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The Sopranos Ends With a ...
If you still have your copy sitting unwatched on your Tivo, I'd suggest that you stop reading before you are spoiled. The show is done at last and apparently fans are freaking out over the bizarre ending. At my house, we thought at first that the DVR crashed until the credits appeared in silence. Personally I thought that a show known for such excess tried to take an artful bow: It didn't work for me, but I get it at least. Anyway, I had a number of Sopranos submissions this morning and figured I'd just post this comment to give people who were interested in discussing the end of the show a nice place to discuss before they cancel their HBO.
The ringwraiths were on a mission of stealth. Though they did win a battle with the Rangers at Tharbad according to Unfinished Tales, Sauron wasn't about to use up his fiercest weapons so early in the war, for many reasons. Revealing them clearly would urge everyone on the sidelines to prepare, and a trail of dead bodies kind of makes it hard to tail the ringbearer all quiet-like. Also, the ringwraiths' innate power was tied to Sauron's, and he was still recovering his strength.