The Church of Tony

...for not posting earlier in the week. When I finally got the gumption to do some writing, I noticed Max's World hadn't been updated in a couple of weeks and was looking sad and forlorn. So that used up my creative juices for the week. (I know what you're thinking - that site takes creativity to write? "Creative juices" is my code word for White Russians.)

So, on to Soprano-related blogging.

Feech is a bad bad bad man, but Paulie Walnuts is a gangster's gangster. I'm not sure what was worse: Feech's wrath on that gardener, or how Paulie makes things right by swindling 500 bucks out of the guy's compensation and then making the gardener do a bunch of wiseguys' lawns for free. You get the feeling that this is how the mob really works. And any excuse to show Paulie with his aged mother and aunt is classic, after last season's whacking of his mom's retirement home bully.

Tony B and Feech huh? He seems awfully chummy with Feech for a guy who says he wants to go straight. If a marquee name is getting whacked this season, my money's on Blundetto pulling the trigger. Johnny Sack, Christopher, Carmine Jr., take your pick. Or all of the above. I said last week that this season could get real bloody, and this week (with what Johnny Sack's goons were gonna do to the lady shylock, and the gang war that already seems to have started) did nothing to dissuade me from that notion. Does Sopranos imitate life or does life imitate Sopranos?

That last scene with Tony and Junior on the couch (Tony: "Don't you love me?") really cut to the whole deeper meaning of the show, and something that hasn't been touched upon in couple of seasons, namely how emotionally crippled these characters are. In fact, I was worried that it was a little too on-the-nose for a show that specializes in subtleties (well, as subtle as a show can be whose fans argue about who will get whacked this week). Tony and Janice were royally screwed up by both of their parents and now they are barely functional adults.

In short, it's a cautionary tale...LOL.

I found the choice for Carm's film club to watch Citizen Kane very interesting. A movie about a powerful, supremely unscrupulous man who uses, abuses and alienates friends and family, can't keep a marriage together, and ultimately dies alone and unloved and is remembered mostly for the wreckage he caused in people's lives. I mean, she's going off that AFI list so it's an obvious pick for the first screening, but it speaks volumes to what could be laying in wait for Tony.

And what were the next two films on their list? #2: Casablanca, featuring estranged lovers. And #3: The Godfather - I think that one doesn't need explanation as to how it pertains to The Sopranos.

First off, lemme just say: Steve Buscemi...sweeeet.

The pendulum definitely seems to have swung around this season towards Mafia Intrigue. Tony's finding (or not finding) himself surrounded by snitches, from Ray Curto and Jack Massarone to Adrianna. Carmine Lupertazzi finally dies of his stroke and a war seems to be brewing between Carmine Jr. and Johnny Sack for control of the New York family. On top of all that, it doesn't look like a smooth integration for the "Class of 2004"; Feech looks up to something (especially taking into account the trailer for next week) and Tony B. doesn't want in on any action, preferring to go the legit route (or so it would seem - what's up with him and Feech?). I know that it's said every season, but this one looks like it could get very bloody.

This episode, and the show in general, just has so many amazing little subtleties. I'm so used to characters in TV shows that just blurt out whatver they're thinking that it doesn't even dawn on me as important when I see such a key scene as when Tony is standing in front of the mirror, checking out his waistline. Then later when you see what happens to Jack Massarone it still doesn't perfectly come together. You have to think about it for a while. And when the pieces fall into place, you realize that it's not as if the show didn't give you everything you needed to know, the writers didn't want to spoonfeed you. You don't need to see that "Ah-ha!" realization, or hear Tony's thought process. It invites you into Tony's process: he gets a notion and he whacks someone.

Mob Experts on The Sopranos, Week 1 - Decoding the secret message. By Jerry Capeci and Jeffrey Goldberg

Alright! Even better than last year's Slate TV Club which featured shrinks analyzing the show, this year we get mob experts giving us the skinny. Check it out, bitches.

Now see, I think if Adrianna gets whacked than so does Christopher. I mean, he's the source for any information that she would be spilling to the feds, and Tony will know that. You don't get a free pass in the Mafia just because you didn't know your girlfriend was a snitch. I could see Paulie having to whack both of them. And really, the Vegas handicappers put good odds on Chris getting whacked EVERY SEASON, and sooner or later I think they're going to be right.

