That is very interesting, though personally I think if Chase wanted us to know that Tony was dead, he would have shown it. The point of all the stuff that implies he was killed is to make us think Tony could have been shot but without us definitely knowing. Otherwise we'd have actually seen him get shot. A good post, just a bit long!
I don't think you can build up a character for 10 years and then show his death. It would be very hard to pull off correctly. I think we saw Tony die the only way we could have.
I don't think you can build up a character for 10 years and NOT show his death.
After all, FFC felt compelled to tack on the coda scene to GF III, and show Michael Corleone slumping out of his chair in 1997.
He could have just cut to black when they walk out of the opera house, as the assassin Mosca talks to the other priests coming out the door.
