It appears that the world of The Sopranos is closed at this point. To recall, the crime drama centers around Tony Soprano, a mobster who must balance his family and the crime organization. The show went on to win multiple awards including 21 Primetime Emmys. The creator, David Chase, reportedly has no interest in venturing back into the world, according to HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys. The possibility of the Chase revisiting The Sopranos world opened up when the prequel, Many Saints of Newark came out late last year. Plus, Chase inked a five-year production deal with WarnerMedia in October. However, Many Saints of Newark seems to be the final chapter in The Sopranos saga. Now, the iconic HBO series was one of the first television shows to introduce the anti-hero, Tony Soprano. The series ran for six seasons with an ending that’s still talked about until this very day. There’s still interest in The Sopranos lore but is David Chase right in not diving back into the world that put him on the map as a filmmaker?
Here’s the thing, Many Saints of Newark made the mistake of saying that it showcases the rise of Tony Soprano. It doesn’t. We get a young Tony Soprano who’s immersed into the culture that’s turned him in to the boss, but we don’t get into the roots of how he rises up through the ranks. How was his first job? When did he finally venture into the family business? How did he meet his wife? How did Tony Soprano get so enamored in this criminal lifestyle? The story is mainly about Dickie Moltisanti, so fans who were hoping to get an intimate and in-depth portion about Tony Soprano were likely disappointed. There’s still so much David Chase can explore in the world of The Sopranos. Perhaps a mini-series that truly documents the rise of Tony Soprano would be great. Or maybe something focused on Paulie, Salvatore, or Christopher could’ve been great. It’s understandable that Chase doesn’t want to touch the main series. Though the ending of the show was left ambiguous, so Chase could actually start ten years later and follow Anthony or even Carmela, who’s taken over after the death of Tony Soprano.
Should David Chase end The Sopranos saga with Many Saints in Newark, then the creator should hold his head up high. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s still a good movie featuring an excellent cast. Chase doesn’t need to make a spin-off despite there being plenty of opportunities to do so. A filmmaker or showrunner should understand when it’s time to quit. Sometimes, that’s very hard as this is also a paying job for these creatives, so not everyone can have a show ride off into the sunset the way that want to. However, if Chase just doesn’t have the desire to pen another story then it’s best, he leave what’s already nearly flawless alone. There’s a huge risk in actually tarnishing the brand by unnecessarily continuing The Sopranos brand. Breaking Bad is perfect because there was a clear direction with a beginning, middle, and end. It was Walter White’s story, and though the character is dead, there’s nothing else to ring from it from his perspective. Imagine if Vince Gilligan dragged the story out and instead added three more seasons before White was axed? David Chase had a beginning, middle, and end. It’s likely that he simply doesn’t want to drag out the story any longer than he needed to. Not every question needs to be answered. We don’t particularly need to see how Tony finally rose through the ranks to become the big boss. Nor do we need a follow-up on what happened after the diner that night.
Should David Chase want to explore that avenue again then it would be a welcome revisit into the world of Sopranos as there’s still layers that he could add to the rich lore. However, David Chase is better off exploring new material that’s not trying to bank off the Sopranos name. The HBO series was a high benchmark for television during it’s time on the air, and it’ll forever hold a special place in the hearts of millions who laughed and cried alongside Tony Soprano. But The Sopranos ended over a decade ago and the recent prequel was the full closure on the saga altogether. Besides, with James Gandolfini no longer present, it’s best to not touch something that the actor made so special in the first place.Many Saints of Newark
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