Tuesday 4 October 2011

Top Ten Tuesday

So this week's top ten is about endings that left me with my mouth hanging open. Instead of ten, though, I'm just going to talk about two, because, really, they deserve longer consideration than just the teeny description I usually give things in these lists. As for spoilers... I'm going to do my best, but I can't promise you won't get some kind of idea about how shit goes down, but I won't give anything really vital away, and even if I did, it'd probably be different than what you thought it was anyway, because that's what always happens to me when someone describes something to me.

Any, the first ending that left me gobsmacked was the end of The Sopranos, which I only finished watching this year because, you know, I'm completely behind the times. Now, I'm assuming that we all know that it kind of cuts out in the middle of a scene, which caused a big stir when it was first broadcast and made people call up HBO and find out what the hell had gone wrong. This I knew before I watched it, but I didn't realise just how tense the last scene actually is. It's probably one of the most tense things I've ever seen, where you're constantly expecting something to happen- I swear my heart was thumping in anticipation while I was watching, while simultaneously being positive that this wasn't the final scene that cuts out in the middle that I knew about and then... it totally was. I was pissed off and shocked and I'm pretty sure my mouth just fell open by its own will, and it was awful and amazing and probably the perfect way to end that particular series.

The other one that immediately occurred to me when I first saw this topic was the conclusion of The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King (note how the end of whole series are more shocking than that of single books- the emotional build-up of the preceding 6 books, or 85 episodes meaning that whatever happens, it's probably going to be shocking to some extent). I mean, I don't know if you've read all seven books, or none, or maybe just a few of them (I obviously think that you should, like, immediately) but trust me- King creates a whole load of characters that you love, gives you a really strong attachment to them, makes you go to hell and back with them, and the endings (there are sort of three) are kind of a relief, and yet, one of them is such a headfuck that you just really don't know what to do with yourself! The ending I'm thinking of (and hopefully some of you will have read it, and so know what on earth I'm talking about) I actually thought was more of an afterword than anything, but actually, I quickly realised it was still part of the story, and I was excited because, you know, yay, there was more, but actually it was the most frustrating thing ever, but also kind of an amazing way to end the series. At least, I thought it was...

So yeah, these are the two most shocking, and irritating/fabulous endings of books I can think of. I'm sure everyone will have come up with more, and really good ones too, but these are the only two I can really remember having such an impact on me. They are, for that reason, pretty great, and really worth watching/reading. So go and do it!

9 comments:

  1. Thank you for this thoughtful post. I think, if I were a better writer, I'd have chosen to post on the single most shocking book for me, Owen Meany. Maybe I will go back and do that later this week.

    Here's my post: Top Ten Book Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open. I hope you will also stop by and sign up for the Readerbuzz October Giveaway for Matched!

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  2. I so loved the Sopranos also.

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  3. I love that you included Sopranos for this list. I didn't make it to the end of the series (I need at least one good character to root for and when that person was offed I had trouble watching) though of course I had no choice but know how it ended.

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  4. Although I love a 'good' ending, it's the endings that leave me gobsmacked that stay with me. I really should get back to Steven King . . . it's been too long.

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  5. @Red- Are we talking Christopher here? Because... he's not that much of a good guy! I go between hating and liking him, like I do with pretty much all the rest of the characters hehe. Especially Tony- I go from finding him a disgusting human being, to wanting to have sex with him- it's a very confusing place I find myself in!

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  6. No, I wanted to punch Christopher a lot, although I did go back and forth with liking him. It was actually Adriana that was my last little ray of hope.

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  7. Oh, of course! Poor Ade! Oh how I wanted her to just drive away from it all :'(. Did you not watch any of Season 6 then? Because that was possibly my favourite of all the seasons, even though, you know, everyone's evil. It is seriously awesome though.

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  8. I caught an episode here and there but I don't/didn't get HBO so I was renting the DVDs. Plus it was so stressful watching it. Like you described, my heart was always pounding in anticipation that SOMETHING was going to happen. But with Ade gone and after what happened to Melfi in the parking garage it took a lot for me to sit and watch again.

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  9. Now I'm dying to get to the end of the Dark Tower series! I'm not sure why I've taken such a long break???

    Also, you totally should read Jude, but just prepare yourself....

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