The Sopranos: Legacy

When The Sopranos aired its last episode in 2007 only a few people knew that the ending everyone saw was not the one creator David Chase had in mind. A year earlier, HBO had turned down Chase’s wild proposal: to continue the show for another five seasons with a new lead. Risk of destroying the critical reputation The Sopranos had built wasn’t the main issue. The deciding factor was that James Gandolfini wanted nothing to do with it, as he was to be relegated to a supporting role.

Having seen the story outlines for the original sixth season as Chase intended it to be, I understand HBO’s decision. And yet there’s something there, some strange magic that was snuffed out at the pivotal moment. Although Chase would later return to co-write The Many Saints of Newark, his long absence after the Sopranos finale signaled a disconnect with the industry. Hardly anyone knew that his heart had been broken.

In retrospect, the infamous final moment of the series may have been a way to signal to the audience that the story was not allowed to continue. Perhaps setting the ending moments to “Don’t Stop Believing” was Chase holding out hope that he would be allowed to complete his vision. But the moment had already passed. The story he wanted to tell was made impossible by the sixth season episode "Kennedy and Heidi".

Christopher Moltisanti was not meant to die. In the show that actually aired, Tony Soprano suffocates his troubled nephew after a drug-related car accident. But Chase had planned for this very moment to be the handover: where Moltisanti would assume a greater role in the series.

Chase had also planned to simultaneously pass the duties of showrunning to a young writer, someone we will refer to as “John”.

It was John who first told me about the ill-fated plan for the second act of The Sopranos. He showed me pages of outlines and notes from David Chase to support his story but says HBO has everyone with knowledge of the concept under strict non-disclosure agreements. John isn’t afraid to discuss it though, because he hasn’t worked in the industry for over a decade and has little to lose.

When I asked John what he hopes to get out of finally revealing this information to the world he told me he just wants tell the story he developed with David Chase. He then asked me, his voice tinged with fear and paranoia, if I would publish his writing in his place so that he may remain anonymous. I agreed.

What John gave me is not a television script. It’s something more heartfelt — the inspired work of a young man who was promised the world. Reading his words, which could have easily been part of the greatest television show of all time, fills one with sorrow that such a vibrant dream could be snuffed out so callously.

What follows is exactly as John delivered it to me. The formatting and writing are his alone, I’ve done no alterations or corrections. John says that there are “about a thousand more chapters” and he will send me more when he gets around to it.

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The Sopranos: Legacy — Chapter One
”The Car Wreck”

THE WOODS - NIGHT

Christopher drives tony through the woods. it's raining 

CHRISTOPHER: I don't know, tony, this rain. it's fucked 

TONY: Keep driving. All you do is whine. i've had it

CHRISTOPHER: I'm just sayin.

A huge moose runs out in the road.

CHRISTOPHER: Oh fuck it's a huge moose. Tony, I gotta put on the brakes

TONY: Fuck that. Keep driving

CHRISTOPHER: But tony, we'll crash.

Tony reclines peacefully.

TONY: I'm the boss of this family and what I say goes. Now quit your yapping, I'm gonna take a nap

CHRISTOPHER: Okay I was just sayin that's all.

Christopher keeps driving normally and seconds later hits the moose. Christopher's black 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT gets knocked off the road and crashes into a ditch. 

TONY: [screaming] Jesus christ Christopher what the fuck have you done now

CHRISTOPHER: I kept driving like you said! 

TONY: I don't need your excuses. And now I'm all wet from the rain

Tony looks down. he's actually covered in blood, not rain.

TONY: I'm bleedin! this is all your fault you fucking piece of shit

Tony starts to choke Christopher. 

TONY: Die!

CHRISTOPHER: [being choked] Tony what's going on? Are you trying to kill me?

TONY: DIE! DIE DIE DIE

CHRISTOPHER: But i did what you said? 

Christopher sheds a tear. He's sad

CHRISTOPHER: Okay tony, have it your way. You can kill me if you want

TONY: Good! and then I'll go have sex with your mistress in las vegas 

Christopher easily removes tony's hands from his neck.

CHRISTOPHER: now that I can't abide. it's one thing to kill me but what you're talking about is too far. That's it, i've had enough of your abuse. 

TONY: You'll get abused by me and like it, that's what you agreed to when you joined the mafia. as long as i'm the boss of this family i'm the boss of you

CHRISTOPHER: [realizing something] As long as you're boss of this family? Okay fine

Christopher kicks tony super hard in the head and tony flies out of the 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT. christopher stands over tony, who cowers.

CHRISTOPHER: You're no longer the boss of this family then. Furthermore, if I see you come around here anymore I'll shoot you in the head

TONY: Okay okay, I'm sorry

CHRISTOPHER: Nah, that ain't good enough. get the hell out of here

TONY: but... where will I go?

CHRISTOPHER: it don't matter

Christopher points down the road. Tony sighs, filled with regret, and begins to walk down the road into the shadows. The moose from before looks at him and spits.

THE BING - NEXT DAY

Silvio Dante counts out a huge stack of cash in the back office.

SIL: [musing to self] I wonder where Tony is. I have all this money for him.

Christopher enters and points a gun at Sil's head.

SIL: Ey, Chrissy, what's goin on? you're pointing a gun at my head?

