I started this thread, because some of the writers of television series are geniuses. They put things into the series, that most people would miss. It amazes me how intricate they get with details.
Two examples I can think of are the Sopranos and Lost. Since both shows, have many elements which could be discussed, I decided to focus on the last episode of the Sopranos for now. *** SPOILER ***
[yt=width,height]rnT7nYbCSvM[/yt] In Sopranos, the last episode, I could write a whole chapter on all of the hidden meaning I think is there or that I've researched. For instance, at one point in the episode, when they are hiding out at Tony's mother's place, he goes upstairs and sleeps. When he wakes up, the camera angle is shooting down on him. I thought, as many viewers probably did. Is he dead? Did they kill him while he was sleeping. They keep the shot on him for a few seconds, before he wakes up. This lead me to believe, they were messing with our minds. It looked like he was in a coffin. It could have been foreshadowing or just the director alluding to death, to throw the viewers off. Also, in the last scene, it looks like Tony is wearing the exact same shirt he was wearing when he was shot by Uncle Juene in the episode called "Members Only" My question though, is if he was wearing the shirt when he was first shot, wouldn't it have been ruined? This mean he has another shirt that looks exactly the same, and he coincentally is wearing it in the last scene? Is this a slap in the face for the viewer to infer he was shot in the last scene? Also, one of the guys that walks in to the diner at the end is wearing a Members Only jacket , obviously a reference to the episode where he was shot.
Then in the last episode, there are dull colors, yet the color orange keeps reappearing. Oranges which seem to reveal fatality in ganster movies, like the Godfather, for example. In the last episode, Tony drinks orange juice, eats an orange , has an orange cat hanging around the Bada Bing, and in the last scene has an orange tiger on the wall behind his head. Also the family, eats onion rings, which appear to be orange colored.
When they are eating the onion rings, they all put the whole ring in their mouth, which struck me as odd at first. It looks like they are receiving communion. They all 3 eat them the same way. At the time, I figured there must be some meaning behind it. Then I found online, where this guy name Bob Harris, felt the whole scene was like a last supper. You can read his analysis here: [Click, Dick]
Then the songs have to be significant, as they zoom in on them , the titles are very visible. I even paused to see if I could figure out the meaning behind the titles. The only one I could make sense of was of course the last one, Don't Stop Believin' by Journey. Coincidentally the music cues right when Carmela walks through the door, to the lyrics.. "Just a small town girl Living in a lonely world"
Then when I heard "Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard Their shadows searching in the night Streetlight people, living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night" I wondered if someone was going to appear out of no where with a gun, or if the guy that walked into the bathroom was going to pull a Godfather I.
Then I thought it was really interesting, that they cut the song before it ended so the last words were "Oh the movie never ends It goes on and on and on and on
{Refrain}
Don't stop "
My final interpretation, after reading what others have said, and looking back at the episode, is that Chase wants us to take all of the clues he put in the episode and contruct our own ending. At first, I was pissed. Now, in reflection, I feel its brilliant. He put all of these puzzle pieces for us to put together in our own way. The orange could mean death to some, and might be insignificant to others. And its like the lyrics, "Don't stop" are directed at us, to keep imagining what the rest of the story is. I think he left it open, so really the ending could go either way.
Anyone else notice things in the last episode or any other show? Stuff like this excites me and I could go on, but not unless I see someone else that is also into it.
Joined: Fri Jan 12 2007, 04:38am
Location: Florida
Posts: 687
I couldn't read your thesis because I have yet to see the last 2 seasons of the Saprano's due to loss of HBO, and my wife had never seen it so we started from season 1 on DVD (currently on season 3 with her - will be awhile).
But if I had to choose a series to analyze I think it would be Red Dwarf. And I might be alone on that.
