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BrotherJayne posted:How many jogs do you think Pussy had left in him when he got popped? 2? 3? Probably like a bear broke onto the boat.
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Dec 12, 2019 00:09
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 09:19 |
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Season 6, Episode 2 - Join the Club???? ??????? posted:Who am I? Where am I going? A man named Tony Soprano lies motionless on a hotel bed, and suddenly jerks awake. He sits and rises from the bed, looking mildly confused. The type of confusion when you wake in a strange place and it takes your mind a moment or two to reassemble your memories and remind you where these unfamiliar surroundings are. Looking out the window of his hotel at the city of Costa Mesa in California, he sees a beacon glowing far in the distance, turning like the light from a lighthouse. Getting to his feet, he heads downstairs and across the road to a bar and drinks alone, half-watching a story on the news about brush fires. Checking his watch, he stands up and turns from the bar to call home, but gets the answering machine. He smiles to hear the sound of his family in unison saying to leave a message for the Soprano Family, and does so after the beep. His voice is far from the New Jersey accent we are familiar with (it is James Gandolfini's natural speaking voice) and he explains he has arrived. Turning back to the bar, he collects the wallet and briefcase by where he was seated and leaves with a thank you. Outside, Mr. Soprano takes a moment to pat his chest, feeling a pain he puts down to his meal. The sound of a nearby helicopter gets his attention, and looking up he is momentarily blinded by its spotlight... but beyond that light, a giant appears to be staring down, staring with concern as they move a pen-light back and forth. The illusion fades almost immediately, and Mr. Soprano turns away from the blinding light and continues to walk. Day breaks and he drives himself to the conference he is attending, where he is hopeful of seeing Colonel Colonna speak at the morning session on MIL SPEC. But when he goes to sign in under the name of Anthony Soprano, he makes an awkward discovery. The drivers license he hands over is for a man named Kevin Finnerty, this isn't his wallet. Opening his briefcase he discovers that isn't his either, and while the woman at the desk is sympathetic she's also not going to let him in with a valid ID, even if he did fly all the way in from New Jersey. "It's a whole new world" she points out, referencing 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Homeland Security and the utter security paranoia that permeated the US for a time during that period.   Defeated, Tony Soprano does what any man would do in this situation, he calls his wife to get a sympathetic ear. Mrs. Soprano kind of gives it to him, but she's also not pleased that he didn't recognize the difference between the briefcase he picked up and the one SHE gave him as an anniversary gift. She asks him - in a standard New Jersey accent that doesn't sound like anybody we might think Anthony Soprano's wife would sound like - if he looked inside the case, and of course he did. Whoever this Finnerty is, he sells Solar Heating Systems, but there was no name of a company and his wallet had no phone number. Spotting the Colonel leaving the session with appreciative company reps surrounding him, Tony Soprano sighs and laments that "my whole life's in that case." He returns to the Radisson Hotel and attempts to explain his situation but they can't offer him his room back, he already checked out and even if there were rooms available, he wouldn't be able to check in without a credit card even though they have a bill in his name in their records already. He offers an insincere thank you and leaves, demonstrating a control of his temper that seems odd for a man named Anthony Soprano. Instead he heads over the road to the bar, not to drown his sorrows but to attempt to constructively fix his problems. He reminds the bartender that he was in the previous night and explains his situation, and again finds a sympathetic ear but no actual assistance beyond the offer of a free drink. Whoever Kevin Finnerty is, he has not returned with the wallet and briefcase he presumably picked up either. A man sitting at the bar overhears the story and cracks a joke about Kevin Finnerty driving a Lexus, since his name sounds like Infinity(Infiniti). With nothing better to do, Anthony figures he'll just wait around at the bar in case Finnerty returns, and tries to strike up conversation with the bartender: what is there to do around Costa Mesa? "Around here?" is the reply,"It's dead." For some reason, this turn of phrase seems to leave Tony Soprano troubled. As night settles in, the bar is pumping and he decides to order a meal with the little cash he has to his name. Almost immediately however, the man from earlier who cracked the Lexus joke comes over with two friends and asks him to join them, having told the others his story. He kindly but politely declines, but when they joke they'll beat Kevin Finnerty up if he shows up, he turns back and notices a pretty woman with them. For some reason, his sudden decision to accept their offer feels very much like something Tony Soprano would do. They're all in town for the conference too, involved in things like Aerospace and industrial equipment. But they want to know about him. Not just because of the briefcase/wallet mix-up, but because while the lady at the sign-in desk needed ID, they don't: everybody knows Tony Soprano. Everybody knows the extraordinary and thrilling things Tony Soprano has done. Everybody wants to know more about Tony Soprano's life. Because Tony Soprano... made the move from selling Patio Furniture to Precision Optics! And his sales team "snatched the brass ring" for 12 consecutive quarters! Oh my God they're the world's most boring people. Tony excuses himself briefly to call home again, where he talks happily with his young daughter who is clearly still in High School and excited to have made the volleyball team. His younger son has been put to bed early after getting sick, and when he gets Mrs. Soprano back on the phone she assures him she would have called him if Kevin Finnerty had. Returning to the table, he notices two of the other salesmen are gone, and then discovers they also paid for his meal. How does Tony Soprano react to somebody else paying for his meal because they know he can't afford it? With a big beaming smile and clear gratitude! But while he acknowledges that he and his sales team have done well when they others compliment him again, he points out there is always a faster gun. That phrase seems to put him slightly off stride for a moment, but he recovers and notes that at 46 years old, he's starting to question who he is and where he is going.  This is a question millions of people watching on March 19, 2006 were asking as well. As the pretty saleswoman says,"Join the club." As Tony prepares to leave, he spots an odd advertisement on the television asking if sin is real. Realizing it is a Christian ad, he loses interest, but he was still unsettled by the sudden question appearing. Perhaps because shortly after he and the saleswoman are kissing in the parking lot, until she pulls away and says it isn't going to happen. Why not? Because she saw his face light up when he was on the phone with his wife and children, and he spoke about them a lot at dinner. Sin was on his mind, but he doesn't protest when she brings this up, just gently chides himself for blowing it when he could have been "a whole other person" and just done as he likes. Why a different person? Because Tony Soprano doesn't cheat on his wife. The helicopter returns and they both look up into the blinding light. The saleswoman says they're looking for a perp, and that strikes an odd nerve with him. He looks at her and then back up at the spotlight, replaced now by three lights over his head. He's not standing in a parking lot anymore, he's lying in a bed with a breathing tube shoved down his throat. He's not Anthony Soprano, family man and precision optics salesman. He's Tony Soprano, Mob Boss and philanderer with a vile temper and anger management issues. Nurses and orderlies rush around him as he jerks about in the bed, awake, out of the coma he's been in for who knows how long now, Carmela and Meadow Sopranos pushed aside as they panic and call out to him as well as trying to find out what is going on. The doctor arrives and they shoot Tony up with Ativan to stop him thrashing about, and Carmela just has enough time to hear Tony rasp at her,"Who am I? Where am I going?" before the doctor makes them leave so he can reapply the breathing tube. Outside, AJ has just arrived back, claiming that his friend's car wouldn't start, and they quickly bring him up to speed before going to join the others in the waiting area. Paulie is snoring, Silvio and Christopher taking calls while Vito waits quietly. Christopher spots them and they all get up, including Paulie who jerks awake, and they rush over for news. They're happy to hear he came out of the coma and took the breathing tube out, but they explain the doctor had to put it back in. Vito snarls,"Goddamn Junior" under his breath, while a trying-too-hard-to-look-composed AJ walks over and declares with faux indifference that "Anthony Soprano is not going to die. I don't know what everybody's talking about." Carmela asks somebody to take Meadow and AJ home, and Christopher tells her that she needs rest herself, she's been there for two nights straight now. She assures them Meadow spelled her for a bit, and doesn't protest when Meadow says she'll be staying too. Likewise, AJ doesn't protest when Carmela tells him she wants him at home to answer any calls that come in while they're all there. Vito and Paulie put up more of a fight, but only because each of them wants the honor to (be seen to) take AJ home, Paulie growling at Vito that he already bought the sfogliatelle! For Paulie, that's clearly brownie points enough, not he wants his!   The doctor steps out to see Carmela, letting her know the latest. Tony is back on the breathing tube, but now they're worried about potential sepsis. It seems the bullet didn't just tear up Tony's pancreas, but impacted his gall bladder as well. They've sedated and restrained him to keep him from tearing out the breathing tube again, but he needs her to know that there is a strong possibility this will not have a good outcome. He'll let the other two doctors know and assures her they'll be coming in to take a look, but that's all he can offer her right now. He heads away, with probably a number more patients in dire straits to attend to, while Carmela is left with just the one. A man she loathed not so long ago but now faces the horrifying prospect of losing forever. She breaks down into tears, embraced by Christopher who can't offer her anything more than that: the giant that has been such a central focus of the majority of their lives has been felled by a dementia-addled old man and faces almost certain death. As dawn rises, Meadow sleeps on a couch holding hands with Christopher. Vito wanders aimlessly through the corridors as a cleaner waxes the floor, passing the temptation of a vending machine but not succumbing. In Tony's room, an exhausted, drained Carmela sits beside her husband and takes his wrist, watching as his chest rises and falls to the steady rhythm of the machine that is handling his breathing for him. But while Tony Soprano's body is sedated and motionless on the bed, his mind remains active. He arrives at the Omni Hotel, having called ahead to book a room... under the name of Kevin Finnerty. He uses Finnerty's credit card, feeling no moral qualms at doing so after a long evening waiting for the man himself to return to the bar or at least call his wife. But as he is checked in, two monks stand quietly watching him intently. They follow him as he moves towards the lifts, one calling out the name of Kevin Finnerty. It's a confrontation, they're pleased to have him cornered, but are surprised when he reacts happily, delighted to discover that they know Finnerty. He attempts to explain his situation, but is cut off as they complain that he has ignored their letters and phone calls for months, and they intend to file a lawsuit against him. Knocked off-balance by the surreal nature of being sued by a monk, he insists he isn't Kevin Finnerty and isn't responsible for the shoddy heating system they had to deal with at the monastery over winter. He gets knocked off-balance again, this time physically, when one of the monks slaps him and insists he lose his arrogance. Fired up now, he goes after the monk, but not with the usual controlled, practiced power/rage combination we are so used to seeing. This Tony Soprano is not used to violence, he simply pushes his bulk forward and slaps at the monk with an arm before a porter restrains him, causing him to tumble backwards over a luggage cart. The monks beat a hasty exit while "Kevin Finnerty" leaps to his feet squawking in ineffectual, impotent protest over the shock and humiliation of being struck. He goes to his room where as usual he calls his wife, filling her in on everything, explaining that he can't file a police report because that would reveal he himself is committing fraud. Tony Soprano is not a man who takes breaking the law lightly, and he fears being caught doing so. She asks if there is a Buddhist Temple nearby where he could go and talk to the monks, but apparently there are many, and even if he could find the right one AND get them to listen AND get them to help him find Finnerty... who wants all those complications? No, he just wants to come home. She agrees, noting he didn't even want to attend the conference in the first place... but it's partly his fault, he works far too much. Hell, sometimes she feels like he's off in his own little world. She tells him to get some sleep and to call her if he can't, and she'll try to call "Doenitz" tomorrow to ask if the company can sort this out on his behalf so he can get home. He tells her how much he misses her, a man in touch with his emotions and more than willing to express them to his loved ones.  