Thawing the mystery behind the series most perplexing freeze-frame moment.
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Its not an unexpected character revelation or a shocking plot twist.
Its an editing choice at the end of one scene in the middle of an episode.
It lasts only a few seconds; its not even the episodes parting shot.
Overall, the 2004 episode is a fairly conventional entry in the HBO series.
(Robert Iler), who is at risk of flunking out.
In other words, the slow-mofreeze-framewipe in Cold Cuts is theTony riding a horse indoorsofSopranostransitions.
So last month when the perpetual Cold Cuts conversation resurfaced online, I asked Chase about the transition again.
He had his own way of doing things.
And by that point, we were in what, season five?
By that time, I guess I was willing to look at more stuff.
I probably went,Oh, thank God, this is a different transition.
I dont recall, though.
In The Sopranos S5E10 “Cold Cuts,” there’s a bewildering slo-mo scene with a wipe transition.
Kinda looks like a powerpoint presentation.
He was in London when I reached out to him.
Thats true not only ofThe Sopranos it has been true of almost all series television since the mediums inception.
He offered a few notes, all minor.
He liked the episode.
The slo-mofreeze framewipe was already in that first cut, Figgis said.
He said he was pleased by that.
But that would be it.
It was such a long time ago, he emphasized.
I just came in and directed the episode, and that was pretty much the end of it.
So I guess I would have to say Im pleased that people would still want to talk about it.
I need to know exactly why.
As far as that transition, I cant tell you why we did it that way, he said.
He concluded, I like wipes.
Im not wild about dissolves.
As for why we did the freeze-frame, I dont know.
What happened to the Russian in Pine Barrens?
Did Tony die after the cut to black that ends Made in America?
For now, we can add another mystery: How did that transition end up in Cold Cuts?
No one knows, not even Chase.
Why on earth are people obsessed with this, do you think?
he threw back at me at the end of our conversation.
