While many viewers were left scratching their heads at the end of the series finale for HBO’s The Sopranos, representatives from the nation’s two largest cable providers said they didn’t see a spike in call volume tied to the show.
In The Sopranos’ finale, Made in America, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is shown eating an onion ring at dinner with his wife, Carmela, and son, A.J., at the end of the program. The show also features several suspicious characters in Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery who could be potential threats to Soprano.
The program cuts to a black screen after Tony glances up to see who may be coming through the door at Holsten’s. Then the credits roll about 10 seconds later.
Some viewers may have initially thought that they lost their HBO feed or had a problem with their digital-video recorders because of the abrupt way the program ended.
Time Warner Cable director of communications Maureen Huff said the company received several calls from reporters inquiring about feedback from subscribers about The Sopranos finale, but it didn’t receive complaints from subscribers.
Comcast senior director of communications Jenni Moyer said the top MSO also wasn’t inundated with calls from customers. “We didn’t see any increased volume at our call centers,” Moyer said, noting that it took viewers “just a few seconds” to see the closing credits begin to roll.
But many Sopranos fans are venting anger at HBO for the ending, with some saying that they are canceling their subscriptions to the premium network in protest.
