NOTES ON ENTERTAINMENT, CULTURE AND MORE FROM KOREA (OR WHEREVER)

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Sopranos' Last Aria

Okay, since people seem to be giving their SOPRANOS finale predictions these days, I suppose I'll weigh in with my random guesses. (I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, and even then I will write them in white, so you can skip them).

Since we returned from hiatus, for the second half of season 6, we have seen four very different episodes. Some people on the Internet have described this as a curtain call, others say it is just bad writing. Some people think Tony will die in the end, either by Carmilla or Janice. My theory is a little different. (And here come my spoilers, in invisible text... highlight to read).

I think what is happening now is that we are seeing the total alienation of Tony from his friends, from his insular little world. Episode 13, he fought with Bobby (and scared the hell out of Janice). Episode 14 he fought with Christopher, Episode 15 was Paulie, and Episode 16 was Hesh.

So when trouble really hits the fan in the final couple of episodes (and I assume this will mean the Feds finally getting RICO on Tony), I think Tony will find himself without allies. Maybe his friends will even turn on him outright.

His back against the walls, his friends turned hostile, his life over, Tony will do the unthinkable -- he will turn snitch. Not, of course, on the family (which would be unthinkable). Instead, he will offer information on potential terrorists in New Jersey/New York to the Feds in exchange for a new life.

The big question, to me, is whether Tony will have one last, mega-therapy session with Dr. Melfi. Certainly in traditional dramas, that is the kind of climax one would expect. But THE SOPRANOS have been fairly unconventional during most of their run, and series creator David Chase seems to dislike the artificial therapy breakthrough.

(And if the invisible spoiler protection does not work on RSS feeds or other platforms or whatever, I apologize).
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Oh, back in the world of Korean-related subjects.... the Miro Space movie theater (in downtown Seoul, beside the Seoul History Museum) is having a couple of interesting Korean films with English subtitles. Right now, it is showing Kim Tae-shik's RIDING WITH MY WIFE'S LOVER, and beginning on May 10 it will be showing TEXTURE OF SKIN, by Korea's top animator Lee Sung-gang (in a surprising animation-free project).

Miro is a pretty funky building with some decent restaurants. Its Korean site is here.

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