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Here’s the LP I was talking about : https://lparchive.org/A-Scotsman-In-Egypt/
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Apr 8, 2020 18:14
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Phenotype posted:there are probably other lurkers like me since this is a thread with so much reading to keep up with, and also (of course) thanks so much for doing such a fantastic job with these write-ups! You catch so many subtleties I've missed, and the summaries are so thorough it's almost as good as watching the episode again. I really appreciate the show so much more for all the symbolism and foreshadowing and parallels you point out. I am one of those lurkers! Jerusalem's write-ups are tremendous. The Sepinwall book is good, but the recaps in this thread bring a different perspective that I really enjoy. Anybody listen to "Talking Sopranos" with Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa? I'm halfway through the first episode and it's fun. I think they play well off of each other. I look forward to hearing Imperioli talk about his experience as a writer for the show. Also "Pod Yourself A Gun" has the best podcast intro of all time. https://podyourselfagun.blubrry.net/
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Apr 8, 2020 19:15
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insideoutsider posted:
It was cited a few posts up. Jerusalem's The Wire write ups were really helpful to me in sorting out the vast array of characters that I sometimes found confusing.
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Apr 8, 2020 19:18
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Ishamael posted:Oh it was a thing. Was that the "I aquit" of The Sopranos thread?
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Apr 8, 2020 19:35
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This episode isn't my favorite, but it actually did do the impossible. It made me feel bad for AJ, holy poo poo the whiplash of engagement to breakup is heartbreaking. AJ finally actually seemed to give a poo poo and had some vaguely plausible life plan and was certainly seeming to be having some long delayed development. I am sure behind the scenes there were problems especially irt maturity, and I don't fault Blanca. Age gap relationships seem to be a mess, especially since it seems like she had already been married (I think its implied that she and hectors dad actually were married) and is probably thinking back to all the things that went wrong last time and balking at the red flags.
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Apr 8, 2020 20:18
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Jack2142 posted:This episode isn't my favorite, but it actually did do the impossible. I've always felt sympathy for him and have never understood why the character (and the actor) catches so much poo poo. It's not his fault he's born with a violent, criminal, absent, unfaithful, depressed , lying father and a willfully ignorant materialistic mother, both of whom are tremendous hypocrites and really aren't setting good examples at all. FBI raids, violent arguments, secrecy, bribes to teachers and occasional threats of corporal punishment aint gonna make a well adjusted kid. He's the byproduct of people who THINK they're good parents because they provide material benefits, pretend to be religious, stress/pay lip service to the importance of family and all that but it's mostly showy poo poo and utterly drenched in hypocrisy. When in any episode do we see either parent helping him with his homework, playing with him or teaching him anything without yelling at him or threatening punishment? Tony let him drive the boat once and played Mario Cart with him. Meadow tried to help him with a Robert Frost poem but everything they do (that I can recall) that they think is parenting is really grandstanding and, more often than not, spoiling him.
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Apr 8, 2020 22:38
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In Carmela's defense, when she and Tony split up, she does spend more time actually working with AJ helping him on his homework. The fact this is born out of a combination of desperation and guilt can't be denied, of course, and it's probably too little too late (he's basically near the end of High School at this point) but she did at least make an effort. It's more than can be said for Tony, who at the same time was offering such wonderful parenting tricks as,"smashing a bowl of cereal" and "physically intimidate and emotionally berate him into doing what I say".
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Apr 8, 2020 23:06
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BiggerBoat posted:I've always felt sympathy for him and have never understood why the character (and the actor) catches so much poo poo. I wouldn't put it all on upbringing since Meadow came out of the same house as a far more capable person, even if she ended up embracing her mother's hypocrisy. AJ's a failson, and while there are worse things to be (like pretty much anything having to do with organized crime, as even Tony recognized on some level), it doesn't make him a particularly entertaining character. I do wonder if there was an ever an idea for him to be more like his dad, but some combination of Iler not growing up to have anything close to Gandolfini's presence (either in terms of charm or physicality) and Tony having the examples set by Jackie Jr and Christopher as flashing red lights telling him to keep his kid far away from that life moved the show away from that.
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Apr 9, 2020 07:05
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Sinteres posted:AJ's a failson, and while there are worse things to be (like pretty much anything having to do with organized crime, as even Tony recognized on some level), it doesn't make him a particularly entertaining character. I do wonder if there was an ever an idea for him to be more like his dad, but some combination of Iler not growing up to have anything close to Gandolfini's presence (either in terms of charm or physicality) and Tony having the examples set by Jackie Jr and Christopher as flashing red lights telling him to keep his kid far away from that life moved the show away from that. Someone up thread said Little Carmine is a template for AJ had he gotten into the business.
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Apr 9, 2020 11:28
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I'm curious how AJ would have turned out if Tony had gotten killed earlier on and Carmella's fears of being abandoned came true.
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Apr 9, 2020 15:24
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Little Carmine is way more ambitious than AJ. So is the lovely son who got killed by being bad at mobbing It’s kind of funny that AJ is the only failson in the show
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Apr 9, 2020 15:35
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Yeah, Little Carmine was still capable in his own way and smart enough to back out before it was too late. He's pretty much the most successful mob guy on the show. Good home life from what we can tell, not a lot of violence on his hands, respected enough by both crews to act as a mediator, and a few successful mostly straight businesses to fall back on. Something I was wondering was if we ever saw a lot of the NY guys cheating on their wives. I'm sure there were, but for the most part they all seemed pretty faithful compared to the poo poo show that was NJ.
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Apr 9, 2020 19:29
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Also you should hate AJ because a lot of AJs faults are Tony’s The only real difference is AJ is so powerless it comes across more pathetic than anything
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Apr 9, 2020 19:42
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A friend of mine went through the whole series a few years ago, and the turning point for him with AJ was the bear scene. Found it suprising he made it that far.
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Apr 9, 2020 19:51
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Solice Kirsk posted:Yeah, Little Carmine was still capable in his own way and smart enough to back out before it was too late. He's pretty much the most successful mob guy on the show. Good home life from what we can tell, not a lot of violence on his hands, respected enough by both crews to act as a mediator, and a few successful mostly straight businesses to fall back on. Phil is with his goomar or whatever when they blow up the wire room I think
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Apr 9, 2020 19:54
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Solice Kirsk posted:Something I was wondering was if we ever saw a lot of the NY guys cheating on their wives. I'm sure there were, but for the most part they all seemed pretty faithful compared to the poo poo show that was NJ. Johnny Sack and Bobby Bacala are the only two characters explicitly mentioned not to cheat on their spouses, in fact both are derided for it, implying that having a comare is the norm. Even Vito kept one just for appearances. We don’t see the NY families with a level of detail required to make an overall assessment, really.
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Apr 9, 2020 21:47
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Not sure if Gerry Torciano was married, but the night he's killed he and Silvio are taking their girlfriends out to dinner so yeah, it's just a standard thing for these guys (at noted, Vito even has one just to keep up appearances) but we don't spend enough time with the New York guys to really see it.
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Apr 9, 2020 22:42
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It's a testament to this show that Johnny Sack's baseline "faithful to his spouse" makes him very endearing.
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Apr 9, 2020 23:40
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Dawgstar posted:It's a testament to this show that Johnny Sack's baseline "faithful to his spouse" makes him very endearing. Especially since he takes so much poo poo for marrying an overweight woman.
