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"Movey El automobiley" Excellent write up Jerusalem! 
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Jan 31, 2020 09:44
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I love how off-handed Christopher's comment about Little Carmine's dead friend's wife being upset is. He's organized the murder of the close friend/top adviser of his current business partner and it doesn't bother him in the slightest that he's the cause of that strife, if anything HE seems a little put out that it is affecting HIM third-hand now.
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Jan 31, 2020 10:22
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Jerusalem posted:As one man rediscovers his Italian roots, two more are returning home with fond memories of their time as "tourists". The two Italian hitmen fly first class, happily looking at the "bonuses" they got for a job well done: an expensive watch and some mont blanc pens! Yes the cheap bastards in the DiMeo family "gifted" them items stolen from Lauren Bacall, but these guys don't know that and couldn't be happier. And why not? They came to America, saw the sights, murdered a high ranking member of one of the Five Families, got some nice gifts AND money and now they're flying home in First Class. The only way life could be better is if they were presenters at an award show like ShoWest or some bullshit. They very explicitly state that they bought these items though?
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Jan 31, 2020 10:54
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Suxpool posted:They very explicitly state that they bought these items though? They never say anything about buying them themselves that I can recall, unless I'm completely misreading what the subtitles are intending. Given we don't see them leave till after Christopher got back from LA with a giant bag stuffed with exactly these types of items that he stole from Lauren Bacall, I really got the impression they'd been handed over as bonus "gifts" (especially as the watch is specifically a lady's which is why the one guy is intending to give it to his mother). If I'm wrong about this then so be it, but I personally think that them just having bought souvenirs is a much weaker ending and don't know why the scene would have been tacked on at the end if this was the case - the final shot of Artie cooking in the kitchen is way too strong to my mind for such a straightforward scene to have followed it to wrap up the episode. I'd happily welcome an interpretation as to why, my intention with these write-ups is never to try and claim some definitive take on an episode but to generate discussion, hear alternate takes and work through some of the themes present in any given episode/season.
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Jan 31, 2020 11:54
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CharlestheHammer posted:Nah Artie inserts himself in everything dumb that happens to him outside the arson. Tony doesn’t really try and involve him in anything because he realizes he’s an idiot True, but most of those things are due to him always have mobsters in his periphery and being highly dependent on them as customers. Edit: take the credit card scam, for instance, right in this last recap Also, agree that Artie never looked into helping with the green card or, if he did, definitely lied and said the person couldn't help once he realized found himself jealous of Benny. I'm honestly surprised that there's another way to interpret that. BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 13:36 on Jan 31, 2020 |
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Jan 31, 2020 12:56
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Laren Bacall gave an interview around the time of the episode that it was the first time in her entire career she got to say "gently caress" on camera and it was exhilarating.
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Jan 31, 2020 15:41
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I always found the rabbit cooking scene really moving. For all his personal faults, Artie has a real talent that isn't dependent on exploiting people. It's a reminder of what might have been if he hadn't been buddies with Tony.
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Jan 31, 2020 17:03
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Tater Love 
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zakharov posted:I always found the rabbit cooking scene really moving. For all his personal faults, Artie has a real talent that isn't dependent on exploiting people. It's a reminder of what might have been if he hadn't been buddies with Tony. It's basically the end of Artie's story on the show. He only shows up here and there after "Luxury Lounge" and his last appearance is "Blue Comet" when he and Charmaine are talking about how well their marriage, their kids, and the restaurant is doing and taking joy in asking Tony and Carmela about Meadow getting involved with Patrick Parisi. I think that's also the same scene where Carmela tries to justify Meadow's decision to go with law instead of medicine by insulting her own daughter, saying "Does compassion come naturally to her? Patience? I'm not so sure" while Tony is incredulous.
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Jan 31, 2020 17:08
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The Hollywood scenes had a very entourage feeling to them, which already had two seasons by this point, with the caricature/cameos.
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Jan 31, 2020 18:51
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Jerusalem posted:
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Jan 31, 2020 21:04
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This is probably my least favorite episode in the entire series. The Hollywood stuff was so heavy handed. The Artie story was decent but "Artie is a schmuck who gets in over his head" wasn't exactly fresh territory by this point.
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Jan 31, 2020 21:48
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Jan 31, 2020 23:05
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Lmao. I'm amazed this isn't a Borko video title.
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Jan 31, 2020 23:22
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I still have a hard time seeing Artie as anything but a victim trapped in a world he didn't build (and actively shunned), ruled and surrounded by people who created more power for themselves through nefarious means that, if he felt he had a choice, wanted no part of. I mean, his loving restaurant got blown up and torched in season one and he had nothing to do with that. Then he was lied to about it by his so called friend and continued to try and grind out an honest living The Right Way but found himself indebted to, dependent on and surrounded by criminals every dinner service he held. Sure, he had his mid life crisis and was tired of being lesser than and the butt of jokes aimed at him by people openly robbing, murdering and breaking the rules who still caught all the breaks and never paid their tabs. He was a creator and an artist (as exhibited by the rabbit dish scene) surrounded by destroyers and takers without morals. He made several terrible choices along the way but he was still a victim, branded as a "loser".
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Jan 31, 2020 23:27
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I think the flaw in that argument is Charmaine. While she isn't blameless in accepting the Sopranos' business, she also makes it clear every time to Artie that there's a difference between serving meals/doing catering and actually getting involved IN business with Tony. Almost every dumbass decision Artie made was made in rejection of Charmaine's warnings, most every near miss were from those times he would actually listen to what she had to say, and it's no surprise that the lowest point of his life comes when they are separated and she isn't around to look out for him. Yeah sometimes the mobsters take advantage of him, but I don't think it is fair to say that he's just a victim, or rather that if he is, he's a largely willing one. A large part of it is that Artie shares in that hosed up mindset of what it means to be a man. Part of that is due to him retaining a very immature mindset in some aspects of his life AND seeing people he grew up with who never got out of that mindset. He mistakes the trappings of their wealth/"freedom" as success that he is restricted from because he actually plays by the rules for the most part. So he gets tempted regularly, and often actively seeks out chances to be involved at least on the periphery. Thankfully he tends to quickly scuttle back to safety when things go south rather than leaning deeper into it, and as noted earlier, this episode basically marks the last time in the series that he (that we know of) lets his own issues get the better of him and cause him to gently caress things up for himself. He matures late, but he does mature, and it is more than can be said for most of the gangsters, including Tony.
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Feb 1, 2020 00:09
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Ooo, another favorite quote, Season 4: Tony: "CONSERVE!"
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Feb 1, 2020 02:09
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Jerusalem posted:I think the flaw in that argument is Charmaine. While she isn't blameless in accepting the Sopranos' business, she also makes it clear every time to Artie that there's a difference between serving meals/doing catering and actually getting involved IN business with Tony. Almost every dumbass decision Artie made was made in rejection of Charmaine's warnings, most every near miss were from those times he would actually listen to what she had to say, and it's no surprise that the lowest point of his life comes when they are separated and she isn't around to look out for him. Yeah sometimes the mobsters take advantage of him, but I don't think it is fair to say that he's just a victim, or rather that if he is, he's a largely willing one. You make some great points, but that's what I mean about him. He's born and raised into this mobster poo poo whether he wants it or not. His best friend is a mob boss. He didn't ask for that. He didn't invite the arson or the credit card skim that hosed up his attempt at an honest business doing the one thing he's good at. Just about any time he tries to flex and gets outside his lane it's due to trying to make up for some poo poo that was brought down on him, not the other way around, and he's not cut out for it as he shows. He's almost AJ in certain regards. Protected and coddled by a rich tough guy that loves him but suffering because of his relationship with that same person. A product of his environment in many ways.