The next morning, he leaves his room well dressed and with a smile, but is irritated to see the elevator is out of order, not appreciating the "cute" stuffed bear left in the way asking guests to please "bear" with the them while they get it fixed. The other lift is taking so long so grumpily he takes the stairs instead, moving down them too quickly and making a misstep, which causes him to tumble down the stairs and take a bad knock to the head. Now Tony Soprano lies unconscious, dead to the world. In reality, Carmela splashes water in her face and wakes Meadow from her position in a chair by the window. Meadow takes being woken as an immediate sign of trouble but Carmela assures her things are fine. Tony is still unconscious but another night has passed and he is still with them. She looks lovingly down at her husband, pressing a flannel to his forehead, while a worried Meadow looks at the monitor she is able to make far more sense of than Carmela, noting that his fever has dropped. True to the other doctor's assurance, Dr. Plepler arrives. He's businesslike and somewhat abrupt, greeting them perfunctorily before moving straight into getting the details on Tony's condition from the nurse. Barbara arrives in time to see them removing the dressing around Tony's midsection, revealing a cavernous hole in his stomach from where they removed the bullet and have left the wound open. Plepler reaches in and looks around, declaring everything looks fine, and Carmela is smart enough to know that what he means is there are no signs of complications from the surgery itself (Plepler is a surgeon and that's his actual concern). He belatedly acknowledges the concern about sepsis only after Carmela brings it up, and asks what Dr. Taschlin had to say, but they haven't been in at all. He brushes that off, saying he'll be talking with them anyway, apparently not grasping that Carmela wants Taschlin to talk to HER. So she asks him about the coma, will Tony come out of it? He can help there at least, the coma is an induced one now, they're keeping Tony in this state so they can control his seizures while they try to bring down his fever. Meadow points out his fever is down and he lets that pass in silence, not at all interested in acknowledging the small amount of knowledge she has no matter how accurate. Instead, displaying the same arrogance and lack of bedside manner, he points out that even if Tony was to survive this, this is a high chance he'll suffer some brain damage. Carmela's eyes widen in shock at this, and Plepler simply leaves and cleans his hands in the corridor, his visit done and already ready to move on. Carmela and Meadow follow him, Meadow demanding to know what antibiotic they're using. It's Zosyn, but he offers no more, simply walking over to the nurse's station. Carmela follows, apologizing with a knowing smile, explaining that Meadow volunteered at a medical clinic recently and is thinking about a career in medicine. Meadow shoots her an angry look but Carmela is only interested in keeping on the doctor's good side. Janice arrives and Plepler, feeling surrounded, explains that it's good they're around and they should spend their time talking to him, playing his favorite music, letting him hear things he likes and know he's surrounded by people he loves. Unable to resist bragging, he says it is lucky he came here to a LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER, as he'd have been dead 12 hours ago anywhere else. He leaves and Carmela calls out a thank you, disgusting Meadow who complains that she treats doctors like rock stars and humiliated her with that bit about Meadow volunteering. Carmela isn't in a mood to argue with her, and surprisingly it is Janice who comes to the rescue. She can sense they're at their wits end, exhausted and snapping at each other as a result, and insists they take a break and she can handle things for now, since she left her daughter with Bobby's mother. They re-enter the room and join Barbara, but the moment Janice sees Tony getting his wound dressed she completely falls apart. Weeping inconsolably, she can barely croak out that this is her brother, while an exhausted and somewhat exasperated Carmela now finds herself with ANOTHER person she needs to look after.   Meanwhile the architect of all this misery remains largely clueless about what he has done. A psychiatrist sits with Junior Soprano doing a series of tests, all under the watch of Junior's new lawyer. Junior doesn't understand what the purpose of any of this is, who the guy asking him the questions is and why he has to take part. His lawyer carefully tries to explain that the Government is trying to figure out whether Junior can be held responsible for shooting Tony, though he's quick to point out that they are NOT conceding the point that Junior was the one to shoot him in any case. The psychiatrist warns the lawyer not to coach Junior, but Junior has heard enough to realize he's in potential trouble, and so demands to know where Melvoin is. Calmly, slowly, the lawyer reminds Junior that he was disturbed by Mel's paralyzed hand from his recent stroke and so hired him to be his new lawyer. Junior, caught as he so frequently is between trying to hide his condition and but also needing frequent reminders of what is happening, retreats into an old standby: victim blaming. If Tony was shot, he probably did it himself. After all, he's a "depression case". Does he remember shooting Tony? Perhaps? Or perhaps he remembers shooting "Pussy Malanga", or thinks that happened 6 years ago. Or he remembers nothing. It doesn't matter, he can't distinguish between past and present and his mind is playing tricks on him. The man who once hired assassins to kill his nephew is not the same man who shot that same nephew himself 3 days earlier, he's just a pitiable, confused old man who has lost touch with reality. Christopher sits at the foot of Tony's bed, staring with grim fascination at the Uncle/Cousin who is the closest thing he ever had to a father. The man he simultaneously loves and hates, the man he told his fiance he was going to go to hell for. The man he sold out that same fiance to, choosing him over her. Now reduced to a motionless figure in a bed with a machine breathing for him. Life goes on, however, even when it involves death. Eugene Pontecorvo's wake takes place, with his family stone-faced and miserable sitting in the front row near his open casket. The men Deanne hated and hoped to escape from ignore the body to openly gather to talk about the current situation while Tony is in his coma. Silvio is nominally in charge, though he makes it clear this is purely temporary and his role is purely as a stand-in for Tony and nothing more. They come to him with beefs, they bring Tony's collections to him and he'll hold onto them for Tony while divvying out Carmela's "allowance" on Tony's behalf. Everybody agrees this is the right and good thing to do (for now, at least). It's the Captains gathers, those who are left at least considering Ray Curto's recent death. Vito, Carlo, Paulie, Christopher, Bobby and Larry Boy are there for a united front, but with Ray and Eugene dead and Tony in hospital, Vito can't help but point out that Eugene's sports book in Roseville shoudl be his now. The others are disgusted at his self-interest, while Carlo makes a salient point: what about Junior? Christopher and Vito disagree that him being in jail puts him out of reach, while Larry Boy - who is currently under house arrest because of a scam he and Junior were in on together - insists they just leave the "demented old gently caress" to rot. Vito disagrees, he tried to kill the Boss of the Family, it needs to be dealt with. Paulie warns Vito off, the decision on Junior is for Tony to make, and Bobby agrees, which just makes Vito question why Tony was even there in the first place instead of Bobby. This upsets Bobby, who points out that Tony volunteered (angrily and under protest, but he did do it AFTER Bobby offered to go), and this seems as good a time as any for them to disperse. As the others leave, Silvio, Paulie and Christopher take a moment to confer. Vito is worrying them, now that he has the Unions that were once Ralphie Cifaretto's, he's pulling in more money than any other Captain and now he wants the Roseville Sports Book too? Something that by all rights should be going to Bobby? Paulie is disgusted at Vito being such a kiss-rear end that he's already racing back to the hospital, and then proves he's an entirely more efficient kiss-rear end because he's going to buy a little stereo for Tony's room! Christopher is bemused and tells him Tony doesn't need that, and then they all turn to look with disgust at Eugene's corpse. They can't believe he was so weak as to take the "easy" way out, while Silvio just shrugs and suggests maybe he had cancer or something. Eugene's suicide is the subject of discussion in the waiting area of the hospital too. Hesh and Janice ponder what might have caused it, with Janice getting closest by suggesting maybe it was his son's drug problem. Vito suggests Eugene might have been a "homo" who didn't think he could talk about it with anybody, either testing the waters or unnecessarily trying to muddy the waters and make clear to people he's not gay. In any case, Hesh is just glad that Tony doesn't know Eugene killed himself, poor guy has enough on his plate! None of them know, of course, that Tony refused Eugene's plea to retire to Florida and that played a large part in his decision. Silvio and Christopher however did know at least part of it, but seemingly didn't (or wouldn't) put two and two together. Carmela meets with Meadow and learns that AJ has been seen at the hospital, which confuses her because she'd sent him home to get some of Tony's favorite music CDs to play for him. She goes looking and is horrified to find him hanging out outside smoking a cigarette and speaking to a journalist with a camera-man. She hauls him inside, furious, him complaining all the way that he was simply talking before admitting that he forgot to get the CDs. Pissed, she tells him she'd rather he go back to school and study if he can't be of any use here in the hospital, and he throws it back in her face: how could she say that to him when his father is in hospital!?! Too exhausted to deal, she gives him money and orders him to go get an assortment of bagels for everybody, but to take the back door out of the hospital. No more interviews! Back in the hotel, she's touched that Christopher sent over the incredibly thoughtful gift of a little stereo for Tony's room (oh Christopher  ). She tells Tony, and then continues talking to him, following the doctor's suggestion but also trying desperately to fill the room with anything but the sound of the endless in and out of the breathing apparatus. Playing Smoke on the Water for him, she talks about how wonder Meadow is and how she'll make a great doctor. Finally she can't just keep up the inane chatter anymore though, and turns and stares at him, repeating his name as she tries to come to terms with what may be the new reality of her life.  