Grid Effect

Well, my head is spinning with the multitude of oversights this year, but I don’t know what else to expect from an award show that is clearly being compromised by someone or something. Either that or they are simply lazy. I hate to be so cynical but there is really no other explanation.

Note: This article will contain some spoilers, so if you’re waiting for some series’ to be released on DVD or whatever else, this post will upset you immensely if you continue to read.

For starters, lets give credit where credit is due: fifteen nominations for The Sopranos! Yowza! Obviously for best drama and both lead acting categories, then three supporting acting nominations (Imperioli, Bracco and Turturro) then three nominations in the best writing category for “Kennedy and Heidi” (The episode Chris died), “The Second Coming” (AJ’s suicide attempt) and the series finale, “Made In America”. All this in addition to a directing nomination for Alan Taylor for “Kennedy and Heidi” (I Get It!) and five other nominations in minor categories.

There were some other various highlights with the dramatic series nominations, including Dennis Leary getting a best actor nomination (which is a lost cause, I’m pretty sure based on the overwhelming recognition that The Sopranos very well might end up sweeping), Friday Night Lights, though clearly underappreciated did pick up a best directing and best casting (which is like an award for best ensemble), its minimal, but at least it is something.

The Wire, on the other hand, was completely snubbed. In this blogs humble opinion, this oversight completely diminishes all credibility The Emmys may have built up. This series is so nuanced, so well characterized and structured, its intriguing, insightful, entertaining and probably the only series that I can say with any cerititude that is actually important; and for it to get zero nominations is a fucking embarrassment. The only plausible explanation is either they aren’t watching it (most likely), its not popular so it goes unrecognized because there won’t be any mainstream outrage (quite possible), or race is actually an issue (never would have thought this to be the case as I am hesitant to play this card, but now I’m not so sure). It has to be one of these three, because if one watches the series in total, and isn’t subjective in any way, then there is no rationale for this series to not have a nomination in every major and minor category. It is that good.

Thing is, this really shouldn’t come as any shock. The Wire is virtually snubbed every year it should be in contention to clean house. I really shouldn’t take it so personally but the series deserves better. The Emmys are essentially the only mainstream outlet that acknowledges excellence in television, and for The Wire to go unrepresented is a sham. If The Emmys would give this show its due, then maybe it could build up the audience it deserves. But ultimately, those who watch The Emmys are not interested in a slew of no-names collecting awards, and that might be what this is attributed to. Most would rather see Kiefer Sutherland or one of the twenty-five year old smoking hot doctors from Grey’s Anatomy stockpile hardware. Not a gritty, realistic portrayal or institutional and urban decay and corruption. And that is no disrespect to 24 or the hospital drama, but give me a fucking break.

Like stated before, The Sopranos very well may sweep on Emmy night and that is all well and good. But it should really be rivaled by its artistic and narrative counterpart in The Wire, otherwise everything David Chase & Co. wins is borderline fraudulent. For a sports analogy, its would be like winning a Superbowl because the other team died in a plane crash. Technically, someone is awarded the Lombardi trophy, but did they really earn it? Or feel good about it?

Back later with some approving editorial on the comedy nominations (sans a few nitpicks), other miscellaneous categories and some more on Friday Night Lights, right now I need to karate chop some bricks so I don’t chuck my monitor across my office.

Here we are, probably the last post solely dedicated to The Sopranos. As a coma-stricken Tony might ask, “Who am I? Where am I going?” I am clearly suffering from something of an existential funk as of now, and it will probably last up until the 5th season premiere of The Wire. Enough reminiscing, lets do this thang…

We open with yet another scene of Tony waking up in his bedroom, of course its a beaten down mattress in a safe house and he’s clutching a gun that could take down a helicopter; instead of his bed in the kingdom he and his lineage rest their heads. Still, his jowls have not gone anywhere.

Tony and Paulie sit in a vehicle that is supposed to be incognito at the airport, but really just looks suspicious based on where they take it. Presumably they’re waiting for a mob meeting and Paulie complains about said guys lack of punctuality. Tony, as has been an ongoing theme this season, does not want to hear his incessant yammering, instructs him to just enjoy the music.

The late party turns out to be Agent Harris, Tony inquires about the two potential terrorists he gave them information about, Harris’ news is somewhat distressing and says it happens all the time. Tony gets forceful and wants to know if he’s lying to AJ when he says its all bullshit. Harris gets a call from his bitchy wife and they predictably argue, Tony gives him some more info about the potential terrorists having an account at some bank under the guise that he “just remembered”. Harris is understandably skeptical, then Tony asks for a favor and wants to know if his Brooklyn contacts have any idea where Phil Leotardo is hiding. Its probably the most transparent ruse Tony has ever tried to pull, which is accurate because he is desperate at this point.