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Feb 1, 2020 02:24
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Really good point about the comparison between Artie and AJ. Tony wants to be the solution to their problems, but a lot of the time he IS the problem in the first place.
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Feb 1, 2020 02:28
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I did realize we didn't see Artie much at all until the very end (when it seems like things are going well for him and 'Manie), but I honestly never made the connection that this episode is the one where Artie finally wises up. Good interpretation, and it's the one I choose to believe. I hope things continued to go well for him after the curtain dropped on the series. I've seen a lot of good TV but for whatever reason I don't think of the characters from anything else as being so... real, if that makes sense.
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Feb 1, 2020 02:44
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I always thought the hitmen just bought those items themselves since they were discussing how cheap they were compared to buying it back home. but... the idea of Chris rummaging through the Lauren Bacall bag for anything that wasnt for a pocket dog and finally settling on a pen set and old lady watch to pay two killers is infinitely more funny.
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Feb 1, 2020 18:40
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Yeah, that's stuff they bought for themselves- it's a different watch and the guy's talking about getting it for his mom from "the big store on 57th Street" vs. buying it in Naples, and the weak dollar- indicating this was at least partially a shopping trip which to me is funny.
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Feb 1, 2020 19:01
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zakharov posted:I always found the rabbit cooking scene really moving. For all his personal faults, Artie has a real talent that isn't dependent on exploiting people. It's a reminder of what might have been if he hadn't been buddies with Tony.  It was a nice scene to effectively end Artie's story. After so long being a fish out of water, he remembers who he is and what he isn't. It's kind of a redemptive act, too. Using the rabbit that he killed in a pique of machismo to feed a pair of young people who have gotten caught up late at night with no dinner. The fact that it's an old recipe I feel was put there to counterbalance all the negative traditions of the mob with the simple and wholesome tradition of family cooking. While Chris and co. are amusing in their Hollywood dabble, I liked this episode for showing Artie growing as a person - which also seems to rekindle Charmaine's affection for him. Also, gently caress Benny. He had that broken face coming for a while. Nevertheless, this  is the single funniest moment in the episode.
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Feb 1, 2020 23:40
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Jerusalem posted:They never say anything about buying them themselves that I can recall, unless I'm completely misreading what the subtitles are intending. Given we don't see them leave till after Christopher got back from LA with a giant bag stuffed with exactly these types of items that he stole from Lauren Bacall, I really got the impression they'd been handed over as bonus "gifts" (especially as the watch is specifically a lady's which is why the one guy is intending to give it to his mother). If I'm wrong about this then so be it, but I personally think that them just having bought souvenirs is a much weaker ending and don't know why the scene would have been tacked on at the end if this was the case - the final shot of Artie cooking in the kitchen is way too strong to my mind for such a straightforward scene to have followed it to wrap up the episode.      I couldn't tell you why the scene is there, but I don't see how it's possible to interpret this as anything other than them taking the opportunity to buy luxury goods that are cheaper in NYC than they are back in Naples. Also I don't see any reason to think that Benny was ever more than an associate.
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Feb 2, 2020 04:06
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Suxpool posted:
IIRC this was around the time when the Euro was crazy strong against the dollar and it was a pretty common discussion topic. It reminds me of the reference to the gondola military accident when Paulie is in Italy.
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Feb 2, 2020 05:02
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Suxpool posted:
I think tony says he’ll get his button after Phil bests the poo poo out of him but I dunno if it ever actually happens
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Feb 2, 2020 05:37
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EwokEntourage posted:I think tony says he’ll get his button after Phil bests the poo poo out of him but I dunno if it ever actually happens According to the Sopranos Wiki, Benny was made but it's never clear when but was after the thing with Phil (whatever happened there).
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Feb 2, 2020 05:41
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Whatever happened there?!
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Feb 2, 2020 06:31
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That animal Blundetto! 
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Feb 2, 2020 07:31
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Blundetto is such a great name. Reminds me of Bluto’s real name in Animal House.
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Feb 2, 2020 07:34
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BrotherJayne posted:Ooo, another favorite quote, Season 4: "Go ahead, John D. Rockefeller! WASTE IT ALL!" ruddiger posted:Blundetto is such a great name. I love how Phil enunciates the B.
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Feb 2, 2020 13:51
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Benny was made between seasons five and six. It's one of the reasons he feels so comfortable telling Tony he's going to torture and murder Artie after the beating. If it was almost any other civilian, Benny would have had the absolute right to do anything he wanted to them. There's also a moment that shows that Tony has actually gotten worse since the shooting. When they're all on the boat Tony flat-out says to Artie "You brought all this on yourself" which is laughably wrong and why Artie gets even more upset with the situation.
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Feb 2, 2020 14:51
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Season 6, Episode 8 - Johnny CakesVito Spatafore posted:Sometimes you tell a lie so long, you don't know when to stop. Tony has sex with Carmela, or perhaps more precisely Tony has sex while Carmela is there. It's not their first time having sex since he came home from the hospital but then it was apparently careful and tentative, and that is not the case now. Tony pounds away at her energetically, frenetically even, as she lays beneath him more concerned for his physical well-being than any pleasure she might have (optimistically at best) gotten from the experience. He finishes up and collapses to the side laughing, as she lays on the bed wide-eyed and worried not just about whether his incision has held up to the exertion, but with the complete abandon with which he threw himself into the "lovemaking". Vito is having a less exciting night, lying on his bed smoking a cigarette and reading a fitness magazine, listening to public radio, bored out of his mind. The sound of sirens gets his attention and he walks to the window, watching as a fire truck speeds by. Carmela and Tony lay in each other's arms, Carmela noting how nice it is to be able to be physically intimate again while he complains that sex should be more than just "nice". But she insists, after the horror of his shooting and the hospital stay she feels they are blessed, and he can't deny that. They're surprised by the sudden sound of drumming coming from AJ's bedroom, they haven't heard him practice for quite some time. Tony steps out of the bedroom to take a look, but is surprised by the sight of several Latino men leaving AJ's bedroom with a promise to call him. He follows AJ down the stairs as he lets the strangers out, cracking a joke to his disgusted son about making sure he hid the silver. They're musicians and came to look at AJ's drums and make him an offer, a revelation that hurts Tony and outrages Carmela. She hated that Tony