Has "The Sopranos" jumped the shark?

[latebloomer]

I think tonight was the Worst Episode Ever.

Where are they going with all this?

Dream sequences, Carmella of the brand new Porsche mooning by Tony's bed, terrible dialogue, yuck!

[Missy Vixen]

1. We were a bit confused by the dream sequence

I was also wondering if the name on the credit card is someone Tony "dispatched" in a past season.

Julie

[RevCheesehead]

2. I rather enjoyed it.

Mostly because Tony's dreams seemed to be of a different life - perhaps the life he always wished he'd have.

I hope he lives.

[babylonsister]

3. It was weird, but Carmella rocked! Did anyone doubt she'd be

the perfect, caring wife? She was 'it' tonight!
I think the way this was done was brilliant, because I didn't know what was going on for awhile, other than being confused. I wanted to only see the reactions of Tony's family and 'friends', but I saw that and so much more!
BTW, I still don't know where it's going. How fun is that?

His sister Janice cracked me up, and I expected her reaction but she excelled!

[JohnnyRingo]

6. She said..."I just stopped by to help"

Then went completely of the deep end.
They fooled me, I didn't see it coming....pretty funny actually

[latebloomer]

13. Eek, I can't stand Carmella!

I see her as a total hypocrite. She knows damn well where the money is coming from. She's a "good Catholic" yet she chooses to totally deny from where her luxurious lifestyle emanates.

"Tony, you're not going to hell!" Indeed.

[GalleryGod]

25. Carmella's "hypocrisy" was well laid out in Season One.

She's even discussed it aloud with her mother,Angie Bompeserio and Charmaine Bucco.

[ronnykmarshall]

45. Janice is a mess!

She never fails to crack me up.

Remember when she killed her asshole ex? Just blasted the shit out of him ... which he had it coming. Tony had to come get rid o' the carcus. One of my favorite moments.

[bettyellen]

50. and tony hints about it in front of her new husband when he tells her

she has to do something about controlling her anger, tony gave just a bit of a raised eyebrow, but janice's husband caught it and wondered.
i love janice stealing the leg too. funny shit!

[LynneSin]

4. I absolutely loved tonight's episode

How many times in the dream sequence did he start "seeing the light" so to speak? In reality, his dream sequence was about a life he could have had if he had not been in the mob.

I think the Sopranos are only going to get better because in the coming weeks we'll see how 'The family' pans out with Tony in the condition he is. It should be good.

And Edie Falco deserves another Emmy. She was amazing as she was amazing as she was trying to get Tony to come around. Plus what the hell is with AJ - he's starting to scare me

[JohnnyRingo]

7. AJ reminds of that hillrod from the hemi commercials...

"sweeet"

I think it's the hairstyle.

[SharonRB]

41. I agree, Lynne

:hi:

I kept thinking "This is another Emmy-winning performance" from Edie. She was amazing. It was a bit confusing at first, but came around. AJ freaks me out. He's just so weird.

And Janice being so melodramatic -- I expected nothing less from her.

[ronnykmarshall]

52. Edie rocks.

She looks so much like Felcity Huffman.

[Dave Sund]

5. I thought it was great

Tony's been having dream sequences since season one (Isabella or whatever her name was?)

You have to wonder where Tony's mind is. Is it hell?

Funny moments, surreal moments, and total grief. Intense stuff - at the end of the episode last week, I was certain that Tony could not die. Now I'm not really sure. Just because the only violence was a Buddhist monk bitch-slapping "Kevin" and Paulie pulling a Kenny Rogers with a cameraman, doesn't mean it was a bad episode. And it certainly doesn't mean it "jumped the shark." I'm in awe of this show right now.

[latebloomer]

15. I don't miss the violence at all

The whole thing just seemed pointless, and not well written.

Actually, my husband thinks the show jumped the shark after the first season. I don't agree, but it certainly never measured up to it.

[Skittles]

8. I still have not seen a single episode

nope

[Name removed]

9. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DainBramaged]

58. And neither have I, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

10. It was terrible

I thought it was all a dream, it was so unrealistically written.

Guess what, people aren't allowed around people with open wounds without being scrubbed and with face masks.

the whole thing was crap.