Tony and fat driver guy go to an ominus little waterfront property, where Meadow, AJ and Carmela are all apparently staying. Carmela is worried about some odor in the house and is thinks it is toxic. She bitches about not being home, there might be some more pressing issues, here Carm. I know your husband’s a sick degenerate but have chosen to ignore that, so you might want to show some concern for his, you know, life.

AJ lets out Rhiannon and Tony kindly suggests using the back door. Carmela is concerned that she may be loose lipped while in the company of her peers, disclosing her location. When he walks into the kitchen, Tony says he wouldn’t kick her out of bed for purging cookies (a not so subtle reference to her being a bulimic) and AJ says that they are just friends to which Tony replies, “I know, nice job”. In my circle of friends, and mind you we’re all twenty-five, when one of us “befriends an attractive woman, we usually give him shit for being doing so because either he is pursuing her sexually and she knows it, but is not interested and is stringing him along for whatever he can do for her; or he has brought the subject up and was rejected, but is clinging to her because she will talk to him and he is still somewhat smitten. In other words, I was glad Tony called AJ out on how ridiculous it is to, of all the people in the world to be friends with, he has chosen an attractive high-schooler recovering from an eating disorder.

Carmela and Tony tell AJ about Bobby’s funeral, AJ questions it and they reassure him it is safe because of thew FBI presence.

At the wake, everyone sits and mingles about the food, not really mourning in any way. Pointing out the over-indulgence and materialism that Chase obviously believes permeates this country.

Meadow invites Paulie to sit down at her table where they are talking about the Oscars. Paulie is in rare form here, even for him, he throwing out these gems:
“In the midst of death, we are in life”. -After undoing his zipper in front of everyone and explaining how much he ate.
“You can take 2007 and give it back to the indians”. -Discussing how many friends he’s lost in the year. So far.

Meadow’s new boyfriend attempts to change the subject by asking either someone in particular or the table in general if they had seen Dreamgirls, prompting AJ to go ballistic about the dire state of the world, and how the concept of America is a noble and necessary one, but the we sell out the more valiant and important aspects of freedom for inconsequential objects and self-interest. AJ gets a little off track and isn’t terribly cogent here, to which Bobby’s niece has pointed out. He goes so far as to quote Yates, which he pronounces “Yeets”. The conversation ends when Paulie cracks a joke about terrorist regimes that I can’t quite understand but him and Bobby’s niece laugh at. So clearly it was funny!

The guys all sit around the safe house watching a Twilight Zone episode about the importance of the writer to television. I was actually listening to a Paul Shirley interview while writing this, and in the interview he says, “When people with money get involved, everything gets dumbed down.” This seems to summarize David Chase’s opinion of the four broadcast networks. Of their situation, Tony says it’s not all bad since he hasn’t eaten a green vegetable in a week, he hollers something and out of nowhere a stray cat comes scampering over to eat his discarded food. Carlo invites Tony to visit Silvio at the hospital, he declines everyone looks pissed but unsurprised.

In little Italy, a tour bus rolls by while the guide lectures about how it has been reduced to a few shops, while Butchie exits one of the stores, Phil calls him to bitch about Tony not being killed first. Butchie non-verbally suggests calling an end to it, Phil hangs up on him and he comes to discover that while invested in his heated conversation with Phil, Butchie has stumbled into Chinatown and out of Little Italy as a result of it being so diminished by corporate overrun.

Tony shows up at Janice’s and walks through the back where she is contemplating just how narcissistic she can be. When her and Tony get talking, she claims she is nothing like her mother while acting exactly like her, just not as aggressive. She says she needs to watch her weight to snag another husband,. And though it is meant as a joke it still seems like a really callous thing to say. They reminisce about the monopoly fight and Bobby’s “absent” sense of humor. He asks what she is doing now. Janice says Sophia (her stepdaughter) is out of her mind if she thinks she’s getting out of this house. Tony reminisces about how when Johnny bought the house Janice currently lives in, behind it was all cornfields (”Scotch (bangs chest), and soda”) . Tony says she could form a new nuclear family and drag Harpo into their mess. She says he changed his name to Hal. Tony leaves.

As he’s leaving, he gets a call from Harris’s chest hair, I mean Harris, but his chest hair clearly has a mind of its own, about the locale of Phil, he is with some stern looking female agent, whom I guess he had to sleep with to get that information as she looks on disapprovingly.

Benny and someone else look for Phil.

AJ and Rhiannon sit in his car in the woods listening to Bob Dylan classics, AJ calls him “this guy”. She is trying to talk him into sex. He says this could be a mistake, she says they are good friends, then lean in and start making out before she straddles him and takes off her shirt, smoke starts coming through the AC vents and AJ is to distracted to notice right off the bat, he does eventually see the engine in flames, they run out of the car and watch it explode. It seems to be quite cathartic for him.

Cut to Tony and Carmela bitching out AJ. These are some of the best scenes with Gandolfini, wanting to let all his sociopathic rage out on his son, but doesn’t because he pities AJ and Carmela won’t let him. AJ says it may be good that he takes the bus because we have to lose our dependence on foreign oil.

