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by Steve Else (Author)
Made in America and the Hidden Stories of The Sopranos shows how most viewers and commentators have misunderstood the mysterious and memorable finale of television's greatest drama. Made in America is shown to be one of a number of hidden stories secreted within the broader narrative of The Sopranos, ones which are not explicitly acknowledged and require the viewer to pay attention to subtle clues offered.
Made in America is a dream of the central character Tony Soprano, the boss of the New Jersey Mafia, the final one of a series presented in the show. Up until now it is extremely surprising that no published commentator has asked the following question: could this perplexing final episode of a series which has placed great emphasis on the depiction and analysis of dreams be yet another? This book, the first full-length analysis of the finale, corrects this significant oversight.
The argument reveals that there are repeated subtle hints within Made in America that it is a dream and shows how characters both major and minor behave in ways that are inconsistent with their portrayal in previous episodes. In addition, common features of dreams, such as impossible and absurd events and time flowing in a non-linear manner are highlighted as is the fear of death that has plagued Tony since the beginning of the show. These elements are drawn together in a detailed analysis of the famous final scene in the diner Holsten's.
To provide further evidence that Made in America is the final dream of Tony hidden stories from elsewhere in the show are examined, including a phantom therapy session with Jennifer Melfi, the real culprit behind the killing of the horse Pie-O-My and a character who is less substantial than he appears in the recent prequel film The Many Saints of Newark. Dreams that are presented previously, of Tony and other characters such as Christopher Moltisanti, are revealed to share the same characteristics. Finally, the influence of the film Mulholland Drive by David Lynch, one of the most successful depictions of the contents of a sleeping mind, is explained.
Taking seriously comments made by David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, in an interview after the initial broadcast in 2007 this book shows that there is in truth nothing perplexing or unusual about Made in America. It uses storytelling techniques that have been common in the show since the beginning, only some of which have been noted by previous commentators. Chase turns out to be one of the many artists throughout history who have inserted extra details surreptitiously into their work.
Made in America and the Hidden Stories of The Sopranos shows that there is even more to this most complex of dramas than you ever realised.
The author is a teacher and philosopher.