Like the rain after a long drought, our collective dry spell is over. It's time to put away childish sitcoms and tiresome procedural dramas. It's time to get Sopranoed.

A peaceful, serene feeling descended upon me as I sat in my big chair, digesting homemade meatball sandwiches and hearing the bass thump of that A3 theme music pulse around me. It's like when you take your car out on a lonely highway, not another car in sight, your favorite song comes on the radio and your engine hums into gear. Suddenly everything falls into place. You cannot get any better than you are at this moment in time. This is the way Sunday night is supposed to go down.

But enough of my rambling, let's get down to business. Don't read if you don't like spoilers about the episode.

Short version: Tony don't live here no more. His son is being a douchebag, which is to say a bigger douchebag than he already was. Janice is now Mrs. Bobby Bacala. Tony's putting the moves on Dr. Melfi with the most ham-handed gift basket ever sent. There's an influx of old blood in the form of newly-released cons Feech La Manna (Robert Loggia, who should have been on this show a long time ago) and (seen this week only on news reports) Tony's cousin Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi). Carmine's had a stroke and Johnny Sack is watching Carmine Jr. the way a cat watches a canary. Christopher's pissed that he has to pick up the dinner tabs for Paulie, and Paulie's ordering two of everything. They nearly come to blows, but bond over a nice homicide. Oh, and the Soprano home is infested by one of those fashionable New Jersey black bears.

Great moments: The opening shots of the lonely home, and Meadow driving over the newspaper. AJ's blubbering regression at the sight of the bear. Dr. Melfi's romantic dream (God I hope that wasn't a butt double). Chris and Paulie's reconciliation. Everyone in my living room going "eeew" when Tony clears the egg salad from Carmine's mouth. Dr. Melfi telling Tony that she's never judged him for things he's said in therapy with a straight face. Adriana's very smooth attempt at gathering intel, as well as her choice of housework attire. Tony standing at the fridge drinking juice from the carton in a house that may not be his much longer.

And if that last shot of Tony standing guard over his pool with an AK-47 in his hand and a stogie on his lips isn't an iconic image, then I don't know what is.

David Chase is setting up a lot of interesting conflicts and situations. Into the already volatile New Jersey/New York families drama, the "Class of '04" is unceremoniously dumped and God only knows what that's going to mean. Vegas likes to place odds on who gets whacked by season's end (I hear Johnny Sack is even money, and I believe it), but I'd like to see what odds they're placing on whether Dr. Melfi and Tony go to bed; I wouldn't give worse than 5-3. Paulie made an about-face real quick vis a vis Christopher's disrespect- was he told to make nice with him? What does the bear mean? After the ducks, it's gotta mean something.

Jake, your thoughts?

As long as I'm hawking links, I'll say go check out Slate next week. I'm crossing my fingers that they bring back the panel of psychiatrists who deconstruct the show every week (with an understandable emphasis on Tony's sessions with Dr. Melfi). There's often a morass of psychobabble to wade through, but they bring up very cogent points and it's fun to see professionals "in the know" talk about what they see. If only we could get a panel of wiseguys to chime in every week. "Now see, I would have used piano wire myself."

The always fascinating Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the new Sopranos episode the highest rating. Read his review here.

From the article I see that that is in fact Steve Buscemi I saw briefly in the previews and in the Annie Leibowitz print ad. Perfect. I'm a big fan of his. He's playing a newly-released-from-prison cousin of Tony's who was sent up during the round of mafia trials in the early 80s. I haven't seen him do a straight-up thug since Fargo, so I'm hoping it's shades of that. All around that's great casting, and I'm generally a big fan of "special guest stars". The only downside to this is, being busy acting on the show, he may not have time to direct another "Pine Barrens". Ah well.

Well, 24 hours and 17 minutes to go...

T-minus 4 days and counting. Come Sunday night, I will be watching the new season of Sopranos with my famiglia by the warm glow of my big screen. Needless to say I am one excited boy. So I've started this here blog to serve up my feelings on each episode and pass on whatever news and spoilers I can find. I'm aiming to get off at least one of these posts after every episode throughout the season. Be kind to me though. I've got a life, and a whole other blog I've gotta post to as well. But I know my duties. As the Man himself said:

"You chose this life. You don't want to work in the rain, try for the fucking Yankees."