The final scene in Holsten’s brings the theme fully together. He implies that something apocalyptic is coming as he quotes Yeats, “What rough beast slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?” He rants that America let Bin Laden escape and that the great idea of America has been lost to materialism. tells his friends and family at Bacala’s funeral that America is too distracted by “bling” and American Idol to realize what is really going on. The “Lone Wolf” is a common term for a terrorist acting alone or a suicide bomber. is seen leaving his new job at “Lone Wolves Productions” (the title and logo of the company are clearly seen on the door). Agent Harris is later shown watching an Al Qaeda video. exclaims that he will take the bus as America is too dependent on foreign oil. After he is told by Tony that he will not get a new car, A.J. A.J.’s SUV explodes as it is parked on wet leaves. At the same gas station, an American flag is continually seen in the scene. Phil’s American made SUV (Ford) crushes his head after he is shot when he is filling it with gas. Numerous SUV’s (symbolic of America’s dependence on foreign oil) are highlighted in the episode. Tony’s crew looks for Phil at several gas stations, including a “Gulf” station. In the very next scene, Tony visits Carmela at the family safe house and Carmela is concerned about the “toxic” smell of the house, a reference to the toxic odors of downtown Manhattan in the weeks and months following 9/11. A second plane is heard overhead while Tony is talking to Harris, referencing the two planes that struck the World Trade Center (only two planes are shown and heard in the scene). The snow falling in the scene echoes the debris from the burning Towers or the ash covered downtown Manhattan. Harris relays to Tony that he is stressed because he believes terrorists may have been testing the F.B.I.’s response time at Newark Airport. Tony then talks to Agent Harris about the Arabs that Christopher did business with. The engine ominously roars as the jet attempts to land at an angle, referencing the numerous videos of the second plane coming in at an angle and striking one of the Towers. Tony meets FBI agent Harris near an airport and a jet is shown flying eerily close to Tony’s SUV, echoing 9/11. Numerous symbols of the war in Iraq, 9/11, and America’s dependence on oil crowd the episode. tells his father he wants to join the army to fight terrorism in Afghanistan. The references primarily involve A.J., who begins to have a new understanding of the Middle East and becomes obsessed with Al Qaeda and the possibility that weapons of mass destruction could be unleashed in the United States.
However, in the final few episodes, and specifically in the final episode “Made in America,” the references pile up at a feverish pace.
Terrorism, 9/11 and the United State’s war in Iraq are consistently referenced in the final season. is really about that feeling of foreboding.” (David Chase in a 2009 interview at, responding to a question about the effect of 9/11 on the show). “ changed the whole show……In fact, was actually developed consciously in the last episode of the entire series. war in Iraq unlock the keys to the final scene in Holsten’s Also check out an incredible Sopranos tribute video at the end of the page. *New visuals added and expanded section on Kubrick’s 2001 influence on the final scene. Consider it a “cliff notes” version of Part 1 of this site. *Update 6/10/15: On the eight year anniversary of the Sopranos finale, please enjoy the new Annotated Guide to the Final Scene where every single shot of the final scene is analyzed with quotes from Chase(including his new comments to the DGA).
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