Made In America

The final episode of The Sopranos airs in just over 7 hours here on the West Coast. I can't tell if I really care, or if I'm just caught up in the cultural zeitgeist. I felt the same way when everyone was buying Rubik's Cubes and later when they were flocking to see Urban Cowboy... and it turns out I didn't care about those things after all.

But, to the point: does Tony get whacked?

My guess is no. Really just because it's too predictable, and The Sopranos is nothing if not predictable (yeah, I'm talking to you, Russian in the woods and any one of you Middle-Easterners who spend more time being mentioned than filmed!).

So here's my guess: Tony lives. We learn that sometime last season Paulie Walnuts struck a bargain with Phil Leotardo in which in exchange for eliminating the New Jersey family, Paulie gets to be boss of Phil's New Jersey operation, reporting directly to Phil, naturally. With that deal in place, the simple fact is Paulie's doomed either way. He has to betray either Tony or Phil, and I don't know much, but I know neither will stand for that, so it's time to draw the curtain on Paulie Walnuts.

If Tony lives, Phil almost certainly has to die. We know there are problems on his side of the river that have nothing to do with the Jersey gang (remember Phil's heir apparent who got gunned down at dinner, right in front of Silvio?), so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he gets killed by anyone but a member of Tony's gang, and if Tony fills that vacuum with some puppet of his own... heck, maybe Junior has an idea... the meds seem to be working....

On the homefront, I'm almost positive Meadow's joining the choir invisible as well. Think about it: she started the series as whiney, self-important, spoiled daddy's girl, and she's grown into... well, an angel. My guess: Tony survives the final act, but is left surrounded only by those who despise him.

I guess it really was all about family.

UPDATE, 10:06pm: Huh. So that happened.