James Gandolfini’s last role was to be on HBO’s The Night Of.

We examine an earlier performance on The Sopranos to see what could have been.

I understood his sadness on a certain level.

If you dont experience at least some sense of melancholy whilst watchingThe Sopranos, youre doing it wrong.

I was sitting in the bleachers at an Indians game.

I only watchedThe Sopranosall the way through once while James Gandolfini was alive.

All subsequent times have been after that fateful night in the Progressive Field bleachers.

Still, I rarely experience that sense of loss my friend attested to.

Its life, larger than, even.

Hes always been alive.

And thanks to an abrupt cut to black he always will be.

One John Turturro replacing Robert De Niro later, and the finished product is finally airing this year.

John Turturro is remarkable as defense attorney, Jack Stone, the role that Gandolfini would have played.

Im happy for the guy, but Im also sad for what could have been.

Tony at the end of the day was a gangster, fueled ultimately by selfishness.

In Join the Club, Tony wakes up in a large hotel bed.

Right away the viewer gets the sense that something is off.

Even ignoring the reality that we just saw him get almost fatally shot, things seem off otherwise.

Then we find out just how different.

But everything else is a bit off.

Hes not in the mob.

He is involved in the aerospace/defense industry, being in Costa Mesa for a trade show.

He carries himself differently.

The Tony Soprano we know has to command every room hes in by necessity.

Hes the boss and he and his crews entire livelihood is dependent on everyone recognizing that.

This Anthony Soprano shrinks into a corner in every room he enters; he doesnt fill it.

This Anthonys inflection is different too.

The sharp North Jersey dialect has been replaced with a more neutral, newscaster-y drawl.

Then Tonys dream sequence/other-worldy adventure begins to strip away even more of Tony Soprano than before.

The other world starts with his name.

Finnerty appears to have been in town for a solar energy panel and happens to look just like Tony.

Anthony is unable to get into his defense panel.

Biologically, who knows what the fuck death and dying is.

A way to clear out older generations so that new ones can access more resources?

Sure, why not.

Religiously and spiritually its anyones guess as well.

Thats where it becomes easier to begin taking wild stabs at death and what it may mean.

Part of moving on is removing ones ego and entering the infinite.

Its no coincidence that the name in Anthonys suitcase is Kevin Finnerty which sounds quite a bit like Infinity.

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*Its kind of funny rewatching these episodes from 2006 where internet culture wasnt as mainstream.

He then has a confrontation with some monks who Finnerty has ripped off.

The level of acting that Gandolini puts on display during his Kevin Finnerty is astonishing.

After his Alzheimers diagnosis, Tony/Kevin sits at the hotel bar and tells the bartender of his diagnosis.

Is it possible that I am Kevin Finnerty?

To which the bartender gives him a look and Tony laughs and says Ok. Ill stop.

How could he have opened someone elses briefcase?

His real life cousin Tony Blundetto greets him and invites him in to join the party.

Theyre waiting for you, Tony B says.

Has Kevin Finnerty arrived yet?

We dont talk like that.

They dont talk like that and they dont allow work inside.

Tony/Kevin Finnerty is told to give up his briefcase so that he may enter.

Let me take that for you, it looks like it weighs a ton, Tony B says.

But that briefcase is all Tony has.

This alternate reality has given him a new identity to help prepare for having no identity.

Still Tony isnt ready to give that up.

Later on, when hes able to speak, he whispers to Carmella Im dead, right?

James Gandolfini wasnt just a great actor because he could play two roles on the same TV show.