I see your angles here completely. I feel that we need to approach the show as it ages with a greater level of honesty.

I feel that Chris earned better then most while he was both on or off drugs. During his benders he was highly inconsistent, however to note my point of honesty, many of the other characters were largely inconsistent as well.

Going forward I feel that Chris was the logical choice to lead the continue wave of the family into the next era. Must of what we never saw on screen is such a dynamic factor. Given his age at that time, it's hard not to believe Chris hadn't fostered equally important relationships in NY with characters we frankly never saw or heard of. Either in the Lupertazzi Family or the never discussed other Families, you being to question who in Soprano leadership may have inroads towards continued business with other OC enterprises.

My only point of the "mistake" being that Tony acted too impulsively and while I appreciate how the show painted the incident as unreliable solider/father/husband/nephew however in real life many people at Capo level or higher have been indicated to have had drug issues all the same. While Chris was an admittedly desperate case at times, he was getting older and I feel it is s stretch to altogether condemn him. As a man not even 40 for doing recreational coke or heroine if they're keeping it sociably under control I feel shouldn't be executed.

The hard truth is physical currency is harder o hustle consistency and many guys on the streets these days are involved in bookmaking and drug trafficking because there are simply put so few other ways to generate an off paper all cash income. Chris used, not trafficked, which to me I feel would gain you a mercy ruling from leadership where as if you're called out for selling drugs not so much in most cases.

With the aging of the family I feel that Chris was owed a pass in the situation that ended his life as he had no true involvement in causing the accident.The show needed an added storyline and that was the vehicle the used to advance Tony's narrative at that point in the series.

It made for phenomenal TV and imo was the 2nd hardest TV death I ever watched. (Opie on SOA was the worst). That being said I still feel it was a grave mistake as it shortened a list of Soprano Family members who were both young and capable. Going forward I feel the Family at it's point in the series at that time stood to to a lot better with Christopher than without him.

As always, this is just my OPINION, it's not THE answer.

Always here to continue a social dialogue about the show with others who are willing to approach it logically.