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Apr 9, 2020 23:58
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Rubenesque
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Apr 10, 2020 12:05
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Joey peeps wasnt made or possibly even married but he sure did love him some whores
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Apr 10, 2020 12:08
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His family name is Pepperelli!
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Apr 10, 2020 13:09
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I'm dyslexic
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Apr 10, 2020 13:09
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What's that got to do with it?
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Apr 10, 2020 13:12
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banned from Starbucks posted:This is the 4th and final of what I call the "last hurrah" episodes where a side character gets a majority of the focus of the episode and then their story is basically done and we never see them again. (Stage 5 for Johnny, Remember When for junior...whatever the one was called with Artie in 6A) Didn't Artie figure that out in the end? I thought he was like one of the few characters to have somewhat of an positive ending. Crosswell posted:Here’s the LP I was talking about : Jesus, talk about a blast from the past. Completely blanked out that this is Jerusalem's work too. The CK LP too...I was literally 16 when I read this and it started my lifelong interest in strategy games so Jerusalem is definitely in my Top 10 most influential authors too. DarkCrawler fucked around with this message at 13:32 on Apr 10, 2020 |
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Apr 10, 2020 13:29
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Artie and Charmaine do end up with a mostly happy ending. He's rediscovered his passion for cooking, they've gotten back together, the restaurant is doing well again, and he's been distancing himself more from Tony. They even come over to basically gloat to Tony and Carmela in the Blue Comet.
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Apr 10, 2020 13:35
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Yeah, Artie had a moment where he seemed to finally find some measure of piece, back with his wife and cooking a meal himself from a variation of his grandfather's recipe for a couple who looked to his restaurant as a port in the storm like Tony told him he once did. He appears again a couple more times but purely as a character in a scene and not any deeper storyline, I don't think there was much more to say or do with him that wouldn't have been redundant.
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Apr 10, 2020 13:36
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For some reason I thought the scene of AJ accidentally setting his car on fire had already been covered, but apparently that was in the final episode. There weren't too many kids in my neighborhood running around in hummers back in the day, so I never realized how hot they ran. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF1RXJoiG44
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Apr 10, 2020 20:12
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That's a Nissan Xterra, same car as Tony gave him in S5. Though the Hummer also was popular in School Bus Yellow so I can see the confusion e: it also bears mentioning that any car will theoretically do that- the catalytic converter gets insanely hot, and if you're parked idling on a thick bed of dry leaves then it'll catch the leaves on fire, then the leaves burn the car e2: literally what Tony says in the video lol Harold Stassen fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Apr 10, 2020 |
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Apr 10, 2020 21:21
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The h3 was so bad people will still confuse it with a Nissan
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Apr 11, 2020 02:26
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When I meant this episode made me feel bad for AJ, was in my first watch I really despised him and on a rewatch I feel a lot more sympathetic. As far as why Meadow turned out better, I think some is just she was a smarter more ambitious person and coupled with being an older child and a girl I think she ended up probably less coddled than AJ. Carmela for her faults is probably a a somewhat better female role model for her than Tony and the male mobsters for AJ. I can also see Carmela pushing Meadow a lot harder to excel while Tony was still the "fun" parent (Why he says Meadow always loved me more to Melfi). If only to I guess mollify some of her regrets at being a mobwife, instead of an independent woman with a career. For AJ he was her baby boy and she would think the best of him and as mentioned by the time she really started to pick up on his struggles he was in HS and it was too late. Tony seemed to leave the kids mostly to her so I'm not trying to excuse him, but I think that is a huge factor in the different outcomes. Alternatively the one thing that got AJ motivated was an older MILF so ending up a porn producer with Little Carmine is probably a perfect ending for his story. Jack2142 fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Apr 12, 2020 |
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Apr 11, 2020 02:50
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Michael Imperioli's cousin passed away from Corona  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEhI8PScdsc
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Apr 13, 2020 11:51
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Man that sucks. I listened to the first two episodes and they're really good but there is a strong undercurrent of both guys (Imperioli especially) feeling more obligated than anything else to get them done right now. Even if you discount their obvious and very justified concerns about doing this at a time when so much else seems more important, they detailed a lot of plans they had for doing it in person and having on special guests etc and instead it's the two of them sitting in their respective homes doing it via teleconferencing. The ad reads are something else as well, they grind everything to a halt. Ironically sometimes they just bring up the product they're shilling (some headphones) naturally while discussing the episodes and it's 1000 times more effective than labored ad reads of marketing script that has been prepared for them.
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Apr 13, 2020 14:10
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Season 6, Episode 17 - Walk Like a ManPaulie Gualtieri posted:How's about being normal? That so loving hard? Tony wakes up in bed, earlier than normal but in a good mood. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, all is right with the world. He heads downstairs literally singing (as will soon be ironic, he's singing Comfortably Numb), spotting Carmela in the kitchen preparing food (of course) and man it feels good to be alive sometimes... at which point he spots his grown-rear end son flopped miserably on the couch watching Tom and Jerry cartoons. He's surprised and concerned, he knows AJ is broken up over Blanca and he's NEVER up this early in the morning. He's uneasy when AJ mumbles that he couldn't sleep, sharing a concerned look with Carmela. Both of them know the signs of depression when they see it, Tony through firsthand experience and Carmela of course from watching Tony deal (or not) with it. Carmela offers to make him some breakfast, and calls out to AJ to see if he wants some too. Distracted from a television he was barely watching anyway, he complains that food isn't the answer to every problem (as if any Italian mother is gonna believe that). Tony can't help himself that being a whiny little bitch ALSO doesn't solve any problems, and AJ wallows in self-pity, mumbling that he'll eat at his pizza job later... his lovely little pizza job. Tony, who hilariously has always been confused as to why AJ doesn't have a work ethic, suggests he take a day off. AJ can't believe THAT is his father's advice, a day off to get over losing his fiance? He doesn't take kindly to Carmela's empty comment that it is better to have loved and lost, turns off the TV and heads out. Tony and Carmela exchange uneasy looks again, though Tony admits that while he feels bad for his son... does he really have to take it out on them? There's a better familial relationship going on at one of the hardware stores of Alphonse "Al" Lombardo, where there is a line out the door of - of all things - off-duty policemen eagerly snapping up suspiciously inexpensive power-tools. They've been provided to Al by his son-in-law, Christopher Moltisanti, who arrives and is warmly greeted by Al who also slips him an envelope stuffed full of cash, his take from the sales. They talk briefly about an upcoming BBQ at his house, Christopher and Kelli's first shot at entertaining at home.   