An interesting interview with the Sopranos creator, including an unsurprising admission:
[R]emember that 21-month hiatus between Seasons Five and Six? That was Chase thinking up the ending. HBO chairman Chris Albrecht came to him after Season Five and suggested thinking up a conclusion to the series; Chase agreed, on the condition that he get “a long break” to decide on an ending.
Originally, that ending was supposed to occur last year, but midway through production, the number of episodes was increased, and Chase stretched out certain plot elements while saving the major climaxes for this final batch of 9.
“If this had been one season, the Vito storyline would not have been so important,” he says.
Translation: if it feels like filler, it is filler. The Kevin Finnerty thing went on at least an episode too long as well.
“The Kevin Finnerty thing went on at least an episode too long as well.”
I’m going to disagree – strenuously. The Finnerty thing lasted an episode and a half – it wasn’t close to overdone. It was outstanding television, the kind of stuff that elevated the Sopranos above everything else on the tube. The Vito stuff went too long, but the Finnerty thing? Brilliant.
Of course, you’ve got to understand that I thought “The Test Dream” was brilliant, too, and “Pine Barrens” probably wouldn’t make my top 10 list of episodes (I wonder what would?)…
Pine Barrens had the greatest dialogue in the series:
“I never thought I would get lost in Jersey.”
“South Jersey.”
Loved it.