Listening to a tape recorder of Tony reaching out to a third party to get him and Butchie in the same room where no one would be in danger.

At a random warehouse, Tony greets some guy named George and his friends. It plays like a potential ambush, we cut to the middle of the debate, Butchie brings up Phil’s dead gumar. Tony calls out Little Carmine, who hesitantly chimes in, “It didn’t have to be this way”. Tony rolls his eyes as if to say, “no shit”. Tony says his price is he helps them get a location on Phil, Butchie refuses but says he will not interfere. Butchie also agrees to pay out for Bobby’s death to Janice.

The Sopranos are back home and bitching about the surplus of mail. It was probably worth the safety precaution, Carm. Your husband would be dead if not for that formidable stack of paper.

Paulie is freaking out about the cat being in the back of Satriales, Tony overrules him and calls the cat, “a good guy”.

Pat and Junior are staring out the window looking at birds at Juniors new state funded digs. He thinks Janice is Livia when she confronts him (That’s actually a compliment, considering whose on the receiving end of it), she shows him a picture of there kid and he calls her Janice. He’s always a generation behind. Junior regales some story about Janice leaving the stove on with a wet dish rag. Janice tells Junior about Bobby and he has no recollection, nor shows any remorse. She tries to extract sympathy by saying, “I’m a widow now”.

Cut to Pat talking about how she was unveiling him, Tony says he can rot.

AJ in therapy is shot identically to the scenes Tony has with Melfi, with her legs are even protruding out from her skirt and seem to be the central focus, he’s in amazement about being in his car seat a few seconds before it melted. Much like his father was after he survived his attempted hit.

Paulie walks into the Bing screaming for Carlo, he’s not around, its similar to that when he saw the Virgin Mary on the stage. Paulie calls Tony to tell him Carlo didn’t show. Tony wonders if he flipped, Paulie recalls that his kid Jason was picked up for selling Exstacy, making the answer obvious.

Carmela goes to talk to Meadow and Hunter is in the room (Chase’s actual kid and has been MIA since Meadow went to Columbia), she was kicked out of school for drinking and that was apparently the last time she has seen her, but has since gotten her act together and is now in Med school. At this news Carmela virtually runs out of the room.

Down in the living room, Patsy, his wife are with Carmela, Tony, Meadow and their kid, while Patsy’s wife is butchering the “horse with the long face joke”. Tony asks about their other son, Jason, the one that Carlo’sd kid (the other) Jason hangs out with. Things get tense at the mention of this. So it seems clear that Patsy and his wife know about him turning. The topic changes to Meadow’s future career, she is now looking to join a high payig law firm instead of going the ACLU route. I am not sure which is worse. Anyhow, her and her husband look like future mob lawyers.

Back at Satriales, the cat stares at the picture of Chris they have hanging. Paulie tells some guy named Walden to move the cat, he refuses and Paulie grabs a broom when Tony walks in and he pretends to be sweeping. As Walden leaves, Paulie gives him shit about his name, he said he was named after Bobby Darin, Paulie “Ewhh”’s at him.

Tony offers Paulie the construction job, Paulie doesn’t want it because of the typical early departure of the leader of that crew. Tony says he is “miffled”. Paulie walks out, looking conspicuous.

Tony pulls up alongside AJ, who’s jogging down the street and starts mouthing the melody to the Rocky theme song. AJ hops in the car and Tony says he is going to get back at it himself. AJ says he is joining the Army, but hasn’t signed up yet (He has to clarify it with Rhiannon), AJ says it will help him with his career, Tony is quick to point out that he doesn’t have a career, he says he wants to be Trumps personal pilot eventually. Tony says they want another chance to talk before he commits to anything and also says he’s not telling Carmela about the newfound idea.

Tony tells Carmela while she lies in a bathtub.

Tony thanks AJ’s therapist for “getting him out of his room”, but asks what’s the point if he’s going to be “cannon fodder”. Carm walks in and Tony says it may be good for him, Carmela said it would be great if a war wasn’t taking place. New Lady Therapist says AJ wants to take all of his energy and focus on the terrorists, but she can’t reveal anymore. Tony bitches about that fact, since they are footing the bill. Tony goes into a long tangent about his mother. It’s really off topic.

Tony is “sake bombing” with Meadow and they argue about her career path. He says of the last time you talked, “you wanted to be a lawyer for black people”, she gets mad and says the state can break the individual, he asks incredulously, “New Jersey?”, though she was referring to the federal government. She says she would have been a boring suburban doctor if not for all the times he was dragged off unjustly by the feds. He doesn’t say anything but facial ticks, “You actually believed that shit. Standards to practice law are low these days.”

