Mob rules
The Sopranos broke all the rules in the small-screen book and became the benchmark for quality TV drama. With the final episodes now here, Brian Donaldson bids arrivederci to Tony and his crew
n May l‘)‘)tv’. traumatised
executives at US cable channel
Home Box Ol'lice (HBO) were in mourning when the last episode of the ground—breaking .spool~ chat .show' comedy T/It’ lorry Sum/cry Show aired. Having reached a creative peak since its inception in l‘)(i5 and with only the ultimately anrioy'iiig Set um/ I/ie ('i'rv' heading the roster oli new shows liii‘ the year. it looked like bleak times were ahead l'or HBO. But over the hoi'i/on rode a little silver-haired New .lersey'ite who would save the day not just l‘oi' HBO. btit l‘or those who had come to the conclusion that quality drama and 'l‘\’ were mutually exclusive terms.
While David (‘hase had already had success on the small screen with writing work on The Rock/on! [Vi/es and producing Northern lit/insure. it's not an evaggeration to .say that he is not a big l‘aii ol~ mainstream television: ‘I tell otit ol love with TV probably after The Fugitive went oil. the air.‘ he told an interviewer when The Sopranos- first arrived. ‘I loathe and despise every second ol~ it.‘ (‘hasc desperately wanted to make movies. So. when the pilot episode for The Sopmnm was rejected by the Fox network. HBO stepped in and gave him the licence to create epic little lilms lasting 50 minutes. The final one (number 8(1) will be
shown in late October. when the ai'guiiients over the ending will be tossed around by the devotees the same way they were in :\lllL‘l‘lL‘;l in mid-June. Though it‘s unlikely that there‘ll be quite the parodic explosion which had everyone l‘rom the ('lintons to the :\B(‘ News team spool‘ing the final scene.
(‘Iaims have been made about The Supra/rm that perhaps even ('hase would baulk at. But it it's not the best TV drama ever made. the victor is clearly going some. Its status as landmark broadcasting is unquestioned. It‘s not ~iust the cursing. nudity or brutal violence that made The Sopranos unique in 'l'\' terms l‘or ('hase and his team. the greatest triumph was in creating a hunch of monsters and making them loveable. The terror of the show arrived when the audience was charmed into accepting the characters‘ humanity only l'or one ol them to PCI'iOl'lll a psychological or physical act ol brutality. When the nasty Ralphie ('iliai'etto ran to the aid ol' his son.
‘DON'T EXPECT EVERY T CROSSED AND EACH I DOTTED'
horrilically injured in a l'r'eak bow and—arrow accident. you just about l'or'gave his history ol iiiaiiiiiiig and murder. .'\llti within hall. an hour. as it to punish us loi" leeling pity. lx’alphie's corpse was being chopped tip by (‘hi‘istopliei' .\lo|tisaiiti arid 'loiiy Soprano.
ll' you‘ve watched the show l'i'oin the beginning. you‘ll have laughed at the iiialapropisins. insults. bad impersonations and blokey Iarking around indulged in the Bada Bing? strip joint by ('Iiristopliei'. l’aiilie \Valiiuts and Silv io l)ante. But then we remember that the trio have killed innocent gardeners. pensioners iil’ girll‘rierids. .-\nd then. ol course. theies the boss. 'l‘oiiy Soprano. In
assaulted or
TV
Hlt‘ [‘lii‘l t‘l‘lsi‘vit‘ til i"". we saw .is many sides ol hiiii as is possible to lit iiito a Q” iiiiiiiite \lv'\\lll_'.' He ciies over the \ill\ ks who have taken to gatlieiiiig lll his pool. iiiesses around with his son and daughter. and hosts a barbecue loi his liieiids
(ik'i‘llll.
But he also runs over a scieaiiis abuse at his therapist and attacks ('hiistophei when he threatens to leave the \lob and go iiito the iiiov res
\iid throughout si\ seasons. loiiy Soprano. Ill the shape ol the incredible litilk that Is (iaiidolliiii. has ruined the lowest depths ol hiiiiiaiiity while sllii soiiichow i‘etaiiiiiig oiii sympathy. Izacli iiilidelity and eveiy lie. all the tllldt‘liltlttd tactics and acts Hi should have had lls tiiiiiiiig oll iii oiii droves. \et Ill .\iiiei'ica. audiences ieached l i 5 million loi the loiiitli season pi'eiiiiei‘e and a more than respectable l3 million tuned ill to see the series liiiale iii .liiiie.
lavei‘yoiie has had their theories about the tiltiiiiate late ol 'loriy Soprano. his laiiiily at home and the lainin at work \s the liiial barrage ol episodes prepares to hit iis with all out war against the New \Itll'b \liili iiiiillllllg. have demanded iiioie w liackings on the show look set to have their bloodliisl satislied. while the rest who have war'iiied more to the psychological insights and depths ol cliai'aclei'isatiiiii will iiot be let down.
Whatever happens. don't c\pecl the series to have c\ci_\ l crossed Ltlld each i dotted. iiiils ls Hill the (‘hase way. But loi laiis ol '//ir' Sir/minus. no matter what its late. this show ‘s importance is iiiliiiite.
.lariies
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lliiisc w Ito
E4, Sun 9 Sep, 10pm
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