At the Bada Bing, Christopher meets with Paulie, who is the one supllying the power tools. Christopher has already taken his cut and passes the other 12k over to a happy Paulie. They comment on the number of cops who purchase the power tools, Paulie noting that they all have side-jobs as handymen to afford fishing boats. Christopher points out that things are going so well that he even has a State Trooper hired to put a drop ceiling into his basement! But things take a less relaxing turn when they're handed drinks and Christopher offers a toast, and Paulie (of course) can't resist getting in a little dig: is he really gonna toast to their successful business operation with a non-alcoholic drink? Christopher is somewhat taken aback, it's a weird thing to complain about especially when they were in such a good mood, but Paulie complains that he's been a real "drip" recently. This brings back all kinds of uncomfortably but sadly familiar issues for Christopher, who testily points out that when he was drinking and taking drugs he was a disgrace but now that he's clean and sober he's boring? Paulie has no problem agreeing that yes both these things are true, and complains that Christopher should "just be normal. Is that so hard?" Fighting to contain his own temper, Christopher grunts back that yes, yes it IS that hard for some people to "just be normal". Sensing he's taken things too far, Paulie immediately pulls the old "I was just joking" card, telling him it was just breaking balls and he shouldn't be "cunty" about it. To his credit, while he doesn't say he's sorry he does make what sounds like a genuine offer of conciliation, offering to take him out and treat him to a prime rib dinner. If he was thinking straight, Christopher would probably take him up on the offer if only to maintain the peace, but his feelings are too hurt so he offers back what he hopes sounds like an equally genuine suggestion they take a rain check. This, of course, causes Paulie to go off again, this time asking him if he's watching his cholestoral now too. Fed up, Christopher tosses money for the bill onto the table and leaves in a rush. Paulie, of course, sits fuming in the aftermath, somehow feeling like HE is the one who has been slighted this time. At Satriale's, Tony is grabbing a coke from the front counter when he spots Agents Harris and Goddard eating sandwiches. Frowning, having been mulling over something in the back of his mind for awhile now, he walks up and greets Harris (Goddard he could take or leave). Harris makes a little small talk about his former role in the FBI, noting that he's never been a fan of Phil Leotardo since his early days in law enforcement when he knows Phil tried to set up a female rookie to be raped. Tony seems uneasy at this unsavory revelation, probably not least of which is that it doesn't change that he still has to work with Phil regardless (and besides, Tony has let plenty slide regarding the abuse of women over the years, with poor Tracee only the most obvious example). But he hasn't come over to reminisce about old times, but to ask what considerations might be on offer for him should he offer up evidence of potential terrorist activity like they've asked him in the past. Harris perks up now, being VERY careful to explain exactly what would happen while making NO promises about the outcome. IF Tony gives them information and IF it is credible and IF it leads to arrests then Harris would write a 5K document to be added to his case-file. After that, IF Tony ever faced trial and IF he was found guilty then the Judge would read that report as part of a sentencing recommendation and THEY would decide IF that warranted a reduction or other leniency in sentencing. In other words he's offering nothing while still making it clear that there is real potential value to be had. It's enough for Tony, it seems, who passes on the information he has. At first Harris and Goddard (too eager, immediately jumping to asking questions Tony isn't going to answer) must feel like it's a waste of their time: two guys whose ethnicity and names he is unsure of used to hang out a strip club alot but then stopped, and he recently saw them in traditional Muslim clothes talking with a group of other Muslims. But then Tony puts through a call to (unnamed in front of the Agents) Christopher, who is sitting on the stoop of his giant house watching his wife and daughter play in the front-yard to ask him for more details and they come flooding in. It was Ahmed and Muhammed, and Ahmed's last name was al Najafi, AND he has a cellphone number for Ahmed as well. While Goddard hasn't heard Ahmed's name come up in any other context before, Tony's suspicions are enough to make him and Harris interested in taking a look, and the addition of a cellphone number (especially one used in illicit business) is a huge bonus. They thank Tony and he and Harris shake hands, and just like that two men's entire lives are about to be turned upside down not because they used to deal in stolen credit cards but because they have foreign names and wear the wrong type of clothes.   Such was life in post-9/11 America, such was probably life in pre-9/11 America as well, but never quite to the blatant extent seen in the madness that followed 2001. We saw in season 5 where Tony - perhaps as projection so as not to have to deal with other problems - became upset about the potential ease of access into the ports for terrorists. Ahmed and Muhammed though were never anything but friendly and welcoming to Tony and Christopher, the latter of whom even came to their defense the last time Tony got paranoid, pointing out all the reasons why they showed no signs of fundamentalism. Yes, you could argue that they simply used the Bing as cover and the credit cards they were buying COULD have been used to fund terrorist activities... but you could say the same about any ethnicity that engaged in criminal activity. So much of the suspicion falls on Ahmed and Muhammed not because of what they did, but because they happened to be Arab. The fact they were seen wearing traditional outfits means nothing, they may have just been dressed up as expected for a service (much like the "Sunday Best" many Christians wear when going to Church) or maybe they got fed up with a life of excess and decided to be more religious. That's the kind of thing that happens to thousands (tens or hundreds of thousands even) of people every year, but many of those have the benefit of not being the wrong color in the wrong part of the century. AJ finally seems to have gotten out of his funk, he's walking around outside having a happy chat and cracking jokes... with Blanca. Yes he's gone to visit her at the latest construction site she's working on, and they're enjoying each other's company as he tells her all about how he got one over on a problem customer recently. But things take a sour turn when she briefly chats with a passing (and tall and handsome) construction worker about his overtime. Immediately he's jealous, asking who that is, demanding to know if she is sleeping with him. Blanca warns him off, and we learn that they've met several times against her better judgment, and on at least one of those occasions (coffee at a Starbucks) he broke down crying. She warns him that if he can't control his emotions she's going to cut him off from even being on friendly terms with her, and he hugs her tight and moans that he loves her. Mortified, she pulls free and tells him he needs to stop and she needs to get back to work, and rushes off. Fighting a losing battle to stop crying, AJ rushes past three construction workers going the other way, trying to shield his face to avoid the humiliation of rejection yet again. Meanwhile, Tony is demonstrating why maybe AJ hasn't had the best role model in terms of healthy relationships. Sitting at the bar in the Bada Bing, he's hitting on one of the strippers and suggesting she finish work early so they can go back to her place and "christen those new sheets you were telling me about". Yes he's well and truly over his guilt about cheating on Carmela after she nursed him back to health, but the stripper is saved from the advances of the fat dude old enough to be her father when his wife calls him. Carmela is worried about AJ and wants Tony home to keep an eye on him while she meets with a realtor to discuss a new property she is planning on buying to repeat her spec house operation with (this time with all her own money). Tony doesn't quite grasp what she is saying as she eases around trying to admit she's scared their son is suicidal, finally settling on just exasperatedly asking him to PLEASE come home... now! Annoyed more because it means to practice more smooth pick-up lines such as "I have an erection", he hangs up and leaves. At home, he enters AJ's room where he finds his son curled up in misery on the bed. Meadow once regressed during her College years, acting more like a teenager than ever. AJ has also regressed in the wake of his breakup with Blanca, but unlike Meadow he had only barely started to show any signs of maturity at all, so this is more a return to form made the sadder by the fact he's past being a teenager now. At first Tony tries to play the hard-rear