In 1999, an HBO original series called The Sopranos began with a gangster walking into a psychiatrist’s office. What could’ve been the beginning of a bad joke instead television grew into one of the most acclaimed series of all time.
In the 20 years since its debut on HBO, and the 12 years since the series finale aired, the mythology surrounding The Sopranos has only grown. The show gains new fans year after year, the whole books have been written analyzing its thematic and narrative depth, and the series even inspired a prequel movie.
But when most people think about The Sopranos, almost everyone thinks about the ending first. When the last episode, “Made In America,” aired in June 2007, it immediately ignited controversy for its abrupt, ambiguous ending. People are still discussing that final shot to this day. But there’s more to what went down than just that closing moment. With over a decade’s worth of hindsight and discussion, we finally understand the ending of The Sopranos, and we’re about to break it all down.
One of the most important relationships in The Sopranos, if not the most important relationship, is between mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and his therapist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi (played by Lorraine Bracco). For seven years, the two danced around each other in Melfi’s oval office, as the therapist was often entranced and sometimes repulsed by her gangster client. Making things even more complicated, Tony was sometimes in love and sometimes sick of his therapist. Through it all, the personal and professional connection very nearly ended on more than one occasion, but the two always seemed to find their way back to each other.
Then, in the penultimate episode of the series, Melfi comes to a realization after a colleague encouraged her to read up on how Tony, as a sociopath, might simply be taking advantage of her. Convinced that he’s been using her, Melfi cuts Tony off during a tense final session. Throughout the war with Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) and the Lupertazzi crime family, Tony doesn’t attempt to call or contact her, and as far as we know, he considers their relationship over, just as she does. If Tony made it out of the series alive, it’s possible he would’ve he looked for similar care at some point in the future, but Melfi seemed hellbent on shutting him out of her life.
Loose ends and uncertain fates are a hallmark of The Sopranos’ final season, and nowhere is that more devastatingly evident than in the case of Silvio Dante, the consigliere of the DiMeo crime family and one of Tony’s most trusted friends and advisers.
In the penultimate episode of the series, “The Blue Comet,” Lupertazzi boss Phil Leotardo is on a quest for revenge and orders a series of coordinated hits against the DiMeo crime family for killing his brother. And sadly, that’s when Silvio (played by Steven Van Zandt) is introduced to a couple of bullets. Silvio and Patsy Parisi (Dan Grimaldi) are driving away from the Bada Bing when two men open fire. Patsy starts shooting back and manages to escape, but Silvio is hit several times, and his wounds land him in an intensive care unit.
In the series finale, “Made In America,” it’s revealed that Silvio is comatose as the result of his wounds, and the doctors don’t expect him to wake up. He spends the final episode of the series on life support, and although Tony does visit him in the hospital, the episode ends before we learn anything more about his fate. It seems the second most powerful man in the DiMeo family will live out his final days in a hospital bed, putting a slow end to one of the most compelling supporting characters on the show.
