The Sopranos

If you didn't catch last night's show...SPOILER ALERT

The popularity of the Sopranos is rooted in the fact that HBO can show tits and curse while doing so. Forget the artistic this, or theatrical that, the writing has been horrid, the acting amateurish, the cinematography bland, the storyline convoluted, and the directing non-existent. Gandolfini has done the best with the treacle he's been given to work with, and for that alone there was a time it was worth tuning in to. The concept itself was blatantly stolen from Analyze This, and went downhill from there, as little screen on a little budget tried one-upping big screen with real actors. Didn't even come close to working. Lorraine Bracco as Tony's shrink was one of the absolute worst casting mistake in cinematic history, as the woman simply cannot convince anyone with even a modicum of perspicuity that her character has more than a decent 7th grade education. None of the kids could act their way out of a wet paper bag, the mobster cast were let loose to be themselves and stood around too often twiddling their thumbs every time the script called for a BEAT.

But there WAS them tits and curses.

Last night, the Christopher character was killed, by Tony. That was something telegraphed from season 1, and all that can be said for the deed is that it wasn't done with any tits or cussing going on.

With two episodes remaining, producer Chase has to let Paulie Walnuts kill Tony. Preferably by mistake. Tony going out in a blaze of glory ain't gonna happen, because this IS Hollywood, and modern Hollywood cops out every chance it gets. Tony having an epiphany and going straight would have been too difficult to write, given the fact that there hasn't been but one or two good writers associated with this mess from the get go. And Tony getting whacked by one of his own guys is too, too, clichéd, even for so low rent a show.

However it will end, it WILL end badly.