Christopher drives to Satriale's and finds Agent Harris and Goddard eating a meal inside. He greets them half genuinely and half aggressively, and is suspicious when Harris offers condolences for Tony's situation. Harris calmly says he's not fishing for info, he's genuinely asking how Tony is doing. Christopher, still wary, simply notes that he is hosed up, and then tries to lighten the mood again by joking that he thinks Harris really comes to Satriale's because he misses THEM, not the food. He sarcastically asks how the War on Terror is going, but despite himself becomes interested when Goddard points out the work they do trying to shut down the financial networks that fund terrorism. They ask him to give them a call if he ever runs into any suspicious Middler Easterners or Pakistanis, and point out that it is his country too. Amused at the thought the FBI is asking him for help, he pleads ignorance of any "suicide-bomber" types, but becomes aggravated when they remind him about Matoush. Apparently somebody from the FBI did approach him to ask about Matoush, which was the first he'd ever heard of his politics. He insists for obviously not the first time that Matoush was Adriana's friend and not his. He leaves, but not without first stating that he hates terrorists and Tony hates them even more. Harris and Goddard file that away for another day. As the afternoon wanes, Carmela remains at Tony's bedside. A song playing on the stereo brings back a pleasant memory. They once spent a weekend down at Long Island with Artie and Charmaine, where that couple had the first of many, many break-ups. She talks happily to Tony of the memory, of Charmaine being a disaster around water, including almost drowning Tony herself when he swam in to rescue her after she got the cramps from eating a calzone. That in turn brings back another memory, of how long and luxurious Tony's hair used to be, of how Carmela would wrap her hands in it. But that memory brings her back to the present: the powerful, long-haired boyfriend of her youth has become a bald, overweight husband in a hospital bed with breathing tubes stuffed down his throat. Fighting back tears, she retreats into the basest, most simple way she can think of to try and encourage him to recover: by appealing to his manhood. She lies about how confident the doctors are of his recovery, and how his strength and power has always aroused her, how even the memory of it now arouses her. His friends, his children, they all love him and expect him to return, they all believe in him. But the only response she gets is his continued steady, machine-operated breathing. So she sits in silence for a time, and then finally speaks up on what has been burning at her for days now, probably more since that moment he woke up briefly and asked where he was going. She acknowledges the time she told him way back in the pilot that he was going to go to hell when he died. She has always regretted it, and expects herself to be judged for that sin when she dies. But she insists that he is a good father who cares about his friends (you could tell Eugene and Pussy that, but they're dead) and she can't understand why she let things get so bad between the two of them for so long (because he was a piece of poo poo!) but one thing she knows for sure is that he will NOT go to hell. Finally she says the one thing she hasn't said yet. She said his friends and family loved him, but now she says it herself. Their reconciliation may have been a strategic move on her part, an effort to put aside or bury her loathing for him in the interests of securing her future and that of her children. But now, in the wake of his shooting and the uncertainty of HIS future, she is no longer in any doubt. In spite of it all, she still loves him too.  Tony wakes in his hospital bed, but not in the real world. He's in a hospital in his coma dream, uncertain of what is going on, waiting to be told he can go. The doctor returns and apologizes for the wait, but he wanted to confirm some things he saw on the CT scan and ordered an MRI, the results of which he shows "Mr. Finnerty" now. Tony sits up and looks around, baffled, how long has he been here? The doctor doesn't answer, instead he talks about the MRI. In the real world, the MRI showed his mind was fine and that his panic attacks were psychological in nature. Here in the coma, the MRI shows dark areas that have been deprived of oxygen, and are consistent with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Tony is baffled. What? Alzheimers? He's only 46 years old! The doctor advises him to see a neurologist when he gets home, but he's shown the MRI results to the radiologist who concurs. He does offer some attempt at softening the news at least by saying the treatment options have improved immensely in recent years, but Tony makes the same claim he'd have made in the real world: it's a death sentence, he knows people with Alzheimer's (is there a Junior in this world? Or does he speak without thinking?). He does however get some savage satisfaction out of informing the doctor who just handed him this death sentence that he isn't Kevin Finnerty, and that the insurance card they used to justify treating him was for the wrong man. "What is your name?" the doctor asks, and Tony points out that it doesn't matter... he won't know himself soon enough. The doctor tells him to rest a bit and leave when he feels up to it, despite the Alzheimer's he's fine beyond a minor concussion. He leaves, and Tony shouts something back laden with double meaning: "I'm lost!" In the real world, Meadow sits beside Tony and laughs about how AJ couldn't make it because he ate a bad burrito and has a bad stomach. She talks about the Law Firm where she is interning, about how good they've been about her taking time off (perhaps genuinely, perhaps because they fear Tony who is the one who arranged the internship in the first place). Finn will be coming to visit, taking time off from his Dental School studies, and she promises that he really likes Tony. She gives him a gentle kiss on the head, then reads him a poem by Jacques Prevert. Back at home, Carmela showers and enjoys the first quiet moment she has had to, if not sleep, at least let her weary bones rest. Downstairs, AJ loads up a plate full of food despite his so-called bad stomach, and when he sees Meadow cast a side-eye at it he snaps at her that he took some Pepto-Bismol. She ignores that, joining the full house also eating: Vito, Silvio, Paulie are also all there, Vito comfortable enough to let out a long fart as he sits on the couch. Meadow returns to her room to get some brief rest as well, but AJ barges in to ask her what she knows about the Prius, and when she grunts at him that she could have been naked as a reminder to him not to just burst in, he gets upset that she's not taking the future of the environment seriously. Furious right back at him, they get into a screaming match and he storms out after accusing her of silently judging him for eating food. She lays back to try and sleep, but he returns more timidly, and finally speaks somewhat from the heart: doesn't she find this embarrassing? She asks what and he explains he means the entire situation, how their "goober loving uncle" shot their father. Meadow admits she does fear how Finn's parents are taking it, and AJ asks her why she thinks Tony ever spent any time with a "mummy" like Uncle Junior anyway. She reminds him how important Tony takes the whole Italian family thing and he agrees that he got the same lecture she got (in the Church, about their great grandparents) but look how it ended up, with that same Uncle shooting the man who cared so much about him. Still seeking an outlet for his anger, he opens her window and leans out to the reporters and camerapeople camped out in the driveway and lets rip with a,"gently caress YOU!"   Carmela returns to the hospital and is joined by Rosalie, who has served more than her fair amount of time in hospital cafeterias and waiting areas back when her husband Jackie was dying of cancer. She tells Carmela she'd be happy to sit with Tony, and she thanks her but notes the hospital rules will only allow family at the bedside. Sarcastically she remarks that Angie "called", but is obviously too busy with her body shop to have come by. AJ arrives and a delighted Rosalie welcomes "Fabio" and lets him know she is available, which is pointedly ignores so he can be passive-aggressive to his mother. She's put a roster up of who will be staying at Tony's bedside and when, but AJ is not anywhere on it. Carmela simply replies that he's done nothing to make her think he'd be interested, and he complains that he's been sick AND studying and usually that's all anybody wants him to do but now he's getting poo poo on for it? It's the kind of response you'd expect from somebody still in High School, and like a surly teenager he simply walks away when she asks him to sit down and join them at the table. Once he's gone she complains halfheartedly to Rosalie that by "studying" he means going clubbing in New York. Rosalie says she cuts him too much slack, but Carmela can't bring herself to be too mad because she knows he can't face seeing his father in this condition. Janice had noticed and pointed out that he constantly refers to Tony not as dad but "Anthony Soprano" when talking about the possibility of him not surviving, and Carmela thinks it is his way of trying to cope since Tony has always loomed so large in his life. Rosalie is having none of it though, saying while all that might be true, AJ would never forgive himself if he didn't speak to Tony and he was to die, and nobody else should forgive him either. AJ is old enough to know better and for better to be expected of him, and the fact is he's just being a selfish little poo poo. That raises Carmela's hackles, she isn't having anybody talking poo poo about her son, and cruelly she points out that Rosalie never took a hardline with Jackie Jr and thus isn't in a position to be offering parenting advice now. Rosalie, who was once a sobbing mess who couldn't go more than a few minutes without bursting into tears when thinking of her son, takes this without flinching. Instead she makes a point that Carmela can't counter: what happened to Jackie Jr is exactly why Rosalie is the best person to warn Carmela about the danger if she doesn't take a harder line. They sit quietly for a time, two best friends whose relationship has somehow survived every other strain that demolished their willingness to be friends with others. Finally Carmela speaks again, to admit that AJ's lack of interest wasn't her only reason to not put him on the roster. Tony has an open incision, and it's a difficult thing to see up close, and whether AJ could deal with that or not, she's not sure it is something he SHOULD see. As with every evening, the Captains return family members to the house, having to pass news trucks and reporters set up on the curb desperate for some footage or a soundbite to give to their stations. Paulie forces one reporter and camera operator back down the drive for going past the curbline, while Carmela and Meadow flee into the house shielded by Silvio. After a shower, Meadow pours herself a drink and talks to Finn on the phone over whether or not he should fly down. Meanwhile, Carmela has to go through the indignity of a police interview regarding Junior. She's quick to point out that she's refused to have anything to do with him for many years but refuses to tell them why (he tried to assassinate my husband to cement his position as a Mob Boss probably wouldn't go down well). Tony however did maintain a relationship and every so often she would overhear him telling others about Junior's growing confusion: calling Tony Johnny, refusing to get a haircut, silly things like that. Meadow is getting heated on the phone with Finn over whether he is flying out to support her or because he hates Dental School, and a frustrated Carmela asks her to give them some space before telling the detectives to call her lawyer if they have any other questions. Before they go though, the detective steels himself and leaves an embarrassing open-ended statement in the air: when they arrested Junior he made numerous pointed references to the McGuire Sisters and Sam Giancana. Astonished, Carmela realizes they're asking about the Kennedy Assassination and reminds them Tony was 3-years-old at the time. Shamefaced, the detective says he HAD to ask, and they leave. Carmela collapses into her seat, and Bobby steps up and rubs her shoulder as she sighs that she could sleep right there.   