bought those drums for AJ when they were separated, but now that the family is back together it is unacceptable to her that AJ would sell such a kind gift. AJ, a typical teenager, complains that he has no choice since they won't give him enough money to make ends meet, even after he got a crappy job at Blockbuster. Tony is not sympathetic, pointing out that if AJ doesn't like his job he can apply for another, while Carmela notes that he had spoken about returning to Community College as well. AJ is exasperated, answering back with the contempt only a spoiled teenager can muster that he's told her countless times that he can't register till second semester (which sounds like bullshit to me). Tony is furious at AJ's lack of respect but Carmela calms him as AJ wanders off still complaining about how tough his life is, perhaps looking for a cross to nail himself to. You know, standard teenager stuff. But while AJ is lamenting the gross unfairness of being rich, Vito is watching in awe as a truly unfair fate is thwarted. He's followed the sound of the sirens to a home on fire, joining the other bystanders watching as the volunteer firefighters go to work. They're joined by Jim Witowski, cook/owner of the local diner, who arrives by motorcycle and rushes into the fire to pull out a small child called Gareth and reunite him with his distraught mother. As Jim catches his breath and lets his adrenaline dump, the gathered spectators applaud his heroism, as does an awestruck Vito who can't take his eyes of the heroic, handsome, brave, handsome, courageous, handsome, fearless, handsome, selfless and handsome firefighter.   The next day, Tony takes AJ out on the Stugots II for a fishing trip. Sitting in silence, they drink beer and AJ is pleasantly surprised when Tony offers him another drink as he gets one for himself. He's still below drinking age and clearly thought he'd have to nurse the one all day, and is pleased by his father seemingly acknowledging his adulthood. Ironically immediately afterwards Tony burps and they both laugh at the childish, boorish behavior. Opening his second beer and settling back, AJ decides to have a man-to-man talk with his father about a subject he feels strongly about : what are WE going to do about Uncle Junior? Tony immediately locks down, taking a moment and not looking AJ's way as he grunts that Junior will be incarcerated for the rest of his "unnatural" life and that's enough, so gently caress the walking corpse. But for AJ that isn't enough, not considering what Junior did to him, and he insists THEY can't just let the act go unpunished. Unfortunately for him, Tony's response is the worst possible, as he tells him there's nothing that can be done and it's certainly not anything for AJ to worry about. He settles back in his chair, enjoying the sun and waiting for a bite, while a fuming AJ glares at him, unhappy about being shut out and treated like a kid once again. Setting his fishing rod aside, he heads inside the cabin to sulk, the true act of a mature and sensible adult. Meanwhile, Patsy Parisi is doing his rounds accompanied by the newly Made Burt Gervasi. They move past local stores collecting "insurance" money in envelopes, and spot a new shop is currently in the process of being opened: The North Seattle Coffee Experience. They head inside and greet the Manager, a harried looking man called Dale, and explain they're from the "North Ward Merchants Protective Cooperative". With a practised smile Patsy explains how despite gentrification efforts this is still a "transitional" neighborhood with a lot of, "demographically speaking", "marginal types" to it. As such, "us merchants" have decided to work "together" for 24 hour security, since the police can only do so much. All it will take is for Dale to pay weekly dues and he'll never have to worry about a thing. Dale, harried and tired and not really getting it, explains he doesn't have discretionary funds for anything like that so they'll need to talk to somebody at the Corporate Head Office. When Patsy and Burt sweetly explain that Corporate would probably be mad if one of their stores got a brick through it, he STILL doesn't get it, just noting with confusion that they have 10,000 stores so they probably wouldn't give a poo poo. So Patsy abandons all but the thinnest pretense and points out that it could be worse, an employee or even say the manager could get a limb broken. NOW Dale finally gets it... which is the point that Patsy and Burt finally get it too, as with an exhausted look Dale leans forward and lays out some very simple facts to them. Him being manager is just a lot of extra responsibility but not much else. The finances are all accounted for by computer, it's a giant faceless organization with 10,000 stores and tens of thousands of employees: if his numbers don't add up (and, unspoken but implied, if anything was to happen to Dale himself) then they'd simply just send in a new manager without blinking an eye, and could do so forever without it ever impacting them in any way. Momentarily flummoxed by the realities of trying to run an old school protection racket on a corporate chain, Patsy and Burt leave the store empty-handed. Turning to look back at this latest outlet of a monolithic entity beyond his comprehension, run by an already beaten down manager who already knows he's utterly expendable (and thus has become ironically incorruptible), Patsy mutters with a mixture of regret and disbelief that "It's over for the little guy."   Vito leaves the Bed and Breakfast in the morning to go grab some breakfast, but not before being stopped by his host who asks him how his book is coming (he's told everybody he is a sports writer), then reminds "Vince" happily that he is always welcome to join the other guests for breakfast in the lounge. He looks in where a bunch of middle-aged white people are enthusiastically discussing how you don't have to use the pre-rinse cycle on a washing machine less than 5-years-old (it can trick the sensors!). He thanks her for the offer but explains he has to go write. Leaving, he wanders happily down the quiet streets of the small town, nodding back to a passerby who greets him with a friendly good morning. Christopher joins Tony and Sil outside Satriale's, Tony enjoying up a pair of passing young women. Sil tells him that Jason Masucci was just in Florida visiting his mother and spotted Vito in a Jenny Craig's... but it turned out to be "some other fat piece of poo poo." Christopher points out that if Vito does come back, Carlo should be the person to take him out as all the other crews would be fine with him doing it. Tony is amused, remembering Christopher's claim he would like to do it himself, but he complains that he's got enough problems with the FBI bothering him. He admits that he doesn't actually mind them bothering him for "business reasons" (you know, being a criminal) but not for "political correctness", by which I assume he means the FBI asking him to let them know if he spots any terrorists. Tony has other things on his mind though, gesturing appreciatively across the road where a beautiful woman a little closer to his own age rather than Meadow's, unlike most of the women he takes an interest in. The others like the look of her too, and Tony admits that for the first couple of months after his surgery he wasn't even waking up with the normal morning erection. His doctors assured him it was a natural thing to experience after that kind of body trauma, but now he spends most days walking around with a "baguette" in his pants. The grin and nod in appreciation, Tony again establishing he is a "man" in all the ways that count to keep himself high up in their esteem. But as they talk and break balls, the woman from across the street has crossed over and they notice for the first time she is coming right towards them. She greets Tony by name, much to his surprise (and slight suspicion) and then introduces herself, handing over her business card. She's Julianna Skiff from Century 21 Real Estate (played by Julianna Margulies), and she wants to have a brief conversation with him. They step inside Satriale's where she gets straight to business, she represents the Jamba Juice company who want to purchase the property he owns on Franklin Street, currently occupied by Caputo Live Poultry. Tony is amused, Jamba Juice wants to put a store into THIS neighborhood? She points out the area is currently on an upswing, noting that the old glove factory was recently refurbished into condos and she bought one for herself she liked it so much. Tony flirtatiously notes how a person like her is a beautiful addition to the neighborhood and she smiles, then forces herself back on track: Jamba Juice is willing to pay $175 a square foot, which means Tony would be pocketing 315k for the sale. But Tony is unimpressed and not tempted by the figure. Instead he waxes lyrical about the quality of the eggs and chickens that can be bought at Caputo's. He talks about how even if the store simply relocated it would be a loss to the neighborhood, and while he admits he livesNorth Caldwell now his family's roots go back to this neighborhood. He talks with warm nostalgia of how his grandfather and many other families who still live here came from Avellino, about how his father was a community organizer (!) and grew up around here. She reacts politely but is also unimpressed, waiting for the other shoe to drop, the counter-offer to come back. Instead he takes a different tack, asking her to talk about herself, her upbringing and roots etc. She's from Binghamton in Upstate New York, and fled her parents' catering business because the thought of spending her life running that boring business terrified her. Now she cuts to the chase, is he interested in the offer or not. He admits he is, but there is a clear double-meaning in this statement as he eyes her up greedily. But he's all business when he notes the $175 a square foot is too low, before adding on almost as an afterthought that he doesn't want to sell out from under Caputo.   