end, demanding AJ get up, telling him that enough is enough. But when AJ complains he's depressed, it strikes a chord with Tony. Actually stopping and considering his son's side of things instead of his own issues, Tony sits down and in a surprisingly gentle scene attempts to reach his boy and offer the value of his own experience. He doesn't threaten or demand or express some hosed up lesson about what a real man should be. Instead he promises his son that these feelings - as intense as they are - are not unique and he will eventually get over it. He points out that women can do a real number on a man's emotional state, and that the music industry has made a killing from mining it for creative content. More importantly, he talks up his son's value rather than trying to blame him or even to denigrate Blanca. It is Tony Soprano we're talking about, so some hosed up things flow through as his good intentions are filtered through layers of toxic masculinity and racism - noting that Blanca had "another guy's kid" and pointing out "you're white, that's a huge bonus nowadays!" - but his core message is a good one: AJ needs to move on rather than wallowing in the past. But ironically it is when he stops acting as a father and tries to treat AJ as he would another man/buddy by suggesting he get a blowjob that things go wrong. AJ is outraged, the love of his life dumps him and his father thinks he should get a blowjob? He complains loudly he doesn't want a blowjob, and Tony's hurried shushing makes his realize to his horror that they're not alone. He demands to know who is listening, and is mortified when Carmela walks through the door. She is worried about him too, and offers a united front with Tony: she loves him and it kills her to see him like this. Things almost take a dangerous turn when AJ moans,"What's the point?" which sets off alarm bells in Tony's head, what does he mean by that? AJ refuses to elaborate, simply demanding to be left alone in his misery. They leave the room, and now Tony is in a dark mood, the unthinkable notion that his son might be considering suicide pushing him well past that good mood he'd been in to nihilistic thoughts of his own. When Carmela sighs that she was glad when AJ and Blanca broke up due to the culture divide but now she's not so sure, Tony's only contribution is a seething,"Everything turns to poo poo!" before storming off.   Sunday comes and the Moltisantis have a full house, a very nervous Kelli welcoming Barbara Soprano, her husband Tom and their kids to the home. She introduces them to Al and brings them into the lounge, where Christopher's mother is lovingly cradling baby Caitlyn. In the kitchen, Carmela and Janice are helping with the food, and poor Sophia makes the mistake of asking her step-mother if she can play the X-Box and is instead told (or rather, reminded sternly) that she is meant to be folding napkins: Janice, who always resisted the normalized gender roles in the family/culture, now firmly forces them on her step-daughter when you can bet Bobby Jr is probably loafing around doing nothing. Christopher and Kelli have only a moment to offer moral support to each other as they continue their hosting duties, Christopher giving her a quick kiss on the check before carrying a tray of meat outside to the grill. Outside, yes the boys are just loving about playing football and not having to do anything. Christopher notices Tony and Bobby standing aside talking quietly about business, and he calls out to Tony if he's having a good time. Tony looks irritated to have been distracted and offers a non-committal "yeah" before going right back to talking with Bobby. Christopher is left feeling foolish at the grill, an outside in his own home. Later, as he piles up grilled meat ever higher on the plate, Tony does join him for a chat. He breaks his balls a little, but not in the overtly nasty way that Paulie did earlier, asking if the non-alcoholic beer he is drinking tastes any good, trying some himself and doing a fake commercial talking up how bad it tastes. Christopher can see the light side of this at least and chuckles, but just like Paulie Tony can't help himself and has to go just a little too far. He notes how good it is that he's finally had everybody over, and before Christopher can get done explaining how Kelli has been eager to start entertaining family he "jokes" that if it wasn't for this then he'd never get to see him in person. This leads to an interesting back and forth between the two where Tony attempts to pin down Christopher's flaws while avoiding any deeper discussion behind them, retreating often into offering imperious commands about how to grill properly (this is Christopher's home and Christopher's grill, this is a serious protocol breach). He's upset at Christopher for hardly being around anymore, only coming to the usual places for brief periods before moving on. He doesn't give any credence to Christopher's explanations that he is trying to avoid temptation, stating with the ease of the non-addict that he just needs to not succumb and that's that. If he has any self-awareness around his own recent gambling issues he doesn't show it, but when Christopher turns this argument around on him he's left reeling. So addiction being a disease is a crutch? Then his father Dickie Moltisanti was using a crutch too, right? Tony has no idea what he's talking about, so Christopher elaborates: he never truly knew his father, but he's heard enough about him from others to know he was forever guzzling vodka, snorting coke and wasn't shy about injecting drugs (presumably heroin) into his veins. For once Tony has no confident or authoritative retort when Christopher points out that Tony's mentor and hero was nothing more than another junkie looking for a fix. This is an important scene for a number of reasons. Primarily it demonstrates the growing gulf between Tony and Christopher, felt by both as seen by Christopher's reaction to Tony and Bobby's closeness and Tony's reaction to Christopher not mindlessly accepting everything he says. There has been a regular theme throughout this second part of season 6 of Tony discarding old loyalties/friendships when they are not convenient, when people grow out of the comfortable roles he has decided on them in his own mind. We've seen his discomfort when people remind him (even subconsciously) of a time before he was powerful, we've seen his rejection/alienation of father figures after his recovery from the shooting. But Christopher here also demonstrates a self-awareness that Tony either doesn't have or has actively suppressed over the years, made all the more apparent when Christopher reminds Tony that he's been in therapy for years now and therefore must understand the human condition. Christopher was able to see through the legend of his father, and that has to raise questions for Tony. One of them will be why didn't he see through the legend too (or if he did, why did he choose to ignore it)? But the other will surely be that if Christopher can see all the flaws in a dead man he never knew... he must surely see the flaws in Tony as well? Flaws perhaps that Tony thought were hidden, or even flaws he has hidden from himself? Is that a tenable situation for a man in his position? And how can he retain a Captain in such a high position within his organization who is able to see through the projected image of a powerful, intelligent and capable leader to the flawed and fragile human beneath?   Late at night, Al races to one of his hardware stores with a gun, a silent alarm having triggered in the store and gone straight to his house. It's pure luck that it wasn't hooked up to a security company or the police, because the people who have broken in and are removing power-tools from the store at Little Paulie Germani and Jason Molinaro. Little Paulie in a rush reminds Al that they met at Caitlyn's Christening, asking in exaggerated confusion/irritation if his Uncle didn't call him in advance to let him know they were coming. His uncle is Paulie Gaultieri of course, and the power-tools were needed for a "friend" down at the Union. They don't elaborate what Union they mean even when Al asks, simply assuring him that Paulie was supposed to warn him and they're sorry and in disbelief that he didn't, but there's nothing to be concerned about. Hesitantly, Al lowers his gun and complains he's going to call Christopher since Paulie or not they broke into his place, and quickly Little Paulie says this doesn't bother him.... but maybe it's not a good idea to create a problem when there doesn't need to be one. Al, obviously no stranger to the mob even before his daughter married into it, finds himself into the unpalatable situation of simply standing and watching as Jason finishes loading up his van full of power-tools, closes the door and they drive off into the night. At Beansie's Pizzeria, AJ is behind the counter listening to White Flag by Dido playing over the radio when he spots a young couple at a table sharing a pizza, giggling and kissing. Suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, he pulls off his apron and tells a startled worker called Felix that he's going home. "Why you do