[latebloomer]

14. Uh-huh

And when Carmella asks one of the doctors if the honcho doctor "knows Tony is going to die"?!? I was baffled by that one-- it seemed so lame, and contradictory.

[GalleryGod]

20. "Crap" ? Matt Santos losing his brief case? THAT was crap.

Thanks for the ICU sop..I think everyone knew that as they watched.

[SharonRB]

43. Didn't you just know that Santos couldn't be having an affair,

though? I so wish WW wasn't going off the air. Do you think next week will be the week Leo dies or do you think he'll die the day of the election? My pick for VP is CJ.

:hi:

[GalleryGod]

55. I Know Leo dies. Could be 2 weeks.

Return to the dedication of the Bartlet Library....the VP replacement must be someone else.

[Kathryn STone]

11. I confess I didn't see it but I would be sad if they Shark Jumped

there's always a bunch of old white men who run HBO and they might as well stay out of the Sopranos like Deadwood.

[Seabiscuit]

12. The stuffed bear in front of the jammed elevator was a nice touch.

It had a little sign on it: "Out of service. Please 'bear' with us"

[Skinner]

16. I'm not ready to say it's jumped the shark yet

But I agree that that was a terrible episode.

[GalleryGod]

19. My condolences, Skipper...but since you used "Terrible"...

Sorry you missed the arc. My favorite part of the episode was the omnipotent eye surveillance of multiple members during a "Death Watch" situation. If any DUers have had to go through this-as I have-you'll feel the IRL tingle to your gut as you watch the people's responses.

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. We don't have HBO so I have never watched the show.

I guess I won't miss it. :hi:

[GalleryGod]

22. Mrs.G..I'm surprised you seem to admire good,edgy,writing

and terrific, balls-out, acting.

[ScreamingMeemie]

32. I do. And I bet it is/was great, it's just MrG only wants to pay for

basic on our Dish. :(

[GalleryGod]

18. No. But this might be the "Worst OP of the Sopranos Ever"

David Chase intends to walk the edge of the knife for the next 18 episodes... If it's too confusing for some of you "Shark baiters" out there I advise you tape it and watch it slowly....BTW...that's Annabella Sciorra on the other end of the line.

[babylonsister]

26. Thank you! I knew it wasn't 'the wife' and thought it might be

her! So there's something else for those who are into it to make you think!

[latebloomer]

30. OK, I get that you're a rabid fan

But you might ease up on the tone a bit.

I like the show a lot, but I think its finest days have come and gone.

[msanthrope]

34. I thought it was her!! Thank you!! n/t

[kwassa]

21. I was wondering if the metaphor was "Costa Mesa is purgatory"

Having been to Costa Mesa a few times, I would concur.

I think this might set the stage for major power struggles both within and without the family, from outside mobsters moving in on their turf.

[GalleryGod]

23. Oooooooooooo! Good shot! You're really CLOSE,there.

Ladies and Gents watch the multiple turntables spin!

[Reverend_Smitty]

29. Thats what I said to my dad last night...

Before they cut the first dream sequence. I said, I bet he's in some sort of purgatory...but it might be that I'm watching too much lost and am seeing the purgatory metaphor everywhere

[AllegroRondo]

35. Thats why he keeps getting religious hints

the christian message on TV, the Buddhist monks, the "infinity" name.

He's in purgatory. If he can manage to make it home, he lives, if not he dies.

[kwassa]

36. Good point, I didn't pick that up.

If he makes it home, he lives.

[hobo_baggins]

57. Interesting...i also noticed that the tv in the bar...

showed a news report of costa mesa burning I believe

[Mizmoon]

24. My gripe is AJ vowing revenge against junior

I just didn't buy it. I did buy AJ sitting with his dad just because he knew he had to tell Carmella that he flunked out of school. Typical AJ.

I realized that AJ is probably going to end up like Jackie Jr. ... impotent and on the fringe until someone caps him.

Tony's gut wound was something else ... marone! What a crater!

[Jack from Charlotte]

59. AJ has the IQ of a handball. He'll probably point the gun the wrong....

way and shoot himself.