At the hospital, Janice was supposed to be the one sitting in with Tony. But as always she's become a blubbering mess and has left the room to collect herself. AJ is actually in the hospital, wandering around sullenly, and sees her go. With his father unattended, he makes his way into the room and stares at his hospital-bound father, hooked up to tubes, and finally moves around to take a seat. Carmela arrives to replace Janice, but as she approaches she spots AJ seated and animatedly talking to his father, and with a mixture of dread and pride steps back to leave them to spend time alone together. Inside the room, we discover that AJ's subject of conversation isn't his love for his father or his earnest wish he return, but an excited description of new cars and the horsepower they are packing (none of which sound all that environmentally conscious!). At the Bada Bing, Christopher enters and is amused to see a couple of regulars are present again. They're Ahmed and Muhammad, two Muslim men involved in credit card fraud, enjoying alcoholic drinks and strippers. They greet him and express their surprise and alarm at hearing about Tony's condition, asking why his Uncle would shoot him. Christopher quickly points out this isn't something they discuss and they immediately stop asking, simply asking instead that he pass on their best wishes, which he happily agrees to do. Agent Harris and Goddard's request doesn't register in the slightest to Christopher, but this innocuous scene will have repercussions in the future. At the hospital, AJ is wrapped in a blanket and has stopped talking, now simply staring at his sedated, restrained father. Getting up, he walks around the bed and finally speaks what has really been on his mind. Speaking from the heart for once, in a misguided but emotionally raw effort to try and do what he thinks needs doing, he vows to get Uncle Junior for this. Fighting back tears, he talks about how ever since he was little he saw Tony going out of his way to be nice to Junior and he isn't going to get away with doing this. AJ, shaking with rage and grief, promises he is going to track Junior down and "put a bullet in his loving mummy head", before again declaring his belief that "Anthony Soprano" will not die. He can't believe they will never do stuff together again but he KNOWS they will. He's positive, Tony is going to recover. Meadow enters the room and quietly joins AJ at the side of the bed, greeting their father. She takes a look at the monitor and realizes his fever seems to be up again. AJ tells her the doctor knows, specifying it is the "Chinese guy" (i.e, the one who actually shows up and seems to give a drat) and is calling the other doctors to get permission to change the medications. Meadow thanks him and says she can stay if he needs to use the bathroom, and he quietly leaves. Outside, Carmela is waiting and asks how things are going, and he tells her they're bringing new fever medication. She's not concerned about that though, Carmela is always confident that doctors know what they're doing, but she wants to tell him how proud she is of him, of how much this means to his father. He isn't so sure about that, all Tony does is lie there, but Carmela says if that is the case then it means a great deal to HER, he has helped the family tremendously. AJ takes that in and, with perfect teenager timing, decides now is the perfect time to tell her the truth... he flunked out of Community College. Carmela is stunned, outraged and perhaps most sadly of all, not all that surprised. All she can offer is a quietly enraged,"With your father in a coma?" as he splutters out defenses for why he couldn't manage more than a 1.4 for the quarter and how the Philosophy Professor didn't support him enough. Finally he shuts down, eyes down, shamefaced, and she growls at him to go get breakfast. One of her deepest fears was that he wouldn't make it through college and that has come true... but right now, she has more important things on her mind. She returns to Tony's room and kisses his forehead, leaning in close to him and asking: can he hear them?   Episode 1 ended on the shocking cliffhanger of Tony's shooting by Junior Soprano. This episode marked the arrival of one of the most divisive subplots in the history of the show, but one I love. Tony's coma dream is different, far different, from all the dream sequences that have appeared throughout the history of the show to date. This is Tony's doped up mind reacting to a multitude of different stimuli, creating a Hodge-podge world out of regrets, wishes, history AND the subconscious response to everything going on around him in his hospital bed as he lies on the border of life and death. What does the beacon represent? Is this a Tony Soprano who could have been or one he simply wishes he had been. Wish fulfillment or an indictment on the idea that he could have ever lived an ordinary life? Look how every facet of the "dream" has some basis in reality: Junior's mental condition becomes his Alzheimer's; his lost identity is his family life and Family life clashing together in the form of Junior; his resistance to infidelity is both his desire to be faithful to Carmela and his wish that he had more self-control; the Buddhist monk attacking him is his lack of faith and his deeply immoral lifestyle clashing with his so-called Catholic values; his young children are his desire to keep the innocence (and credulity) that first Meadow and now AJ have clearly moved past; the hotel room he's "forced" to stay in is the hospital/coma keeping him from rejoining his family or alternatively simply giving in and dying. Kevin Finnerty is "infinity", but what does that mean? Does Tony expect an afterlife (probably not) or the monstrousness of eternal oblivion and the final proof that he was not the center of the universe but just another tiny aspect of it? Is Finnerty's scamming of the monks and Anthony's great success as a salesman a symbol of Tony's duality as a loving father but also powerful, morally bankrupt Mob Boss? The show offers no answers, it simply presents these to us to view and discuss and ponder and question, and that makes it all the more powerful to me. Because it's a coma dream, it doesn't make sense, but it gives us so, so much to work with. But for now, a man called Tony Soprano or maybe Kevin Finnerty returns to his hotel room at night. He sits on the edge of the bed, removing his shoes and planting his feet on the ground. He's concussed, he's lost his identity, he's trapped in a strange place away from the people he loves. He looks at the phone and approaches, picking it up to put through a call, perhaps to tell his wife the bad news... but then he decides against it and hangs up. Returning to the bed, he sits and broods, turning to look at that strange shining beacon of light far in the distance. It offers him no answers, so he simply turns and stares at the floor. A man lost, alone, and desperate for somebody to show him the way out of this mess he has gotten into.  Season 6: Members Only | Join the Club | Mayham | The Fleshy Part of the Thigh | Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request... | Live Free or Die | Luxury Lounge | Johnny Cakes | The Ride | Moe n' Joe | Cold Stones | Kaisha Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6.1 | Season 6.2 Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 15:28 on Apr 23, 2020 |
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Dec 12, 2019 02:14
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Janice is the worst. A very stellar episode, one of the more clearly thoughtful and artsy episodes, like with the other dream / near-death sequences. The stuff with Finnerty and Tony in the hotel room calling home to talk to Carmela and Meadow is just genius.
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Dec 12, 2019 02:53
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Jerusalem posted:Season 6, Episode 2 - Join the Club I remember the emotional toll this episode took when it aired, the tension was off the charts. I really had no idea what was going to happen, and the note-perfect recreation of life in an ICU mixed with the weird surrealism of the coma dream made for a perfect cocktail of dread and numb sadness. The ending scene where he sees the beacon is another one (like the Livia dream), where it conveys such a huge wave of emotion with such a small effort. The loneliness and heartbreak in that scene are palpable, and it is still affecting many years later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bgi3z4M-Mo
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Dec 12, 2019 03:40
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I love how Gandolfini changes not just his voice but his entire body language. He carries himself in a completely different way to the Tony Soprano we know, and stuff like his angry reaction to getting slapped is so fun because it looks like he hasn't been in a fight in 20+ years. That beacon going unremarked upon (in this episode) really helps add to how unsettling it seems. It's just this constantly shining light that nobody else seems to notice or care about, but the fact Tony/Kevin keeps turning to look at it makes it clear there is something of importance there, but not knowing what or how lets the mind race with possibilities.
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Dec 12, 2019 09:13
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It's amazing how much of that episode was cribbed in The Leftovers "International Assassin" episode.
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Dec 12, 2019 09:25
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Was the stuffed bear at the elevator some sort of callback to the bear in the back yard or is that a reach?
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Dec 12, 2019 15:13
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Typically I wait to read the write-ups until after watching the episode but I'm reversing that here because I feel like my viewing of the episode will be much richer for having read Jerusalem's take on it.
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Dec 12, 2019 15:15
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BiggerBoat posted:Was the stuffed bear at the elevator some sort of callback to the bear in the back yard or is that a reach? In this show? Sure, why not. In fact I almost feel it's likely.
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Dec 12, 2019 15:59
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I feel like the coma dream subplot would've been better received if the show had been produced differently. But because they had such a hard time even making Season 6 happen, and because it was announced way in advance that it would be the final season, people were hoping for the most vintage Sopranos content they could get per minute, and the coma dream at the time felt meandering and a waste of precious minutes. Had this just been another season like any other, I don't think anyone would've had a problem with it.
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Dec 12, 2019 20:27
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Basebf555 posted:Typically I wait to read the write-ups until after watching the episode but I'm reversing that here because I feel like my viewing of the episode will be much richer for having read Jerusalem's take on it. Not gonna lie, on my last couple rewatches I skipped these two episodes because I thought I understood them, but reading Jerusalem's review is making want to go back and actually watch them. Just really great insights.
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Dec 12, 2019 20:32
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Bip Roberts posted:It's amazing how much of that episode was cribbed in The Leftovers "International Assassin" episode. People raved about that series for years. When I finally sat down to watch it I made it through the first season and found that I absolutely loathed every single character in it and gave up on it. People tell me it got better but if so man that first season sure didn't do it any favors.
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Dec 12, 2019 23:20
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I loved the coma dream stuff and really appreciated how it let Gandolfini show what stunning range he had. A lesser actor would have made it more obvious and a hard sell and others have mentioned his body language and facial expressions as good examples. Lesser directors would have made it ham fisted instead of subtle. Finnerty's wife's voice being different on the phone is a good example. The Monks saying something along the lines of "then the trial will continue" was, to me, telling us that unless you really change, Tony, you will not transcend - and he never does. When he comes out of it, he thinks he's changed (every day is a gift and all that poo poo) but not really. I think it's obvious the entire thing is meant to be purgatory, which Chris and Paulie had brought up in previous episodes, and the whole thing is brilliant television. I think the people who hate on it wanted to see more Phil, Johnny Sack and The Weekly Whackenings but the show was never about that. It was about a traditional mafia family undergoing modern problems in a world that's moved past Little Italy and old ideas. Further, I think it's about how hard it is to truly change in the face of your upbringing, your surroundings and the things you are born into. Free will versus tradition, expectations, environment, family, influence and everything else. Real change and true enlightenment is rare and hard I don't think Chase adding the monks was an accident message wise.
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Dec 12, 2019 23:41
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Dawgstar posted:In this show? Sure, why not. In fact I almost feel it's likely. Sorry for the double post but I also read it as The Bear guarding an elevator (or being denied access) as that Bear literally sitting at the up and down doors of heaven and hell. Since he is in purgatory, that door is temporarily closed. The Bear must wait and the lawsuit will continue. Back to killing time in the hotel lobby until you literally find yourself.