Vito goes to the diner where he admits to Jim that he's been dreaming of the Johnny Cakes all day. As he tries to keep a conversation going with Jim though, he's frequently interrupted by a lonely old man in a booth by the window. Vito has told them his name is Vince and that he is a sports writer working on a book about Rocky Marciano, and the old man wants to share his memories of the time he went to see Graziano fight Sugar Ray in 1952... he took the train to Chicago! But it is blessing in some ways, when the old man gets a date wrong on a Marciano fight, Jim quietly offers the real date and admits that after chatting with "Vince" he couldn't help but go and do some research himself. Vito, who has been lying about writer's block, admits the mistake and Jim gently places his hand on Vito's to tell him he's been pushing himself too hard, it must be lonely. The two men look deep into each other's eyes and Vito admits it has been... and then the spell is broken as Vito gets a rude wake-up call and reminder of his own other life as Jim's young daughter bursts happily into the diner to tell her father she forgot her school project in the back. Vito watches as Jim's attention shifts from all on him to entire on his daughter, perhaps lamenting a missed opportunity, perhaps thinking of his own children, or maybe pondering if he misread the signals entirely. Tony meanwhile takes a stride through the old neighborhood, having convinced himself about his love for the place. It's quite different to how it was when he was growing up though, the neighborhood is more ethnically diverse and loud Latin Dance music is blasting through the air. He passes a sweet old woman called Mrs. Conte and greets her happily and asks how her hip is doing, and she warmly greets him back before sweetly explaining to him that she needs his help with,"The friend of the family loving whores" who "play that music so loud." Tony, no stranger to off-color racist jokes himself, is taken aback by the naked, casual vitriol of this racism and gently reminds her they're Puerto Ricans. But when she tells him she asked them nicely to turn it down and they told her to go gently caress herself (maybe "nice" just means she only called them whores?) but promises he will see what he can do. But as he leaves, she asks after Junior and requests he pass on her well-wishes. Disgruntled but not wanting to take it out on her, he just nods and moves on. In Caputo's, he again can't help but notice this isn't like he remembers. Most of the customers are speaking Spanish, and Caputo himself communicates with his staff out the back in the same language. But he greets Tony happily, groans at a familiar old "chicken or the egg?" joke, and admits that to his great pleasure business is better than ever. Tony nods and "jokes" that he'll have to raise the rent, but Caputo is already yelling in Spanish to the back again, leaving Tony still with that unsettled feeling that things aren't the way they used to be. At Blockbuster, it turns out Matt Testa hasn't exactly set the world on fire following High School either, he's working behind the counter with AJ. Well, working isn't quite the right word, they're watching The Hunted and arguing over what the proper technique for a knife fight is, ignorant of the exhausted mother behind them with a toddler and a stack of DVDs she is probably hoping will keep her kid occupied long enough for her to either get some work done or just get a single please God moment of rest. She finally gets their attention and Matt begins checking her DVDs out, while AJ takes a call from a friend called Hernan. That gets Matt's attention, half-assing his way through the checkout as he eavesdrops on AJ assuring Hernan that he's "minted" and can cover the cost of tonight's entertainment. Matt gets his own, less exciting call from a friend excitedly wanting to tell a story about another friend stepping on a nail, and the pissed off mom finally leaves with her rentals, furious at the poor quality of surface. Too bad lady, there's a reason the trope of lazy, stupid operators at a video store remains so prevalent in media even in the year 2020, because stores like Blockbuster are gonna be around forever! Where else are you gonna get easy access to such a wide range of media that covers the interests of your entire family! Left alone, Matt quietly asks if that was Hernan on the phone, complaining that he was a real dick back in High School. AJ shrugs, Hernan was a year above them, of course he was an rear end in a top hat to them. But the bigger picture he is missing is that Matt is clearly jealous, not only of Hernan but probably the fact that AJ hasn't made the slightest inkling of inviting him along to whatever is going on tonight.  In therapy, Tony discusses his concerns about AJ. He spends every night out at nightclubs, sleeps till noon, works a few hours at Blockbuster and that's it, that's his entire life. He claims he's tried since the injury to be more accepting, to just appreciate that he is alive and has his family... but he's starting to feel that is a mistake where AJ is concerned. He talks proudly about how his own father would have never stood for this, and would have run him out of the house. But Melfi, who has been privy to all kinds of information about Johnny Boy Soprano others never knew, isn't so certain of Tony's vision of his father as a tough but fair disciplinarian. Tony complains that he should have never told her about Johnny Boy cutting a man's finger of, as it has clearly colored for her every discussion he's had about his father since. But she is more interested in his perception of himself at AJ's age, asking if he can empathize at all with AJ's situation. He admits that he did make some dumb mistakes at the same age, but he was never "vegetative", and when Melfi points out that young people today are bombarded with so much information that it delays development, he scoffs at the idea. If 26 is the new 21, then does that make 45-year-old Tony Soprano 35? She can't exactly deny his position either, she has a son a little older than Meadow and has probably been more than familiar with the kind of pressure and frustration Tony is feeling on a daily basis right now. But when Melfi attends her own therapy session, she isn't happy at Elliot's lack of interest in her own parental issues. She talks about her father and her concerns that despite still being (relatively) young he is allowing himself to "disintegrate", then waits for Elliot to offer some kind of feedback or suggestion or counter-argument. Instead he simply sits quietly, then asks completely out of blue how "patient Soprano" is doing. She's right to be irritated at the question, this wasn't the subject of the conversation, and this is completely unprofessional behavior, especially when he complains,"I thought you were done!" when she reminds him she was discussing her father. His protest that she spoke about Tony at their LAST session which is why he brought him up doesn't hold any water: she hasn't been avoiding the subject, she just had other things on her mind that were more pressing today. She notes that this type of thing has been happening too often, he keeps bringing up Soprano during their sessions and she wants him to admit it's because he's fascinated about the shooting on a tabloid level. But in spite of herself she talks about Tony, about how he's refusing to engage with the fact his uncle shot him and his bottled down feelings are going to explode eventually. Elliot, proving her point that he's become fixated on the gangster aspect like this was some movie, considers how "Omerta" comes from a pre-therapeutic culture and she corrects him: Tony isn't refusing to talk about Junior because of Omerta, it's something else entirely. And just like that, what was supposed to be Melfi's therapy session to talk about HER problems has become the two gossiping about Tony Soprano instead.   