Goodbye, Tony Soprano

**NOTE** No spoilers for those of you waiting for On-Demand or DVD.

I'm sure gonna miss you, big guy.

You were a murderer, a misogynist, a thug, and at times a crybaby.  But you were also loyal and loving.  And above all, compelling.

Your show was much the same.  At times flawed and frustrating.  But always compelling.  What happened with Big Pussy, Adrianna, and Johnny Sac made for some of the best television ever broadcast.  And if we never find out what happened to the Russian who escaped from Paulie and Crissy out in the Pine Barrens, so be it.

This was exemplified by the last few episodes.  Starting from when Christopher fell off the wagon one more time, right up to you and Paulie and Patsy boarding yourself up in a safe house in Jersey, The Sopranos was as strong as it had ever been.  But then there was that maddening series finale.  Leaving so many issues unresolved, and the ones that were resolved being done so in an unsatisfying way . . .

And then there was that ending.  That's what really has everyone so pissed off.  And I understand why they're in a dither.  The abruptness, the unsureness about what actually happened, the overall strangeness of the scene.  But I'm not sure that it wasn't subversively brilliant.  Instead of tying things up in a nice little bow, that last scene will have people talking and debating for years.  About what actually happened.  About what it meant.

But that isn't really the issue here.  What I really want to say is that, much like Dr. Melfi, I will continue to look for the good that is in you and your show, despite the horrific things that you do and the missteps that your show makes.  The Sopranos has become an American institution, and you, Tony, are an icon.  And now that it's over, you will be missed.