Television The Sopranos

[stereobot]

I also agree with Finder in that the show is progressing nevertheless. The relationship between Tony and Carmela seems to be tied in with Carm's spec house in a way. When things are going good Tony helps her out and is supportive of her project, but when they aren't they seem to fight about it. So the issues with the house that were presented in this episode are relevant. Also, AJ's breakup with his girlfriend was handled, and it looks like that is going to result in some interaction between Tony and AJ that might reveal something about their relationship. So far, they have also developed Tony's relationship with the members of his crew (Paulie in the last episode, Chris in the one before that, and Bobby in the one before that). It's all sort of setting the stage so that we know how Tony stands with everyone when whatever is going to happen to end the show happens.

very good points. I think this shows use of symbolism goes VERY deep sometimes - to the point that I start looking for it when it might not be there, or it is there and I am not picking it up. usually I do.

One thing no one mentioned when Tony was riding with his driver and he saw the Arabic guys that come to Bada Bing. He was looking at them suspiciously. Either Tony is getting more paranoid or he is considering saying something to those Feds about them.

Now that AJ doesn't really have his "family" anymore - meaning his girlfriend and her kid, maybe Tony will consider bringing him into the organization, or at least in on some jobs. That would really suprise me, but also not..

 

[L O V E L I F E]

When you have millions of dollars of assets AND a reasonably steady stream of income, the easiest way to "lose control" - of your finances and of your life - is by gambling compulsively.

And in my opinion, the loss of control, which often leads to questionable decision-making, is an interesting thread to be weaved into this final season, when Tony has numerous critical decisions to make.

As an aside, Tony's compulsive gambling also advanced the storyline, as it allowed him, for the first time, to "NEED" money from Carmella (from her recent spec-house profits), and demonstrated the My money/Your money/OUR money dynamic that has been bubbling beneath the surface for quite some time.

LL's Rating Of The Final Episodes So Far:

(1) A-minus

(2) A-plus (Tony's "I've been here too many years not to understand the subconscious" line (about Christopher's motives) to Dr. Melfi was one of the show's all-time finest, imo)

(3) C-plus (agreed - WAY too much time devoted to Junior)

(4) A-minus

 

[stereobot]

Tony's "I've been here too many years not to understand the subconscious" line (about Christopher's motives) to Dr. Melfi was one of the show's all-time finest, imo

yea totally.

I agree last week's episode was pretty good as long as the gambling thing leads to something.

I think the next few episodes the pace is really going to pick up.

Anyone have any guesses as to how it will all end?


What does anyone think the WORST ending could be? (realistically - no dragons and shit.)


for me - the worst - just if there is no closure. A lot of the main characters dead including Phil and Chris, and tony left to run things, but nothing really resolved.

 

[dapurpman]

I think the next few episodes the pace is really going to pick up.

Anyone have any guesses as to how it will all end?

What does anyone think the WORST ending could be? (realistically - no dragons and shit.)

first, i definetly hear ya on the pace pickin up in the last episodes remaining.

second, i honesty dont have a clue to how it will end. BUT, i do believe it will end with tony either dead or in jail. i have this strong suspicion that somehow those arabic guys who hang out at the bada bing will have some role. i think this for two reasons, one the fbi askin tony if he had any info on terrorism, from i think episode 2(this season)? when he went to get the newspaper. and secondly why would the writers/producer even include em(arab guys) if it be for only a small part this season........ so far ?

and last, the worst endin i could think of would to be any ending that comes out of nowhere in the last episode, that has nothin to do with past episodes, seasons. i want/hope all the lil shit like people say is tied together at the end.

 

[alasdairm]

i hope they leave plenty of questions unanswered. i sometimes find there's a rush to wrap up every loose end and that leaves nothing to the imagination and creates something of a false feeling of closure.

i'm quite happy not being spoon-fed a trite ending.

alasdair

 

[dapurpman]

well for the routine post after a new episode, i must say tonights episode was damn good imo.
so far episode 2 this season was my fav, but tonights was definetly up there. n' those arabs came up again! it surprised me how tony, on his own free will just walked over to the fbi agent n' gave em the names n' cell #.
n' man what christopher did at the end was just cold!, that had to be the most cold blooded murder in the entire series.