[Blue Diadem]

27. It was different, but I wouldn't say it was a worst episode.

DH said he didn't like it..but I found it very interesting and more authentic. The family members..both blood family and mob family are in shock. Tony, in his dream state is realizing he doesn't know who he is..that he was never able to become anything but what the "family" wanted him to become.

I think in the following weeks, the "family" will begin to fall apart. The dominant leader is incapacitated..no one is there to tell them every move to make. I'm betting it'll get very interesting.

[AlCzervik]

28. is he going to get his memory back and find out that he's actually

this Finnarty guy and he's been dreaming his Sopranos life ala Newhart?

[latebloomer]

31. LOL!

That works for me!

:rofl:

[SharonRB]

48. OMG -- No, I don't think they'd do that.

What a letdown that would be.

[Burma Jones]

33. Nah, it's a metaphor for Isreal and Ariel Sharon.......

:shrug:

[FranzFerdinand]

37. brilliant episode.

end of story. watch it twice, watch it three times. it is filled with so much incredible symbolism that you can't begin to pick it all up on the first watch.

Tony doesn't die, i'll give you all that.

[dancingme]

38. Tony is in Purgatory - not a dream

When I had my annual summit with "Sopranos" creator David Chase a few weeks ago, I complimented him on having the onions to put a major dream sequence like this so early in the season, considering how many fans complain about the dreams.

"I, frankly, would not call those (episode two scenes) dreams," he said, which sent me scurrying back to watch my DVD over and over again, until (with some help from my wife) I got it.

Here Tony's stuck in Orange County, quite possibly the most personality-free corner of the world, with no way to leave (a k a Purgatory). On one end of town is a shining beacon (Heaven), on the other, a raging forest fire (Hell). Over and over, he stops to assess the worth of his own life, asking, "Who am I? Where am I going?"

Then he steals the identity (sin) of Kevin Finnerty -- a heating salesman who lives in one of the hottest states of the union (Arizona) -- checks into another hotel, and falls down a red staircase, at which point he learns he has Alzheimer's (eternal damnation). And while Carmela's busy in the real world telling him he's not going to Hell, Tony's in Purgatory debating whether to tell his wife this is exactly the fate he has in store.

It may be hair-splitting to call this something other than a dream, but Tony's misadventures in Costa Mesa were much more linear and coherent than his regular dreams have ever been. There were important details scribbled in the margins (the bartender joking, "Around here, it's dead," or the "Are sin, disease and death real?" commercial on the TV), but there was an actual story here instead of Tony bouncing from one surreal tableau to another.

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/sepinwall/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1142836402123280.xml&coll=1

[Shakespeare]

39. I think Chase is using a tongue-in-cheek "Hotel California" metaphor...

...which, again, is a great metaphor for purgatory. We thought the episode was brilliant.

[Ron Mexico]

46. Tony's not in Purgatory, I am

I signed up for HBO just for this goddamned show, and after two years this is the shit I get? :mad:

[peekaloo]

47. Funniest line of the night was Paulie calling A.J. "Van Helsing".

:rofl:

I think A.j. will get dragged into the family life.....unless he carries out his threat on Uncle June and his mummy head.

[babylonsister]

51. I didn't 'get' that, never saw the movie. Did I miss much? nt

[peekaloo]

53. It was a shot at his hair style.

:-)

[babylonsister]

56. Thanks! I googled it and still

didn't have a clue. Guess I was looking for some deep(er) meaning-lol! :)

[LiviaOlivia]

49. First I thought Chase was doing a variation on

Scorsese's "Last Temptation..". I liked the episode and thought Edie Falco was brilliant.

..playing "Smoke On The Water" for a comatose gut-shot victim. :rofl:

[Ron Mexico]

40. After a two-year absence, this isn't enough.

I'll give the show two more episodes to hold my interest. If not, I stop. Gandolfini's work is the reason I watch the show. Last night was as boring as even the worst episode of "Six Feet Under."

[NYCGirl]

42. I disagree. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. NT

[ronnykmarshall]

44. I was hoping someone would start this.

I was :wtf: watching it.

[StaggerLee]

54. You folks are gettin' me all worked up

over a show I have never watched.

Every time I visit my local DVD rental merchant the Soprano boxes seem to woo me.

Woo.

It's definitely on my to watch list.

(yeah, I've been without cable for four years now)