Double down on Tony Soprano

While fans of “The Sopranos” are anxiously awaiting the final episodes of the series (returning April 8), there apparently is a segment of the population disinterested in the show’s Machiavellian machinations but eager to profit off the personal tragedies of fictitious characters. An online sports book has laid down the odds on who will get whacked first when the series returns:

James Gandolfini (Anthony "Tony" Soprano): 17/2

Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano): 12/1

Michael Imperiolo (Christopher Moltisanti): 2/1

Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi): 6/1

Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano): 10/1

Steven Van Zandt (Silvio "Sil" Dante): 7/1

Dominic Chianese (Corrado "Junior" Soprano): 4/1

Tony Sirico (Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri: 4/1

Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow Mariangela Soprano): 12/1

Robert Ller (Anthony "A.J." Soprano, Jr.): 13/1

John "Johnny Sack" Sacrimoni (Vince Curatola): 7/2

Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent): 5/1

People who work on the show could place their bets and never have to work another day in their lives. (On the other hand, a couple of spoilers have leaked out in the past few months, and the odds above seem to reflect those disclosures.)

Meanwhile, HBO has embraced the spirited Schadenfreude with an online Whack-a-Soprano in the style of the Whack-a-Mole arcade game. Alas, it’s not very bloody (nor, as far as I could manage it, very responsive) and the sound effects are pretty annoying. Still: Huzzah, death!