 

[stereobot]

haha dapurpman, posting on this thread is the first thing I do when I get into work on a Monday.

This episode was the best this season for sure. They are picking up the pace. I thought Paulie and Chris were going to kill each other.

I don't like where Tony is going with those FBI agents. I think he sees it as insurance, but I think he is being set up for something.

That blew my mind with Chris - what he did.

I have no idea what is coming next, looks like some bad shit with AJ is going to happen.

This is killing me, having to wait an entire week for the next episode...

4 eipisodes left, I think they are going to blow our minds with the last few episodes, I have faith!!

 

[phr]

I as well thought last night's episode was great. I had a good pace, brought up some questions while answering a few...

Here are some random thoughts I had:

I like the fact that Christopher is finally getting airtime. He's caught in an interesting dilemma with his alcohol/drug use and how it relates to work.

AJ just annoys me. He's either a with or a little bitch.

Paulie's a greedy motherfucker. Always looking for that quick extra buck. Even at the expense of his friends and associates.

I don't like the fact that Tony snitched on the Arabs. He should be completely against that type of thing. Also, I hope this whole "terrorism" bit doesn't play into the series finale. I actually hoped that when it was first introduced in the previous season(s).

From next week's preview, it looks like Tony's back at gambling and there's going to be beef with NY. Can't wait.

 

[stereobot]

Definately good to see Chris back in front of the camera agian.

I am wondering with Tony and the FBI agents, if they are going to trap him into testifying against the Arabs. that could cause a major issue if he has to go to court to testify, it would look bad to everyone if he has been cooperating with the FBI for any reason. That could be why the FBI keep asking him about arab people. Why would they keep on him about that? If Tony refused to testify he could be held in contempt or something.

I can see that Chris is going to be a big part of the end of the show. I think it will be suicide.

 

[phr]

I can see that Chris is going to be a big part of the end of the show. I think it will be suicide.

Well, if he does kill himself, I could definetly see him taking people down. Either legally or by just killing them. Paulie would definetly be one of them.

 

[JerryBlunted]

"i think that was when our relationship was poisoned" - christopher referring to the murder of adrianna (in paraphrase). that right there told me everything i need to know about these last few episodes. christopher and tony are on a collision course for sure.

i honestly sympathize far more with christopher. the scene where he's kind of out of it and everyone who is supposed to love and support him is just sort of ganging up on him like a pack of hyenas was really well done. he's being pushed to a place where there is only one way out.

also, if there is going to be a serious bloodbath finale, can someone kill carmela, that gold digging whining whore?

 

[stereobot]

I read something on another forum - Rumors of the final episode. Of course there is no way to know for sure if this is what is going to happen, but it sounds very possible and reasonable. Apparently this guy was right about things in the 1st and 2nd episodes.

I guess I believe that this is going to be how it ends, it makes sense. I wish I didn't read it, but here it is if you want to know.

NSFW:

Chris joins Phil's crew and has to take out Tony. it makes sense, no?

who knows though....

 

[stereobot]

seriously assholes. Why is no one posting here? where is everyone? I check this thread daily a few times a day. Its really one of the only things that brings me joy while at work.

I NEED you.

god damn I am pathetic...

 

[alasdairm]

^ there's a whole world out there. that some people chooe it over bluelight doesn't make them assholes

i'd been catching up on the sopranos on dvd and i'm finally completely up to date. i think the tension is building well. i too miss the sopranos heyday but i think they're currently doing a great job of showing disillusionment with the life, petty insecurities wrecking a good thing, etc. everybody just seems really tired and frustrated.

Spoiler: the sopranos on 5/6

even given all the above, it's not clear to me why christopher decided to kill his writer friend. it was obviously a snap decision but i can't help thinking that's very much the beginning of the end for him

alasdair

 

[stereobot]

^ there's a whole world out there. that some people chooe it over bluelight doesn't make them assholes

I know dude. It was tongue in cheek.

I think you are right about Christopher.