that?" asks the flummoxed Felix, and AJ explains that he's quitting, to apologize to Dale if he calls, and then simply walks out the door and leaves behind the one thing he still had in his life. "But... you're the manager!" gasps poor Felix, who really isn't paid enough to have to deal with this kind of bullshit. In the VIP Room of the Bada Bing, Patsy Parisi hands over a good sized envelope to Tony, who is pleased to get it. Patsy explains that a part of it actually comes from his son Jason, admitting that he was against him going to college but he and Carlo's son ended up running a sports book on campus and they're raking in cash. Amused, Tony notes this is the benefit of a higher education, and a beaming Patsy is quick to assure him he's not just making money but learning too, he even helped his mother set up a website for her ceramics business! Slightly taken aback to hear one of his Captains talking with such pride and love about his son when Tony's own is having such a hard time, he excuses himself to take a leak. Out the front, he spots Jason Parisi at the bar and joins him to say a quick hello, then spots Carlo entering with his son (also named Jason). Carlo's just come from the dentist and is shot up with a painkiller that has numbed his head, which is a target too delicious for Tony to resist cracking a joke about. Jason also laughs and Carlo fakes a good natured punch his way, then tells Tony he'll meet him in the back with an envelope for him. Tony takes the chance to catch up with the two Jasons, asking how Rutgers (alma mater of the late but not so lamented Jackie Aprile Jr) is treating them, and they laugh that they're majoring in cash and minoring in rear end. He briefly brings up AJ, talking up how well he is doing, bullshitting them that it was AJ who chose to break up with Blanca, but they're mostly focused on the strippers. Staring at these two young men with their whole lives ahead of them, whooping over a stripper, drinking, making money, having a good time, he can only see everything he wants for his own son. He brings up that Silvio mentioned they'd hired the bar out for a frat party next week, and suggests they call AJ who will "probably be busy" but would love to hear from them. Distracted but genuine, they say they'll do that, then go back to ogling the stripper. One fine morning, Paulie gets a visitor hammering on his door. It's Christopher, furious about Little Paulie breaking into Al's store and even more furious that Paulie hasn't answered any of his calls for the last two days. Paulie snaps angrily back that he only just flew back into town, acting like Christopher is blowing everything out of proportion despite clearly being in the wrong. When Christopher makes the mistake of putting on the threatening voice he uses for victims of his intimidation/protection rackets, Paulie fires up with his own and makes a clear if unstated reminder of their pecking order. They both might be Captains, but Paulie has seniority and he isn't going to let a "kid" talk down to him like this. He demands Christopher get out, and realizing he went too far Christopher goes, Paulie slamming the door behind him.   Christopher isn't done though, because there's somebody close to him who outranks even Paulie's seniority: Tony Soprano. Except as he's reminded, he and Tony aren't as close as they once were. When he barrels into the back office of the Bada Bing demanding something be done about Paulie, he's interrupting a discussion between Tony, Silvio and Bobby about the MRI Business that Tony set up way back in the very first episode, and Bobby's plans to expand it to increase their profits significantly. Tony once said this could be as big or bigger than garbage, and he doesn't appreciate it when he learns that Christopher is disrupting this talk of a multi-million dollar proposition to complain about a single pallet of power-tools that it turns out Al LET Little Paulie drive away in a van. Cruelly, with Bobby and Silvio flanking him grinning, Tony tells Christopher to go get a "lime rickey or whatever the gently caress it is you're drinking these days" and Tony will get to him soon. Humiliated, seething, Christopher proclaims he's got other poo poo to do and simply leaves. Tony takes things more seriously later that night though, when he's woken in bed where Carmela is reading a book on George W. Bush by a knock on the bedroom door. It's Meadow, nervous and hesitant to bring up a very sensitive subject: AJ's state of mind. She explains she's heard him say some things that remind her of a girl she knew in college who threw herself off a library balcony (the girl's name was Hadley, not Rucker, so it wasn't Caitlin). She doesn't want to upset them, but she felt she had to say something. They're quick to assure her she did the right thing, and to encourage her to go get some sleep. Once she's left though, they simply stare at each other.... just how do you react to news like this? Before dawn, Tony staggers down the stairs perhaps in search of a snack, and finds his son is once again up watching television, though this time he's watching Annapolis (a film about, among other things, a son who feels he is a disappointment to his father). He joins him, neither speaking, and they sit alone in the dim room watching the movie together. A middle-aged man sits in a waiting room, unable to help staring at a nude statue. That was our first introduction to Tony Soprano, and now the shot is largely repeated here, in what he thought was going to be his final ever therapy session. He admits as much to Dr. Melfi, explaining that he took her warning at their last session seriously and took the time to consider if this was something he was actually committed to continuing. He had decided he wasn't, and came to this session with the full intention to quit... except now he can't. Why not? Because his son is talking suicide, and he has no idea how to deal with that first on a parental level, but also with the emotional and psychological tornado it has thrown him into. Melfi is horrified of course, and offers to recommend somebody. He assures her that Carmela has that handled already, and can't help but remind her of how incompetent her last referral turned out to be (I mostly agree, gently caress Dr. Wendy Kobler!). But with that out of the way, he "jokes" that now comes the grilling from her because she'll want to know how HE feels about all this. Rather than rising to the bait, Melfi simply reminds him that this is why he's here in the first place, to do just that: talk about how he feels. Rather than do so though, as always Tony goes on a sidetrack and talks about something else: he has friends with kids AJ's age who are doing great, who are smart and ambitious and just enjoying their lives. Melfi wisely points out that he's only seeing a tiny portion of the surface parts of their life, but with confidence born of ignorance Tony insists that he knows what he saw, and also what he sees when he looks at his own son, likening him to a fetus. He explains that both himself and Carmela have done their best to talk to AJ, but now they're afraid in case they say the wrong thing and make things worse. Getting genuinely emotional, fighting tears forming in his eyes, Tony speaks lovingly of his children as babies, and how devastating it is when they get sick and you would do anything you could to prevent them from suffering but know you can't. But it's worse than that feeling, because he also KNOWS that he is the cause of it. The man who laughed off Christopher's insistence that treating addiction as a disease was a crutch now openly declares - not for the first time - that his depression is built into his genes, rotten genes that have infected his kid's soul. Yes, perhaps understandably, Tony has made this about himself: his son is depressed because that was Tony's "gift" to him, but Tony is also neatly setting the stage to take away his own personal responsibility. He has rarely truly engaged beyond a surface level in his therapy, while constantly haranguing Melfi for the techniques HE doesn't follow not working: but that's not his fault, he's not to blame, because it's in his genes and thus inescapable. He finds that "excuse" laughable in Christopher's very real problem, but has no problem applying it to himself, forgetting that Christopher also undertakes processes to AVOID his disease getting the better of him. Instead, Tony wallows in self-pity, the coping mechanisms he has largely picked up despite himself over the years with Melfi meaning he no longer suffers panic attacks but now exhibits his depression in more subtle ways. He admits that he has a bleak outlook on life but can largely handle that by himself, but that AJ doesn't have that same strength. He also admits that he hates therapy, he hates coming here and talking about himself and complaining and crying and all of it. By which he means, he hates himself for needing to do it, and for continuing to come instead of doing what he and Paulie and others have thoughtlessly told Christopher to do and "just be normal". Fed up, he demands Melfi answer an existential question to which there can be no definitive answer: is this all there is?  
Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Apr 15, 2020 |
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Apr 14, 2020 16:16
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Christopher is using one of those coping mechanisms now. His version of therapy is attending an AA Meeting, using this session to vent some of his frustrations with Tony. Divorced from the context of being a mobster, what he is saying makes perfect sense of many of the people attending: the issue for addicts with work socializing and the normalization of drinking as a bonding exercise. He's not the only one to complain about work colleagues being all onboard for an intervention only to get upset when he ducks out of a group outing that will put him in temptation's way. This is why he is trying to branch out into new things, but it infuriates him that Tony is an enabler and a hypocrite, offering a drink with one hand while judging him with the other if he should take it. He's losing money he needs for his daughter, and he knows he'd have more cash AND more responsibilities if he just started drinking with Tony again... which is something that he simply cannot do. In the pool-house, AJ is listlessly scrolling through channels on the big screen when Tony joins him. He makes him stop clicking when he spots Hellfighters, but doesn't actually pay any attention to the film. Instead he wants to ask if the two Jasons told him about the frat party, and when AJ grunts that he doesn't feel like going to a party, Tony points out sarcastically that beer, strippers and loving about with guys his own age are clearly AJ's least favorite things to do. But all joking aside, he choses to stamp his authority (calmly for once) down and make things clear: he's going to that party tomorrow, and that's all there is to it. AJ sees the path of least resistance is to simply agree, and a satisfied Tony leaves him alone. Christopher and one of the other addicts from the meeting continue the session in an empty stairwell once the meeting is done. Christopher fills him in on more details such as the fact his boss is also his Uncle, but even now while venting and getting a lot of bile out, he's careful in his phrasing to avoid actually revealing any crimes. As far as the other guy is concerned, Christopher is "just" a movie producer and club owner. Christopher skates around the Adriana situation, simply stating there was an "other woman" who worked with them at a club they owned, making it sound like she was around AFTER he and Kelli married. She became a problem and Christopher sided with Tony and agreed to "get rid" of her. The fact we know that this literally means they murdered her is made all the more chilling when Christopher - who is considering himself in the best possible light he can here - admits he was fine with the necessity of that situation but Tony never appreciated him for doing it, and that is when their relationship was first poisoned. Speaking of poisoned, it seems Paulie Gualtieri is still dripping venom after his confrontation with Christopher earlier. Little Paulie Germani and Jason Molinaro have been sent out to get MORE of those power-tools from Al's place, though this time they do it in broad daylight and without coercion. They simply wait for Al to leave the store, then head in and put on an act of having arranged to meet him to pick the power-tools up. They know details the hapless old clerk left in charge can only assume makes them legit, and a simple faked call to Al's voicemail is all they need to convince him to let them into the back to carry out thousands of dollars worth of drills. AJ meets for a session with Dr. Richard Vogel, where he numbly discusses the breakup with Blanca. He admits he still can't figure out WHY they broke up, the best he has been able to reason with was that she was intimidated by his family's wealth. Interestingly, this was actually his reason for being uncertain about his relationship with Devin, at his age maybe this limited experience is all he can use to try and find context. Vogel is calm and answers questions directly. He lacks charm of reassurance, but he asks pertinent questions and gets to the heart of the matter, learning things that Tony and Carmela couldn't: he hasn't been able to sleep because he can't stop thinking about Blanca; he has thought about killing himself a little but not too seriously; and his naivety is exposed when he's asked if he has ever tried to kill himself before and brings up the time he and some buddies jumped off a garage roof while fooling around. Largely he exposes himself as a child who has led a privileged life and never really had any sustained and deeply felt negative emotional experiences... in fact, the last time he truly felt his world falling away from himself like this was when he thought he was going to be sent to a Military Academy, and he fainted from the overwhelming emotional response it gave him. Vogel offers a calm, direct... well, not solution so much as managing too: he's going to write him a prescription for an antidepressant. Sadly, AJ recognizes the name, noting that he has several friends that take it. From one therapy to another, AJ's next stop is the party in the VIP room of the Bada Bing, where Jason Parisi encourages him to come to Rutgers where he is making mad money. When AJ quietly points out that he's lovely at maths and got a low score on the Maths SAT, Jason laughs that off and says he'd soon get him up to speed. A stripper comes over and offers AJ a lap dance which he accepts, sitting on the couch blank faced as she slowly sways and rolls on his lap, Jason Gervasi joining another frat boy to his side and whooping it up as the three of them all get lap dances.   On the third floor above a deli, Little Paulie Germani is playing poker with Benny Fazio and a few others when Christopher Moltisanti suddenly bursts through the door screaming that he thought Little Paulie was his friend. He punches the shocked Little Paulie in the face, knocking him to the ground as everybody leaps to their feet and backs away. Christopher kicks Little Paulie in the face (he has a habit of getting this treatment, remember Eugene doing the same on the construction site?), hauls him to his feet and then as Benny realizes what is happening and starts screaming no in protest, shoves him through the window and falling three stories to the hard concrete below. Benny rushes to the window and stares down at the still alive but horrifically hurt Little Paulie and screams for them to call an ambulance. Tony is woken by an irate Carmela, who can't believe that he sent their underage depressed son to a party at a strip club!?! He doesn't see what the big deal is, even when Carmela reminds him he's not drinking age... also that he only got in three hours ago, also also that he is STILL drunk! Tony mutters that he could go legally die in Iraq which she doesn't appreciate. But when he reminds her that this got him out of the house and around people his own age, and that his plan is to use this to get AJ not only back into the world but ALSO back to college she is given pause. She's still furious at Tony for doing this, but she has to admit AJ did go out, and the thought of him returning to college is all she has dreamed of... despite herself, she can't help but think that maybe her husband is right and seeing a pair of tits is NOT going to send their son over the edge into despair. If she knew that the two Jasons were already involved in the mob as bookies, coupled with the memory of Jackie Aprile Jr attending Rutgers, maybe she would think differently, but also maybe not: after all, at least he's getting out and living his life again? A chastened Christopher meets with Tony in his office at Satriale's, where he openly admits that what he did was stupid. That's not a strong enough word for it, Tony's just gotten word from Paulie that Little Paulie fractured six of his vertebrae in the fall. Thought Christopher admits being wrong, he also reminds Tony that Paulie has flouted his authority twice now and taken money directly from Christopher's own family and that NEEDS to be resolved. When Tony points out this could have been taken care of with a conversation, he doesn't appreciate Christopher reminding him that he came to have one the other day and Tony didn't want to hear it. Tony points out that he actually told Christopher to wait so they could deal with it a little later but Christopher just took off. He lends no credence to Christopher's complaint that Paulie should have called him about the power-tools, reminding him that they're a face-to-face business and don't leave phone messages about interstate hijacking for the FBI to listen to. He goes back to his complaint from the BBQ, Christopher isn't around enough for them to spot these problems and squash them in the womb, and while Paulie has overstepped his mark and will have to make restitution... that restitution is going to be deducted from the restitution that Christopher himself is going to owe for Little Paulie's hospital bills. Christopher isn't happy but he can't argue against the decision, he already admitted fault. So he leaves, and that might have perhaps been the end of it... if it wasn't for the fact that a furious Paulie has ALSO foregone a conversation and driven straight to Christopher's home, doing donuts on the front lawn with his car, ripping up the front lawn and garden, knocking down trees and bushes as a shocked Kelli clutching baby Caitlyn watches from the front window. Tony gets the word later as Dante is driving him, an irate call from Christopher as Kelli stands on the lawn holding her weeping baby tight, telling