The Sopranos: semi-obligatory discussion thread.

[Bunny]

Gotta admit I felt really weird watching Carmela in those love scenes last night. I don't know why, but I thought it was odd. The way that little "relationship" ended was an eye-opener for Carm, wasn't it? She will always be tied to Tony.

Buscemi went psycho at the end. WTF? He was doing so well, too.

Looks as if someone dies next week. Wonder who?

Overall, I thought it was a crappy show, I guess I don't have much to say about it.

[vi5]

1. I didn't think it was crappy, but...

I thought that Buscemi cracking at the end was poorly set up. There were no major indicators that it was going to happen or was leading up to that. Yeah, he was gambling and all but his going off was relatively unprovoked and the whole thing with his girlfriend just seemed way too sudden.

I felt the same way about the Carmela scenes, which is just more proof of how great the writing is on this show since these characters get in your head like that.

I liked the stuff with Tony and AJ.

My wife also pointed out that the woman playing Buscemi's girlfriend is Dr. Gina the veterinarian from Sesame Street.

[chelsea0011]

5. I think it was done to show how much he is like the other Tony

There is a reason why they have the same names. Tony Soprano is always snapping and pounding someone. I liked the show last night. I've always liked the way they take time to develop characters and especially liked Carmella putting a gun under her pillow after looking at Tony's picture by her bed. I got a kick out of the Meadow scene. She has had no work this year and her one scene was met by the retort from Tony, "just keep walking by". It was a nice line with duel meanings.

[vi5]

6. I agree, but it was too sudden.....

The thing is that things were going well with Mr. Kim and there was no indication that he was getting annoyed at him. Just that he was wearing himself down. And when Kim came in he was being friendly so there was no reason for Buscemi to turn on him.

If he had been set up as a loose cannon all along it would have been one thing. I just didn't buy that he would snap that easily at nothing much.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. That is the whole point, when you deal with sociopaths, you can

never tell what is going to set them off.
I have to admit, I saw this comming, but I thought it would be a show or two off.
There is no way he was going to be used by Kim, and you know damn well Kim's idea of massage and his were going to be at odds.
Also, last week his character was right there when Tony S. almost popped Christopher in the head (which would have been Tony S.'s best move) and he got the bug back.
Having to go to work when all his friends were going home to sleep after an all nighter at AC put him over the edge.

[okieinpain]

17. exactly, that is the whole point. these guy's are nuts. violence

is like breathing for them.

[Beetwasher]

20. Self Destructive Behavior

Is very much like that...Things were going good, so he sabotaged it...It's actually somewhat realistic psychologically speaking...

[soothsayer]

2. Carm is a bad girl

Thinks she isn't, but she is. And what a blabber mouth, telling everybody about her affair. yeesh.

As for little Tony going nuts, I guess the lure of the easy mob life (as opposed to working a day job, starting a new business, and getting only 2 hrs sleep from hanging with the boyz) was too much. After he found that money, he realized that easy money was better.

Had he completely cut his ties with the gang he'd have been better off.

[GCP]

3. I have to disagree - I think this season's just getting better and better

The Buscemi breakdown at the end was a shame, I thought he was going to make it out of the mob. But as he's on parole, wouldn't he be straight back in jail after the assault on the Korean?
Other threads that are rivetting to me - Adriana's position re the feebies and the family, Johnny Sack and his crowd, Christopher wavering between psycho and normality (his conversation with the Buscemi character about not letting other people define you), AJ and where he's going to end up - another Jackie Aprile Jr in the making? The priest jealous of Carm and her lover!! The lover chickening out....

It's all good.

[Zero Gravitas]

8. Parole

Remember Mr. Kim saying something about needing Tony S. to deal with the union. Presumably he knows that its better for him not to report his beating...

Carmella is just a big a slimeball as the rest of them. She live int hat big house and drives the Benz but doesn't want to be reminded of where that money comes from, yet she's not above using the mob connection to threaten people when it suits her.

The conversation with thr priest was funny "I thought he was gay, he reminded me of you!" :lol:

[okieinpain]

18. uh, would you tell on tony soprano's cousin. I don't think so.