A disappointed Tony watches from the window that evening as musicians load up AJ's drums into their van. Carmela joins him, putting a supportive arm on his back. With the money made from the sale, AJ is covering the bill tonight at a nightclub in New York, joining Hernan and a couple of friends and bypassing the line to go straight to a VIP section. Hernan isn't just getting AJ to cover the cost of everything tonight, he's using AJ's reflected infamy to pick up girls, as he points out to a couple at the bar (including a pre-fame Alexandra Daddario that AJ's father is a gangster. Hernan is a real classy motherfucker, as he discovers one of the girls - Rhiannon - is 15 and not only doesn't reject her but actually has her join them for more alcoholic drinks. Another girl (hopefully older than 15) is hanging on AJ's every word, gigglingly telling him her toes get cold when she takes E ("I wear special socks!" AJ offers helpfully). When Hernan suggests they (including the 15-year-old) go back to his place to get more wasted, they all agree, AJ enthusiastically when Miss Cold Toes says she can give him a massage. A waitress arrives with the bill and Hernan diverts it to AJ, who has a moment of confusion before he remembers he said he would cover the cost. He opens the bill and stares in surprise at the total: $1890, more than the amount that caused Paulie and Christopher to kill a waiter not too long ago. Hernan asks if it is an issue but AJ assures him it's fine, peeling off most of the cash he got for the drums to cover this single night. As he is leaving, a Little Person steps up to shout to AJ that "Zasu" (the club owner, presumably) wanted to let him know he is honored to have him in the club. AJ seems to take this as a given until he adds on that Zasu wants him to pass on his regards to Tony. AJ gives a grudging nod but the Little Person isn't moving, so with a sigh AJ peels off a couple more bills from his now depleted roll. Tony meets with Phil near the statue of Lou Costello. The meeting was at Phil's request and Tony assumed it was on some business from Johnny Sack, but the first thing Phil asks him is if he's any closer to finding Vito. Tony dismisses that, it's his business to take care of, and asks after John to get things back on track. But Phil is fixated, he cracks a joke about John being fine "through his veil of tears" that Tony lets go unaddressed, but then goes right back to asking what is being done to find Vito. Irritated now, Tony is less diplomatic, saying this time that it is none of Phil's loving business, sending up a strong warning flare that anybody else would immediately notice. Not Phil, or rather he isn't intimidated, continuing to insist that Vito has to be found, dismissing Tony's claim being gay is a victimless crime by ranting about how Marie and the kids are victims having to live with the same of it all. All this is irritating Tony, but now he gets angry when Phil unknowingly hits exactly the wrong button by complaining this wouldn't have happened in Johnny Boy's day. Tony, for all he talks with reverence of the idealized memory of his father, has always had an inferiority complex when it comes to being compared to older mobsters or being reminded of a time when he wasn't the king of the hill. Phil, like Richie Aprile and Feech La Manna before him, has made the mistake of talking to Tony like he's still the fresh-faced nobody he was when Phil went away to prison. Putting Phil in his place, he reminds him that he doesn't tell him what to do, and that he is only the ACTING Boss (ironically, probably until Junior shot him, Tony was still technically "Acting" Boss himself). But Phil, who still thinks of New Jersey as a glorified crew, doesn't even blink at the Boss of a Mob Family reading him the riot act. Instead he complains that he swallowed his pride over Blundetto murdering his brother but he won't do it again. Tony, for whom this is a very sensitive issue, maintains his composure but is clearly furious. Talking slowly but clearly to avoid losing his temper and lashing out and making things worse for both of them, he reminds Phil that they are both in agreement on what needs to happen to Vito. But it is Tony's job to manage, not Phil's, and that is the end of it. Not giving Phil a chance to retort, he simply walks away, leaving neither satisfied but also neither at each other's throats. But the warning signs are all out in the open now. Phil holds HIS Boss Johnny Sack in open contempt, he's summoning the Boss of another Family to meetings to discuss issues that aren't his to make decisions on, he's ignoring or indifferent to that Boss' warnings and threats, and fixated on revenge while clearly still bearing a grudge over the death of his brother. At Hernan's apartment, he's getting a blowjob from the 15-year-old Rhiannon (classy) while Miss Cold Toes - shirt off and wearing only a bra - gives AJ a back massage and talks endlessly about how she saw on TV about how his "grandfather" shot his dad and now they're friends, wow! She wants to know if his dad is gonna do something about it, then worriedly asks if he can't discuss it because of "omerto". AJ, who hasn't got any more of a clue of how the mob works than Jackie Aprile Jr ever did, just notes that they can't discuss it with outsiders, but opines that he will probably "have" to do something about it, suggesting a level of importance/relevance to the mob that isn't just overstated but wholly fabricated. "You're so intense!" gasps Miss Cold Toes, as the skinny shirtless guy beneath her looks like he's going to fall asleep on the couch.   At the Bed and Breakfast, Thad (who is so concerned about dishwasher sensors getting tricked) can't find his phone and his wife is complaining he probably left it in the car. He's insistent it was on the bedside table charging though, and he is clearly irritated his wife isn't taking this seriously, joking to the owner and a passing Vito that he's always losing everything. Vito suggest he retrace his steps and leaves them to it. Shortly after Marie Spatafore recieves a call from "Thad McCone", a name she doesn't recognize. She answers and it is Vito of course, who stole Thad's phone so he could call his wife without being traced. Why is he calling her now? Has he been meaning to for some time or did seeing Jim and his daughter remind him of his own secret other life? Marie is beside herself but not judgemental or angry. She's scared and sad and desperate to have him back, telling him over and over again to return, promising they can get him help, get him to a psychiatrist or a Church group who can "cure" being gay etc. The clear recurring theme though is that she wants him back, and his reaction shows that on some level he wants to be back with her as well even if he is gay. Their marriage wasn't a sham, their love for each other was real... but Vito IS gay and in the business he is in and the people he knows, it means he can't come back to try and make something of this whole mess. She insists that this isn't true, nobody is mad at him and Phil has assured her that he'll be fine. Vito doesn't believe that for a second, warning her that if Phil once loved him he doesn't anymore. He directs her to take down the baseboard behind the elliptical trainer in the den, she'll find 30k there she can use to look after herself and the kids for now. She doesn't dispute the need for money, but she makes her feelings clear: it's him back that she REALLY needs, and what the kids need. Vito is overwhelmed by the emotion of speaking to her again, and tries to calm himself by telling her she'd love the place he's staying. She immediately leaps on that, asking him where, assuring him that she'll pick up the kids and join him and they can relocate and leave the rest of their lives behind. He immediately knows he has to end the phone call, because no matter what she thinks if she comes to where he is the Mob will be following close behind. He tries to go, but she ambushes him by asking if he wants to talk to the kids. He does, and she puts Vito Jr on, but he can barely get out asking if he's been good and hearing the answer before it becomes too much. He tells his son he has to go and hangs up the call, feeling no less confused but at least satisfied he's achieved one goal by letting her know where to get hold of some money. 
