Anyone still watching the Sopranos?

[BoomerD]

As much as Tony talks about "degenerate gamblers", it's odd that HE'S becoming one himself...
I was beginning to think Hesch was gonna get whacked over the $200K...
Still not sure where they're going with this season...anyone else catch the discussion as they drove through the Arab neighborhood about the guys that used to hang out at the Bing? Tony looked kind of thoughtful about that. Is he gonna repay Agent Harris for the warnings he's given Tony?
Hmmm, maybe earn some grace from the Feds for preventing a terrorist attack?

 

[iRONic]

Heh heh... Tony did have a crappy week. He's down like, ~500k.

 

[SoulAssassin]

I really wish I hadn't started watching this season and just watched everything on demand over a rainy weekend. Another crappy episode.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DonVito
What a weird coincidence that the Sopranos would happen to feature a mentally-ill, pathologically angry college-age Asian man. I doubt a network would have aired that this week.

Well, it was filmed months ago and at great expense so to change it would have been extremely difficult. I wonder if they're going anywhere with that storyline or if it's just another of those that goes nowhere. That episode had kind of a 'Cuckoo's Nest' feel to it.

I thought this week's episode was kind of meh. All of a sudden Tony has a big gambling problem? Come on...

Agreed. I didn't even know Tony gambled at ALL in his life other than the poker games. Then all of a sudden he's a degenerate gambler? Come on ...

It was another week episode with nothing really happening, and as usual, the previews look awesome but that doesn't mean the episode will be awesome.

Sopranos is starting to feel like I'm watching LOST on Sunday nights.

It wasn't a terrible episode by any means ... but it just seems like the story isn't going anywhere.

 

[KLin]

SPOILER













I said WTF when vito jr. took a dump in the shower then stepped on it.

/SPOILER

 

[SoulAssassin]

I want to grab AJ and just punch him in the farkin face repeatedly

 

[purbeast0]

I liked last nights episode. It looks like we're possibly starting to see AJ want to become more like his father, and it looks like Chris is very mentally unstable at this point.

So my brother and I were debating last night why Christ killed that writer dude.

Did he shoot him because he was just all messed up and drunk, and just mentally unstable? Or did he kill him because once the writer guy said "You're in the mafia", Chris at that point realized that this guy knows way too much information about the family and their business?

I was assuming the latter.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DonVito
What a weird coincidence that the Sopranos would happen to feature a mentally-ill, pathologically angry college-age Asian man. I doubt a network would have aired that this week.

Well, it was filmed months ago and at great expense so to change it would have been extremely difficult. I wonder if they're going anywhere with that storyline or if it's just another of those that goes nowhere. That episode had kind of a 'Cuckoo's Nest' feel to it.

I thought this week's episode was kind of meh. All of a sudden Tony has a big gambling problem? Come on...

Agreed. I didn't even know Tony gambled at ALL in his life other than the poker games. Then all of a sudden he's a degenerate gambler? Come on ...

It was another week episode with nothing really happening, and as usual, the previews look awesome but that doesn't mean the episode will be awesome.

Sopranos is starting to feel like I'm watching LOST on Sunday nights.

It wasn't a terrible episode by any means ... but it just seems like the story isn't going anywhere.

A lot of people have been saying this about Sopranos since season 1. By now I'm sure you realize that it's just the way the series is; they don't resolve everything in a single episode, and sometimes they don't resolve it at all. The story isn't a linear progression.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
I liked last nights episode. It looks like we're possibly starting to see AJ want to become more like his father, and it looks like Chris is very mentally unstable at this point.

So my brother and I were debating last night why Christ killed that writer dude.

Did he shoot him because he was just all messed up and drunk, and just mentally unstable? Or did he kill him because once the writer guy said "You're in the mafia", Chris at that point realized that this guy knows way too much information about the family and their business?

I was assuming the latter.