Phil pulls up to a gas station with his wife driving and their two grandkids. Phil is barking at his wife about picking up drugs from the pharmacy when Walden comes up from behind and shoots him in the head. His wife hops out of the car, while it is in drive or neutral, hysterical, and the car tire rolls over his head. There is some great editing here between seeing the front part of the tire start to crush Phil, then a cut to a group of four kids, then a cut to the two babies in the car as it makes this crushing noise, then a cut to some random onlooker going, “holy shit”, then to one of the four kids vomiting.

Someone walks in to Agent Harris’ office, informing him that Phil Leotardo was hit. To which Harris slapped his hand on the desk and replied, “We’re going to win this thing”. Apparently, this actually happened.

Carmela and Tony are talking with AJ about some alternatives to military service. AJ descends down the steps in a Tony-esque robe. Carmela asks how one person can make a difference, he says he can join the CIA and with learning Arabic he’ll be a valuable commodity. Tony calls him out about it, he lashes out. Carmela suggests not getting his legs blown off, he replies, “always with the drama”. Yeah, he’s a Soprano. They suggest working on a film that Little Carmines studio is doing, and with his friends in film school, he can make some contacts and get things off the ground for them. Then possibly open a club(s) and have a celebrity angle to approach it with. AJ reminds them that Carmine does porn. Tony keeps his cool, says he did “Cleaver” and that he is branching out.

Tony meets with his lawyer in the back of the Bing. And informs him that the news isn’t good and there is about an 80-90% that he’s indicted, with the gun charge and several others. As he piles on the list of charges, Tony rips the ketchup bottle he is struggling with out of his hand and slams it down. Lawyer says, “trials are there to be won”, which doesn’t exactly set his mind at ease.

Tony goes to visit Silvio, who’s just lying there and never talks. He hugs Gabriella while Little Miss Sunshine plays on the television. He looks like he’s having flashbacks to when he was in a similar predicament.

Out in front of Satriale’s, it is just Paulie and Tony and the former is working on his tan. They argue about the cat, and Paulie not having any money to leave his niece who has MS, which Tony feels should be enough incentive to take the position he is offering. Tony says that since Chris has passed, his gambling luck has done a 180, Paulie gets mad that its okay for him to believe in karma and the supernatural, but not him. Paulie tells him about seeing the Virgin Mary when he was worried about potentially having cancer, Tony makes fun of him and Paulie gets upset that he’s cracking jokes. Seems Paulie is really frightened of death. Tony ropes him in by saying that he’ll give Patsy the job. Paulie caves, “I live but to serve you, my liege.” It really is depressing staring at just the two of them standing outside that little meat store, wherein there used to be close to a dozen men standing out there at anytime. Live by the gun, I guess

AJ walks outside talking about his new BMW, justifying having it saying it gets 23 mpg on the highway and that’s better than the SUV. Get a Altima, or a Cobalt homeboy. He picks up his high school girlfriend, at high school.

They go home and laugh it up in front of a television as Karl Rove dances like a leader of the free world, or a dipshit, you categorize it how you would like.

Tony goes to meet Junior at the state hospital and tries to advise him on his money and confront him about shooting him. He is so fargone that he has no idea who he or Tony is, Junior says a man from another galaxy came to see him, Tony says that is his accountant and Junior, frustrated, says, “I’m confused”. Damn, Dominic Chianese is a fantastic actor. He seems to get a semblance of a who he is when Tony says, “this thing of ours”; When Tony says they ran North Jersey (him and his dad), Junior replies, “That’s nice”. As if to explain how quaint and insignificant their practice is. Tony runs out of there scared shitless.

Final scene:
Tony walks into Holstens, and scours the place.

At his table he observes every person that walks in and skims the jukebox at his table.
finally settling on “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. How Jersey, or college.
We see a woman with a vague resemblance to Janice. Then a trucker.
We see Carm walk in and get camera shots of a young couple and some boy scouts.
They say hi. Shot of some trucker drinking coffee, Carmela explains that Meadow will be a little late because she went to the doctor. Tony looks concerned, Carmela senses it and explains that she was switching birth control. Tony looks sorry he asked.
Carmela asks about their lawyer and Tony explains he is probably going to trial.
The song goes into the chorus right when a suspicious looking guy walks into the restaurant and AJ’s directly behind him.
They talk about onion rings while eating some.
Meadow tries to park as the same shady guy that AJ followed inside sits at the counter looking over his shoulder at their table. AJ bitches about his job and his parents tell him to suck it up.
AJ heeds his fathers advice and says he’ll try to focus on the good times, which Tony once said (final scene of season one). Tony thinks he’s being sarcastic before having it explained to him that AJ was being literal, Tony concedes that he guesses it is true.
The same gentlemen from the counter walks to the bathroom directly passed their booth but does nothing.
Two black guys walk in.
Meadow finally gets her car parked on a virtual airport strip and runs inside.
We hear the bell ring when the door opens, Tony looks up while the music says “Don’t Stop” and it cuts to black, in silence.

