Tony Soprano was played brilliantly right to the end by James Gandolfini.

Television still is a powerful medium.

True, it has to be done well to tap into that power. But when TV works, it really works.

There has been quite a movement over the past year to try to convince you otherwise. TV is dead, the technology-obsessed critics say.

But in the world of entertainment, was there anything in 2007 that brought us all together, or prompted more discussion, or hijacked more column space or blog blather, than the finale of The Sopranos?

The date was June 10. The day the screens went black.

And for anyone who loves TV, or ever has loved TV, it served as a reminder of what TV can be, as both a dramatic wedge and a cultural touchstone.

There had been much debate about what would happen in the final episode of The Sopranos, the HBO phenomenon that aired in Canada on The Movie Network and Movie Central.

Ratings had not been spectacular in the latter seasons, perhaps due to long hiatuses that killed momentum, but interest was ratcheted up again as the finale approached.

Would mob boss Tony Soprano -- played brilliantly right to the end by James Gandolfini -- get whacked? And if so, who would do the whacking?

The final scene now is etched in our minds:

Tony sits in a diner.

His wife and son join him.

Some mysterious-looking characters enter the establishment.

Tony's daughter has trouble parking her car.

Just as she trots into the building, Tony looks up ...

And everything goes dark.

For millions of TV viewers, panic set in. Did the cat chew through the power cord?

But this was Sopranos creator David Chase's grand plan. He instantly had created one of those "where were you?" TV moments, ranking up there with any scripted show in the history of boob tubery.

And homages continue to pop up everywhere.

Earlier this month, we were watching an NFL pre-game show (produced by ESPN and shown in Canada on TSN) when suddenly The Sopranos took centre stage. Broadcaster Kenny Mayne did a piece on Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Tony Sparano -- yes, that's his real name -- complete with the following scene:

Mayne and Sparano sit in a Dallas diner.

Some mysterious-looking characters enter the establishment, including Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

A Cowboys cheerleader has trouble parking her car.

Just as the cheerleader trots into the building, Tony Sparano looks up ...

And everything goes dark.

A few seconds later, Romo re-appears and exclaims, "That can't be how it ends, can it?"

Well, it is ... and it was.

The controversy surrounding the ending of The Sopranos got silly in the days following the finale. Some viewers were impressed by Chase's guts. Many others were outraged. And some, like yours truly, slowly went from being stunned to feeling fortunate we had witnessed something so unique.

We ultimately came up with this theory: Tony died. He expired at the very moment the screen went black.

It all referred to something that occurred in the second-last episode. There was a brief flashback to the first episode of Season 6B, as Tony and his brother-in-law Bobby (Steve Schirripa) were conversing in a boat.

With death on their minds, Bobby says, "You probably don't even hear it when it happens, right?"

Could the ending have been a direct reference to Bobby's words?

Now, in the past several months Chase annoyingly has displayed a dismissive arrogance with regard to the finale, almost as if he resents the fact that viewers have been so emotional about it. Hey, David, people may never care you again, so don't be so haughty.

At times Chase displayed a sense of humour, though.

While accepting a Television Critics Association award last summer, Chase addressed a reporter from New Jersey (where The Sopranos was set) by saying, "Would you please explain to all these people that it's very possible to be sitting in a restaurant in New Jersey and everything just stops?"

Some folks have been predicting that TV is about to "just stop." Part of that has to do with the writers' strike in the U.S., and its obvious lingering impact. But the predictions of doom go deeper, calling out TV as a dying industry that doesn't speak to kids who rather would watch morons deliberately injuring themselves on YouTube.

Well, the future is unclear, and do you know why? Because it always is.

This much is certain, though: If something like the finale of The Sopranos can capture our imaginations so spectacularly, then maybe TV has something left to say after all.

Top 10 arguments that prove TV is not dead

1. The Sopranos: If you haven't seen the finale yet, CTV is showing it on New Year's Eve.

2. Dexter: A bloody good time for all.

3. Heroes: Second season needs saving, but still savvy.

4. Pushing Daisies: Primary colours to the rescue.

5. House: Prescription filled for massive ratings.

6. Weeds: No smoke-and-mirrors act.

7. Samantha Who? Christina Applegate, that's who.

8. Reaper: The devil made us like it.

9. Mad Men: A time machine wouldn't be this effective.

10. Californication: David Duchovny is the X-factor.