On to “Big Love”
I’ve spent more time than I should admit publicly reading day-after stories on-line about “The Sopranos” damn fine final episode.
Here is a fairly pedestrian story from the Associated Press, which in the best wire story style tracks down the usual “expert quote” to sum up the existential ending to the HBO gangsters-doing-life series.
I’d say that ending the show the way creator David Chase did was masterful, and a lot of the critics agree. We Tivo-ed the show last night because we had evening plans, so we watched it after 10 p.m. Sunday. I went to bed with that last image of Tony Soprano’s face and then the blast-to-black image on the TV screen that ended it all for us. I tossed and turned and kept replaying Steve Perry’s voice on Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” in my mind every time I woke up.
This is what good television does. It keeps you replaying it all, summarizing it all, thinking it over and trying to make sense of it. If TV could produce a great American novel, I’d say it came in the form of “The Sopranos.” That’s just how powerfully it affected me and obviously, millions of other viewers who pay premium prices to zoom in weekly on the human condition–however violent and deeply touching it might be in the very same episode.
This is the best analysis of the long-running show I’ve read. Remnick never writes a bad column, and this is one of his finer pieces.
So now it’s on to–yeehaw–”Big Love.” City Weekly TV god Bill Frost says this, in its own charming way, is the replacement for “The Sopranos.” A great season is in store, Bill says. Don’t hang your hats on “John From Cinncinatti,” which seems very strange and takes too long to explain to us why strange is a good thing. (Bill has seen the first few episodes and says the strangeness won’t be explained quickly enough to keep people interested in a whole season.)
Let me and the rest of mullentown readers know what you think of “The Sopranos” arrivederci episode. And if you love “Big Love” as many of we mullentown readers do, what did you think of the season premiere?
June 12th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Alas, the pain Barb must feel at being outed in such dastardly fashion…my paternal grandmother was Utah`s `Mother of the year` (1952). A kindly soul, raised 8 children & was prez of the Relief Society.
What the Church needs is a vibrant new ontological proof. Surely the “scholars” of theology at BYU can come up with something. Maybe climb Timp and spend the summer fasting and praying. They could even publish their results in Reformed Egyptian..maybe help Mitt.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Many years ago I told a class of college students that I didn’t know who Boy George was. It was apparent that they were of the distinct opinion that I lived under a rock. I got the same response from my daughter when I said I had never heard of a current Italian shoe manufacturer she had visited with backstage at a fashion show in L.A. She’s a makeup artist for Suzie Wong and Jesse James among others.
So here we go again. I never watched the Sopranos or Big Love except in passing, surfing the zillion channels I have with Dish Network. I do know they exist, however.
I remember the M*A*S*H final episode. And Walter Cronkite.
Tivo-ed is not a verb! I still have some say under my rock.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:28 am
We don’t have cable, but we were able to borrow the first season of “Big Love” from the library recently and got hooked almost immediately. I find a few depictions of Utah cultural life to be a bit off, but I otherwise enjoy it. I wish I could comment on the 2nd season’s premier, but that will have to wait until it’s on DVD.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Sensing a trend here, as we don’t have cable either. Only watched Sopranos a few times when on the road. I imagine I could have gotten hooked on it, the same way I find it irrestible to slow down and look at traffic accidents, even if (or maybe because?) they’re sometimes gory.
June 12th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Sopranos ending was absolute genius. Chase left it up to the viewer to decide how it ends. I couldn’t help but feel that the scouts sitting in the corner might be up to somthing. Big Love has brilliant writing and great actors. This season is going to be fantastic. I’m kinda bummed it’s moved to Mondays, but that should make for an interesting family home evening. John From Cinncinatti, while a bit odd, has quirky colorful characters and a lot of potential. Anything with Rebecca DeMornay and surfing can’t be all bad. The one I am really looking forward to is Flight of the Conchords. All in all, it’s shaping up to be a pretty solid summer on HBO.
Ciao for now,
S
June 12th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
For a series that was supposed to be carefully plotted from the beginning, you might think David Chase had something to offer other than “write your own ending.” But it was clever.
“Big Love” is another terrific show with a great cast. Comparisons with “The Sopranos” are probably inevitable. I can’t understand why the neighbors across the street haven’t figured out what the Henrickson family is up to. I live in Draper, and I suspect my neighbors know more about my household than I do.
Is it true the “Beehive Mother of the Year” fiasco was based on a true story?
June 12th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I don’t know about “Beehive Mother of the Year.” But the great quirkiness of “Big Love” made me think recently of that bizarre case in Davis County, I think, just north of Salt Lake City, where the 30-something man who was married to another man who had posed as a woman for years. Sort of a Bountiful version of “Madame Butterfly.” It went on for years before the truth came out.
Does anyone remember that? I was living in Minneapolis at the time. It made national news, not to mention probably “Saturday’s Voyeur.”
Oh, Utah.
June 13th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Don`t remember the Bountiful “Madame Butterfly”..those involved probably moved to the Castro where they would be mainstream.
Speaking of which, the SF Freedom Day celebration is coming up. 250k+ will march, with maybe 2,500 in the Mormon contingent…divided into returned missionaries and a small group of lesbians. Even have their own band.
Jennifer Beals will again be Grand Marshall, Don`t know what this will do for her acting career.
June 13th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Can’t hurt Jennifer Beals’ career. Heck..she lived through Flashdance. And I like her better if she is this tolerant and acceptive. Wish Utah was….