Why put Sil in a coma?

[dsweeney]

This question bothered me for a long while. On the surface it may seem like a trivial point but if you think about it we have already gone through the "coma scene" with Tony. Why put Sil in a coma in the second to last episode? The usual reason to place a character in a coma from a dramatic standpoint is the "will they/won't they survive" idea. With only the final episode to come what's the point of the coma? Why not just kill him? See my point? We've already had a major character in a coma for about two or three episodes so why retread the idea with no dramatic tension possible with only a single episode left?
The reason, I now believe, is purely an aesthetic one and nothing more significant than that. But a very satisfying one nevertheless. The reason is for Tony to visit Sil in his coma in an almost exact re-enactment of Sil visiting Tony. If you look closely you will see the similarities. Both are initially reluctant to go, Sil complaining about the flowers and his Asthma. Tony says in the safe house he can't visit Sil because he has to meet Meadow about something. Benny remarks "yesterday it was his gout", or something to that effect and that little scene always bothered me but this, I think, explains it.
They both then,on finally visiting one another,sit for what is implied to be a long time,Tony almost over-night. Both hold each others hand in a very symbolic gesture of kinship. I think there was always a special bond between Tony and Sil, seeing each other as almost equals. A meeting of minds in a way there wasn't with say Paulie or certainly not with Bobby or even Christopher.
Like I said,not a major plot point but another case of scenes echoing and mirroring each other.

[Garth]

All good points. I guess I always thought a couple things about it. First just killing Sil would be too clean. It is apparent that Chase wanted to give the viewers an idea of what the Soprano-clans future would hold (i.e. AJ's career, Jr's hospital-life, etc) and I think killing Sil would have taken away from the reality of the show. In typical tv a coma does evoke tension, as you mentioned, but that is not the case here. Whether Tony died or not, Sil would stay in a coma, or not, who knows, but as always Chase doesn't like to spell things out for the audience. And I think it is better that way.

My second point is I found it to be a poetic end to this character, but also an excellent juxtaposition of the fate that Tony escaped by coming back from the "West Coast". As you mentioned the similarity of the scenes is very well mimicked. However, around him Tony has seen all the options played out for him. He stays in the mob, he ends up like Bobby or at best Sil, he gives in to his addictive nature he could be Chris or the number of other gamblers he worked with, he "flips", he ends up like Feech or worse, Pussy, or perhaps he would just keep on rambling and end up like Paulie. For me the scene with Sil and Tony in a coma, was just as much about the kinship between these two wonderful characters as it was Tony agreeing and ultimately acknowledging to seal his fate by staying in the family. In a way similar to the decision Chris makes at the end of D-Girl in season 2.

[dsweeney]

Really like your call about the options open to Tony being played out by other characters. I hadn't thought of it like that. You're right, the various possible scenarios for him are illustrated in the choices of other characters. But just as an aside, did you notice how many of the fates of these characters were actually sealed by Tony himself? Chris with his addictions is killed by Tony. Pussy flips and is killed by Tony. Feech winds up straight back in the can after being set up by Tony.
But of course in the world they inhabit their ultimate fates could have been sealed by anybody so your take is perfectly valid. So Tony chooses to stay "in the life" and take his chances.

[badabellisima]

SO, even if Tony does "stay in the life" (and i think that is not known for sure), even then- Tony's fate is still, or yet again- sealed by Tony.

[Garth]

But just as an aside, did you notice how many of the fates of these characters were actually sealed by Tony himself? Chris with his addictions is killed by Tony. Pussy flips and is killed by Tony. Feech winds up straight back in the can after being set up by Tony.


Well Tony sealed many of their fates. But I think you are giving him too much power. All these characters refuse to take the blame for their misdeeds and mistakes. So I think you are focusing on Tony and how he killed or made decisions for all these characters.

When, just as Tony seals his own fate, these characters did it for themselves as well. Pussy had to know that being discovered as a rat would have ended his life in a similar fashion to the incidents in Funhouse. Feech had been incarcerated, he knew the chances he was taking by getting back in the game. Chris was given multiple chances (and as my own aside, I remember people being upset with how much dead weight Chris is to the family and how many times he was forgiven. Yet these same people were so upset when Tony finally decided to pull the plug).

The most innocent of characters, arguably, Adrianna, even knew what she was getting in for with her choices. She might not have figured they would actually clip her, but she definitely knew the consequences. To put the blame on Tony, when all the other characters deserve to be just as responsible is a tad unreasonable to me.

[dsweeney]

Well Tony sealed many of their fates. But I think you are giving him too much power. All these characters refuse to take the blame for their misdeeds and mistakes. So I think you are focusing on Tony and how he killed or made decisions for all these characters.

When, just as Tony seals his own fate, these characters did it for themselves as well. Pussy had to know that being discovered as a rat would have ended his life in a similar fashion to the incidents in Funhouse. Feech had been incarcerated, he knew the chances he was taking by getting back in the game. Chris was given multiple chances (and as my own aside, I remember people being upset with how much dead weight Chris is to the family and how many times he was forgiven. Yet these same people were so upset when Tony finally decided to pull the plug).

The most innocent of characters, arguably, Adrianna, even knew what she was getting in for with her choices. She might not have figured they would actually clip her, but she definitely knew the consequences. To put the blame on Tony, when all the other characters deserve to be just as responsible is a tad unreasonable to me.
Oh absolutely the other characters are responsible for their own actions and ultiimate fates. For sure. What I was trying to get at though was that the various options open to Tony only ended badly for others BECAUSE of Tony. What I mean is it might not necessarily have ended that way for him, were he to choose a different path. For instance, if he were to flip and take the the family into the Witness Protection Programme who's to say he wouldn't have lived out the rest of his life in peace? Pussy and other "rats" all met their deaths but this is not always the case. Some informants do survive. Henry Hill and Sammy the bull spring to mind.
When I said Tony chooses to "stay in the life" I just meant that at that point he decides to stay in a life of crime rather than going to the feds following Garth's take on the Tony visiting Sil in the coma. But yes you're right, HE makes this decision and in that sense does seal his own fate himself.

[CM Diddy]

Putting Sil in a coma is a non-fatal way of ending his story arc on the show. And also to reaffirm that Tonys crew is falling apart. No Chris, No Sil, Nobody left.

The Rapture as Agent whats-his-face called it.