"Made in America" is the 9th episode of Season 6 Part 2, the 21st overall episode of the season and the series finale of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It is the 86th overall and final episode in the series. Written and directed by series creator and showrunner David Chase, it originally aired on June 10, 2007.
Episode cast[]
- James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
- Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi *
- Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
- Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti **
- Dominic Chianese as Corrado "Junior" Soprano
- Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante
- Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
- Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr.
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano
- Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano Baccalieri
- Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo
- Ray Abruzzo as Little Carmine Lupertazzi
- Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi
- Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile
- Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante
* = credit only ** = photo only
Guest starring[]
- Gregory Antonacci as Butch DeConcini
- Max Casella as Benny Fazio
- Carl Capotorto as "Little Paulie" Germani
- Arthur J. Nascarella as Carlo Gervasi
- Matt Servitto as Agent Dwight Harris
- Frank Albanese as Patrizio "Uncle Pat" Blundetto
- John Cenatiempo as Anthony Maffei
- John "Cha Cha" Ciarcia as Albie Cianflone
- Michele DeCesare as Hunter Scangarelo
- Michael Drayer as Jason Parisi
- Frank John Hughes as Walden Belfiore
- Michael Kelly as Agent Ron Goddard
- Geraldine LiBrandi as Patty Leotardo
- David Margulies as Neil Mink
- Angelo Massagli as Bobby Baccalieri Jr.
- Peter Mele as George Paglieri
- Donna Pescow as Donna Parisi
- Joseph Perrino as Jason Gervasi
- Anthony Ribustello as Dante Greco
- Jeffrey Marchetti as Peter LaRosa
- Daniel Sauli as Patrick Parisi
- Emily Wickersham as Rhiannon Flammer
- Danielle Di Vecchio as Barbara Soprano Giglione
- Ed Vassallo as Tom Giglione
- Ricky Aiello as Raymond "Ray-Ray" D'Abaldo
- Matt Pepper as Agent Ron Gosling
- Melanie Minichino as Tara Zincone
- Paolo Colandrea as Man in Members Only Jacket
- Avery Elaine and Emily Ruth Pulcher as Domenica Baccalieri (photo only)
- Amy Russ as Female FBI Agent
- Rajesh Bose as Gas Station Manager
- Jenna Stern as Dr. Doherty
Plot summary[]
Tony is in hiding with his crew. At nightfall, he meets FBI Agent Harris and gives him information about Ahmed and Muhammed. In exchange, he asks for Phil's location, but Harris says he knows nothing. Tony visits his family in the safe house where they are hiding and later joins them in attending Bobby's funeral. Tony visits Janice at her house; she tells him she will raise Bobby's children. Harris calls Tony with information that Phil has been using payphones from gas stations in Oyster Bay, Long Island, and Tony's crew begins surveilling gas stations in the area.
Butchie and Ray-Ray await anxiously for news on Tony’s whereabouts in the now significantly shrunken and cold Little Italy. Phil calls Butchie from a payphone, expresses anger about his failure to kill Tony, and rejects Butchie's suggestion to make peace. Phil vaguely threatens Butchie before hanging up. After Phil abruptly hangs up on him, Butchie looks up and realizes he mistakenly strayed onto Chinatown. He decides to turn back. Tony meets with Butchie and Albie to negotiate without Phil's knowledge. Butchie refuses to disclose his boss' location, but agrees to a truce and tells Tony to "do what you gotta do".
Tony and his family move back into their North Caldwell home. Benny and Walden track Phil to a gas station and shoot him dead; Agent Harris is pleased by this news, seemingly because there was an FBI pool on which crime family would kill the other.
A.J. and his girlfriend Rhiannon escape from his Nissan Xterra after he left its engine running in dry leaves and let it catch fire. He takes up jogging and tells his parents he intends to join the Army. They arrange for him to work for Little Carmine's film production company instead.
Meadow and Patrick announce they are engaged and that Meadow may land a job at a law firm. Meadow tells Tony she wants to defend those oppressed by the government, particularly immigrants; she considers her father a victim of FBI prejudice against Italian-Americans. Tony visits the comatose Silvio in the hospital.
Carlo goes missing; Paulie fears he may have become an informant after his son Jason was arrested on a drugs charge. Tony's lawyer, Neil Mink, tells Tony that Carlo is likely testifying and that Tony will be indicted.
With Carlo gone, Tony meets with Paulie at Satriale’s and offers him the leadership of the Aprile crew. Paulie initially refuses, worrying that the crew is cursed, but accepts when Tony tells him he will offer the position to Patsy. When Tony leaves, Paulie is left sitting alone at Satriale’s, the cat staring at him being the only living thing left next to him.
Janice visits an Alzheimer’s ridden Junior in a state-run care home to tell him of Bobby's death, but Junior is too confused to understand. Pat tells Tony he believes Janice is scheming to claim for herself the last money Junior's accountant is holding. Tony claims he no longer cares of what happens to Junior, but decides to visit him one last time to prevent the money from going to Janice.
