Fans are still angry

It seems that the near universal reaction to the series finale of The Sopranos was profound disappointment:

The line to cancel HBO starts here. What a ridiculously disappointing end lacking in creativity to The Sopranos saga. But if you're one of those who found it perversely interesting, then don't bother to read on. Even if David Chase, who wrote and directed the final episode, was demonstrating the existential and endless loop of Tony's life or the moments before the hit that causes his death, it still robbed the audience of visual closure. And if it were done to segue into a motion picture sequel, then that kind of crass commercialism shouldn't be tolerated.

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There's even buzz that the real ending will only be available on the series' final DVD. Either way, it was terrible. Apparently, my extreme reaction was typical of many series' fans: they crashed HBO's website for a time tonight trying to register their outrage. HBO could suffer a wave of cancellations as a result. (Already, the pay channel's replacement series like John from Cincinnati are getting panned.) Chase clearly didn't give a damn about his fans. Instead, he crapped in their faces. This is why America hates Hollywood. Unlike some network series that end abruptly because broadcasters pull the plug without warning, The Sopranos has been slated for years to go off the air tonight. But instead of carefully crafted, this finale looked like it had been concocted in a day or two. (Some of the scenes were cut so abruptly, they caused whiplash.) Let's not forget that, in later years, Chase had to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the computer to write more episodes against his will even though The Sopranos made him rich beyond what's reasonable. Especially now that it's in syndication.

And:

David Zurawik of The Sun (Baltimore): "While some viewers will see the ambiguous ending as more in keeping with the sense of realism that the series tried to capture, the case can be made that creator David Chase took an easy way out by leaving so many story lines unresolved -- not to mention the option of making future episodes or a feature film. That is likely to leave some fans feeling ripped off."

Robert Bianco, USA Today: "And now it's over, unless it isn't. Like the diner, the door to a sequel is still open. That's not very nice, but then, why would you expect 'nice' from The Sopranos?" In early voting at USAtoday.com, 58% gave the finale one or two stars, vs. 42% rating it three or four stars.

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If Tony was indeed an anti-hero, the show he helmed came to an anticlimax. There's no question fans will be frustrated. Those who've defended the show all along will claim Chase is brilliant, leaving fans to finish the plotlines in their own minds, while those who had other expectations were likely be furious."

And:

"David Chase (the show's creator and writer ) should have put some bite into it. He left us hanging," said Johnny Salami, 43, of Rutherford, New Jersey.

"Maybe if you're from Oklahoma or California you don't care, but if you're from New Jersey, you want some closure."

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But for many fans, it wasn't enough and they just couldn't get past that black screen ending.

"Of all the things that could have happened, the worst thing that could have happened is it just end it like that; just stopping dead," said Tripp Reynolds, who watched at his home in Montclair.

Clearly Chase was tired of the show and had no respect for the fans.