After years of debate, the creator explains TV’s most confusing ending

Every once in a while, you get a TV ending that leaves people trading theories at pubs or in the comment sections of Reddit for years. The Sopranos did exactly that, managing to frustrate and impress the entire planet with a final scene that just... goes black. The best part? Nobody agrees what really happened — and the internet is still at it, nearly two decades later. If anything, it’s proof the so-called ‘golden age’ of TV finished with a bang — or, as some would argue, with the telly equivalent of pulling the plug mid-sentence.

That Cut to Black

The last episode, 'Made in America', finds Tony Soprano in not all that much actual danger. He’s sorted out Phil Leotardo (permanently), and the war with the Lupertazzi crew has supposedly wound down. Still, Tony’s got that classic mobster paranoia, scanning everyone who walks into Holsten’s diner. And yes, for those scoring along at home, it’s just as tense watching it back now as it was in 2007. The camera starts cutting between Tony, his family, and the bloke in the Members Only jacket — a fellow who seems way too interested in the Soprano table, then takes a trip to the bathroom, Godfather-style.

• Fans have long obsessed over this: is 'Members Only' carrying out a hit, sneaking a gun from the loo?
• The reference to Michael Corleone blasting away his dad’s enemies in the restaurant bathroom is, let’s be honest, not subtle. But is it a red herring or the answer?
• The same jacket crops up in the season 6 opener, worn by Eugene, the mobster who Tony won’t let retire — leading Eugene to end his life out of misery. Is our bathroom lurker supposed to be a mate of Eugene’s, closing the circle?

The Sopranos' final episode aired in 2007 and fans still argue about its meaning today.

Some reckon this 'Members Only' chap is there to take revenge for Tony’s treatment of Eugene, which feels like a bit of a reach but people will latch onto anything if it means solving one of TV’s best mysteries.

David Chase Chimes In (Sort Of)

David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, has dodged definitive answers for years, which only makes fans more obsessed. But there’s a key bit of clarity tucked away in a 2015 CBS News segment and an old Vulture interview. Rather than confirming Tony’s sudden death, Chase digs in on the philosophical angle: the show is over, you don’t get to follow the Sopranos any more, and that’s the point.

Chase tries to set the record straight about what he was actually intending with that infamous finish:

He says, 'It was very simple and much more on the nose than people think.' This means he never thought about the mob boss getting killed. He simply figured that this would be a cool way to end the show.

If you're still not satisfied, Chase adds that the abrupt cut was meant to be 'somewhat jarring, sure. But not to the extent it was, and not a subject of such discussion,' and, rather pointedly for the bullet-counting crowd: 'I never considered the black a shot. I just thought what we see is black.’ For Chase, it’s about endings — of the show, of moments, of connections — not about Tony catching a bullet out of nowhere. He even says life is short, and either it ends here for Tony, or it ends later, but the real ‘ending’ is us losing access to these characters.

So, if you were looking for a definitive answer… you’re probably out of luck, unless Chase gets even more talkative. All things considered, the divisiveness is part of the fun: was this a masterstroke, or a wind-up worthy of Alan Partridge presenting the FA Cup Final?