Lorraine Bracco has revealed that she wasn’t happy with the way The Sopranos showrunner David Chase ended the arc of her character, Tony’s (James Gandolfini) therapist Dr. Melfi.
“I remember being upset [with] the direction that David [Chase] was bringing Melfi,” Bracco told the Talking Sopranos podcast (opens in new tab), hosted by Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri actors Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa (via Collider (opens in new tab)).
In the series’ penultimate episode, Melfi ends her therapy sessions with Tony after being advised by colleagues that sociopaths often take advantage of talking therapies.
“I just felt like he wanted me to get rid of [Tony],” she continued. “I felt that he did it in a very abrupt way. I don’t think that she should have done it that way. I would have liked for it to have been more meaningful. I think she cared for Tony. Even though he was a fuck-up and he was never going to really straighten out. But I think she really cared for him. You don’t spend seven years with someone and [then] discard them. I felt bad about that.”
We last saw the world of The Sopranos in the big-screen prequel The Many Saints of Newark, which was released earlier this year. Chase is also reportedly in talks with HBO about a follow-up series to the movie after – he had previously said that he’d be interested in doing another movie set in the world of young Tony Soprano, but only if he could work with The Sopranos screenwriter Terry Winter.
If you’ve already watched (and re-watched) The Sopranos, check out our list of the best TV shows of all time for more small-screen viewing inspiration.