[pmc]

My first reaction was that it was just the end. We had followed these characters for many years and we simply stopped following them and they went off and carried on with their lives. But the more I thought about it the more it became obvious that Tony was whacked.

Either way its one of the best endings ever. Simply because it was so unexpected, caused so much controversy and is open to so much interpretation. Like the OP I was falling of the edge off my seat in the last 15 minutes. I kept glancing at the clock to see how long was left, and thinking 'how is it going to end'. To ratchet up that level of tension, then give us the ending they did, was magnificent writing.