Most of television’s most buzzed about questions were eventually answered on the air. Who shot J.R.? Who murdered Laura Palmer? Will Kevin and Winnie Cooper end up together? Unfortunately for Sopranos fans, will Tony Soprano survive was not one of those answered questions. The final episode memorably cut to black as Journey was belting out “Don’t Stop Believin’” and the Soprano family was eating onion rings at a diner. In the years since, fans have debated what the hell happened and creator David Chase has stayed silent, at least until now.
When it comes to Tony Soprano’s fate, the answer is not dead. Seriously, that’s what he told Vox. Here's the exact answer to "is he dead?"...
"No. No, he isn't."
So, Tony is not dead. As for what the hell else happened, you’re just gonna have to continue speculating and passing around wild theories because David Chase is not talking. For all we know, he may never offer another shred of Sopranos-related details.
In that way, he’s like the anti-JK Rowling. He’s not interested in updating fans on where the characters may have gone or even in mapping out directions they may have taken. He’s content to leave the past in the past and doesn’t really understand why fans should ask him what happened to Tony or what happened to that Russian in “Pine Barrens”. Life is full of mysteries. All of our questions are rarely, if ever, answered. So, why should television be any different?
Of course, it’s David Chase’s viewpoint that is on the fringe. An overwhelming majority of people don’t want to see this during a finale…
That being said, it’s only fair to acknowledge that the whole reason why so many were miffed at the Sopranos for its ending is because they loved the show so much. If it was a one-season disaster and was quietly cancelled, people wouldn’t still be asking David Chase about his ending so many years later. In fact, they probably would have forgotten the show even existed.
It’s possible Chase will come out sometime in the next few days and further clarify what Tony is doing now that the story has gotten so much press. Don’t count on it though. He’s found other ways to spend his time.
UPDATE: David Chase’s representative has issued the following statement regarding the reported comments:
A journalist for Vox misconstrued what David Chase said in their interview. To simply quote David as saying,“ Tony Soprano is not dead,” is inaccurate. There is a much larger context for that statement and as such, it is not true.As David Chase has said numerous times on the record, “Whether Tony Soprano is alive or dead is not the point.” To continue to search for this answer is fruitless. The final scene of THE SOPRANOS raises a spiritual question that has no right or wrong answer.
