It’s so very difficult to remember life immediately before The Sopranos. Northern Exposure was still considered the creative masterwork of television, Touched by an Angel and Veronica’s Closet ruled primetime and Tim Allen and Jenna Elfman were considered quirky. Then along came Tony and TV critics the world over quite literally creamed their collective pants. When it was at its best, it set the standard for cinema caliber television, and when it was at its worst it was a little bit of a self-congratulatory tease. And now after almost a decade on air, with hardly as many episodes as you’d expect it to have under its belt, we say goodbye.

The optimistic title of the final episode led me to believe that we weren’t going to witness any bloodshed in Tony’s immediate family, but the tension David Chase created left me convinced up until the last moment that something devastating was going to happen. Nothing ever did. Aside from the delightfully gruesome/deserved whacking of Phil Leotardo, there wasn’t even any violence.

Despite the gnawing tension, it may have been one of the funniest episodes the show has ever seen. Tony’s mother-issues resurface yet again with his son’s therapist, AJ finds his way back to smug douchery, Carmella makes absurd declarations the way mothers do and Meadow’s greatest challenge is trying to parallel park. Uncle Junior gets a proper sendoff, Janis isn’t such a terrible shit, Dr. Melfi is thankfully ignored and Christopher is reincarnated as a cat. Really. The only real loser is Paulie, who quietly realizes that all he was and ever will be is the Sopranos’ butt monkey.

I’m sure a lot of people will have major beef with the way things ended, but they will most likely be people who don’t know what they’re talking about. Dramatic sendoffs are appropriate for some shows, but not for The Sopranos. Leaving the core cast with grace, humor, hope and Journey is what they deserve, and it’s more than kind to the viewers. And to extend that same kindness to you, I will leave you with a small collection Italians misquoting, misusing and mispronouncing. It’s truly been a pleasure.