The Sopranos, Season 7

 

The only thing worse than an once beloved television show overstaying its welcome, is one that is ended before its story has been told.  David Chase was always credited with laboring meticulously over his creation; running his sets with an iron-fist and not catering to any production schedules set by HBO.  He would do it his way or not at all.  Unfortunately, it appears that was all a smokescreen for writing difficulties and a complete lack of creativity to begin with. 

This is nothing new to the modern fan.  We’ve all sat through Episodes I-III of the Star Wars trilogy, hoping to recapture the magic and the mood that first made us fall in love with that galaxy far, far away to begin with.  We watched our childhood memories shat upon with the addition of ‘toy’ characters, and silly plots; and all the while we heard Lucas going on and on in the press about how his vision had come to life and this was what he had initially intended since the beginning.

Bullshit on both accounts.  La Cosa Nostra; Blood in, Blood out.  Once you enter the family, there is no getting out.  Mobster’s careers’ end one of two ways they get killed or they go to prison.  Very few are lucky enough to escape that fate, Meyer Lansky and Joe Bonnano being the only two that I can think of off the top of my head.  Tony is not that lucky.  There’s more to his story to be told.  Today I weep for what could have been, and humbly offer up ideas for a Season 7 that we will never see.

•   Season 7
  • Meadow’s Wedding-  What do Italians love more than a wedding?  Nothing, they even named a damn soup after it.  Not to mention all the potential trouble with caterers, venues, bridesmaids, gifts, not to mention the groom’s bachelor party.  And where better to deliver the indictment subpoenas than at a wedding.  Getting the entire Jersey family in one location.  Tell me you don’t want to see Paulie Walnuts running for his life in a tuxedo, knocking down busboys and upsetting hours de voures trays.
  •   Carlo’s testimony, his handlers, his bodyguards, his long wait at the safehouse, and his ultimate demise.  We barely knew the guy to begin with, I have yet to meet someone who could have picked Carlo out of a lineup when it was revealed that he flipped.
  • Tony’s trial on the gun charge, the RICO case the feds are building, will it fall apart without Carlo’s testimony?  Can it hold up? An Acquital or a short fall, maybe a long one?
  • AJ and his obvious commitment to “statutory rape” with the lovely Rhiannon.
  • Silvio Dante in a Terri Schiavo-esque legal battle.  Roman Catholicism vs. the insurance company of whatever bullshit job Silvio declared on his taxes.
  • Patsy as Underboss in wake of Silvio’s absence, Bobby’s Death, and the upcoming wedding.  Could Patsy find out that Tony had his brother whacked? Can he forgive and forget, does he know already?
  • The Russian Mobster who escaped from Paulie and Chrissie in the Pine Barrens; where is he?  what’s he up to?  Does he carry a grudge?
  • Furio, They send for ‘zips’ all the time to do quick wet work in the states and fly out, what would happen if Furio returned to Jersey even for just a few hours?
  • Could Meadow get pregnant before the wedding… She is changing her birth control.  How big a deal would this be?
  • Junior’s Funeral, and the search for his stash of cash.  Will Tony use it for Bobby’s children or keep it for himself?  Would Tony even be the one to find it?
  • The Cat.  What’s the deal?
  • Agent Harris- Has Homeland Security duty really changed his opinions on Organized Crime.  Does his ‘lover’ realize that he tipped off Tony to Phil Leotardo’s location.  Will Harris play a role in Tony’s trial?
• Could a Hurricane hit New Jersey during the heart of Tony’s trial.  Tear the roof off of Carmella’s new “summer home” real estate venture? All kinds of problems for this newly ‘independent’ businesswoman.

There’s so much more to know, to be explored.  Storytellers don’t just flip to black and say, well that’s it, that’s my vision, that’s art.  Storytellers TELL the STORY they are the vessel not the artist.  Even Mark Twain knew you end the story of a man with a wedding or a funeral.  In my fictional Season 7 we would have both; and an extremely entertaining character could have his deserved end; good or bad.

 

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~ by chrismcdevitt on June 11, 2007.