robbed, and left with many unanswered questions - like has already been said...there was gonna be a movie but j gandolfini wasn't interested, think they should just start a season 7, and have Sil recover, you gotta have Sil back he's the man

Lol same with the ending, i bought the box set and could have sworn there was still another dvd for disc 4 then suddenly to black.

I get up from my bed and im like wtf is going on here. Sit stumped for about 20 minutes getting over what just happened lol.

Indeed, also I wanna see Pauly a capo of the Aprile crew, who are the new guys, they looked depleted they had barely any body left in the family ya know, there was Tony,Pauly,Walden(?)the fat driver(?),Patsy,some muscle bound freak(?), that was it... Very, very, weak ending... Mr.Chase ran out of ideas if you ask me, crammed way too much into those short 6(7)Seasons in 8yrs..... Just my opinion..

#3 on your list I think Butchie would've took over..
#5 yea, I think he did, no other way too look at it..
#8 no kiddin, Benny was coming up FAST, wouldve like too see him getting made, he was official..

Couldn't they start a spin off series that focuses on one of the other characters in the series that would be alive if the Sopranos would have continued? How about a series starring Paulie Walnuts?

They did it with Cheers and I'm sure they could do the same with the Sopranos.

It is really great...

Nunzio, an excellent movie about the love of a mentally handicapped man and his family, the movie really portrayed life in an Italian home without the stigma of the mafia

why did they leave us hanging with the mystery of Valari in the pine barrons episode? did he survive?, why didn't Slava question what happened to him? it left us in the air.