As acclaimed as HBO’s The Sopranos is, there are people who’ve taken issue with some of the storytelling decisions that creator David Chase and co. made. Aside from the polarizing series finale, some have chastised how Tony Soprano’s relationship with his longtime therapist, Jennifer Melfi, wrapped up. Melfi actress Lorraine Bracco is part of that list of less-than-satisfied people. Bracco recently reaffirmed her disdain for the conclusion of the storyline and revealed what she thinks happened to Dr. Melfi and Tony after the finale.
Lorraine Bracco made her final appearance as Melfi on The Sopranos during its penultimate episode, “The Blue Comet.” The installment sees the steadfast psychiatrist grappling with whether sociopathic patient Tony Soprano is using their “talk therapy” as a means to advance his personal dealings. After examining the findings from a study on the matter, Melfi cuts ties with Tony once and for all during their next session. The New Jersey-based mob boss is subsequently left hurt by the surprising turn of events.
It’s definitely apparent that the late James Gandolfini’s fan-favorite character wasn’t the only person who was in their feelings about that narrative decision. Lorraine Bracco previously voiced frustrations about where the show took her character. She echoed that sentiment while speaking with Jessica Shaw of Sirius XM, which was shared on YouTube. Not only did she admit to being “heartbroken” but the Goodfellas icon also recalled the question she ultimately had for David Chase:
I was heartbroken. I was also not very happy the way David ended it. I thought it was bad and wrong. I was annoyed. I told him, 'How do you invest five years into someone's life and just walk away?' I said, 'That is not cool.' And you know, that was it.
Admittedly, that’s a reasonable query that the Rizzoli & Isles alum posed to the prolific TV writer and producer, and that’s coming from someone who didn’t mind how the Tony/Melfi relationship ended. Still, someone could theoretically argue that Melfi’s choice just reflects the unexpected and blunt nature of life at times. While sharing her gripes this time around, though, the 70-year-old actress also revealed that she’s optimistic that Soprano and his doctor did cross paths again after the events of the show’s final episode:
Honestly, I think they bumped into each other in restaurants and stuff like that. I don't know. I think part of me wants to believe that she took a moment away from him, and they got back together — back in therapy. I could believe that.
That, of course, would all depend on whether Tony actually survived the events of The Sopranos’ ending. It’s been long debated if after the screen cut to black, the mafioso ultimately met his demise while dining with his family at Halston’s. David Chase has offered varied thoughts on that front but has yet to give a concrete answer either way. Still, there’s a sweetness in the fact that Blue Bloods alum feels so passionately about her character’s arc and has optimistic thoughts about what may have happened to her.
You can check out Lorraine Bracco and the rest of The Sopranos cast by streaming all six seasons using a Max subscription. Fans can also access the prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark, and the newly released documentary, Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos, with that same membership.