Jersey Bounce: Five Fans Take a Stab At the Finale

He needs the feds now. Too many sharks are circling, and Tony can't rely on his own crew -- Paulie has become Tony's would-be Brutus. So Tony comes in from the cold, getting immunity and protection by agreeing to testify against Phil and the New York mob.

The surprise is that A.J. -- yes, that feckless disappointment of a son -- emerges from his cloud of self-absorption and despair to save his father with one last primal act of violence (pick your own would-be perpetrator). And so, a new generation of sociopath is born, as an older one dies.

Tony lives, but at the cost of his bloody code of "honor," his (corrupted) sense of principle and his self-respect. His capitulation to the law leaves him compromised and self-loathing.

How ironic. How ambiguous. How "Sopranos."

-- Paul Farhi

* * *

What goes around comes around. As ye sow so shall ye reap. Big wheel of karma keeps turning, proud Tony ends up burning.

Wrong. Have we learned nothing from watching "The Sopranos" for eight years?

Tony may be guilty of catastrophic, chronic and inevitable evil, but he is not guilty of unadulterated evil, so why should he suffer an unadulterated punishment?

He strangles, betrays, steals and lies, but we can't help hurting for the guy -- he feels remorse, visits the sick, weeps for his dead horse and loves his family, which drives him crazy with its whining and screw-ups. He even wants to send his daughter to medical school.

And, most redeeming of all, in this age of morals as dictated by People magazine, he seeks professional counseling. Good, evil, good, evil.

Dramatically, psychologically, theologically, Tony could die Sunday, but it could be worse. He could lose his power and money and turn into just another shopworn slob, a cafone like Paulie Walnuts. He could go to the feds and lose his dark grandeur by ratting everybody out. Or way better: In keeping with the teachings of this show, he could end up back in his big house with the swimming pool.