David Chase reveals whether Tony died at the end of The Sopranos

From the moment The Sopranos ended with an abrupt, shocking cut to black, fans have debated what the series finale really meant. Was the final scene meant to indicate that Tony had died? Or was there some other, less thuddingly literal meaning to the scene?

It's a debate that has, unfortunately, come to dominate the cultural conversation about The Sopranos, which is much more complex and interesting than the answer to a yes-or-no question. Series creator David Chase has repeatedly refused to comment on the scene's true meaning (and is clearly sick to death of being asked about it).

Maybe that's why Chase finally leveled with Martha P. Nochimson, who asked him, in a profile for Vox, if Tony is supped to be dead at the end of The Sopranos — "just the fact and no interpretation." According to Nochimson, Chase shook his head and said, "No. No he isn't."

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So there you go, Sopranos fans: Tony isn't dead. (Now get back to debating what happened to the Russian.)