NSFW:

was half expecting him to kill himself at the end. I think him killing the writer shows how he is just had it with people abandoning him and not offering emotional support. He feels he is completely on his own right now and no one else matters to him at this point. This is absolutely the time of his downfall. I think they showed a preview of him getting back into drugs again. I wouldn't put it past him to kill someone in the immediate family.

The writer said to Chris "... you're in the Mafia!" when he didn't want to hear anymore. you could see that Chris realized that he was stuck in that life. that was it - and that life was rejecting him. He is feeling that all around and that is going to put him into a survialistic, irrational state.

 

[SmokingFrog84]

You didn't go to hell. You went to purgatory, my friend. I forgot all about purgatory. Purgatory, a little detour on the way to paradise. How long you think we gotta stay there? That's different for everybody. You add up all your mortal sins, multiply that number by 50, then you add up all your venial sins and multiply that by 25. You add them together, and that's your sentence. I figure i'm gonna have to do about 6,000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6,000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I could do that standing on my head. It's like a couple of days here.

Paulie at his finest haha

 

[Chronik Fatigue]

^
Yeah, I don't get the whole gambling bit either. I'd imagine that he'd know better from being involved in that type of business(gambling, loans). Not to mention that in previous episodes from past seasons he's voiced his dislike of problematic gamblers.

It's frustrating that they constantly drop in new characters and new scenarios (ie Tony's gambling problem) but I guess they have to do a lot of plot development with very little time. By the end of the episode it all pulled together quite neatly I thought.

 

[dapurpman]

It's frustrating that they constantly drop in new characters and new scenarios (ie Tony's gambling problem)

i hear ya, i was browsing another forum n' someone pointed this out which is true.

Fuck that shit. Five years later, out the blue Tony is fucking crying and gambling compulsively all the goddamn time? Chris popping his writer, while I get the "reconciled to his lot in life" angle, was lazy bullshit writing. "Oh, we need to tie up loose ends, let's just murk a muthafucka." Like the Feds aren't aware of his forays into Hollywood and immediately won't suspect Chris. Too bad it's gonna disappear as a plotline just like

1. Chris sharing needles with the realtor
2. The mystery escape of the Russian in the Pine Barrens
3. Bobby Bacala murking dude and leaving chest hairs behind
4. Furio bailing to Italy
5. Paulie setting up a move to the NY family

etc. etc. etc.

i definetly thought that russian shit was going to come back into the series somehow.

also this season i must say, these episodes we have seen so far, they are all over the place. so far there is no running plot to build up to a climax, hope it will change this sunday.

n' hopefully more of this guy

 

[stereobot]

there will for sure be more of Phil Leotardo. I think that is the climax - him and Tony not getting along. Phil is eventually going to want Tony gone, and he is getting to a point where he can make that happen.

I am also half expecting that Russian guy to come back and take out Chris or Paulie... I think a lot of people are and I wouldn't be suprised if they wrote that in to satisfy a lot of hardcore fans.

The thing with Bobby and the chest hairs, the sharing of needles, the Russian guy, Furio (which I was just thinking about this morning, about him coming back), Tony's gambling problem - These are all things that probably have been set up to keep people guessing. otherwise it would be obvious what is going to make things crash down. That is my theory anyway.

Also they have really been pressing on the fact that there is so much risk of what they do in the mafia, so many ways to get caught. They are sloppy even though they try to cover their tracks. It kind of signifies the inevitable down fall of everyone in that line of work, its just a matter of time.

my new theory for the end of the show:

NSFW:

Tony is on to something with the Arabic guys and the Feds actually get important info on them. I think what will happen is that they will find Tony in a very compromised position and save him from getting killed, maybe in the process they will kill off Chris or phill or who ever is going to whack Tony. Tony will then go into witness protection. or maybe they will just need Tony to testify against the Arabics, and Tony will demand witness protection.. I dont know, that is far fetched.

My other idea is that Chris signs up with Phil and has to take out Tony. Paulie finds out about it and goes and takes out Chris. Tony doesn't know what Chris' intentions are and takes out Paulie on revenge.

Kind of a Shakespere type ending.

 

[billywitchdoc.com]

this season is better than i expected t to be. last episode when christophers lawn gets fucked up was madd funny, than the preview to the new one when christopher's swervin and weavin in the escalade. looks sicck