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Dec 12, 2019 23:45
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Superb writeup as usual. Cumulative thoughts on this episode: Dr. Plepler is played by the same guy who played Rachel's dad on F*R*I*E*N*D*S who was also a doctor! Note the collar all the way up to Eugene's neck in the casket- for obvious reasons. I love how the other guys look at Bobby when he says Tony volunteered- they all know Tony would never do that unless something was hosed up that he isn't telling. Not sure if I mentioned already but I love seeing Doug Stamper with hair, pre-Frank Underwood. Vito eating literally only arugula amidst the bounty of food. Livia's legacy: AJ says "poor you" to Meadow and it triggers her just like it does Tony. Robert Iler, as always, plays a very believable rear end in a top hat kid. Harold Stassen fucked around with this message at 00:55 on Dec 13, 2019 |
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Dec 13, 2019 00:10
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Jerusalem posted:People raved about that series for years. When I finally sat down to watch it I made it through the first season and found that I absolutely loathed every single character in it and gave up on it. People tell me it got better but if so man that first season sure didn't do it any favors. It really doesn’t, but the second season does a way better job to show that the series is more about stages of grief rather than silly sci-fi nonsense, and a lot of the characters from season 1 shine in the second when you see them progress through their respective stages.
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Dec 13, 2019 00:56
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Jerusalem posted:People raved about that series for years. When I finally sat down to watch it I made it through the first season and found that I absolutely loathed every single character in it and gave up on it. People tell me it got better but if so man that first season sure didn't do it any favors. I would definitely give it another shot at some point but if you don't like the main characters i guess there might not be a point. But you're doing a giant rewatch thread on The Sopranos how do you not like a show about sad broken people?
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Dec 13, 2019 04:56
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https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBoIton/status/1204867071542214656 This is an unreal impression. Holy poo poo and 
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Dec 13, 2019 05:14
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Matt Zerella posted:https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBoIton/status/1204867071542214656 loving lmao That guy has definitely seen every episode of The Sopranos multiple times
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Dec 13, 2019 06:21
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I was skeptical at first but gently caress me when he starts talking about the trees...
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Dec 13, 2019 07:26
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I wanna hire that guy for my birthday party
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Dec 13, 2019 08:44
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Matt Zerella posted:https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBoIton/status/1204867071542214656 LOL drat that dude even looks like him too. Finally finished up The Irishman. Even Silvio got a part in that thing.
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Dec 13, 2019 08:44
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Will Sasso had a shockingly good Tony impersonation, too. And of course he looked the part.
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Dec 13, 2019 12:44
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When Opie and Anthony had a segment about James Gandolfini dying an impersonator called up and it was pretty loving eerie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruxIWMyjVTc&t=1930s
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Dec 13, 2019 12:51
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Vichan posted:When Opie and Anthony had a segment about James Gandolfini dying an impersonator called up and it was pretty loving eerie. That guy is great, he has some other videos that use that insane impression too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSS3m8MT0kY
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Dec 13, 2019 16:01
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https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBoIton/status/1205236562457440257 on my muddahs bertday, jeesus criyst
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Dec 13, 2019 17:56
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the super loud super heavy breathing really sells it
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Dec 13, 2019 18:09
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This is astonishingly good, I love the little ‘eyes darting to one side’ tic as well.
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Dec 13, 2019 18:13
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Season 6, Episode 3 - MayhamCarmela Soprano posted:I don't know if I loved him in spite of it... or because of it. Paulie waits in a car at the side of the road at night, listening to music as rain gently falls. Another car pulls up, driven by Vito, and they share brief small talk about how much they both approve and appreciate the dedication Carmela is showing to Tony in the hospital. They lament the idea of being in the same situation and who would look after their loved ones, agreeing that they only people they can rely on on their good friends in the Mob. Having patted themselves on the back enough, Vito hands over an address and some info. The address is used by Colombian drug dealers but they finish up by noon and then leave the place empty, and thus ripe for the picking. The next day, after noon, Paulie is joined by the large Cary DiBartolo as they enter the apartment building. They're going to find the Manager's unit and presumably intimidate him to let them into the apartment they want, but that all goes out the window when a man inside the building spots them and immediately makes a break for it. They chase him down the stairs and through the corridor, the man shouting out a warning in a foreign language that "somebody is coming!" But the man inside doesn't hear, listening to loud Latin music as he runs money through a counting machine. Paulie and Cary catch the hapless lookout and force him to unlock the door, kicking their way in and shoving him in ahead of them. The dealer doing the count reacts too fast, pulling his gun and opening fire, shooting his own man who collapses into the table and sends the shooter sprawling back. Paulie shoots him in the neck, and a third man rushes from out of the bathroom with a knife, a shouted warning from Cary the only thing that saves Paulie from being skewered. He and the dealer struggle as Cary tries to get a clean shot, and the dealer knees Paulie in the balls, sending him slumping to the ground but also finally giving Cary the clear shot to take the dealer down, where Paulie finishes him off with his own knife. It's a bloodbath, the supposedly empty apartment now full of dead bodies. Paulie is in agony but waves off Cary's assistance to insist he get the money... but there's only a couple thousand that was being counted, all this for a measly 2k? Paulie refuses to believe it and he and Cary ransack the place, trying to find stashed cash but coming up empty. There's none in the cupboards, noe in the fridge or oven or freezer or drawers. The place is empty after all like Vito said, but only of money. Pissed, Cary kicks the counter... and the dishwasher door flops open to reveal massive fat stacks of cash bundled up nice and safe for collection. They just hit the motherlode.   Meadow and AJ arrive at the hospital, where Bobby and Christopher warmly greet them but then keep AJ aside. Still warmly, but more serious now, they reveal that they're aware he tried to buy a gun from "that rear end in a top hat in the snack shop" at South Mountain Arena. They immediately grasped what he was thinking, he wants to kill Junior Soprano, and they're not even disagreeing with the idea and actually seem proud that this was his plan. But they point out that Junior is in Federal Lockup and nobody can get to him, and his father wouldn't want him to do this anyway. They suggest he direct his rage into boxing or lifting weights or loving his girlfriend more, Christopher giving him a noogie and laughing happily about what a hothead he is. AJ pulls away and storms off, pissed off that they're not taking him seriously. Outside Tony's room, Carmela and Meadow watch as Dr. Plepler and "that Indian girl" look over Tony watched by a number of Medical students. AJ arrives and launches into a foul-mouthed tirade when Carmela asks if he brought her sweater, furious that he's old enough to sit up with his gunshot father all night but otherwise only considered worthy of running errands. He clearly thinks that she put Christopher and Bobby up to it, but Carmela has no idea what he is talking about and even he isn't angry/stupid enough to outright talk about his failed attempt to buy a gun. Plepler emerges and Carmela rushes straight to his side, wanting to know if the nurse told him that she saw Tony move his eyebrows at 5:30. Plepler, whose bedside manner is atrocious, grumbles that she's going to need to reset her expectations, because at the moment they can barely regulate his blood pressure. Seeing the look of despair wash over her face at his bluntness, he course-corrects and assures them that Tony is really putting up a good fight before just walking away. The family walk into the room and look over Tony, both Meadow and AJ assuring Carmela that Tony is strong, AJ clearly grasping that now isn't the time to be bitching and moaning about his own problems. Meadow climbs onto the bed and nestles down beside Tony like she would have done 1000 times when she was a little girl. Tony/Kevin seems to sense something, because in his hotel room at the Omni a smile crosses his face in bed. He wakes and looks around, taking a moment to remember where he is again. Getting up, he retrieves a letter tucked under the door and discovers it is a summons for Kevin Finnerty, with Crystal Monastery listed as the plaintiff. This is a surprisingly welcome letter, because now it means he can actually track down the monks who know Finnerty and try and get answers. He drives his rental car (presumably still under the name Tony Soprano) to the monastery and walks to the entrance, where he is spotted by the monk who slapped him. He puts his hands up and smiles, motioning that he's not come to fight, and shows them the summons he received as the elderly monk also joins them. Seeing their blank faces, he asks if he REALLY looks this much like Kevin Finnerty and they reply that to them, all Caucasians look alike. They're not impressed with his continued claims that he is not Finnerty, and openly dismissive of his revelation that he just learned he has Alzheimer's. But the older monk does seem to sense his genuine sadness and bewilderment and reacts with empathy, inviting him in for tea. Inside, Tony explains again that he is not Finnerty but is hoping they can help track him down. The younger monks laugh, one of them explaining that there is no "you" or "me", that one day they all die and will become like the tree he points to outside... but until that time they do need heat to live, and they need to find somebody to take responsibility for the scam solar heating unit they were sold. He insists again that he can't be the person to take that responsibility, so they tell him simply that the lawsuit will have to proceed against "him". Sitting at Tony's bedside in the real world, an exhausted Carmela is reading a book when Janice arrives and quietly tells her to go home and get some rest, she'll watch Tony for now. Carmela gratefully takes her up on this, but stops at the supermarket first to pick up coffee because AJ failed to buy any or even instruct the maid to do so, and it is the one thing that Carmela insists that she MUST have. But this leads to an awkward encounter of her own, as she bumps into Dr. Melfi. They make agonizing small-talk, Carmela thanking her for her lovely sympathy note. Carmela seems a little put-out when Melfi mentions she called the hospital and was told by the doctors that Tony was stabilized. When Melfi offers to be somebody to talk to, or to at least run interference with the doctors on her behalf, Carmela gratefully acknowledges the offer but is quick to shut it down. There's an undercurrent of hostility as she smiles and insists she has PLENTY of people to talk to and quickly walks away, leaving Melfi somewhat taken aback.   