I'm probably analyzing this too much, but there has been a lot of focus on Chris' character over the past few seasons. Sociopathic tendencies aside, he seems to be something of a dichotomy; he is in the mafia, but then he almost seems to regret being who he is. He expresses this to others, and then when that clashes with his other persona he turns into a sociopath. I think he killed his writer friend as almost a reflexive action against his two personas, and the "you're in the mafia" was his trigger... no pun intended.

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

I think Descartes is along the right lines. The mafia line was definitely the trigger. JT was in effect judging Chris and rejecting him at the same time. JT made it clear he was no use to Chris anymore plus he knew too much, especially after that conversation. Chris also wasn't coping with the Paulie situation which has been a major stressor recently, causing him to lose it and react violently.

 

[dwell]

I realized this episode that I hate almost every character on the show and hope they all die in the last episode. I am not a hater. I have been watching the show from day one and have loved it.

At this point I find it hard to sympathize, relate, whatever with no good murdering scumbags. The principle characters have no redeeming values and do nothing but instill bad Italian-American stereotypes. Chris is a murdering scumbag, so is Tony, so is Paulie, Janice, Sil, etc. Suddenly, this show depresses me. I am not sure why all of the other seasons didn't, but now after I watch I get a knot in my stomach

 

[SoulAssassin]

What did everyone think about last nights episode? Thought it was finally good and actually felt like it belonged in a series ending season. I couldn't believe it when Tony killed Christopher...very surprising but not at the same time. Definitely got a 'holy isht' out of me.

Was there something I was supposed to get when Tony was looking at the sun at the end and it flashed at him or was he just tripping and there was no significance? The only thing I could think of was when he was having the (entirely too long) coma/dream sequence at the beginning of last season and the beacon in the distance kept calling him. I dunno...this one passed by me.

 

[slsmnaz]

Didn't get the end either. Not really sure where the next 3 episodes will go after this. It went from gangsta show, dr. phil, to fear and loathing in Las Vegas in the blink of an eye.

I hated to see Chris go like that though. I really wanted him to go down swinging.

 

[BrokenVisage]

**SPOILERS**

Chris dying definitely made me holy shit in my pants, but other then that the episode was just another part in the same old sorry excuse for a last season. Nothing made sense: Tony is becoming more of a heartless prick then ever while still having these moments of enlightenment, Anthony is in his own little world where he wants to be a gangster but he's too much of a pussy, Meadow is serving no purpose other then just 'being around' everyone else, the whole 'Cleaver' movie thing was dumb and ridiculous from the start. I use to love this show, but now Chase seems to be insulting us every Sunday at 9:00 (EST) with no rhyme or reason in site. The finale better be good, that's all I have to say after years of supporting and watching this show over FG, AD, and DH in that time slot.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz

I hated to see Chris go like that though. I really wanted him to go down swinging.

Agreed, but he was swinging against the drug use for a long time and I think the fact that he told Tony he was high was what ultimately made Tony suffocate him. Tony bailed him out a bunch of times and this was the final straw...his drug use almost got Tony killed and as Tony said...he's a liability. Shame because if he could have really quit the drugs he would have been the new boss when Tony is gone. Oh...and he should have died at 3pm...that was another pointless plot line from several seasons ago.

 

[SoulAssassin]

This is what someone said in the HBO forums about the scene in the desert...I would lean more towards is being God winking at him than Satan (it being the sun and all) but this guy might be close:

This may have been discussed earlier, but whether or not, what does anybody have to say about Tony's "revelation"?

The breaking point? The turning point of Sopranos season 6? I was a bit confused for a little while in the end, him saying "I get it. I get it." But just now I think I get it.

Tony in all of season 6 after getting shot and after his comatose dream of what was very symbolic of Hell, he has been since trying to turn over a new leaf and veer away from what he is and to not arrive again at that doorstep to the big warm house. I think he gets it now that he IS what HE IS. That final flash of light in this episode out again in the western land to me was Satan himself winking at Tony. After performing his most heartless murder in the entire series of Sopranos, killing someone he always saw as closest to him without a single ounce of remorse, he flies solo to Vegas aka Sin City, and completely immerses himself in it. He completely transforms back into the old Tony we know and love. Him being the completely sinful creature he is, he gets his worldly rewards and now he understands why, the devil owns him. Was it not Carmela herself saying in episode 1 season 1, "The difference between you and me is you're going to Hell when you die" Of course, Chase being the good writer he is, is going to bring the story full circle and I think now was the perfect time to lay out this theme on the road to the finale.

So, here we go, three episodes left and hopefully we can only anticipate the worst. With that said, we will get the best of The Sopranos.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Chris
I realized this episode that I hate almost every character on the show and hope they all die in the last episode. I am not a hater. I have been watching the show from day one and have loved it.

At this point I find it hard to sympathize, relate, whatever with no good murdering scumbags. The principle characters have no redeeming values and do nothing but instill bad Italian-American stereotypes. Chris is a murdering scumbag, so is Tony, so is Paulie, Janice, Sil, etc. Suddenly, this show depresses me. I am not sure why all of the other seasons didn't, but now after I watch I get a knot in my stomach

Honesty, I think that's the point of this season. In previous seasons we were almost indoctrinated into this idea that "oh, they're people too"; sure, they're people too, but just not very good people. Now we get the full realization that they are scumbags, and the idea of liking them only goes so far as their desire to leave you alone.

This reminds me of what I always heard about Gotti in the various documentaries. Many people praised him, and for some it took a reminder to realize that he was a murderous scumbag.

These different levels of character are what make Sopranos a good show. Most other shows have one dimension to their characters if even that, and in this one we've seen multiple facets to every single character in the show. For example, the things that most people complain about don't make sense unless you've really watched all the episodes, because it takes that to understand the nuances of the characters. Whether it's knowing Tony's insecurities and violent tendencies or Chris' self regret.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage
**SPOILERS**

Chris dying definitely made me holy ****** in my pants, but other then that the episode was just another part in the same old sorry excuse for a last season. Nothing made sense: Tony is becoming more of a heartless prick then ever

He was always a heartless prick.

while still having these moments of enlightenment

Which has always been his character

Anthony is in his own little world where he wants to be a gangster but he's too much of a pussy

Which seems to make sense to me. I thought it was pretty obvious all along that he'd be following in Tony's footsteps. All the college, boot camp (or whatever he went to), etc. were just preludes to the obvious fact that he was a directionless kid just like his dad. It seems fitting in the story to me.

Meadow is serving no purpose other then just 'being around' everyone else, the whole 'Cleaver' movie thing was dumb and ridiculous from the start.

Not sure about the Meadow part, but the Cleaver tangent is typical of the show, imo. They go on a lot of random tangents rather than neurotically pursue the same story line.

 

[purbeast0]

I posted this in the other thread so I figure I'll paste it here ...


-----------------------------

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: purbeast0
I thought he said "I DID IT" too.

I also thought tonight's episode was awful.

You seem to think every episode is awful. What exactly are you looking for?

Well yes, this season has sucked big time. The first half all we found out was that Vito was a homo, shoving that in our face for about 7 episodes, then the minute he decides to deal with it and go home he's whacked. All that build up for nothing.

Then the 2nd half of the season, not a damn thing has happened other than out of nowhere Jonny Sacks having cancer that kills him in 1 episode, uncle junior having some stupid poker game in the joint and they haven't touched on him other than that episode which is completely irrelevant, tony becoming a degenerate gambler overnight when they had never once mentioned him even liking gambling, tony fighting with bobby, and then all of a sudden tony has this huge hatred for chris that they hardly even touched on the entire season. Oh and who can't forget emo AJ.

I just expect the show to go out with a bang and it's been nothing but it's just becoming a let down.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: purbeast0
So far Season 6 is a huge letdown, both the first half and the half that is airing now.