Fucking phenomenal. This is just a detailed synopsis. If you want to read about finale theory, go here, here and here.

Did not have time to wrap up The Sopranos recap for “Made In America”, I spent last night watching my Cavs get swept out of the finals (they were playing with house money after just reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, anyways). So to compensate for my shortcomings, here are a few related links to wet your appetite.

Lost producers are reassuring their fans that the conclusion of their series will in no way resemble that of The Sopranos. Yeah, I know buddy. You guys would never have the cojones to pull off something so original and thought provoking. You don’t have to tell me, Carlton. If I had to guess about how Lost will end its run, I would sasy that the US Government not only finds out they are stranded on a remote island, but also discovers all its inhabitants are suffering from an incurable ailment, foreign to North America. As a last ditch solution, Bush decides to go Outbreak on them and drop an H-Bomb to neutralize the virus, ending the series in one bloody mess.

This is a website dedicated solely to convincing you Tony Soprano, a fictional character on a television series, is dead. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m going to need to see some exculpatory evidence before I make that conclusion.

The actor who played Dr. Elliot (Melfi’s therapist), is telling everyone a final scene between him and Lorraine Bracco was cut out of Sunday’s episode, one in which he is consoling her. I don’t understand, was Melfi’s entire life consumed by her treatment of Tony Soprano? The writers went out of their way to say otherwise, with Elliot always being the first to ask about him, but does she really need reassurance yet again to drop him? Oh well, I guess I never saw the scene so I don’t really know its context.

And finally, if you have not been reading Slate.com’s email exchange between several Sopranos aficionado’s (among them are Brian Williams and Emmy award winning writer Terrence Winter, most recognized for “Long Term Parking”) then I highly recommend you do so. Some entries are insightful, some are self-indulgent, but all are worthwhile.

Back with the recap this afternoon/evening.

Just one last Sopranos post (save for the recap on Friday, of course) to cover up some loose ends that may have gone overlooked in lieu of the flummoxing conclusion.

-I really thought we had seen the last of Junior, but I guess a confrontation between him and Tony was necessary. After all, Jun is his uncle and did attempt to murder him. Twice (once lucid and once senile). Tony’s look of dismay walking away from their encounter spoke to the core of Tony’s concerns about aging. The realization that Junior had no recollection of anything he had done (with the exception of some deeply embedded family affairs) reminded me of Tony’s experience as Kevin Finnerty and his diagnosis with Alzheimers. Though I believe Tony still holds Junior responsible for shooting him, as he said to Melfi, “I know all too much about the subconscious”. Whether or not that is a valid application in these circumstances, it’s probably how Tony would feel.

-Speaking of which, Tony probably never would have went to visit Junior had his sister not attempted to steal money from Bobby’s kids. A vile bitch till the bitter end. Even Tony, as superficial and unfounded as he may be, occasionally exudes some signs of humanitarianism. Janice? No such luck. Even in the wake of her husbands death Janice’s primary concern is unlimited Klondike bars in the freezer.

-And finally, Paulie. Probably the funniest, and, ironically enough, the most sadistic character this side of Richie Aprile, Ralph Cifaretto and the aforementioned Janice Soprano (whom dated the other two). Can you imagine what happens to the Jersey faction of La Cosa Nostra should Paulie be the default leader? I feel like the irrelevant would be stressed, such as mandatory hairstyles and shoe wear. At the very least we know that cat will meet its demise in the most unsavory manner. For the most part, he had a suitable ending. Or as suitable as it could be not involving death. He gets a promotion, is talked out of his phobia(s) and intimidates everyone not named Soprano.
It actually has been speculated on the internets about Paulie ratting to the feds, hence his worrisome nature about the cat (It’s symbolic, people). This seems like a stretch, especially since nothing else was explained, but anything is possible, even a stray cat exposing the insecurities of a mobster. In all honesty, I’m not sure of the significance of the cat, I’ve heard theories but none of them sound plausible in The Sopranos metaphorical lexicon. So we’ll just leave it be and see if we can concoct something before the recap is posted on Friday.

With that said, I think I’ve bled this episode dry. Links and a possible Rescue Me quasi-preview coming tomorrow.

Anyhow, we will try not to comment again on “Made In America” until Friday, but I’m making no such promises.

We just wanted to debunk a few myths about the end of Sunday’s Sopranos finale, because there are several of them floating out there. We do not have a direct line to Chase or anything, but some of them are so preposterous that we wanted to acknowledge them as such, so to avoid any misconceptions:

“The two black guys who walked into the diner at the end of the episode were the same two carjackers from season one.”
This is an internet rumor. But for those who don’t remember the series vividly, or haven’t watched it recently, one of the carjackers accidentally fatally wounds the other while they have Tony in a crossfire in the two front seat windows. The other carjacker is sent falling from a speeding vehicle and we are never given an update on his physical status. So unless someone produces a convoluted theory about how Tony actually died in “Members Only” and that Costa Mesa wasn’t a dream or a metaphysical experience but rather Tony’s reality, just two random guys grabbing a bite will have to do.

