'Sopranos' creator David Chase has broken his silence and has offered an explanation for the famous blackout scene at the restaurant in the series finale.
He strongly suggests that, no, Tony Soprano did not get whacked as he munched onion rings with his family at Holsten's.
And mostly Chase wonders why so many viewers got so worked up over the series' non-finish.
In an interview, included in 'The Sopranos': The Complete Book,' Chase is exasperated by viewers who were upset that Tony didn't meet explicit doom.
Chase says the mob boss "had been people's alter ego. They had gleefully watched him rob, kill, pillage, lie and cheat. They had cheered him on. And then, all of a sudden, they wanted to see him punished for all that. They wanted justice."
In the days, and even weeks, after the finale aired fans of the show combed that episode for buried clues, concocting wild theories.
But Chase insists that what you saw (and didn't see) is what you get.
"There are no esoteric clues in there. No 'Da Vinci Code,'" he declares.
As for that notorious blackout, he says: "Originally, I didn't want any credits at all, I just wanted the black screen to go the length of the credits, all the way to the HBO 'whoosh' sound. But the Directors Guild wouldn't give us a waiver."
And while this unexpected finish left lots of viewers thinking their cable service was on the blink, Chase insists it wasn't meant as a prank.
"Why would we want to do that?" he asks. "Why would we entertain people for eight years only to give them the finger?"
