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?