Tony visits Junior and tells him to give the money to Bobby's children, but realizes Junior does not recognize him. Tony tries to get Junior to remember the money’s location, but Junior doesn’t remember what the money even was. Junior reacts with surprise when Tony reminds him of his involvement in the Mafia, and Tony leaves with tears in his eyes.
The Sopranos arrange to meet at a diner. Tony arrives first at the table, listens to "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey on the mini jukebox and watches customers come and go. Carmela arrives next, and Tony tells her Carlo will testify. A.J. then arrives and reminds his father of his advice to "remember the good times". Meanwhile, the focus is placed on many different customers at the diner, including a man wearing a Members Only jacket who heads to the bathroom by Tony’s side. Meadow arrives late and parks her car outside after a number of tries. As the entrance bell rings, Tony looks up and the screen suddenly cuts to black for several seconds before the end credits begin rolling.
Different interpretations[]
The ambiguous final scene of the series finale has sparked extensive debate since its airing. The sudden cut to black as Tony sits with his family at a diner has been interpreted in a variety of ways, reflecting the open-ended intentions of David Chase's storytelling. However, he has said of the ending, "Anyone who wants to watch it, it's all there."[1]
Tony is murdered[]
The dominant interpretation is that the cut to black represents Tony's murder. This is alleged to be canon given the discussion between Bobby Baccalieri and Tony in Soprano Home Movies, wherein Bobby proclaims "You probably don't even hear it when it happens." Silvio has a similar experience when Gerry Torciano is shot in portrayed silence in Stage 5.
The most common suspect is the man in the Members Only jacket, who is prominently featured and credited. This theory draws on parallels to The Godfather, where Michael Corleone retrieves a gun from the bathroom to execute a hit. The man in the Members Only jacket is seen heading toward the bathroom at Tony's "3 o'clock," a phrase repeated throughout the series multiple times.
Another interpretation is that the murderer is someone else who enters through the front door of the diner, either seen or unseen by the audience. The tension of the scene is amplified by the bell ringing every time the door opens, suggesting that danger could arrive at any moment.
A heterodox interpretation is that Tony's death is at some unspecified point in the future, suggesting Tony's fate is already sealed and inevitable, and offering ambiguity in the present.
Some viewers and critics suggest that Tony's murder is orchestrated by individuals within or adjacent to the DiMeo/Soprano crime family, with some pointing to the following:
- Paulie Gualtieri, due to visible reservations of taking over the "cursed" Aprile crew--whose previous capos all died shortly after taking over--and Tony's prior consideration of potentially whacking him for spilling secrets to Johnny Sacrimoni.
- Patsy Parisi, due to Tony's hit on his twin brother for defamatory remarks about Tony attempting to suffocate his mother and seeing a psychiatrist.
- Butch DeConcini, in order to clean up loose ends following Phil Leotardo's assassination, or as retribution for whacking Phil in a manner that his family could not have an open casket at his funeral due to his head being crushed like a watermelon by his own SUV.
- Deanne Pontecorvo, because of Tony not letting Eugene Pontecorvo retire to Florida, leading to his suicide.
- Carlo Gervasi, due to being afraid of retaliation for cooperating with the FBI.
- Man in Members Only jacket alone, or any random revenge-seeker, because of insanity or some unknown grudge.
A significant theory alleges that Paulie, Patsy, and Butch collaborated to whack Tony, with all their combined grievances.
It is alleged that David Chase confirmed that Tony was killed in the final scene by various entertainment outlets,[2] though Chase and others have rebutted this notion, instead claiming that the final scene is open-ended or may have alternative explanations.[3][4]
Tony survives[]
Another prevailing explanation is that Tony lives, but his life is effectively over. Burdened by imminent legal troubles as an indictment is on the horizon, his arrest could lead to a long prison sentence or further betrayals within his family. With the enemies he has made over the years, both rivals and allies, the possibility of retribution looms large. The decline of the mob is also a recurring theme throughout the series; and as Tony's empire shrinks and he loses many key members of the family by death or flipping, he is left more isolated and vulnerable. At this point, he forgets the "little moments" because of the gravity of his situation. That is to say, Tony will live in perpetual fear and isolation for the rest of his life, and can no longer experience life to any worthy degree.
Some additionally argue that the audience is "whacked" by being denied closure, forced to experience the uncertainty and tension Tony must live with every day.
A less common theory suggests Tony cut a deal with the FBI, wherein the Members Only guy is part of an operation to escort Tony to safety, with the cut to black representing Tony's disappearance into anonymity as he prioritizes survival over loyalty to La Cosa Nostra.
Tony dies, but not by murder[]
Another obscure theory is that Tony died of a heart attack or stroke, triggered by his unhealthy lifestyle and the stress of his situation. A more satirical theory is that Tony simply choked on an onion ring during the final scene, leading to his death.
Gallery[]
- ↑ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sopranos-idUSN0644006120070615/
- ↑ https://www.eonline.com/news/1308324/sopranos-creator-david-chase-finally-confirms-tonys-fate
- ↑ https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/revisiting-the-sopranos-series-finale-did-tony-soprano-die/
- ↑ https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/sopranos-ending-explanation-rcna170260