At Silvio's, Gabriella lets in Benny who is driving first Silvio and then later Carmela. She leads him into the kitchen where Silvio is eating breakfast, and Benny quietly asks if he heard about the hit on the "Colombian laundry" in the "old neighborhood", explaining that a couple of guys left three on the floor. Silvio waits for Gabriella to leave the room, asking if it was a couple of guys "we know", and is surprised to learn that the score may have been a million plus. He heads upstairs to finish getting dressed, grabbing an inhaler from his bathroom draw. Gabriella enters the room to remind me of something and spots the inhaler, and is concerned his asthma is playing up. He assures her it is just springtime pollen, but as he finishes prepping she gushes over how proud she is of how well he is handling the entire Tony situation. He reminds her he is only Acting Boss and it is not a role he ever actually wanted for himself: he wanted to "carve out a little piece" but then be free to live a long happy life and enjoy having grandchildren. But she won't let him sell himself short, praising that he is holding everything together, is making everybody know what he wants without being obnoxious, and has the respect of everybody. She asks if he has considered what will happen if Tony doesn't recover. Silvio takes a moment to consider, and then quietly tells Gabriella something he has never told anybody else before. Admitting he never talks to her about "business", he explains that before Jackie Aprile died he had floated the idea of Sil and not Tony replacing him. Whether this was true or serious on Jackie's party, Silvio claims that he himself was flattered but didn't think that was the right role for him. "But here you are" notes Gabriella, as she and her husband look at him in the full-length mirror, at the current (Acting) Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family,"The times make the man." Silvio doesn't respond, but as he looks himself over, the idea certainly seems to be taking on a fresh hold on him. At the hospital, Christopher is discussing the potential financial windfall of horror films, particularly in the Asian markets. Silvio arrives, belatedly realizing it would be a good idea to send coffee up to Carmela's place and instructing Benny to get it done. He barely has time to turn around before Vito is complaining about Bobby making collections up in Roseville again, which was the recently departed Eugene's territory that Vito feels should now be his as Eugene's Captain. Irritated, Silvio says he has limited time so Vito needs to get Bobby over there so they can get it sorted. As he settles into his chair, his asthma plays up again and he blame sit on the surrounding flowers, instructing that they all get moved. Paulie arrives and jokingly dismisses Vito's demand for his cut of the Colombian "laundry", saying he is working on it. In the breakroom, Silvio listens as Bobby and Vito lay out their respective cases for Roseville. It's a lot of fuss and bother for what Vito believes is 3k a week, while Bobby accuses the dead Eugene of holding out on his Captain, since he heard it was 5k a week. Silvio starts to give his answer but momentarily pauses when Vito calls him "Skip", then continues: for now the territory will go to Bobby, but he'll be kicking up 20% to Vito. Neither seems particularly happy at this, how long does this run for? Irritated, Silvio reminds them he said "for now", and the idea is to see how much the territory actually is worth. Bobby and Vito exchange wary nods, neither is happy with this solution but they're at least getting something instead of nothing now.  Carmela and Meadow return to Tony's room, where Barbara and her husband Tom have spent the night. Carmela moves to Tony's side and takes his hand, offering her comatose husband a good morning greeting. The man himself sits at the bar drinking, he has become a regular there despite the fact he's now staying at a different hotel. While he still hasn't told his wife, he does let the shocked bartender know that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He continues on, saying that his uncle suffers memory loss (this world's Junior? Or just a general all-purpose "Uncle"? Or is his real life filtering through to his mind even now?) before nervously calling the bartender back over and asking him a question that has been worrying him since his diagnosis. Is it possible... is he ACTUALLY Kevin Finnerty? The bartender doesn't quite know how to respond to a question like that, so Tony laughs it off as a half-joke. Left alone at the bar again, he stares out the window to the city at night, that rotating beacon of light still endlessly turning in the distance. Meadow joins AJ in Tony's hospital room where they share a pizza, the latest in the roster of 24-hour bedside attendance. Silvio takes a rare moment to himself, settling down in one of the hospital toilets to take a poo poo while reading a newspaper. Even here he's not alone though, as Vito enters to take a piss and notices Silvio's shoes, and asks if he heard about the Orange Street takedown? Silvio has, this is the Colombian "laundry" from earlier, but he didn't know who pulls it off, it was Vito? Vito corrects that it was just one of his guys who gave the tip, but points out it was a large score so there should be a good chunk for "everybody". He elaborates on this, Carmela gets Tony's cut under the current circumstances, right? It's his call, after all. Silvio is pissed, he knows it is his call, but yes Vito is correct that Carmela gets Tony's cut. Paulie waddles into the room, his balls still sensitive, and cracks wise at Vito. Silvio speaks up from the stall, surprising Paulie who didn't know he was there, and the subject of the split of the take comes up. Paulie, who once threatened to go to war over Ralphie Cifaretto not valuing him handing over a tip, finds the idea of splitting 50/50 with Vito laughable since he "only" gave the tip but he did all the heavy lifting. Plus he said there would be nobody there which is what turned it into "mayham". Silvio agrees 50/50 is appropriate though, and Tony's cut will go to Silvio to hand over to Carmela. Paulie instantly agrees with this and promises to get the 80k to him quickly, and Vito points out that they got a million so 20% total should mean 100k from them both. Paulie claims he's delirious because it was 750k tops, but an infuriated Silvio shuts them both down, it doesn't matter what the total was, it's 100k from them both. They agree quickly after he points out again that the money is for Carmela, as seen at the start of the episode they're fully supportive of protecting this woman they both respect so highly. Vito warns Paulie to do it sooner rather than later, an ultimatum which amuses Paulie, who asks if he'd like half of the piss he needs to take as well. A cleaned up JT Dolan is leading a writer's class, ostensibly talking about Beowulf but really just about himself and his own self-mythologizing around his addictions. Two extra "students" arrive and he greets them, continuing to talk about himself as one of them walks around him, picks up his laptop and then cracks him over the head with it. The students gasp as the two newcomers, Benny Fazio and James "Murmur" Zancone (Christopher's sponsor/forger!), haul Dolan out of the room. They bring him downstairs and shove him into the back of a car, where Christopher informs him that he has a new job: to write him a feature-length script for a horror movie! It seems his earlier talk with Vito wasn't just casual, he's figured out that digital horror films are making huge amounts of money (Benny helpfully points out Saw had a 400k budget and made over 100 million) and are being made by "douchebags who never made a film before" and clearly he wants to be one of those douchebags! Dolan complains that he finally landed a new staff writing gig but Christopher doesn't care, reminding him that it wasn't Christopher's fault he started gambling again and he doesn't take kindly to this reaction when he is offering him a way to get clear. This finally gets through to Dolan, if he writes this script for him, he'll have wiped his debt and be free and clear? Christopher is amused at his attempts to use "lingo" but then proceeds to embarrass himself with his own "pitch": he wants to make Saw meets Godfather 2! A bewildered Dolan listens as a truly awful story unfolds of a young wiseguy assassin betrayed by his own and dismembered, but is put back together by science (or maybe it's supernatural!) and gets payback on everybody who hosed him over.. "including the oval office he was engaged to", who was having sex with his Boss the night he got whacked (oof). They boot Dolan out of the car after demanding he flesh out this outline, and he sees his class exiting the building and roars at them for being a room full of writers who did NOTHING!   Silvio is really making himself at home in the hospital, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper while leaning on the nurse's station. A nurse comes by and reminds him it is only family allowed inside but he dismissively claims he'll be out of her hair in a minute and keeps on reading his paper, which is right over the counter and in her face. With a sigh she says she's going to have to call the hospital administrator because this is not the first time she'd told "you people" this. Carmela, who is in Tony's room with Father Intintola, spots him and comes and gives him a hug. Silvio lets her know the good news, that Paulie and Vito are going to be supplying her with a very significant package to help her out during this time. She's surprised and grateful, saying they've already done so much but she just found out the insurance wasn't going to cover physical therapy so this is a huge boon. She asks if he wants to come in and say hello to Tony, and though it's clear this is the last thing he wants to do he nods and agrees. She leads him in, and he's momentarily halted in his tracks by the sight of his old friend strapped into tubes and a breathing machine. Quietly approaching, he gently holds Tony by the wrist, unsure what else to do or say. Vito and his wife have dinner with Phil and his wife, a pleasant affair for all as they compliment Vito on his weight-loss. The wives clear the table leaving Phil and Vito alone for a moment, and Phil brings up the Roseville situation, saying he doesn't understand why Silvio would make such a half-assed call when the territory is clearly Vito's now. Vito only offers that Silvio seems more concerned about looking after Carmela, but Phil can commiserate with Silvio to a certain extent, after all he's the one looking after Ginny while Johnny Sack is in prison and awaiting trial. He remembers fondly that while he was in prison himself, his brother Billy looked after his family for him. Remembering Billy upsets him though, and Vito offers a calming hand as he starts getting worked up about Blundetto. Calming himself, the two find themselves suddenly at a loss for words, they've both forgotten what the original subject of conversation was. Vito finally remembers, they were discussing Carmela, and in spite of his earlier discussions with Paulie, his initial offer to Silvio about Carmela getting Tony's cut, and Phil's just discussed approval of people looking after the family of friends... Vito straight up asks him, how can he short Carmela? To his credit, Phil immediately warns him not to, it may be tempting but he can't think that way. Vito's not the only one though. In Paulie's home, he sits on his plastic-coated furniture with a pack of ice on his crotch, complaining to Little Paulie that he has to "pay tribute to the princess of Little Italy", speaking with open contempt about the woman he was praising at the start of the episode. For both Vito and Paulie the point is the same, Tony is probably going to die so why should they "waste" tribute money that is "only" going to go to his wife? Little Paulie doesn't seem overly impressed with this idea, while all Paulie can do is sit and mope over the 100k he'll be losing, and not the 400k he'll be left with free and clear afterwards.   