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Feb 7, 2020 |
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Feb 5, 2020 15:09
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Tony, who is perpetually horny nowadays, is grinning like an idiot up at some of the strippers dancing in the Bada Bing when he is surprised by the arrival of Julianna, the Real Estate Agent representing Jamba Juice. She's tracked him down because they're now willing to go to 225 a square foot, which ups the price to 405k, plus they'll let him "carry the note" which means he won't have to pay out such a large chunk on taxes. But Tony shrugs and says the truth is he doesn't want to sell the building, something she immediately discounts: he's a businessman, why wouldn't he be interested in doing business? But if she thought that was going to goad him into panic-selling to prove her wrong, she's mistaken, as he demonstrates he's no idiot. The property is in a neighborhood that is on the up, as she herself made clear not just when she said it but when she revealed she'd bought property in the area herself. That means 10 years from now the property is going to be worth at least twice what they're currently offering. He tries again to insist it isn't just business, he's tired of so much of America now being generic and every neighborhood looking the same, and beams happily as he talks about how the North Ward is STILL the North Ward... then quietly acknowledges also that he still has business interests in there he doesn't want impacted. Julianna clearly knows who she is dealing with, as she notes that all immigrant groups (many of which are now represented in the North Ward) are stereotyped as liking to gamble: anti-homogenization is secondary to Tony's concerns about the customer base for his illegal gambling getting washed away. But Tony isn't offended, he suggests they leave the strip club and go get some dinner, and when she reminds him he's told her he isn't interested in business so she has no reason to agree, he doesn't beat around the bush. He's attracted to her, and in a stunning display he explains that getting shot recently has made him realize he can't deny himself and needs to take every moment and opportunity he can to make himself happy. Yes, the man who has spent his entire life doing as he pleases and never exhibiting any self-control in his vices has decided that almost dying is the excuse he needs to FINALLY decide to just do as he pleases and never exhibit any self-control in his vices! But while Julianna admits she does find him attractive, and is touched that his pitch includes referencing her own past and decision to escape Binghamton, she has a boyfriend and is engaged and for once she wants to exhibit some self-control and not self-sabotage her life. She leaves, and Tony is left regretting a missed opportunity as he goes back to ogling the strippers. In New Hampshire, Vito goes to a bar at night and spots Jim and some of his volunteer firemen buddies drinking at a table. He sends over a round of drinks for them and Jim is quick to invite him to join them, assuring the others that "Vince" is a funny guy with a great sense of humor. But as the others talk and joke around, Vito is quiet as is Jim, the two simply staring at each other. Wrapping up for the night, they head into the parking lot where Vito asks Jim about his bike, displaying a bit of knowledge but admitting that he never bought the panhead he always wanted. Jim tells him he should do it, talking with pleasure about how thrilling and freeing it is to ride down the highway. Vito mumbles that he should, but neither of them are really talking anymore, drawing closer and kissing. For a couple seconds Vito just lets himself go and enjoys the moment, but then protective instincts kick in and he shoves Jim away, demanding to know if he is a "fag". Jim puts his hands up, apologizing and saying he got the wrong idea, but also getting annoyed by Vito's hostile insults. He throws one of his own back, telling the "closet queen" not to send out the signals if he can't handle it, and Vito loses it. He punches Jim right in the face, but this isn't some hapless gambler at desperation's door and full knowledge of the power behind Vito's demands. He comes right back and punches Vito right in the face too, sending him down, and there is no Muscle around to jump on Jim and give him a kicking. But Jim also isn't following up, he punched back because he was punched but he has no interest in a fight and clearly regrets that it even went this far... until he sees Vito's hand inching towards a pipe. Disgusted he steps forward and kicks it from Vito's hand, calling him a dirty fighter and losing all sympathy. He strides past Vito and climbs onto his bike, riding away without a backward look, leaving the confused, pathetic Vito more miserable and full of self-loathing than ever.   Tony eats breakfast at the kitchen counter as Carmela loads the dishwasher. She gleefully points out that he didn't notice the salami she used in his sandwich has 30% less fat and sodium. Pleased, he gives her a kiss and notes how lucky he is to have her looking out for her, and with a grin she tells him not to forget it. Their good mood is unfortunately soured by the arrival of a just woken AJ, who ignores Carmela's comment about how late he got up and whether he'll be working today to complain about how he needs new clothes but his current stuff is too old. Tony doesn't see his problem, he sold his drums so he's got his own money to spend. Rather that admitting he blew it all on a single night out, AJ complains again that money is for living expenses (he lives rent free and every need including food is provided to him!) and he needs to buy REAL clothes, not just socks and underwear. Tony, though not grasping the full extent, correctly guesses what he really wants the money for is to go out with that creep "Fernando", and AJ snaps that it is Hernan and he is NOT a creep (he got blown by a 15-year-old, dude), he's his friend. Carmela can't help herself coming somewhat to Hernan's defense by noting she volunteered with his mother once and knows Hernan has a reading disability (he knows the difference between 15 and 18 though) but while Tony is making an effort to be more accepting that is a step too far. He won't hear any excuses for Hernan and he also won't be giving AJ money for new clothes, and Carmela is quick to side with him, saying AJ isn't doing anything productive and is just wasting his nights away in nightclubs. AJ is mortified, he's not wasting time... he's learning the club business! With a sadly far too familiar mindset of "Can't get an inch? Demand a mile anyway", he claims that he's been figuring out how to run a nightclub by researching them and he could run a really successful nightclub, and they should stake him the money to buy one! Tony can't believe the balls on him while Carmela reminds him he's never even been a busboy and he thinks he can MANAGE a club? No, if he really wants to get back into Event Planning he should think about the Culinary Institute in Poughkeepsie (oh Carmela  ). Now AJ is bewildered, demanding once again to know where the hell anybody ever got the idea he wanted to be an Event Planner!?! He's completely forgotten about his bullshit excuse months ago that the party he organized was a demonstration of his skills in that field, a "talent" his desperate parents had latched onto for even the tiniest scrap of hope their son had some marketable skill. Tony though is willing to offer him a pathway, if he is actually serious about wanting to run a club, then he can organize a job for him at Beansie's so he can start learning and making his way up. AJ is aghast, Beansie's a pizza parlor, not a nightclub! "IT'S THE SERVICE INDUSTRY!" complains Tony, and Carmela has to shout too to remind them all that AJ is supposed to be going back to college next semester. He storms out complaining that the parents whose mansion he lives in rent free never do anything to support him, and Tony and Carmela are left exhausted and depressed, their mutual good mood utterly ruined. In the uncomfortable silence that follows, Tony says one of the stupidest things he has ever said as he ponders out loud if maybe they SHOULD buy him a nightclub, give him some responsibility and see if he can step up? Carmela shuts ridiculous idea down right away, reminding him that outside of all the 1000s of reasons that's a terrible idea: he's not even the legal drinking age to BE in a nightclub let alone own/run one. In therapy, Tony admits that his own son's presence is like a bad smell in the house, always hanging around, and it's especially bad for he and Carmela in their attempts to be amorous. He explains that physically he is feeling like his old self again, and with a "carefree" laugh he "jokes" that given his current situation nobody could blame him for seeking an "extracurricular outlet". Melfi treats this statement with the utter disdain it deserves, simply staring at him till he complains SHE is the one projecting and he was just being theoretical. "Offended", he points out that after everything Carmela did for him after the shooting, in the hospital and now back at home he would be a monster to cheat on her again. But Melfi can sense there is frustration and hostility there and asks him if on some level he blames Carmela for AJ's problems. Tony actually, legitimately thinks about this for a few moments and comes to a firm conclusion. No. She's a good mother who did her best, he will not second-guess or criticize her for his son's flaws. But he needs SOMEBODY to blame, so turning on Melfi he complains that "for once" he could use from practical advise from her, as always ignoring or forgetting all the times she has given him rock-solid advice he has either rejected, forgotten or convinced himself were his own. What does he do about AJ? So Melfi gives him extremely good advice: no matter what they do, he and Carmela have to be a unified front with an agreed upon strategy who don't work against each other or contradict each other when it comes to dealing with their son. They need to make it clear to him that he has to fulfil certain expectations while he is living in their house, and