“The guy at the counter who later went to the mens restroom is somehow related (fill in actual relation here) to Phil Leotardo”.
This, sorry to say, is unfounded. There is no one credited as such and it was intentional he was wearing a Members Only jacket for the sake of looking conspicuous. Contrary to popular belief, not every Italian in a cheap 80’s jacket residing in New Jersey is in/associated with the mob.

“The first guy who walked into the restaurant is related to a truck driver that Chris hijacked in one of the first two seasons”
It’s this kind of over thinking that concerns me. How could this ever be proven from casual viewing? What resemblance or information could possibly be revealed in those split seconds that this random individual is seeking vengeance for a related, unnamed character from seven years ago that Tony isn’t even responsible for? Theories like this and how they are formed continue to baffle me.

All these conceptualizations are suggestive to David Chase’s point, that ultimately Tony Soprano, for the rest of his life, him and everyone around him is unsafe. Meadow’s struggle to park her car, her running inside (for whatever reason), invoked concern that she may be the target of retaliation for Phil or one of a hundred other things Tony has done. That’s why everyone in the restaurant was so disconcerting, they could be a threat to him, not that they necessarily are.

I am more open to the theory that he was murdered when the series cut to black. But I still dismiss it on the fact that The Sopranos was never a first person narrative. We were privy to plenty of happenings that Tony was unaware of, so I don’t think everything fades to black for us, simply because it might for Tony. However, because Tony did hark back to his conversation with Bobby in “Sopranos Home Movies” before lying down in “The Blue Comet”, I am not ruling out the possibility that he was murdered. But I still think that moment of reflection was more his concern for Bobby and his own fears than it was any sort of foreshadowing. I’m certainly not going to assume he was killed then and there.

More later on Janice, Junior, Paulie and the cat.

Well, I suppose there isn’t much to discuss today other than the premiere of John From Cincinnati, but lets first get that pesky Sopranos finale out of the way (If you are David Milch, is it a blessing or a curse to follow the series finale of what will certainly be one of the most unforgettable series in the history of the medium?).

Last night’s episode, “Made In America”, is bound to draw the ire of many, if not most fans of the series. David Chase has expected this, and has stated before that he really couldn’t care less, because the saga of Tony Soprano and his two families goes beyond the life and death of any individual. Ironically, AJ’s sordid tale embodied what the series is trying to accomplish. Through his disgust at dinner with everyones inconsequential conversation about “The fucking Oscars” to his transformation after watching his car ser ablaze, AJ had recovered from his depression much like his father. Instead of questioning the world at large around him he chose to accept it and ignore his convictions with a BMW and a job at a small film studio.

This development was somewhat depressing to me, I was holding out that despite AJ’s non-sensical ramblings about the follies of capitalism and all of his other shortcomings, he might actually call his parents out on what they actually are, pull a less self-serving “Janice” and get the hell out of dodge. His plan to join the Army, despite how unsuited he is for such work detail was an honestly noble one founded on legitimate concerns, but his parents wanted him to receive the discipline without the reprecussions, hence the change of heart between military school for his education and military duty for his profession at a time of war.

Chase gave us one more like father, like son experience, while in the throws of passion with his bulimic, sixteen year-old girlfriend his car catches on fire while parked over some leaves (up until AJ said “we’re really good friends” I thought they were planning a dual suicide in the manner they were ominously parked in the woods). After watching this, and realizing he was in the car just moments beforehand, he rediscovers a reason to live. This paralleled his dad’s resurgence from depression in season one’s penultimate episode, “Isabella”. In which a hit on Tony went awry as he was having a difficult time coping with the disappearance of Pussy, managed to bring him back to reality as he confessed to Melfi, “I may have not wanted to live, but at that moment I knew, with every fiber of my being, that I didn’t want to die”. Incredible.

As far as the end of the series is concerned, we got closure on numerous subplots, including the war with New York (it’s amazing how petty these guys can be, as Butchie completely betrays Phil because he yells at him while he stumbles into Chinatown out of the marginalized Little Italy), AJ and Medows future, Paulie, the last remaining original soldier of Tony’s from season one; and really we can assume Tony ends up being hauled off to prison with Carlo testifying against him. No chance in hell he could beat all the charges Carlo could have him indicted on.

Now, that very last scene that left many a viewer frustrated and confused, it is what it is. Tony, who’s lived his life feeding off the misery of others, is left to live the rest of his own miserable, pathetic life constantly looking over his shoulder, skeptical of every person in his immediate viscinity. That tension we all felt with numerous people filing in and out of the restaurant, the man at the counter that led AJ inside who went to the bathroom (Michael Corleone came to mind here, one of two flashes of Godfather this episode), the two black men milling around (another way Chase exploits his audience, take a tension laden scene/situation, throw an African/American in the scene and we all are immediately suscpicious, thanks for making me feel like an asshole, Chase), Tony will feel until the day he dies, incarcerated or otherwise.

I suppose I am in the minority on this, but I found the series finale to be satisfying. This epic killed off virtually every major criminal, set aside Paulie (probably the least ethical of all of them, just to establish the shows ongoing theme about the absence of karma and that justice seldom prevails) and the one who virtually never gets his comeuppance: The Boss. For those who thought the finale wasnt’s gory enough (safe for that Phil Leotardo hit and subsequent car… incident), the body of the series should have fed your bloodlust.

But most of all I enjoyed “Made In America” because it refused to sell out. Imagine how absurd and atypical it would have been for this series if an unnamed and unseen assailant stormed into the restaurant and uzi-ed the place taking out AJ, Carmela and Tony, leaving Meadow to assume the position as boss of the family business. It would have been laughable. The Sopranos has always tried to lay realism as the foundation of the series, with this ending I feel as if they stayed consistent and my respect for Chase and everyone else involved with the series remains unharmed.

More to come later this week on The Finale. Stay tuned.

Some guy heads out to his house to get his paper, from the angle we get it looks like the local paper here, the Columbus Dispatch, Silvio sidles him then strangles the guy ala Tony did to the one guy in “College”.

Phil stirs some tea and demands everyone in the neighboring room leave, then rehashes the “glorified crew” comment Carmine Sr. made about Jersey in season four. Some guy resents the notion of taking out all of Jersey, Phil tells them to forget all of the dead NY guys from the hands of Jersey people, but to consider how negligent they are with the formalities of La Cosa Nostra, specifically he calls attention to Tony leap frogging Junior eight years (six seasons ago) and that no one has to earn their stripes (i.e. officially inducted into The Family). Phil, in all his hypocritical outrage says harboring Vito was reason enough to clean house in Jersey. One thing I appreciate about this series is how by far the most homophobic character on the series is constantly smoking stogies, as Phil lights one up to conclude his rant.

At the mental hospital, AJ and some undisclosed guy stare at some bulimics legs casually discussing them until she says something about quiet time and directs it at either herself or the two of them. AJ runs into an old acquaintance, a young woman named Rhiannon from high school, she asks AJ what he is doing there, she says she has some food issues and was modeling for awhile. Comes with the territory, hun, what makes you so special to think that you can be modeling at twenty years old and not have an eating disorder?

Some woman at the hospital tells Tony and Carmela about AJ’s needed environment post-institutionalization, it’s all pretty redundant and for the past six seasons, not much has improved. Tony bitches about the bill.

At Satriales, Tony orders an absurdly unhealthy sandwich before talking with Agent Harris about the potential terrorists. Harris is under a lot of stress with this new job detail and laments about not eating sleeping or seeing his family. When Tony gets upset that Harris is heistant to update him about the two from earlier this season, Harris gets incredibly snippy with him, calling him a “big boy” and points out that Tony’s “outfit” protected Brooklyn yard during WWII, then comments, “You think Roosevelt was disclosing the location of Hitler to (some old mob guy)”. If Tony were British, he would call Harris a wanker and tell him to piss off. Instead he simply says “fuck you” and grabs his coronary of a sandwich while storming out in a huff.

Tony walks into the Bing to find Silvio and bitches about his absence as of late. Sil pours him some liquor and tells him about Gervase (the guy he killed to open the episode), Sil explains that Gervase was “playing both sides of the sense”, meaning he was working with New York. Silvio said Gervase asked about bringing him along, Sil follows up, “he got his answer”.

Bobby, Sil and Tony sit around talking about hitting New York first and it all seems so futile. Even if they take out Phil before New York takes out any of their men, Butchie is chomping at the bit to take out Jersey, and New York still has dozens more soldiers than they have stockpiled. Tony and Silvio mimmick boxing in slow motion ala Raging Bull as a classical song plays from the same film.

Pudgy NY guy walks into some building where Phil, Butchie and everyone else are deliberating, they decide on hitting the three aforementioned “top” guys in Jersey, butchie explicity decides against taking out Paulie. He wants to take out all three of them in a day’s time to avoid any retaliation.

One thing that is alarming about all of this, and I know they have been working towards this all season, but Bobby is now regarded as third in command after Tony and Silvio. What has generally been the pecking order? It was always Tony then Sil, but who always followed? Pussy, Paulie, Ralphie, Chrissy, Vito, is that it? Furio and Tony Blundetto never acheived those ranks. So I guess Bobby gets the position by default?

At Sopranos house, AJ walks downstairs and Carm and Meadow congratulate him on sleeping and have apparently hid his belt. He does to sit down to watch some Iraq war documentary on PBS, Carmela seems clueless or helpless, cannot distinguish which. Meadow looks on concerned, more so for her mother than her brother.