The next morning Paulie, ever money conscious, is cutting coupons when Silvio gives him a call as he leaves the hospital. He wants to make sure that Paulie brings Carmela "that big piece of pie" since she is expecting it. Paulie, full of cheer, asks why Silvio feels he has to remind him, and Silvio correctly points out that he knows exactly who he is talking to, and asks if he is having an issue taking orders from him? Paulie laughs it off, leaving Silvio to take yet another puff from his inhaler after hanging up. At the hospital, Carmela enters Tony's room and is irritated by a bored nurse complaining that she shouldn't get into bed with Tony again because it dislodged his drains. Acidly she points out that was her daughter, not her, but she thinks that physical affection means something and can only help. The nurse ignores that, leaving the room with a sidelong irritated glance at the sleeping Meadow who is curled up in one of the chairs. Carmela sits in the other and speaks to Tony as if he was awake, noting how cold it is, pulling his sheet up and then sitting down and going back to her book. In the coma, Tony talks to his other wife back in the hotel room as the beacon continues to flash in the distance, telling her about the lawsuit he's gotten caught up in and using that as an excuse for why he is still in Costa Mesa. The real reason of course is that he's afraid to reveal his diagnosis, but now he tries his best to finally let her know. But as he tells her about falling down the stairs and going to the hospital, he hears the concern in her voice and lies that it just a mild concussion and nothing to worry about. Half of it is trying to protect her, half is him knowing that once he tells her it becomes "real", so he continues to exist in this half-way world of the hotel, detached from real life and hopefully real consequences. She's determined now though that she's going to fly out to check up on him and then get him back home, her mother will be able to look after the kids while she's gone. But he's spotted something, a potential solution, and quickly tells her she doesn't need to do anything. In the briefcase he's found a flier advertising the Finnerty Family Reunion on May 5th at 7pm at the Inn at the Oaks, complete with an address. Maybe now he can finally find Kevin Finnerty? As he looks at the flier, white fills the room, and back in the real world his eyes are being checked for responsiveness by his doctor, who like Tony's coma wife is trying to figure out why he isn't coming home. Christopher assembles a team of potential investors to hear the pitch for his terrible Saw meets Godfather 2 film. Little Carmine is there too, but not as an investor but a producer. He introduces himself to JT and warns him he is very hands-on with his projects, and welcomes the others with a reminder that he's had nine pictures under his "subspecies" (4 in the "South Beach Strumpet" series alone!) and each has had a production run of 30,000+ DVDs. He's gathered them all to join him and Christopher to hear JT pitch the film and get their input ("or notes, as we call them" Little Carmine helpfully includes) before they decide whether to invest. Patsy, Vito, Larry Boy, and Silvio are there as potential investors, with Benny and Murmur also present. JT lays out the storyline nervously, they're pitching a new kind of slasher film set in the world of the mafia, about a character called The Butcher. Silvio immediately cuts that off, reminding Christopher about "a certain butcher out of A.C", and Christopher quickly agrees they'll change that name. JT continues, explaining how the wiseguy gets cut up while alive for outshining his Boss, but reassembles his body at the garbage dump apart from a crushed hand, which he replaces with a cleaver. The working title is "Pork Store Killer" but JT would like to push for "Cleaver" instead. He finishes his pitch and sits back, more nervous than he's ever been for any pitch he's ever done. The assembled mobsters consider and then begin tearing it apart: how is a ghost getting revenge on anybody? That's crazy! Until Little Carmine explains it's a kind of zombie thing, and everybody nods that this makes perfect sense now. But why would all his body parts end up at the same dump? Patsy thinks that is just lazy, while Silvio gets upset at this being classified as a slasher film and lays out extremely firm definitions that separate Michael Myers from the likes of Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. But Christopher points out that genre specific is the reason they're doing this, noting how hugely financial successful movies like Saw and The Ring were and they didn't even have the Godfather angle which THEY do! Everybody nods along to this wisdom, and then shockingly Benny speaks up to throw out an idea for how all the body parts end up in the same dump. Everybody likes the idea, while a depressed JT tries to figure out how his life has come to this, and Vito still can't get over the whole "ghost" thing, causing Christopher to declare excitedly that Ghostbusters was another hugely successful film! You know... maybe it wasn't quite so different from a regular pitch to investors as I thought?   Artie arrives at the hospital with a tray of cannelloni, apologizing to Carmela that cooking is all he can really offer. Paulie also comes over and greets Carmela, warmly talking about what a rock she is being despite his earlier "gently caress her!" dismissal to Little Paulie. He asks when he'll get to have some face time with Tony and she promises they'll try to sneak him in, but then gets distracted when she says a story on the news about Tony's shooting, likening it to the death of Marvin Gaye. That is humiliating enough, but what makes it worse is that AJ is featured on their footage and is quoted by the newscaster. At her wits end, she returns home in a rage and storms right past her surprised parents and up the stairs into AJ's room where he is sleeping. She hauls his sheets off, waking him up, and screams at him that he's made a fool of himself and their family on national television. Angry, he complains he didn't say what they said he did (he did), they misquoted him. Meadow, Hugh and Mary come to the doorway, but Carmela isn't done with him yet. Of course they misquoted him, that's why she told him not to speak to them at all! Defending himself, he says she is the one who looked crazy, dragging him away on camera like she did, and she's had enough. Coldly, quietly, she steps forward and tells him he is a cross to bear and nothing else, for her and for Tony and the rest of the family. Shocked at this frankly brutal assessment from his own mother, he flies into a rage, grabbing pants and storming out of the house. Hugh is horrified by his daughter, asking what is wrong with her, and she screams at him too, pulls free of Meadow's reach and retreats into her bedroom where she sobs into a pillow. Meadow understands well enough, this crash was coming sooner or later, all of Carmela's efforts to try and keep on like everything is fine were bound to fall apart eventually. Silvio has just gotten out of the bath when Gabriella asks if he is getting any extra compensation for stepping up to the plate like he has. He dismisses the idea, this is just part of the job... but he does point out that Vito called him Skip the other day, which was probably just a slip of the tongue but he noticed he didn't correct it. Gabriella is thrilled, and points out that if his role did become permanent maybe his compensation would go up? With a smile and a shake of his finger he tells her not to go there, but he's enjoying this, particularly the way she looks at him. She has visions of being the new Carmela, but he's got to admit enjoying some of the benefits that come with being the (Acting) Boss. That all changes though when the doorbell rings and Gabriella answers it to find Bobby at the door. He wants a quick work with Sil, who grumpily tells him it better be important. It is... to Bobby. He's got a new baby and two kids in private school (I'm picking that was Janice's decision) and having to kick up money to Vito is killing him. Silvio admits he can't even remember what the Vito situation is, and a wide-eyed Bobby reminds him about Roseville, and claims that if he doesn't get an answer he's liable to do something drastic. Silvio quickly shuts that down, sucks on his inhaler and then admits that he thinks more clearly in the morning. Frustrated, Bobby leaves the house, Silvio shouting after him that he'll have a solution tomorrow morning and he doesn't want Bobby worrying. Bobby's already gone though, leaving a wheezing Silvio to suck on his inhaler once more. He had mentioned to Gabriella that with great power comes great responsibility, but the latter is clearly weighing on him. Carmela attends a therapy session of sorts with Dr. Melfi in the wake of her blowing up at AJ. She half-apologizes for her odd demeanor in the hospital, then moves on to her verbal attack on AJ, criticizing herself for it because he'd been trying so hard (he hadn't been). She moves through a number of subjects: guns in the home, her children's growing awareness of Tony's life, how she has dealt with her own knowledge etc. But what is boils down to is that she feels guilty. She feels guilty that she went into her relationship with Tony with her eyes wide open. She feels guilty that her children were born into this life without any choice. She feels guilty that she lied to them their entire lives. She feels guilty that they're adults now which means they can make their own choices, but this also means they become more complicit in she and Tony's chosen lifestyle. She feels guilty that her visits with her priest were so much bullshit just to make her feel better about herself. But most of all she feels guilty that it took Tony being in a coma for her to tell him she loved him. And she feels guilty that, as Melfi asks, she isn't sure if she'll still feel the same way when (if?) he wakes from his coma.  Silvio is wheeled out of his house on a stretcher by medics, complaining that he can't breathe. As he's loaded into the ambulance, a shocked Bobby (car blocking the ambulance!) rushes up to the Acting Boss' side and says the one thing that is at the forefront of his mind in this shocking situation.... how come he hasn't heard what Sil's decision re: Roseville was yet!?! In the hospital, Vito has a quiet word with Larry Boy. Though it goes unmentioned, Vito is the Captain who brings in the most money for the Family, while Larry Boy's crew is the largest and has the most muscle. With Sil down and Tony possibly on death's door, somebody is going to have to step up to take charge. Vito clearly thinks he is the one to do so, he's young and now with his weight loss he's a healthy man (he has lost a lot, but he's far from the picture of health just yet) too. Larry Boy considers but makes no response. Vito moves on to select a meal in the canteen, and Carmela comes by to grab a coffee, mentioning that Sil is in St. Barnabas and she can't believe what is happening to everybody. Vito assures her Sil will be fine and she has enough on her plate, then quietly brings up that he knows she is expecting something from him but he can't get it to her just yet because "certain people" are looking over their shoulders. Carmela quickly assures him there's zero rush, money isn't an issue at the moment and her bigger concern right now is AJ. Vito doesn't hear it though, he's obsessed with the money and thus assumes everybody else is too, so he continues on explaining that he simply can't do it without raising suspicions. True to her word, Carmela has found a spot to sneak Paulie in past the nurses to sit with Tony. Meadow leads him up, giving him instructions, the doctors want only positive talk to aid in Tony's recovery. Paulie assures her he understands, walks into the room and immediately bellows out,"Oof, Madonn'! He looks terrible!" Oh Paulie Meadow quickly, harshly reminds him to stay positive, then leaves Paulie alone while she goes to collect Finn. Finally getting the alone time he wanted, a still shaken Paulie takes a seat beside Tony, staring. Looking for some kind of reaction or indication he knows he's there, eventually he just starts talking. Once started, he never stops, going through having to wear a jock because of his still sore balls, to the slow decline of his body with age and how he never thought that would happen to him: a guy - half a fag - asked him to model for a boxing poster in his youth, now he has a bicep wrinkled like an old lady's oval office! The entire time he talks, the monitor beside Tony registers his heart rate, temperature etc. And the entire time he talks, Tony's heart-rate increases higher and higher. Finn steps out of the lift and his worst fears are realized, as Vito spots him and calls out a greeting. Nervous, Finn returns to the greeting and cringes as Vito takes his wrist, running a thumb down it. He pulls free as Meadow arrives, taking the chance to hug her and ignore Vito, who frowns at Meadow but then happily declares he'll leave the two lovebirds alone. Seeing that Finn is shaken by Vito's presence, she continues to ignore his concerns about him, declaring him harmless. Paulie is still talking, now discussing the death of Pussy and how much that betrayal hurt him. On the monitor, Tony's heart-rate is now flashing a warning. In the coma, Tony hammers on the wall of his room, yelling at the muffled TV noise coming from the other side, demanding the occupant keep it down. He apologizes to the person on the phone he was speaking with, he's trying to get directions to The Inn at the Oaks. Part of those directions mention the beacon, and out of curiosity he asks what that is. The answer he gets back is unheard, but he's mildly disappointed. It's important we don't hear it, it is better left to our imagination, and any answer we had gotten would have left us, like Tony, let down. But he quickly moves on, as the sound from the next room doesn't lessen and he's reduced to punching the wall and screaming at them to shut up. In the real world, Paulie isn't shutting up. He's talking about his mother now when suddenly the monitor begins beeping aggressively. The nurse rushes into the room, checks the monitor, calls the doctor in and then rushes to grab a crash-cart. Finn and Meadow arrive as Paulie - slowly edging his way out of the room - complains that he didn't do anything and that he doesn't know what is going on. Meadow squeals out for her mother, asking if Tony is dying, while the nurses fire up the defibrillator and try to get his pulse back to a regular ryhthm.   