[LynneSin]

4. I loved the "Fish out of Water" analogy at the end of the fight scene...

between Tony B and his Korean Business Partner.

[chelsea0011]

7. Fish out of water...very nice

I liked the comment by Tony to Tony at the end. "Tough being in business with strangers". I'm not sure what the line was exactly in reference to. But the show is filled with great lines.

[Beetwasher]

21. Exactly!

He's a fish out of water in that type of situation (things going well for him) His response was VERY typical of self-destructive behavior...He unconsciously sabotaged his own life...things were going so well and he couldn't handle that and knew eventually SOMETHING would happen to fuck it up, so he just pre-empted it....It's actually quite realistic...

[OneBlueSky]

9. has anyone figured out WHY Buscemi when ballistic . . .

on the Korean guy? . . . maybe I missed something, but I couldn't find any reason for his outburst . . . anyone? . . .

[Bunny]

10. The stress of working full time, getting the new business started

up, a "nagging" girlfriend/wife, the lure of easy money from finding the 12 grand, which he was going to put into the business but promptly blew on gambling, the camaraderie of hanging out with the guys, the success of the Korean man (self-made, maybe Buscemi saw him as a taunt of some sort?), his physical aches and pains, (complaining of having a headache). Too much on his plate.

Everything added up at that one moment and he exploded. I guess. Did Mr. Kim die, or not? I couldn't tell.

[amandae]

24. I don't think he died ...

just was beaten pretty badly.

[lazarus]

11. stress

It was probably a combination of stress, and of finally realising that he was facing an entire life of nothing but working his ass off, just after he had gotten a taste of the good life.

[Beetwasher]

22. Typical Self -Destructive Behavior

See my post #20...It is realistic from a psychological perspective...

[Wapsie B]

13. To me the pace of the show

is as slow as molasses. Part of the allure of having a Mob show is peeking into the world of the Mafia. We don't see enough of them being mobsters. Enough of the angst and psycho-babble; let's see some more blood!

[RoadRunner]

14. I liked the beam of fatherly pride when Tony found out

AJ had bought his term paper. He finally found something to be proud of his son for!

[Heyo]

15. This was the worst episode I have ever seen....

Without a doubt...... Carmela's love life? Is that what the creators think we need to see more of? What a dissapointment... seriously the last few episodes almost have me giving up on the show... especially this past one.

They writers have completely lost it.... 'worst....episode....ever'

Heyo

[gpandas]

16. sopranos

i think buscemi is headed for something big. he's just too big of a star to run a massage store, and he's also great as a nutso heavy

[THUNDER HANDS]

19. the best part of the show is everything BUT the mafia stuff

The relationship between Tony and his family has always been the driving force of the show.

His "business" is just the hook to lure in slow-minded viewers who like violence and mob stories.

Carmella (who is from Long Island, BTW - big ups to her) is one of the greatest female characters in the history of television.

I could watch the show with just them around the kitchen table for an hour.

[FunBobbyMucha]

23. Agreed-Exhibit A: Whitecaps.

That ep was one of the best in the history of the show, and it was almost entirely Carmella and Tony fighting. Edie Falco deserves 20 times the awards she already has for her acting, and the beauty of her character is that, moreso than Tony, she is a true dichotomy of good and evil (the old ep where she saw a therapist who refused to let her worm out her duplicity and her subsequent depression/resolving herself to her own nature was a classic).

I think the whole Carmella love life angle in this season is, unfortunately, heading towards a similar resolution somewhere down the line. I find it very significant that she still has a pic of Tony by her bedside.

[amandae]

25. I completely agree with you

I actually think the Soprano's has a perfect mix of personal and business. Just when you think you're getting deep into the personal stuff, the business aspect finds a way to come forward (like the previews for the next episode were all about the business).

I like Carmella, and think she's getting the shaft constantly. I especially didn't like that priest who tried to put so much of the success and failure of her marriage on her shoulders. While Tony put his .... whereever he wanted!!

:hi: