The Sopranos Week 7

[Brian Damage]

I have to tell you that this week's episode was horrible. It went nowhere and didn't advance any of the current storylines. I was bored by that old mistress.

[Moonlight Lady]

Originally posted by Brian Damage
I have to tell you that this week's episode was horrible. It went nowhere and didn't advance any of the current storylines. I was bored by that old mistress.

That part where she put JFK's captain hat on and started singing Happy Birthday Mr President to Tony, that was rather disturbing.

I felt really bad for Junior, wanting to go to all those funerals because it was the only way he could get out of the house and when he broke down at the last funeral.

My question is, I thought he was done with house arrest.

[Pentimento]

I thought this was a great episode, if for nothing else but the further insight into Tony's character: his grudge against his mother, his unrealistic image of his father, yet another example of his extreme emotional connection to the animals in his life, and the symbolic emphasis he places on them -- there was a little of all that, and more, in this episode.

He seems to be on the verge of seeing his father for what he was, and possibly even taking a step toward understanding and forgiving his mother. I think what he experienced in this episode might ultimately pave the way for a reconciliation with Carmela. By spending time with his father's mistress (first idealizing her and thinking of her as classy, only to have his image of her begin to erode as it triggered disturbing memories of his father), he's seeing the other side of the womanizing that's so common among the males in his circle of family and friends. It caused him to recall his mother's miscarriage and the fact that not only was his father not there for her, he forced young Tony to lie for him.

In the last scene, when Tony was exaggerating Fran's relationship with JFK, the look on his face told the whole story. He was attempting to glorify his father (and perhaps, by extension, himself), yet at the same time he was coming to terms with the realization that his father was not the man he'd built him up to be. Tony took a harder look at himself and his family in this episode than ever before, and while he's not quite ready to accept some hard truths, I think he might be on his way.


(As for Junior still being under house arrest, he was not acquitted of the federal charges. There was a mistrial, but the house arrest was not lifted.)

[Janice]

I hated this episode. It was so boring, and I was very disappointed. I really look forward to this hour all week.

The old mistress storyline was a snoozer. I liked seeing Tim Daly in his role as a strungout degenerate gambler, but overall, this was one bad episode for me.

I noticed that Steve Buscemi directed it. I think whoever wrote it deserves to be whacked, lol.

[marvin g]

I agree with you're analysis Pentimento. I was very interesting to actually see some part of his realtionship with his father. The part where his father got him to lie for him about his whereabouts really showed how lowdown he was to drag his son in to lie to his mother! That part where the mistress sing s the happy birthday song was a bit disturbing to say the least.

I was a little upset they didn't go into Tony B's decision to give up his dreams!

[Brian Damage]

I didn't even like Tim Daly in his role. I couldn't help looking at him and thinking ....Hey, that's the guy from Wings.

[marvin g]

I was wondering how he could stay "friends" with Christopher after he and his pal beat him up? I find it interestly strange how people don't realize they're in the company of mobsters.

[TJL]

Originally posted by Pentimento
I thought this was a great episode, if for nothing else but the further insight into Tony's character: his grudge against his mother, his unrealistic image of his father, yet another example of his extreme emotional connection to the animals in his life, and the symbolic emphasis he places on them -- there was a little of all that, and more, in this episode.

He seems to be on the verge of seeing his father for what he was, and possibly even taking a step toward understanding and forgiving his mother. I think what he experienced in this episode might ultimately pave the way for a reconciliation with Carmela. By spending time with his father's mistress (first idealizing her and thinking of her as classy, only to have his image of her begin to erode as it triggered disturbing memories of his father), he's seeing the other side of the womanizing that's so common among the males in his circle of family and friends. It caused him to recall his mother's miscarriage and the fact that not only was his father not there for her, he forced young Tony to lie for him.

In the last scene, when Tony was exaggerating Fran's relationship with JFK, the look on his face told the whole story. He was attempting to glorify his father (and perhaps, by extension, himself), yet at the same time he was coming to terms with the realization that his father was not the man he'd built him up to be. Tony took a harder look at himself and his family in this episode than ever before, and while he's not quite ready to accept some hard truths, I think he might be on his way.


(As for Junior still being under house arrest, he was not acquitted of the federal charges. There was a mistrial, but the house arrest was not lifted.)

I said the same thing this morning!



Seriously, it's always the quiet episodes of Sopranos that sometimes say the most.