him everything Paulie did: 40k in landscaping ruined and more importantly his wife and baby daughter traumatized. Shocked but also deeply tired of all the drama, Tony warns him not to do anything drastic, and with contempt dripping from every word Christopher assures him he's going to do nothing to cause problems for Tony since he loves him and is committed to his work. He hangs up in bitter triumph, while Tony is left on the other end pondering how the hell he is going to resolve this. AJ has gone to a party at Rutgers, at the Frat House of the two Jasons who are happily sharing horrifying stories of their fathers flying into rages over games where the gamblers made out better than the bookies. They stop when they spot another student, Victor, who isn't in the Frat, asking him why he's there and assuming it MUST be because he's settling up a gambling debt he owes them. In true gambler fashion, he's actually come to ask the bookies he ALREADY owes money to if he can make another bet for a game on Sunday, pointing out that even if he loses the check from his father arrives Monday and he can pay them what he owes from that. They laugh at him trying to dictates terms, and "introduce" Victor to "Tony Soprano Jr". They make no direct threat, but the mention of Tony's name gets their message across clearly: don't pay and something truly horrible and painful will happen to you. Victor, trying to salvage some dignity, says they don't have to be dicks about it and beats a hasty retreat, and they all laugh as they watch him go. All except AJ, who must be wondering if they're only palling around with him to make use of his name... and perhaps also wondering if he actually cares. Tony comes downstairs in the morning, his eyes immediately shooting to the couch... but this time, there is no AJ. He asks if he's sleeping and almost in spite of herself Carmela can't help but smile when she tells him he stayed with his friends, and when he called it sounded like they were playing cards. Tony is pleased to, and notes that he has been on the antidepressant for almost a week now and maybe that is making the difference? Carmela doesn't know, but she has to admit that it's actually nice not to have him moping around the house. She once freaked out about him spending a single weekend away from the house as a teenager, now she's thrilling to the fact he's staying at a frat house, partying and playing cards.   Tony and most of his top guys are enjoying the VIP Room at the Bada Bing, where Carlo is happily thanking Walmart for fighting tighter inspections on imports which allows him to slip shipments of provolone and perfume right through the ports without issue. One mobster does point out that, you know, shouldn't they be worried about lax port inspections when it comes to terrorism, but they ignore that when they spot Christopher Moltisanti come walking through the door. He quickly greets Silvio and Tony, hands him a thick envelope of cash and tells him that he followed his advice and called Sal Vitro to come re-sod the lawn (I imagine Sal isn't getting paid for this service). Tony, wary, tells him he already spoke with Paulie about a repayment plan and Christopher surprises them by asking if Paulie is present and then heading over to the bar to greet him. Paulie is tensed too when Christopher arrives, but seeing a lack of hostility he carefully matches tone and notes that Little Paulie is hosed... but he did get the flowers Christopher sent. Imagine that, by the way, you get tossed out a 3 story window and then have to graciously accept flowers from the man who did it. Christopher starts to talk but Paulie quickly cuts him off, saying there is no need to dwell on things. Christopher agrees, but he can't move on without first saying he is sorry. Paulie seems surprised at this frank admission of fault, and does Christopher a kindness by reciprocating and offering an apology of his own. Even more than that, when he orders a refill from the bar, he asks the bartender to make Christopher a club soda, an unofficial apology for his earlier slight. Which is when Christopher makes a disastrous decision. He decides to "be normal" and meet Paulie halfway, asking for the same alcoholic drink that Paulie is having. Paulie of course doesn't question the foolishness of this gesture, simply appreciates that it was made, and they toast and drink together. Jason Gervasi is pouring out stiff drinks too for AJ and his frat brothers when Jason Parisi gets a call. He promises to be there soon, then lets the others know: Victor has shown up at another party after failing to pay up his debts to them. They're all excited to go confront him, but AJ says he might just hang out in the frat house instead. They're not having that though, grabbing him tight and laughing, insisting he come. He laughs along with them, just one of the boys having fun and loving about doing dumb poo poo. At the party, Victor is trying to impress some bored looking girls with the fact he just needs 11 more credits to transfer to Syracuse and get into their business program. He spots the two Jasons entering the party though and immediately heads to the kitchen to try and shield his face with the fridge door. It was too late 20 minutes ago though, they make a beeline for him and greet him with dangerous false cheer. He quickly assures them he'll have their money soon and they agree that this is what they came to talk about, shoving him towards the exit. A girl asks them what they're doing and they play at roughhousing, pretending like Victor is a party of it all, just one of the boys having fun and loving about doing dumb poo poo. Outside, they force him into AJ's car. AJ quickly jumps into the driver's seat and head out. Stopping, they shove him out into the woods and then delivering a kick to his stomach, then punching him in the face. The two Jasons demand to know if he thinks they're bitches, and they have the others restrain them, telling AJ to join in. He does, the Jasons stripping a shoe and sock from one of Victor's feet... and then pulling out a small bottle of sulfuric acid. They pour it onto his toe and he screams in pain. AJ doesn't flinch or back away, and unlike previous instances where he has been in the presence of violence he doesn't go blank-faced. This time he drinks it all in, and the look on his face is disturbingly like pleasure, perhaps purely because for the first time he's feeling something other than numbing misery or heartbroken sorrow, maybe just because it gives him a savage satisfaction to see somebody else in pain instead of himself. Whatever the case, he is an active participant in the torture of this stupid but also immature college kid who got in over his head with some nasty people. Just AJ Soprano and his buddies the two Jasons, having fun and loving about doing dumb poo poo.  Christopher has reached the vocal, over-sharing point of being drunk. With open sincerity he speaks lovingly of the bond and love he feels for his daughter Caitlyn, of how becoming a father has changed him. It's an opinion that most of the men in the room might usually share and be happy to agree to... but it's the wrong place at the wrong time. They're here to screw the grown daughters of other men and aren't in a mood to wax poetic about the importance of a father's love for his daughter. Paulie, who has never had kids, wouldn't really understand at the best of times and can't help - of course - making a joke at Christopher's expense, saying his baby probably wants to know how to get adopted out of having him as a father. Christopher's senses are just a little too dulled to grasp exactly what just happened, other than it made everybody in the room laugh. Paulie assures him it was just a joke and encourages him to continue, and after a confused moment he does, explaining that babies are the future and looking around the room for approval... but nobody is particularly moved by the comment. Struggling to regain himself, Christopher points out how it blows his mind that it'll be 2027 before Caitlyn is out of college, and Paulie cracks a joke that she'll still be in 4th grade if she takes after him. That gets a laugh, and it's the kind of joke that under normal circumstances could probably pass even if Christopher was sober... but what he says next is beyond the pale. Because Paulie cruelly declares that it won't matter anyway because by then Caitlyn Moltisanti will be working at the Bada Bing, and everybody erupts with OOOOOH!'s but also laughter. THIS penetrates Christopher's stupor. He watches the people he considers his best friends, as well as his so-called mentor Tony Soprano, all laughing uproariously at the idea of his baby daughter growing up to be the same kind of woman who doesn't just dance naked but works these back rooms giving lap dances, blowjobs or having sex in hopes of getting paid well in tips. It's Tony's laughter which hurts the most, not only is he is mentor but he's been like a father to him in the past, and he has a daughter and must understand how revolting a comment that was. Christopher tries to stand and slips on the stool. Righting himself, he staggers past, grunting he has to go. Tony, still jovial, reaches after him and insists they're just loving around, but Christopher isn't so drunk that he isn't aware just how far things have gone, and manages to get out that he has somewhere to be before pushing through the door and getting the hell out of there. He can't just "be normal", that's something in his life he can never have again, and his efforts to force it for the sake of his "work" has had predictably awful results. JT Dolan works late at night on a script when his