I don't think comedy is about having original thoughts.  It's not 'No one had this thought before' - in fact a lot of comedy is 'I've had this thought before, I bet you have too, and I'm willing to get up on the stage and say this thought to a group of strangers in an interesting way.'  And that's where Patrice…

Interpretations aren't like that.  Everything said in MoS is 'true'.  But it's one man's (or woman's) interpretation.  I don't want to throw it on Chase to have 'not done that', but things like The Russian, Big Pussy suddenly appearing, Meadow taking the lamp to college, etc. - they suggest that the show is not always…

Interpretations aren't like that.  Everything said in MoS is 'true'.  But it's one man's (or woman's) interpretation.  I don't want to throw it on Chase to have 'not done that', but things like The Russian, Big Pussy suddenly appearing, Meadow taking the lamp to college, etc. - they suggest that the show is not always…

There's something funny about BBT saying 'He MUST be talking about MoS' then when sepinwall shows up to say that Chase'd never heard of it, backtracking to say that it's an iteration of that.  It's in the same fashion that MoS and its supporters say that things are CLEARLY this way when that isn't clear at all.

There's something funny about BBT saying 'He MUST be talking about MoS' then when sepinwall shows up to say that Chase'd never heard of it, backtracking to say that it's an iteration of that.  It's in the same fashion that MoS and its supporters say that things are CLEARLY this way when that isn't clear at all.

I think it's incredibly reductive to look at the Sopranos' finale and dissect it this way.  It's not Lost, a point which I've tried to make here repeatedly.  The end was not what the show was after - this wasn't Who Shot J.R.?  This was an examination of a man, his family, his lifestyle, and how at the beginning he's…

I think it's incredibly reductive to look at the Sopranos' finale and dissect it this way.  It's not Lost, a point which I've tried to make here repeatedly.  The end was not what the show was after - this wasn't Who Shot J.R.?  This was an examination of a man, his family, his lifestyle, and how at the beginning he's…

Great post john_wayne_newton, and I agree - my interpretation has always been that Tony Soprano's death is a formality.  Not only has he made the choice to continue his life as it's been going (and drains the pool, thereby depriving his ducks of a possible landing spot - they are gone forever), his family is right…

Great post john_wayne_newton, and I agree - my interpretation has always been that Tony Soprano's death is a formality.  Not only has he made the choice to continue his life as it's been going (and drains the pool, thereby depriving his ducks of a possible landing spot - they are gone forever), his family is right…

This had me very excited - I admire the work in the Master of Sopranos essay but I don't like its conclusion, and have been particularly not enamored with how it's quoted around here as gospel. Then again, Chase could just be throwing people off the scent, something he always loved doing in this show.

This had me very excited - I admire the work in the Master of Sopranos essay but I don't like its conclusion, and have been particularly not enamored with how it's quoted around here as gospel. Then again, Chase could just be throwing people off the scent, something he always loved doing in this show.

I don't really see how that is antiquated and stale.  I mean, I suppose The Simpsons did the same thing in the Bart vs. Australia episode, but it's really the only way to attack the subject is to be overly silly.

I don't really see how that is antiquated and stale.  I mean, I suppose The Simpsons did the same thing in the Bart vs. Australia episode, but it's really the only way to attack the subject is to be overly silly.

Uh, I hate to break it to you, but that episode aired in 1999, so it can't really be called 'late-period', although I suppose it's late-period for 'When AV Clubbers typically stopped watching the show'

Uh, I hate to break it to you, but that episode aired in 1999, so it can't really be called 'late-period', although I suppose it's late-period for 'When AV Clubbers typically stopped watching the show'

Namond Bryce, too.  And I might even argue McNulty.

Namond Bryce, too.  And I might even argue McNulty.

I haven't listened to this week's episodes, but I don't think this is true.  Sure, it's not going to be a high-energy gabfest all the time, but sometimes episodes of YMIW don't make it to that place where something interesting falls out of a conversation that appears to have run aground.

I haven't listened to this week's episodes, but I don't think this is true.  Sure, it's not going to be a high-energy gabfest all the time, but sometimes episodes of YMIW don't make it to that place where something interesting falls out of a conversation that appears to have run aground.

Vinny Chase was also supposed to be a great actor.  It's hard to find people that talented - and Annie is a more than capable actress.  I'd rather her singing be perhaps not up to par than her acting.