CHRISTOPHER: That's right. Cause I don't know how you'll react when i tell you

SIL: Tell me what? you know we can always talk Chrissy, you're my friend.

Christopher lowers the gun and sighs. 

CHRISTOPHER: You're right Sil. I'm sorry. I had a crazy night last night that's all. I beat up Tony and told him to leave town

Sil sighs.

SIL: You know. I thought it might happen eventually. you've been on the rise, and we all saw Tony's abusive behavior towards you. frankly, it disgusted me. I don't blame you for kicking him out.

Sil hugs Christopher. 

CHRISTOPHER: But the question is what do we do now? the family doesn't have a boss anymore

SIL: I think i'm looking at the new boss right now

CHRISTOPHER: me? But... Sil, I don't know

Sil hands Christopher the huge pile of cash.

SIL: What about now?

CHRISTOPHER: I mean sure if i get a lot more money then i guess that's pretty convincing.

SIL: But there's no time to rest. there's a lot of business we gotta take care of. first of all this...

Sil opens up a secret folder and pulls out a black and white photo of Dr. Melfi. 

CHRISTOPHER: Woah, who's the babe?

SIL: That's Dr. Jennifer Melfi, Tony's psychiatrist. He told me that if he ever died, got kicked out of town, or whatever, that she needed to be taken care of.

CHRISTOPHER: Kill his psychiatrist? i guess that's smart

SIL: Your uncle was a good boss a lot of the time, don't forget

Christopher sighs.

CHRISTOPHER: I'll do it since i'm the one that made him leave town. Okay, see you later Sil

SIL: Goodbye

DR. MELFI'S OFFICE

Dr. Melfi welcomes her new patient. We are surprised to see that it is Christopher in disguise. He's wearing a long blond wig and surfer attire.

DR. MELFI: So, tell me about yourself.

CHRISTOPHER: My name's Peter. I'm a uh a scientist

DR. MELFI: That's so interesting. What kind of science do you do?

CHRISTOPHER: Electricity and shit

Christopher fidgets in his chair. He doesn't like lying to people.

DR. MELFI: I don't think you're really a scientist, Peter. If that is your real name.

Christopher sighs.

CHRISTOPHER: It's not. But my real name’s a secret

DR. MELFI: I have a degree in psychology, so I can tell when someone's up to something. You're here to kill me aren't you

CHRISTOPHER: No! I mean... yeah, i was. but I don't know. maybe I shouldn't

DR. MELFI: Tell me the real reason you're here. Maybe it will help to get it off your chest.

CHRISTOPHER: wow, you care about helping me even though I was going to kill you? 

DR. MELFI: I'm a doctor. It's in my oath.

Christopher looks wistful, remembering the different kind of oath he took when joining the mafia.

CHRISTOPHER: So you know my uncle. His name is Tony Soprano. I kicked him out of town and he left a note behind to kill you

DR. MELFI: I know all about that note, Christopher.

CHRISTOPHER: you do?

DR. MELFI: Yes. he said that if he ever dies he's going to leave a note to trick you into coming to have therapy with me. He said he would make you think you need to kill me but actually it would end with me doing therapy for you

CHRISTOPHER: Wow. Holy crap. He thought of everything

DR. MELFI: I'm surprised it worked. If someone else got sent I would have been killed, but luckily it was you.

CHRISTOPHER: I feel kind of bad about making him leave town now

DR. MELFI: Don't. He was abusive to you, and he was afraid you would become better than him. at the end of the day, you did the right thing 

CHRISTOPHER: [relaxed] This therapy is already making me feel better. 

DR. MELFI: Then you should keep coming but next time don't wear a disguise. also, I have one more rule... you can’t fall in love with me.

CHRISTOPHER: Why not?

DR. MELFI: Your uncle Tony did and it was a huge problem with us. He was always trying to kiss me, it was annoying

CHRISTOPHER: Alright deal

THE BING 

SIL: Welcome back to the Bing

A woman hides shyly behind Sil. She has straight black hair and goth makeup.

CHRISTOPHER: Who's that? 

SIL: You don't recognize her? She's been working here for a while. Tell him your name, sweetheart

She shakes her head.

CHRISTOPHER: Whatever, I'm tired so I'm going home to my wife Kelli and our baby daughter. Goodbye

Christopher leaves. Sil turns to the mysterious woman.

SIL: Why won't you tell him you're alive, Adriana?

SHADOWCAT: I told you not to call me that. Call me by my stripper name, Shadowcat. 

SIL: Sorry but I think he should know. and now that tony's gone there's no reason not to

SHADOWCAT: That day you took me into the woods I thought you were going to kill me, but instead you just fired your gun into the ground

SIL: I'm sorry I did that but if you were wearing a wire the FBI might have found the recording and thought you got shot. It was a way to protect you because you’re my friend

SHADOWCAT: but now no one knows who I am anymore, everyone thinks i'm dead. Sure the FBI has left me alone but at what cost?

SIL: It's very hard for you

SHADOWCAT: That's why my new personality is Shadowcat. I've become a much darker person mentally

SIL: True. But I'm glad I can help you out by giving you a job

SHADOWCAT: Thanks. Maybe someday I will reveal the truth to Christopher

SIL: Alright sounds good

TO BE CONTINUED . . .