they can't let him just get away with doing whatever he wants. Meanwhile, Carmela is visiting AJ in his bedroom to give him cash while insisting he go and spend it on a nice suit for a proper job or college interview    Vito heads home with a box of pizza fter a long and agonizing day, his face swollen up and his body aching from the punch and kick he took from Jim. As he walks, he looks across into the diner, spotting Jim cleaning up, Jim spotting him and frowning before turning away. AJ, wearing fresh new clothes bought with the money Carmela gave him for a suit, snorts coke in the bathroom of the nightclub then heads back to the VIP room, let in by the Little Person who greets him happily. Hernan introduces him to Farhad and Daryl but doesn't bother to even mention the two bored looking woman with them. Farhad asks if AJ knows Tommy Filippo, a connected guy he is friends with, but AJ of course doesn't. Hernan explains that the two are starting up a new line of sports drinks, and Farhad excitedly explains it to an actually interested AJ who recognizes enough of what he's saying from his football days to see the appeal of the product. They're looking for investors and ask if they can get him a prospectus, and he excitedly agrees... until they add on that they want him to give it to his father. Shutting down, he just nods and stop engaging as they shift to talking to Hernan about another nightclub. As Carmela lies in bed reading, AJ pops in having returned home earlier than expected. He asks her to wake him up at 10am if he isn't already up, then heads to his own room. Carmela is thrilled, perhaps thinking he has an interview lined up and that her giving him the cash was the right move after all. Vito joins the boring tourists for breakfast where the subject of discussion is covered bridges and brooms. He overhears the sound of a motorcycle and looks out, seeing Jim heading down the road to enjoy that open freedom he mentioned just before they kissed and it all went horribly wrong. At noon an angry Carmela wakes AJ, she had woken him at 10am like he asked but he hasn't moved from the bed. She goes on about her housework for the next little while, but around 4pm she brings the laundry up to the living room and finds AJ... lying on the couch watching cartoons and not even dressed from when he was in bed. In disbelief, she complains that she thought he had something to do today, and takes the laundry upstairs. AJ, finally roused to action, heads upstairs and opens his drawer, but not to retrieve clothes just yet. Instead he stares at the large hunting knife he has placed in there. At the mental health facility where he has been dumped until he either improves enough to stand trial or just quietly gathers dust and gets forgotten, Junior Soprano is complaining to an orderly bringing him his meal in the dining room. He wants to know why he never gets any mail, to which the orderly replies maybe it would help if he wrote to somebody first. He leaves and a seething Junior whispers to the silent man beside him that the orderly is a lying cocksucker, before turning the fastidious man trying to eat his meal in peace on the other side of him that they're clearly throwing his mail away. As Junior eats his dinner and complains to his silent table-mates, outside at reception AJ Soprano is signing in with uncharacteristic quiet. An orderly opens the door and leads him in, AJ slowly unzipping his jacket as he walks, taking him to the dining room where he approaches Junior and informs him he has a visitor. A surprised Junior turns and sees AJ and his entire face lights up, unable to believe he's come.... Anthony! Mistaking AJ for Tony, Junior leaps to his feet and approaches arms outstretched, a beaming smile but a hint of desperation as he asks to be taken home at last. AJ, aghast, nothing about this pathetic scene matching the script in his head, drops the knife he was keeping beneath his jacket to the floor with a loud thump. The orderly spots it and shouts out a warning, and AJ immediately bolts for the door, Junior loudly insisting the knife isn't his. AJ is jumped by the other orderlies who are well practiced at this type of thing, restraining him as he slams into the security door which of course doesn't budge, it can't be opened by anybody from the inside. He screams for them to let go of him, weeping that Junior shot his dad, but they don't of course. They pull him from the door and get him on the floor, holding him down, repeating over and over again that he needs to calm down and take it easy. The task he had his mother wake him for was to murder his Great-Uncle Junior, and after a day of procrastination he finally got up the gumption to go only for the sobering reality to hit him like a ton of bricks the moment he saw the truth of Junior's situation.   A worried Tony arrives at the police station where he sees AJ sitting at a policeman's desk, casting a nervous look his way. Tony has pulled strings, of course, and Assembly Zellman who he once whipped with a belt has saved his son's entire life by convincing the cops to let him go without charge. They leave the station together, Tony saying nothing, but when AJ complains sulkily that his stomach hurts Tony has had enough. No more being accepting, no more trying to be more understanding, he grabs AJ by the shoulders and hauls him backwards, slamming him into the side of a car and calling him a stupid loving moron, asking if he truly understand just what could have happened to him if Tony didn't have connections? Any cop going by the book could have charged him with attempted murder and that would have been it, AJ's life would have been ruined forever for absolutely nothing. But AJ's indifference has always been an affectation and he snaps back. He screams that Junior shot Tony and he was just going to let him get away with it? Tony roars back that he already told AJ on the boat that this was his business and not AJ's, and sneers that he achieved nothing anyway. As always with Tony, the immediate pleasure/gratification of indulging himself leads to almost immediate regret, as he realizes the truly heinous thing he just said to his son. Seeing the tears welling up in AJ's eyes, he manages to bark out a demand he not cry (real men don't cry, is Tony's toxic message to his son, only in VERY particular and socially acceptable settings and even then only in the right context, as Phil Leotardo has demonstrated). Filled with regret, knowing that slamming his son against a car, choking him and waving a canned-ham sized first in his face hasn't actually achieved anything of merit, he manages to calm himself. Quietly he admits that AJ's heart was in the right place, echoing what Christopher and Bobby told him in the hospital when they insisted this wasn't something he should do, but says what he wanted to do simply wasn't right. AJ is incredulous at this, TONY SOPRANO is telling him about right and wrong. But the point Tony is making is an important one, something as vile is murder is not something that is in AJ's nature, and it is perhaps telling that when Tony tells AJ he is a nice guy, he has to remind that being a nice guy is a GOOD thing. Struggling to articulate his (positive) emotions so openly, he insists he is glad that his son is a good guy, and then listens in gape-mouthed shock as AJ calls him a hypocrite and reminds him how much he always raves about the scene in Godfather where Michael kills the men who plotted the assassination attempt on his father, calling it his favorite scene of all time. Tony is devastated, not because of the suggestion that he put the idea in AJ's head, but because of one very real and obvious fact that he cannot believe his grown son never grasped: it's just a movie. Gently, he places his hand against AJ's cheek and with heartfelt emotion tells him he has to grow up, he's not a kid anymore and it's time he acted like it. Finally, the delayed reaction kicks in. AJ had complained his stomach hurt, now after this intense back and forth heart-to-heart with his father it can't take it anymore. He tries to throw up but there's nothing in his stomach, he just dry-heaves, retching in pain as Tony realizes they've come to the end of anything effective they can do tonight. He gets into the car, AJ joining him, and as he backs out of the lot he makes one last thing extremely clear to his son in spite of earlier telling him it was time to grow up: his mother can NEVER know about any of this. EVER.   This is an incredibly strong and heartbreaking scene, and it's not solely carried by Gandolfini. Robert Iler does an exceptional job here. At Satriale's the next day, Tony sits outside in unusual silence. Julianna calls him with the news that Jamba Juice is now offering 494k for the building, and even though he made it clear he didn't want to sell she has to make the offer, as well as that they're still willing to let him carry the note. He looks up and see Mrs. Conte walking on the other side of the street, she smiles and waves and he does the same back, then without missing a beat tells Julianna that he agrees to the deal. But he doesn't want to sign the contract at her office, he wants to do it at her apartment. Now she is the one who doesn't miss a beat, simply agreeing that it is a good idea. They make a "date" for 9pm and she hangs up, then takes a moment to consider just what the hell she let herself agree to. In New Hampshire, Vito quietly enters the diner and asks for Johnny Cakes. Jim turns from the stovetop to stare at him, then shrugs and asks if he wants a short stack of tall. Tall, of course, and with this awkward moment out of the way he settles at the counter. Jim asks if he wants coffee and he agrees, but as he starts to turn away Vito reaches out and takes his hand. Looking up at Jim throw one still swollen eye, he admits that sometimes you tell a lie so long you don't know when to stop. Jim, who seemingly at one point tried to convince himself or others that he wasn't gay, nods in acknowledgement. Tony is in the wardrobe picking out what to wear when a happy Carmela joins him to offer him his French blue dress shirt, which she just ironed. He thanks her and puts it on, and she notes with pleasure he's dressing up nice and asks - without suspicion or concern - what the occasion is. "A real estate thing" he offers, and she beams and calls him her handsome man as she buttons up his shirt for him, staring up at him with love. He looks back with the same love in his eyes, but when she finishes buttoning his shirt he's going to head out and go to another woman's house with the clear intention to have sex with her. Meanwhile Vito and Jim are quickly making up for the disaster of their first kiss. Borrowing another bike, Vito joins Jim on that ride down the highway he suggested, and they stop for a picnic where they kiss without incident, Vito slipping Jim's shirt off to enjoy his physique. AJ heads out to the nightclub again that evening, sitting in the VIP feeling strangely detached from everything around him. One of Hernan's friends is loudly complaining about how he can't get back his security deposit on an apartment and his dad is pissed at him about it... maybe AJ's dad could send somebody around to lean on the landlord? AJ gives a strangled nod and accepts a fistbump, but he can feel something is wrong, an impending sense of something coming for him. Hernan, wrapped up in talking into some of the girls with them, notices AJ is looking sweaty and asks with what at least seems to be genuine concern if he is okay. He mimes snorting coke, asking if he needs some, and AJ shakes his head, trying to figure out what is wrong with him. Tony arrives at Julianna's where she admits she is feeling weirdly nervous. She leads him through signing and initialing the document in multiple places, leaning in close to him, Tony forcing himself to stop looking at her, not wanting to wait, feeling like he has "denied" himself long enough. Finally they're out of the way and then they all over each other, Tony pressing her onto the couch and kissing her, whipping off his coat and kissing her, rolling over and tearing her panties away from beneath her skirt. But as she reaches down and begins unbuttoning his shirt it all falls apart. Staring down at her hands unbuttoning the shirt that his wife buttoned up with such love in his eyes, for one of the few times in his life Tony Soprano feels guilt strong enough to make him actually stop and control himself in the middle of indulging a vice. Proving the lie to a statement he made long ago to Melfi about how men can't actually control themselves once they get started, he moves Julianna away from him, gets up from the couch and gathers his things. Asking if he is done with signing the papers, she confusedly tells him he has and he declares he has to go and walks out the door. Completely at a loss, she knocks back the rest of her champagne, having no idea what the hell just happened.   AJ has retreated to the bathroom and is trying to get himself together. He splashes water in his face and looks at himself in the mirror, breathing heavily, barely more than a boy who came so close to killing his Uncle, and even after failing could have easily been spending tonight in a jail cell for the first day of the rest of his life instead of being in this Club. The sense of dread is ever rising... and finally it is too much and AJ collapses. Two men enter the bathroom and spot him lying on the floor and one quickly rushes to his side as he comes to, identifying himself as a doctor and asking if he is okay. AJ admits his heart is beating fast, but insists he hasn't taken any drugs/amphetamines. The doctor asks if he has any history of this type of thing, confusing AJ when he explicitly asks him a question all too familiar to Tony Soprano: does he have panic attacks? Carmela wakes when she hears the door slamming closed. She walks out onto the landing listening to cursed muttering coming from the kitchen, recognizing Tony's voice. She calls out to him and he storms out and looks up at her, demanding to know where the smoked turkey is? She's got no idea what he's talking about, and he throws a tantrum about how he busts his rear end all day (eating food and watching strippers) and he can't even get any smoked turkey! He storms back into the kitchen as Carmela, for the first time since he was shot, gets angry back at him and demands to know what the gently caress his problem is. He doesn't reply, just staring inside the fridge again and then slamming it. If it wasn't smoked turkey it would have been something else, he's looking for something to get angry about, because he's mad he for once couldn't get his own way. He told AJ to finally grow up, but Tony Soprano is the world's biggest spoiled child, not used to being denied and CERTAINLY not used to being self-denied. Ironically for once staying faithful to his wife has lead to the return of an old status quo, as now the seal has been broken: they've both gotten openly mad at each other, and now that it has happened once, it can and will happen again. At Caputo's, Patsy and Burt are collecting from Mr. Caputo where they're informed that this won't be part of their collections much longer: "You Boss went and sold the building" he complains, Tony no longer the favored old regular but "YOUR Boss", he sold and now a Jamba Juice is moving in. Patsy isn't pleased to hear this either, he's got a kid in college! He and Burt leave the old store and look around the street, on the rise, property values going up, and bemoans the death of small businesses that have been such a lifeline for him and his kind... truly, HE is the real victim here.  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 15:35 on Apr 23, 2020 |
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Feb 5, 2020 15:09
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I could not for the life of me figure out if the girl giving AJ the massage was Rhiannon who ends up showing back up later in the season for a few episodes, or if she was one of the other random girls in the VIP room (please God tell me she wasn't the 15-year-old) so if anybody can tell me definitively one way or the other I'll edit the write-up accordingly.
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Feb 5, 2020 15:21
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The fact that it was smoked turkey is even more galling to Carmela because he's not supposed to be eating stuff like that which is why it's not in the fridge, and she was even proud of using low fat/low sodium salami in his sandwich earlier. Rhiannon is the girl that AJ recognizes at the mental hospital and ends up with by the end of the series. I don't think she's fifteen, but she's certainly young because AJ is shown picking her up from high school in the final episode.
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Feb 5, 2020 15:46
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While it's not a great series as it goes on, one of the more interesting aspects of Sons of Anarchy was the MC trying to keep all big business and development out of their small NorCal town for precisely the reasons that see Patsy walking away with an empty bag. They're up against old white money and you can't beat a prick at a pissing contest.
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Feb 5, 2020 18:11
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Patsy's: "What Jews?!?" line is one of the funniest ones in the series to me. I know The Sopranos has some serious themes to it but man it's still a comedy first and foremost to me. It's just so fuckin funny.
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Feb 5, 2020 19:39
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My spouse and I were talking the other day about how it's legitimately funnier than most sitcoms have ever managed to be. A lot of it is about the individuality of the characters, that they're drawn as real people. You couldn't take lines from Paulie and put them in Tony's mouth, Carmela would never say certain things, etc. So something like the legendary intervention scene is all the more hilarious because you've had three and a half seasons to get used to these people and they all act and react accordingly.
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Feb 5, 2020 19:43
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Pope Corky the IX posted:My spouse and I were talking the other day about how it's legitimately funnier than most sitcoms have ever managed to be. A lot of it is about the individuality of the characters, that they're drawn as real people. You couldn't take lines from Paulie and put them in Tony's mouth, Carmela would never say certain things, etc. So something like the legendary intervention scene is all the more hilarious because you've had three and a half seasons to get used to these people and they all act and react accordingly. When I came in to open up one morning there you were with your head half in the toilet. Your hair was in the toilet water. Disgusting. It's been said before but that was poetry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7IBPbAfkeE Definitely one of the moments that made me laugh out loud. Paulie with the ghosts was another.
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Feb 5, 2020 21:32
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 09:37 |
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Pope Corky the IX posted:My spouse and I were talking the other day about how it's legitimately funnier than most sitcoms have ever managed to be. A lot of it is about the individuality of the characters, that they're drawn as real people. You couldn't take lines from Paulie and put them in Tony's mouth, Carmela would never say certain things, etc. So something like the legendary intervention scene is all the more hilarious because you've had three and a half seasons to get used to these people and they all act and react accordingly. Yeah it has that mix of seriousness and comedy that matches the absurdity of real life. I don't want to say realism since the show is not going for that at all, but there's a consistency to how the characters behave that leads to hilarity when they're put into the right situations. And the dialogue is snappy and on point. It's one of the most quotable shows you could ever watch.
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Feb 5, 2020 22:34
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