The Sopranos Creator Wrote A New Scene Set During The Coronavirus Pandemic
The Sopranos' abrupt and equally ambiguous ending changed TV forever, but in the dark silence of the hit HBO series' final moments rose the possibility that its iconic characters could live again. It seems to have finally happened — at least on paper — with the coronavirus pandemic serving as inspiration.
On the May 4, 2020 episode of the podcast Talking Sopranos, co-hosts and former series stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa discussed season 1, episode 6 of the series, entitled "Pax Soprana." Before they began picking apart its scenes and dishing on whether the cast was like their characters, Schirripa revealed that the mob drama's creator, David Chase, sent over a brand-new scene featuring the criminal family. In the short scene, the Sopranos hash out their feelings over having to live under quarantine (via Vulture).
"Things are tough right now with all the bad news and things that are going on, it's nice to have something to laugh about," Imperioli said. "David thought it was important to bring some levity to the world, and he wrote these lines about the Soprano characters relating to the coronavirus."
Fans shouldn't expect a completed episode, as this newly written scene would run only a few minutes long. The lines are pretty evenly divided up between each character, and they offer glimpses into where the characters would have fallen in the debate around how the country has responded to the pandemic. A brief exchange between Carmela (Edie Falco) and Meadow Soprano (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), Tony's wife and daughter, offers somber thoughts on our current state of the world. While Meadow declares, "I should've gone to medical school. I feel so bad about my decision," Carmela immediately responds, "I'm so glad my daughter didn't go to medical school. Imagine where'd she be right now."
These are just a few of 13 total characters who offer their two-cents — including several whom, by Sopranos' canon, shouldn't be around in 2020.
Tony Soprano makes an appearance in the quarantine-inspired Sopranos scene
Unlike many shows whose existence becomes more obscured by time, The Sopranos not only managed the incredible feat of becoming part of the pop-cultural canon, but it also remained in the lexicon decades after the show premiered. Despite The Sopranos' continued popularity and ever-growing fanbase, however, Chase hasn't followed in the footsteps of acclaimed series like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones. As Schirripa revealed on the podcast, this new scene is a significant moment in the series' life post-finale, beyond a previously announced prequel film. "It's the first time [Chase has] written [the Sopranos characters] since 2007, and he was nice enough to let us read that," Schirripa said.
This — and the scene's connection to the current world — isn't the only reason this moment in Sopranos history stands out. The dialogue also features several dead characters, like Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand), Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), and the still unconfirmed Tony (the late James Gandolfini). As if Tony never left our screens, his reaction is full of characteristic frustration over the quarantine's disruption of his "hobbies."
"Sports betting? F****** gone with the wind, along with professional sports," Tony at one point exclaims. "Me and my friends are dying over here. The president might have a point. Let's get business and manufacturing going again — by Easter, May Day, whatever the f***."
Tony's son, A.J. (Robert Iler), however, has a slightly different take on the current U.S. president and the government's response to the pandemic. "At one time, I wanted to work for Trump," he says. "You believe it? F*** me, dude."
The scene defies the show's canon by including long-dead characters, but for fans who still believe that finale wasn't the end for Tony, the scene discussed on the latest Talking Sopranos podcast episode might be all the proof you need to solve one of the series' biggest unanswered questions.