The thing you’ve probably heard about the Sopranos is that it’s more about Tony Soprano as a human, as a dad, as a brother, than as a mob boss. This is both the best thing about the show and one of its shortcomings. It’s a fascinating perspective to see this…well, this criminal as a guy with so many weaknesses and flaws in his personal life. The only issue with that is that it’s a rarity when the viewer is shown why Tony is the boss. Many of his subordinates are older than him. He has weaknesses, and he becomes more and more open with them. He’s big and apparently strong, but he never works out and appears to be in fairly poor health. In fact, it almost seems like he’s just blessed with really good fortune. He’s lucky. I would say if I had one big complaint about the show, it would be that you never really understand why Tony deserves to be the boss. He just is. That’s not enough for me.

Besides that, the show is nearly perfect. Every episode feels like a movie. The characters come to life by mostly incredible actors and great dialogue. Very few typical TV or movie devices–like coincidence–are used. People grow and change and develop…and yet they don’t, really, because some things never change.

Watching the series all in a row like I did (one episode a day) gave me a different perspective than people who spent 6 years of their lives watching the show with week-long breaks in between. There is very little repetition. Like, if you’ve seen one season of the show 24, you’ve seen every season, because the writers use the exact same devices and manipulations every season. There was only one repetitious character in all of the Sopranos (a character that was essentially the same as a different character the previous season), but beyond that, every character was unique and real, not just there for the plot.

Finally, I want to talk about the end of the show. Spoilers will follow, so be forewarned. I’ll let you scroll down a little.

Although you might argue this point, I don’t think it can be denied that the show ends on an ambiguous note. The screen cuts to black. I’ve read perfectly reasonable theories of the two things that could have happened: Tony lives, or Tony dies. If you’re a big Sopranos fan, I’m sure you’re absolutely convinced that you know the “right” answer, but let’s face it. There is no right answer.

And that’s okay. Frustrating, but okay. What really disappoints me is the creator’s glib response. Here’s what David Chase told EW after the final episode:

“I’m not saying anything. And I’m not trying to be coy. It’s just that I think that to explain it would diminish it.”

Okay, Mr. Chase–what you’re doing is being coy. That’s the definition of coy. If you are as brilliant as you think you are, then you know for sure whether or not Tony dies in that episode. So just tell us. Because what you’re saying there is that you don’t know. And that’s okay. If you wanted to end the series on an ambiguous note, that’s okay. But just tell us one way or another.

My take? Well, my take is that the sudden cut to black indicates that Tony dies, but it doesn’t fit with the rest of the episode or series. The series would tell you that Tony’s life continues, that he doesn’t really change–none of his family or friends do–and that life goes on. But the sudden cut to black says that Tony comes to an end.

So all in all, I loved the show, I’m glad I watched it, and I hope someday that Chase gives us the closure we deserve. And yes, as viewers we deserve closure. Because in the end, this is entertainment, pure and simple. We pay you for your moving picture, and you tell us a story, beginning to end.

For a while now I’ve been wanting to watch HBO’s other epic show–no, not Sex in the City. I’m talking about The Sopranos. I’ve heard amazing things, so I signed up to get the discs on Netflix, and I plan on watching one episode a day during dinner until I finish the series. Hopefully that’ll be before the fall TV season starts.

What are your experiences with The Sopranos? Worthy of all the hype?

The wonder of Netflix is this: You get movies delivered to your door, and when the movies are in the mail and there’s nothing on TV, as is the case in the summer, you can watch TV episodes or movies on your computer. Hulu does the same thing, but to my knowledge it doesn’t offer HBO, Starz, or Showtime content. Netflix does.

This is how I discovered Party Down.

If you want a show to watch over the next few weeks, get on Netflix and check out Party Down. The complete first season is online, all ten episodes. It’s light and funny, popcorn fare, but the characters are so well written that it makes the show worthwhile. The characters are real. You’ll end up caring most for the main character and his love interest, but the supporting cast is wonderful as well.

I also guarantee that you’ll laugh out loud. Perhaps many times.

Give it a try for the first few episodes, and if you don’t like it, all that you’ve lost is an hour or so of your time. Post your thoughts below once you check it out.

The hospital, referred to as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in medical journals, is starting a 3-year campaign that promotes health and beauty.

“Sloan has the ideal look for portraying our new image,” said board chairman Douglas A. Warner III. “She’s young, she’s healthy–she projects success.”

The institute prides itself on connecting physicians with researchers on a daily basis, “not unlike how Sloan connected with that blonde girl in the threesome episode,” explained Warner.

On the show, Sloan is the daughter of a wealthy owner of a talent agency. In her first appearance, she flirts briefly with movie star Vincent Chase, but ultimately reveals that her interests lie in the diminutive Eric, or “E.”

“We think Sloan will show our children that they can choose practical approaches to healing themselves–the “E’s” of medicine, if you will–over flashy, risky, untested procedures,” said Center president Harold Varmus. “We believe that she will inspire good decisions.”

When asked for comment, Sloan replied, “You guys know that my real name is Emmanuelle, right?” She followed her remarks with, “Why is my face on that banner?”

Copyright 2009 The Ass Press.

I would like to formally “thank” you for making my entire tie collection obsolete. It’s final. You’ve done it. 58 feet of silk and polyester, all dead to me.

It started with Jim on The Office, then continued with Barney on How I Met Your Mother. Then, of course, the titular Chuck on Chuck. And probably on a lot of other men on shows that aren’t as good but have higher viewership.

You’ve done it. That skinny, trendy look surpasses anything my ties have to offer. I’m still seven years behind, slowly accumulating ties with those bold slanted lines like Michael on Arrested Development.

Given that you dug the grave for my tie collection and hosted the wake at your house, I’d like to end this letter with a salute to my favorite ties, all of which must be replaced with skinny ties.

Goodbye, Pink Panther. Goodbye, Turtles Rising. Goodbye, Every Day Is Valentine’s Day. Goodbye, Frank Lloyd Wright (1, 2, and 3). Goodbye, Irish Dream. Goodbye, Santa Novelty. Goodbye, The Shining Carpet. And perhaps most of all, goodbye, Big Boys Don’t Cry Pink Tears.

Thanks for nothing, skinny ties.

Love,

Jamey

Also see: Local Man Tries to Grow “Cool” Beard, Fails

So one day, a good friend of mine, Tammy, got a tape of American shows from her brother. It was an amazing gift, the perfect care package. We sat around watching Friends, the Amazing Race, and Coupling (the British version, oddly enough) for hours. We were cured of our need for American television, and we went back to pretending we were Japanese.

This is the first time I've seen Tammy in her underwear. I swear.

Jump forward to this evening. I had nothing saved on TiVo, so I turned on live TV–which I hardly ever do. It was on the Amazing Race, which I don’t watch, but it’s good for a random hour of entertainment. I went about getting ready for dinner. All of a sudden I heard a voice on the TV that I recognized. I looked up, and there was Tammy.

Isn’t it odd that when someone you know is on TV, you feel like a celebrity too? That’s totally how I felt. Not only was Tammy on the show, but she’s on it with the brother who sent her the videotapes when she was in Japan. Which makes sense–he must have been a fan of the Amazing Race for years.

Even better, they won their leg tonight, so they’re in first place. I’ll be watching and rooting for them the rest of the season.

Oh, and I found a photo. Apparently they had to race in their underwear for one of the episodes. I’m not objecting.