im a huge sopranos fan, watched every season, and was not crazy upset with the ending (only a little based on natural frustration from a damn blank screenpopping up) but anyway...
The whole show, especially at the end, was a character study of Tony Soprano. It was an exploration into the mind of a mob boss who was more human than any mobboss ever portrayed on TV or film. Why else would they have half a season of Tony lying in a hospital dying. The show was a metaphor for FAMILY, what FAMILYreally means, and how the family system can come into question in certain situations (like the mafia). He struggled with relationships (him mom, his girls, hiswife) because he was a flawed father and husband, as well as a flawed mob boss. However, at the same time that he was so flawed, he showed what it meant to bea good husband and father, through unconventional ways (learning how to treat people after what he'd been through with his parents, especially his dad).You can learn alot by simply watching all the Dr. Melfi scenes throughout the years.
In the end, he came together with his blood family in a diner setting to symbolize where his heart and loyalties ultimately lie. On the outside, he portrayedhimself as loyal to those who care least about him (or want him dead), but in the inside he was most loyal or at least wanted to be most loyal to his wife andkids. In the end, he established trust and love for the one family in his life that really matters.
