Happy Ending?

It was not the ending fans had expected or perhaps even hoped for, as The Sopranos wrapped up the first-half of its final season (the last 8 episodes will debut in early 2007) with Tony Soprano and family gathered around the Christmas tree. The final line was delivered by Tony's wife, Carmella, who responded to a comment that she had a great home with an affirmative "We do."

Before the final scene, the episode certainly did seem as if it were building up to something more tragic, as Tony's nemesis, New York rival Phil Leotardo seemingly approved a hit on someone close to Tony. But Phil suffered a heart attack later in the episode, and was paid a visit by Tony (who himself was in the hospital early in the season - victim of a gunshot wound) who tried to tell Phil he needed to focus on his family.

Meanwhile, viewers discovered Christopher has been having an ongoing affair with real estate agent Juliana - a woman Tony came close to having an affair of his own with only a few weeks back. Christopher told Tony about it, but will Tony be able to live with it? And is Christopher perhaps the one being targeted by Phil? Viewers no doubt thought Chris' life was in grave danger during the majority of the episode...but nothing ever materialized.

Shockingly, it was the FBI - in the form of Special Agent Harris, a man who has been trying to bring down the Soprano family for years - that warned Tony that someone close to him was in danger.

With only 8 episodes remaining, fans will have to wait until January of 2007 to get the final answers...and if last night is any indication, creator David Chase will provide a conclusion that many viewers may not be satisfied with, and most will not see coming.