The Sopranos‘ controversial series finale continues to divide opinion 17 years after it ended. It isn’t just the fans who’ve reacted with surprise and confusion to how the hit crime drama concluded, but its main star had questions of his own after seeing it for the first time.
Speaking on the newly-released HBO documentary, Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, actor Lorraine Bracco recalled the reaction leading man James Gandolfini had when he initially saw the ending of the series finale. According to Bracco, Gandolfini wasn’t told about the fate of his mobster character, Tony Soprano, before seeing the finale. As Bracco watched the show’s last hurrah alongside Gandolfini, she remembered what Gandolfini said when the screen faded to black. “I was with Jim,” she said. “Jim said, ‘That’s it? That’s it?’ He couldn’t believe it.” Bracco, who played Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the show, added Gandolfini wasn’t angry when he reacted, claiming, “I think he was in shock like everybody else.”
Everyone who followed The Sopranos remembers the final sequence as Tony talks with his family in a diner to “Don’t Stop Believin,” in the background. When the door rings, the Jersey-based mobster looks up and the screen goes black, presenting one of the most ambiguous and debatable endings in TV history. Along with Gandolfini’s reaction, other co-stars were dumbfounded, including Drea de Matteo, who played Adriana La Cerva in the series. “Yo, did my TV just go out?” she said. “And I’m thinking to myself, This is David. This is f—ing David. This is exactly how he wanted to end the show. He doesn’t want anyone to know what’s going on right now.”
The Cliffhanger Ending Still Has Fans Wondering About Tony Sorpano
Despite being nearly two decades since The Sopranos ended, creator David Chase keeps fans wondering about the cliffhanger ending to his Emmy-winning show. Chase said in Wise Guy that his inspiration for the ending came from a lyric by the rock band, Journey, and a line from an earlier season when A.J. Soprano (Robert Iler) guesses that black symbolizes death.
The ending did little to hamper The Sopranos‘ legacy, as it’s still regarded as one of the greatest TV shows in recent memory. The serial drama won 21 Emmys and five Golden Globe Awards during its six-season run and later spawned a prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark. The Sopranos also celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, with Max revealing a special collection commemorating the show, featuring never-before-seen footage and deleted scenes.
Though Gandolfini attained household name status through his portrayal of the main Soprano, the role took an extended toll on him. Gandolfini tried to quit The Sopranos multiple times and suffered substance abuse amid the pressure of being the show’s headliner. Gandolfini died in Rome in 2013 from a heart attack, aged 51.
