[TV] The Angelic Finale of The Sopranos

[mfnlaw]

According to Tom Shales of The Washington Post, David Chase planned out the The Sopranos finale about three years ago, which would make it around the same time as the series finale of Angel.  There are some startling similarities between the two that could be more than just coincidence.

The dramatic cut to black in the final scene.  The non-ending

Comments

[cofax7]

You never know what someone will use as inspiration, if they've even seen or read something. So I'm not sure I'd blame Chase so much as the reviewers, frankly. But then even the critics tended to pass on AtS in order to focus on BtVS, anyway. I don't recall seeing any reviews of NFA in the press when AtS ended.

[mfnlaw]

I don't necessarily think Chase outright lifted the idea from Joss. You're right, he may have been inspired by the finale of Angel, just like he was inspired by Shakespeare and Network. The critics, OTOH, are tripping all over themselves like fanboys at a con. I'm more irked at them than David Chase. Thank you for giving me a little clarity.

AtS was the red-headed stepchild of the Buffyverse. People look at me funny when I say that I much preferred it to BtVS. Angel was more relevant to my stage of life at the time and it resonated with me in a way that BtVS never did. I loved Buffy for what it was and what it did for television, but it was thought-provoking in an abstract way for me.

NFA aired with half the fanfare of "Chosen." I think that was due to the fact that everyone was still processing the idea of the show ending. Nobody outside of the usual suspects paid much attention and the show got the short shrift to the bitter end.