I don't see it that way at all - it seems to me that most of the complaints about it relate to people wanting it to be an action movie. There has been some great writing this season. I can empathize with the idea of wanting more momentous events, given that this is the final season, but I do think it's been pretty good.

My problem is that nothing is happening. When you look at what has changed since the beginning of the episode to the end, it's really not that much. We spent/wasted maybe 20 minutes watching Junior get his hustle on at the funny farm to what end? A broken arm? What does that do to advance the overall story? Maybe it will be relevant in a future episode, probably not though.

My whole problem with David Chase started several years ago when I watch an interview w him where he said he wanted the Sopranos episodes to be completely self contained with no plot lines really carrying over from episode to episode. IMHO, that sucks. I want the huge arching story lines of shows like The Wire where just about everything impacts something episodes or sometimes seasons down the road.

If you like story lines like the Wire, then why not just watch the Wire?

I like it when the constant viewer is rewarded by catching the little things someone who watches it occasionally wouldn't notice. Writing each episode as a standalone is more like a sitcom with guns.

To me, the Sopranos is a bit like Six Feet Under. There is some resolution to issues in some episodes, but mostly it's about the characters, and every episode is a resolution to their character and not some tangential event. You do get rewarded by catching the little things, but that's usually something about the character that manifests itself in a variety of ways. This could be Chris' drug problem, his siding with Tony during the Adrian situation, the fact that he felt almost plagued from the beginning due to the crow at his "making", etc.

So, I think the story is more about the character interaction than the actual story itself. Not sure if that makes any sense.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
I posted this in the other thread so I figure I'll paste it here ...


-----------------------------

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: purbeast0
I thought he said "I DID IT" too.

I also thought tonight's episode was awful.

You seem to think every episode is awful. What exactly are you looking for?

Well yes, this season has sucked big time. The first half all we found out was that Vito was a homo, shoving that in our face for about 7 episodes, then the minute he decides to deal with it and go home he's whacked. All that build up for nothing.

Then the 2nd half of the season, not a damn thing has happened other than out of nowhere Jonny Sacks having cancer that kills him in 1 episode, uncle junior having some stupid poker game in the joint and they haven't touched on him other than that episode which is completely irrelevant, tony becoming a degenerate gambler overnight when they had never once mentioned him even liking gambling, tony fighting with bobby, and then all of a sudden tony has this huge hatred for chris that they hardly even touched on the entire season. Oh and who can't forget emo AJ.

I just expect the show to go out with a bang and it's been nothing but it's just becoming a let down.

What exactly are you wanting to see then? How woul dyou prefer the Vito situation get resolved? This show hasn't been about crescendos and violent finales since season 1, and there have always been multiple facets to the story.

I can understand what you're saying, but it's just never been the way the show is. It's not some serialization of events, and I quite like it for that. There are better shows out there if what one wants is a slow progression to some anticipated climax.

IMO of course. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I love the Sopranos, but I think for different qualities than what most expect out of a series perhaps.

 

[BooGiMaN]

if you look at all the episodes so far tony has started to really hate and has contemplated killing key people from his crew, but he finally went all the way with chris....

it is like he is drunk on power and becoming very reckless, he even talked about offing the guy who has let him borrow money all this time, i am still not sure how if anything that guy's wife dying fits into things

he is on a very short fuse and being that there is only i think 3 episodes left ...its only a matter of time before they decide that they might be safer or better off if he was not around any longer...

although im still tinking someone least expected will come out of the blue and off him...he has made a lot of enemies, especially lately

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Descartes
What exactly are you wanting to see then? How woul dyou prefer the Vito situation get resolved? This show hasn't been about crescendos and violent finales since season 1, and there have always been multiple facets to the story.

I can understand what you're saying, but it's just never been the way the show is. It's not some serialization of events, and I quite like it for that. There are better shows out there if what one wants is a slow progression to some anticipated climax.

IMO of course. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I love the Sopranos, but I think for different qualities than what most expect out of a series perhaps.

Okay well let me ask you this ...

Do you think this season, or season 5, were any of the best seasons of this show?

And the whole Vito thing coulda been done over the span of like 2 episodes. Why not talk about Jonny Sacks cancer for a few episodes instead of a no-name like Vito's homosexuality? I mean Jonny Sacks is a much larger character in the whole scheme of things yet all of a sudden he has cancer and dies at the end of the episode?

And the uncle junior episode? WTF? You could completely remove that episode from this season and the story would not be hurt at all.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: purbeast0
So far Season 6 is a huge letdown, both the first half and the half that is airing now.

I don't see it that way at all - it seems to me that most of the complaints about it relate to people wanting it to be an action movie. There has been some great writing this season. I can empathize with the idea of wanting more momentous events, given that this is the final season, but I do think it's been pretty good.

My problem is that nothing is happening. When you look at what has changed since the beginning of the episode to the end, it's really not that much. We spent/wasted maybe 20 minutes watching Junior get his hustle on at the funny farm to what end? A broken arm? What does that do to advance the overall story? Maybe it will be relevant in a future episode, probably not though.

My whole problem with David Chase started several years ago when I watch an interview w him where he said he wanted the Sopranos episodes to be completely self contained with no plot lines really carrying over from episode to episode. IMHO, that sucks. I want the huge arching story lines of shows like The Wire where just about everything impacts something episodes or sometimes seasons down the road.

If you like story lines like the Wire, then why not just watch the Wire?

As soon as it comes back for it's final season, which will be exponentially better than this, I certainly will. I highly recommend it if you haven't watch it, if it's On Demand now start from the beginning.

I like it when the constant viewer is rewarded by catching the little things someone who watches it occasionally wouldn't notice. Writing each episode as a standalone is more like a sitcom with guns.

To me, the Sopranos is a bit like Six Feet Under. There is some resolution to issues in some episodes, but mostly it's about the characters, and every episode is a resolution to their character and not some tangential event. You do get rewarded by catching the little things, but that's usually something about the character that manifests itself in a variety of ways. This could be Chris' drug problem, his siding with Tony during the Adrian situation, the fact that he felt almost plagued from the beginning due to the crow at his "making", etc.

So, I think the story is more about the character interaction than the actual story itself. Not sure if that makes any sense.[/quote]

It's mostly pointless dead ends about the characters that have little or no meaning. Some threads are drawn out 10x longer than they need (Vito), some are resolved in 2 seconds to get it out of the way (Johnny Sack).

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: Descartes
What exactly are you wanting to see then? How woul dyou prefer the Vito situation get resolved? This show hasn't been about crescendos and violent finales since season 1, and there have always been multiple facets to the story.

I can understand what you're saying, but it's just never been the way the show is. It's not some serialization of events, and I quite like it for that. There are better shows out there if what one wants is a slow progression to some anticipated climax.

IMO of course. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I love the Sopranos, but I think for different qualities than what most expect out of a series perhaps.

Okay well let me ask you this ...

Do you think this season, or season 5, were any of the best seasons of this show?

Honestly, for me they've all been about the same. I can't really pick one out as being the best. My criteria is just different than yours. The very things you say you hate are what I like the most. I enjoy it for the interplay of the characters and not so much how the story develops.

And the whole Vito thing coulda been done over the span of like 2 episodes. Why not talk about Jonny Sacks cancer for a few episodes instead of a no-name like Vito's homosexuality? I mean Jonny Sacks is a much larger character in the whole scheme of things yet all of a sudden he has cancer and dies at the end of the episode?

Who knows. He's the writer. I get the feeling that you're trying to impose what you think is right onto the show. I just try to enjoy it for what it is.

And the uncle junior episode? WTF? You could completely remove that episode from this season and the story would not be hurt at all.

You could do that with a lot of the episodes I think.