So much is being said across the country about this final episode of The Sopranos.

When it ended, when that screen suddenly turned to black, I was pulled off my seat, which I had been sitting on the edge of throughout. And then, when I saw the credits, I felt …. satisfied. It was almost palpable, this feeling of… what? … rightness.

I said to my wife that a lot of people are going to be pissed. At least surprised. That’s certainly the case as everyone is deconstructing the episode’s meaning. However, analyzing this episode, the series, Chase himself is, IMO, futile. We saw what we saw and it pleased us or it didn’t. End of story. Just like the episode. It was what it was.

Many are doing a Peggy Lee — Is that all there is? Others are disappointed that not enough people were whacked, that Tony didn’t flip, that Paulie wasn’t a traitor, that A.J. wasn’t killed, that Meadow didn’t take over the family reins, whatever, whatever, whatever.

Everyone in the country was speculating on what could or would happen. If people are disappointed, it lies in their own expectations and anticipation, not in the drama itself, which Chase played out efficiently, logically and emotionally. He ended the series as it lived — as life itself, in all its unpredictable, unknowing glory. The series ending was one of the biggest emotional moments I’ve ever had on TV. I gasped. What could be better than that?

This might be off the wall, but I’m reminded of the final episode of another seminal series, Seinfeld. I had the same experience when that episode ended — surprised satisfaction. Not an ending with a big bang, not an episode where so much happened about “nothing,” but a story that put these four totally self-absorbed, trivial human beings where they belonged — in jail. Four Paris Hiltons. Four characters who comedically bruised and afflicted so many people for nine seasons without consequence were finally getting their comeuppance, a comeuppance as trivial as their lives were, a tacky little jail.

As a writer, I place my trust in only one person, the guy who created show (s) I love. Larry David knew his people better than anyone and if this is what he thought was a proper ending for them, I buy it. Likewise David Milch for Deadwood, although the ending for that series may have come prematurely because of business conflicts and miscommunication between him and HBO.

I also trust Chase. Most of us have. Why are so many thinking he betrayed us? If this is what he saw for his wonderful characters and their lives, if this is what his creator’s vision was, that’s good enough for me.