HBO Series 'The Sopranos' Ends Its Run

June 10, 2007 — -- The final episode of "The Sopranos" ends with Tony joining the federal witness program in a last-ditch effort to save Carmela, the kids and, of course, himself, from the clutches of mob rival Phil Leotardo. That's how I think the landmark series will come to a close. Others would beg to differ, I'm sure.

On the other hand, I think Tony should die for all his past sins and let's face it, there are plenty.

But if I were writing the series, I don't think I could pull the trigger on the big guy because like millions of other fans across the nation, I've grown quite attached to the two-timing, homicidal sociopath. And tonight's swan song for this groundbreaking series is something I've been dreading/looking forward to for a long time.

"I think it stands as one of the greatest if not the greatest dramas in TV history," said Bruce Fretts, editor-at-large for TV Guide. "It's been an amazing piece of work and I think it's going to be hard to top. I think it's something that's going to be watched and studied and appreciated for decades to come."

Yet "Sopranos" aficionados know to brace themselves for a slightly unsatisfying ending. After all, David Chase, the mastermind behind the show, has been defying convention ever since the series began.

The very premise of the show was a bit of a mindbender. We were first introduced to Tony more than eight years ago as he sat in psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi's waiting room, seeking treatment for his panic attacks. It was a revelatory moment for fans of gangster dramas. Who knew that mafia bosses shared the same mundane hopes, dreams and fears as the rest of us schlubs?

Chase would spend the following six glorious seasons updating and deconstructing the myth of the American mobster. I mean, would Michael Corleone ever have sought therapy?

So how does one end such a landmark series? If TV history has taught us anything, it is that finales of great shows are quite predictable in one sense: They hardly ever live up to the tremendous hype.