doorbell rings and then there is a hammering on his door. He offers a tentative,"Hello?" and is rewarded with Christopher's voice on the other side of the door. Wincing but unable to pretend he's not home, he opens the door and lets the bane of his life in, pointing out it's 11:30 at night. Christopher, half-sobbing, half babbling, apologizes if he woke him, and JT admits he was up working on a deadline... for Law and Order. Yes, he finally got that dream job he wanted for so long... and Christopher doesn't even register it. JT knows why he's here, he can hear it in his voice and in the way he moves about the room, he's drunk. He asks how much he's drunk and says he'll put on some coffee and they'll call his sponsor. That's no good though, Christopher's sponsor Eddie is in Philadelphia and unavailable. He doesn't let JT leave the room, insisting that drinking coffee is just an urban myth, and belatedly asks a question that JT already answered: what's he writing? When JT tells him (again), Christopher considers for a moment then smirks and notes he could tell him some REAL stories. That's the last thing JT wants of course, especially when Christopher mentions he could tell him about things he's done personally. Instead he says they need to sober him up and get him to a meeting, insisting when Christopher complains about this stock answer that it IS the answer: you work the program and that is how you get better. Christopher sneers that he's a robot without emotion, failing to notice that the wreck that JT used to be has been replaced by a man who got his dream job, has a loving partner (she's left him alone for the evening so he won't be distracted from his deadline) and has largely put his life entirely back together after destroying it with booze and gambling. He moans that all his friends have abandoned him but JT isn't letting him get away with blaming others, reminding him that when addicts drink and use drugs they are NOT pleasant to be around. Christopher doesn't want to be told the truth though, he wants to vent and have his viewpoints agreed with, and he complains that not only did his friends abandon him, but as a child his father abandoned him too. He's left speechless when JT - who does actually pay attention - angrily reminds him that his father was shot, so he returns to complaining about his friends instead. Oh he could do so much damage to them with what he knows, with the stories he could tell, with a single phone-call he could bring the whole thing down. That's it, JT is taking no more. Throwing his arms up in a panic, he demands Christopher stop talking, and starts getting more panicky when Christopher starts reeling off names like Adriana and Ralphie. This is not information he wants, needs or should be hearing. He ignores Christopher's accusation that he just wants to leech stories off of him (he's thinking of Jon Favreau) and when Christopher starts talking about how he could "live off the Government tit" like Gravano it's too much for JT to deal with. He demands Christopher's phone so he can call Kelli, pointing out he's told him repeatedly he does not want to hear these stories. Betrayed, Christopher jabs at JT's chest, complaining that he "let him" be part of his movie, and this bullshit finally causes JT to snap. When Christopher moans that they met in AA, JT finally says what almost nobody in the entire course of the series has ever quite been able to bring themselves to openly say to any of the connected guys. Meadow said it once to Tony, it's brought up by people in reference to mobsters etc, but this is one of the only times I can recall somebody has just outright said it to a gangster's face: "Chris. You're in the Mafia." Time freezes for a second, and a now seemingly sober Christopher nods, offers a quiet,"Fine" and walks away.... then turns back. JT has just enough time to register what is about to happen but not to react in any way. Christopher lifts his gun, pulls the trigger, and blows JT Dolan's brains out. JT hits the ground and lies motionless, and a silent Christopher - a little wobbly but now seemingly much more in control of his faculties - moves to the door, has the presence of mind to use his sleeve to turn the doorknob, and then leaves. One more life destroyed in the wake of his passage, one more person he'll probably eventually (or already) blame for "forcing" his hand and making him feel bad.   Tony arrives home late at night and is alarmed when he sees a car coming up the driveway after him. He grabs a gun from his car and ducks against it, ready to come out guns blazing... till he sees it is AJ. Quickly slipping it back into his car, he joins his son with a smile, pleased to see him back. They head inside, where they find Carmela and Meadow both up as well, drinking wine after staying up to watch Rachael Ray on Leno. The boys are home now so she tells them to sit down and she'll grab some plates and they can eat together. Meadow asks what they were both up to and offers for her part that she met a friend earlier for coffee. Carmela has more to add to that though, beaming over the fact that Meadow - herself recently broken up with her fiance, that's easy to forget - has a mystery date but won't give them any more information than that. Tony is thrilled though, then notices that AJ has gotten up from the table and is simply standing. He asks what he's doing and to sit down, and AJ actually smiles as he shrugs and admits that he's feeling wired for some reason (he helped torture somebody). All seated around the table (AJ's foot bouncing up and down on his lap with nervous excitement), AJ cracks a joke about Meadow's date and she offers a typical sister response. Carmela and Tony exchange looks, a hesitant but hopeful happiness that perhaps the dark times are truly over and they're all going to come out of this okay after all. AJ is closer than ever to the mob lifestyle both of them have desperately wanted to avoid him joining, but they don't know that, all they know is that their possibly suicidal son seems to be acting like a normal college-aged boy again. To the sounds of Los Lobos, Christopher returns home too, still drunk but more firmly in control now. He walks past the shattered remains of his garden, stopping when he notices one of the knocked down trees. Hunkering down, he picks it up and replants it. It stands tall and, satisfied, he continues up to the front door, unlocks it and returns to his home. AJ and Christopher have long had a parallel connection as Tony's "sons" and this is essentially the last time we see that demonstrated. How to read these two final scenes is the question though? Does the dinner table scene and the restoration of the tree tell us that both - despite damage - are returning to some degree of normalcy? Or is it more negative? Are the "fixes" purely cosmetic and doomed to failure? And of course both follow on from acts of mob-related violence that neither seems able, or perhaps willing, to escape. One thing is clear though, neither of these stories is finished, and with the series so close to the finish, they will soon come to a head. Season 6: Soprano Home Movies | Stage 5 | Remember When | Chasing It | Walk Like a Man | Kennedy and Heidi | The Second Coming | The Blue Comet | Made in America | The Final Scene Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6.1 | Season 6.2 Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 01:14 on Nov 7, 2020 |
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Apr 14, 2020 16:17
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Jerusalem posted:At Beansie's Pizzeria, Christopher is behind the counter listening to White Flag by Dido playing over the radio when he spots a young couple at a table sharing a pizza, giggling and kissing. AJ. I was like "why is Chris wearing an apron at the pizza place"? Great write up. BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 17:10 on Apr 14, 2020 |
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Apr 14, 2020 16:52
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RIP JT Dolan, sacrificed at the altar of "Remind the viewers that this character isn't a saint, and they shouldn't be too broken up if something awful were to happen to them in the near future"
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Apr 14, 2020 16:57
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JethroMcB posted:RIP JT Dolan, sacrificed at the altar of "Remind the viewers that this character isn't a saint, and they shouldn't be too broken up if something awful were to happen to them in the near future" For some reason hits death really stuck with me long after I'd finished watching the series.
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Apr 14, 2020 18:10
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Vichan posted:For some reason hits death really stuck with me long after I'd finished watching the series. It's disturbing because of how random it is. He's basically just going about his normal night and all the sudden Chris shows up and his life is over out of nowhere. It's a home invasion basically, which is scary poo poo.
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Apr 14, 2020 19:39
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JethroMcB posted:RIP JT Dolan, sacrificed at the altar of "Remind the viewers that this character isn't a saint, and they shouldn't be too broken up if something awful were to happen to them in the near future" It was quite the visceral reminder that the show isn't really about redemption arcs.
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Apr 14, 2020 19:49
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