The zaps from the defibrillator are matched by crashes of thunder in the coma, as Tony drives through the night towards a Family Reunion he's not actually part of. He finds the Inn at the Oaks, all lit up, silhouettes of many people seen through the windows. A child runs happily towards the door followed by family, the people inside are laughing and full of joy, and a man stands with his back to Tony watching everybody enter. Tony approaches this man to ask if this is the Finnerty reunion, and the man turns with a clipboard in hand and smiles, saying that everybody is waiting for him. It's Tony Blundetto. Tony doesn't recognize him, but is surprised and pleased to hear that people are waiting for him. But he shakes his head clear, asking if Kevin Finnerty is there, and Blundetto - or rather, the host - simply smiles and says they don't talk like that "here". Tony is confused by this, walking a little closer to the Inn, being told that his family are all waiting for him, that he's going home. As the Host speaks, behind Tony a silhouette can be seen standing on the balcony, looking intently at him. When Tony turns he sees the shape, but as he draws closer the supporting frame blocks his view of her, and she turns and walks inside as he approaches, just a little out of sight, but he'd be able to see her if he walked closer. There's something familiar about her, about the shape: it's the same Livia-shape seen in Calling All Cars, but this one doesn't radiate menace/horror like that thing did. Instead it seems to be a promise, here is the mother he always wanted but never had, but to get to her he has to go inside, he has to go a little deeper. "Everyone's in there" the Host promises, and Tony feels the siren call of "home". Of "family". His or not doesn't matter, it's welcoming and promising and inviting, and he starts to move forward... until the Host restrains him, motioning to his briefcase and telling him he can't bring business inside. "Daddy!" calls a distant, familiar voice from the other direction, deep among the trees and away from the Inn. Tony explains he lost his real briefcase and that his whole life was inside, and then here's the child's voice again begging her daddy not to go. The Host ignores or simply doesn't hear the voice, becoming more insistent, more grasping as he tries to take the briefcase from him, offering to hold it for him, pointing out that it seems to weigh a ton. It's baggage, it's another life, it's not needed, give it up, go inside, don't hold on, give up. The child's voice calls from the trees but the warmth and happiness from inside the Inn also appeals, and Tony finds himself caught between the two. When the Host reaches for the briefcase again he jerks away, and admits that he's scared. "There's nothing to be scared of," assures the Host,"You can let it go." Tony hears the child again, but the Inn is so inviting, and he agrees that he will let go... but when the Host takes the briefcase by the handle he still refuses to surrender it. Instead he stands on the threshold, staring, longing, but not taking the final step... and the thunder crashes again and an adult woman's voice begs her daddy not to go, and white fills his vision before clearing... and Tony Soprano is lying in a hospital bed looking up at his wife and daughter who weep with joy to see him awake.   Tony Soprano has returned to the land of the living. In the waiting area, Paulie is telling the others what happened and making sure to insist that it's the fault of the doctors when Bobby comes rushing in to let them know Tony is awake and is gonna make it after all. They roar with delight, everybody hugging and thanking God... and Larry Boy casts a knowing look at Vito, who not half an hour earlier was talking about replacing Tony and Silvio as Boss of the Family. Vito sits up that night obsessively eating carrots, waiting for Paulie to arrive. He finally does and he rushes downstairs, letting him in with a complaint about how late he is. Paulie complains right back, he had to get the cash together, but it is here and they need to pull out Tony's cut and get it to Carmela as quickly as possible. Vito doesn't think that's the smart play, it'll make them look guilty to suddenly bring it along now. But Paulie has a compelling argument: Tony's conscious now, and the entire time he was in his coma Carmela was sitting at his bedside talking to him. Did he hear her? Was he aware of what she said? Did she mention to him that they were bringing her a large chunk of cash? Is Tony EXPECTING this money? Of course this is the last thing on either Tony or Carmela's minds, but Paulie and Vito are obsessed and so it makes sense to them that others would be too. They have to get her that cash! In the hospital the next day, Tony has had the breathing tube removed but until his throat clears up he won't be able to talk. Carmela lovingly feeds him ice-chips and even jokes with the gathered family they can count their blessings he can't talk for awhile. Everybody smiles, after the tension of the last few days the great relief they feel at Tony's recovery cannot be overstated, and everybody is on a high. Everybody but Tony perhaps, who can't speak and looks half out of it still, trying to accommodate all this new sensory info. He beckons Carmela closer, and whispers in her ear the one thought that has been circulating in his brain since he woke up, a thought that horrifies Carmela: he wants to know if he is dead.  Quickly she promises him he's not, he's in the hospital surrounded by his loving family. Dr. Vahapsideh, a neurologist, enters the room and introduces himself to Tony. He's here to give him a simple mental acuity test, to see if there are any neurological concerns now that he is out of the coma. It goes well, a visibly more relaxed Carmela finds Vito and Paulie in the waiting area and tells them Tony just passed his first test so signs are good. Paulie warmly tells "the princess of Little Italy" that it was HER strength that made the difference, and after a look from Vito hands over a "little gift", the 200k wrapped in an envelope. Vito explains it is to help defray medical costs, rehabilitation and the like. She's extremely grateful but they promise that this is simply what they do, and they hope somebody would do the same for their loved ones in a similar situation. She hugs them and Paulie reminds her they're here if she needs anything. She walks away, but turns with a loving smile as they step into the lift... and sees the look of pure despondency on their faces as they stare forlornly at the floor. Her smile drops and is replaced by a sneer, she briefly saw them with the masks off and in that one second fully grasped the significance of why this money only showed up just now. Christopher sits with Tony, who has been propped up in a chair as well. Christopher is pleased at Tony's recovery of course, but seems uncertain exactly how to speak with him since Tony offers no verbal responses and seems not to be fully focused on him. Christopher notices a note on the noticeboard full of well-wishes, a handwritten Ojibwe saying about self-pity. He ponders who put it there, then carefully brings up the fact he is getting back into the movie business. Taking advantage of the fact Tony is mostly unresponsive, he lays it all out: that he's leaving open an ownership position for Tony himself but he's doing this whether Tony approves or not because he thinks Tony OWES it to him. That does get a response, Tony's eyes narrowing slightly, his head tilting back mildly as Christopher quietly reminds him that HE came to Tony about Adriana when he found out (hours after the fact, after seeing a white trash family and deciding he couldn't deal with becoming that). Carmela returns with the nurse, surprised to see Tony in the chair, the nurse explaining it's good to have him up out of the bed as much as possible. Christopher hugs Carmela and leaves them alone, looking back at Tony as he leaves perhaps to see if there is any other reaction coming. Carmela places the envelope on the lunch tray and with a sigh says she doesn't know how Tony does it, before expertly reading the minor expression on his face and applying a damp swab to the rash around his lips. He closes his in eyes in pleasure at the sensation, and she says this has to feel good, and sometimes it is the simple things. He stares up at her, perhaps still not entirely sure if he's out of the dream or not (or alive) but certain of one thing at least: she is the best thing that ever happened to him, and he would be lost without her.  Season 6: Members Only | Join the Club | Mayham | The Fleshy Part of the Thigh | Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request... | Live Free or Die | Luxury Lounge | Johnny Cakes | The Ride | Moe n' Joe | Cold Stones | Kaisha Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6.1 | Season 6.2 Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Apr 23, 2020 |
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Dec 17, 2019 21:34
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Jerus, you loving rock. Is there a list somewhere of the shows you've done episodes for?
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Dec 17, 2019 22:55
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Right? And i know Jerusalem hates this but Sepinwall has to quit sometime and my dude, you are very good at breaking down tv episodes. I'm blowing a little smoke up your rear end but people make money doing this poo poo.
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Dec 17, 2019 23:40
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The pitch meeting felt very authentic, even if the people JT was trying to sell would possibly kill more than his career.
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Dec 17, 2019 23:42
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But he’s a ghost?
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Dec 18, 2019 00:13
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Silvio being very specific on what makes a slasher kills me.
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Dec 18, 2019 00:20
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I've done write-ups for the majority of the episodes of the show in The Wire thread, and for most of the revival of Doctor Who (early episodes are extremely brief), but forums posting and writing an actual guide for publishing are two very different things, and the write-ups would probably end up 2-3 times as long and I kinda suspect I would turn into one of those crazy screed people in a couple of years  Dawgstar posted:Silvio being very specific on what makes a slasher kills me. Christopher throwing out every single tangentially related blockbuster he can think of to convince everybody of the validity of investing in his film also spoke deeply and beautifully to me 
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Dec 18, 2019 |
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Dec 18, 2019 01:39
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Jerusalem posted:Season 6, Episode 3 - Mayham Another great writeup, I will be sad to see them end when we reach the finale. This final scene where he is torn between the sound of his daughter calling for him, and the promise of the family he always dreamed of, is one of the most affecting in the series, IMO. Everything about it works, and it hits me like a ton of bricks, emotionally. This show is so goddamn good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvXX7v2qkOo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTdHDVeeXYE&t=2s Also, the eerie nature of the house and how it veers from feeling warm and inviting to potentially threatening, is fantastic. Is Tony B a porter waiting to help him find salvation? Or a demon trying to drag him to hell? Or is it all just a mishmash of Tony's thoughts and fears and hopes? The ambiguity is exciting and so well done. Ishamael fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Dec 18, 2019 |
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Dec 18, 2019 02:49
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Most eerily of all, Steve Buscemi is credited simply as “Man”, leaving his true correlation to Tony B unknown outside of Tony Soprano merely assigning a known likeness to this man.
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Dec 18, 2019 03:18
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Sylvio would fit right in in the cine d horror thread.
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Dec 18, 2019 04:17
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I also really want to hammer home how much I love that the moment Paulie is on the other side of the equation to his earlier beef with Ralphie, he's fully onboard with the idea of,"Simply giving out a tip isn't worth an equal split" and is frankly offended at Vito suggesting otherwise
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Dec 18, 2019 05:42
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 09:19 |
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That pink suit Silvio's wife wears is off the hook.
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Dec 18, 2019 06:13
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