Paulie shines his shoes on an electric buffer when Tony walks in and suggests getting some “Cousins” from Naples to assist in their efforts. I’m no expert on war strategy, but when something as delicate as a mob battle is being played out, it would seem one should take matters into there own hands. Because you know who you’re dealing with and the best method to taking them out; not two complete strangers from a European country doing your dirty work. The tone of this episode struck me that even if they take out Phil, Tony and everyone else realizes this isn’t a one shot deal like with Rusty Irish, this could be a month(s) long ordeal, you can’t have two immigrants running around offing mob men for that long. You can probably chalk this one up to Tony’s paranoia.

At a therapists dinner hosted by Elliot and his wife, the are very bourgeois when his wife brings up the therapists being ineffective for sociopaths study. Elliot tells the entire dinner table about Melfi treating him by first referring to him as “led belly”, then when everyone presses for a name, he says its similar to that of an opera singer. Apparently she really wanted to keep it under wraps. Some woman said it must be fascinating work, to which Melfi assures her. The entire scene wreaks of what one would think an asundry of individuals with PHD’s having dinner together would be like.

Paulie and Bobby approach Silvio at The Bing, Paulie asks if Tony knows about taking out Phil, which is a faux-pas, apparently. Sil and Bobby are incredulous and Paulie tells Bobby to shut his fat fucking mouth. Paulie claims he just needs to verify based on the happenings in the 70’s with the Columbo’s, “I survived that by the skin of my balls” is his actual phrasing.

Melfi sits in bed and reads the much hyped study, we get word for word stills of the what she is reading, apparently sociopaths develop sympathy for babies and pets, and it’s superficial, everything else is a facade.

Paulie hands off the details with the Italians to Patsy, who is the point man to the heroin addict that Chris befriended in the first half of this season, most notably in “The Ride”.

Tony rips a page out of a Departures magazine for a steak recipe in Melfi’s waiting room.

Tony asks about Melfi’s income and starts to rattle on about Meadows decision to quit med school. Melfi is more annoyed than anything. Tony points out that Meadow is likely to have a few years in the workforce then have two kids and quit working altogether. Melfi says she is still working and Tony points out that she is divorced, which we all know will never happen to Meadow, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want to stay with her? Remember “Unidentified Black Males”? “But you packed a sooooootcaaasssssee!” Honestly, she makes Charmaine look like Chris Coopers wife from American Beauty. Tony is trying to invoke some sort of reaction out of Melfi, it isn’t happening.
When Tony gets ready to go off about his soft parenting approach, Melfi completes a series of his sentences. “Now the boy who never cared about anything, now cares too much. And the daughter, like all females, ultimately disappoints”. Tony asks about her tone, then Melfi inquires about the magazine, not wanting to immediately reveal her hand. Tony points out that the magazines are a mess anyways, due to everyone else tearing pages out of them. She says she cannot help him and he says she should just buy some new shit, missing entirely what she is trying to say.
Tony’s confused with Melfi’s hard line approach, Tony completely misinterprets the situation, thinking he is getting the boot for missed appointments and the magazine.
He blames her mood on menopausal issues (That’s twice I have typed “menopause” in the same day, never thought that would happen), “You don’t have to be a gynecologist to know which way the wind blows.” She goes to open the door, somewhat liberated, then he rhetorically asks why now while his son is in the hospital after a botched suicide attempt. She says she doesn’t want to waste anymore of his time while he is in crisis, and I damn near fall on the ground laughing at the copout. It’s such a Tony move (meaning it’s effective but transparent) that he picks up on it immediately and calls it professionally immoral. As he walks out, he puts the steak recipe back in the magazine, she closes her door all Diane Keaton-Pacino with reversed roles.

The two italian hitmen sit in a car (I think they’re the same two who killed Rusty irish earlier this season, but I’m not positive), and wait for a portly man with gray hair to return home. When he does, one of the Italian men pretends to be DHL (Are Italian immigrants still that prevelant in New Jersey?), the guy who’s supposed to be Phil signs, the Italian shoots him and his daughter in the head, it’s not Phil.

They call Chris’ junkie point man to confirm the job is done, they ask about Phil speaking Ukranian with his daughter, apparently one of them has a sister who married a Ukranian, that is how he knows. Clearly not putting the pieces together after the junkie rehashes some of the details to him, Patsy tells Paulie the job is done.

At dinner, Tony tells Melfi he “quit” therapy, she says she wasn’t doing any good anyways. Artie and Charmaine approach them and they give the two of them a very subliminal ribbing about Meadow and AJ. Everyone knows what’s taking place and no one comments on it. Artie and Charmaine look validated, Tony and Carmela look annoyed. On top of that, Eric Mangini makes a cameo and Tony goes to say hello. Artie refers to him as “Mangenius”. I cannot grasp if these two are Jets or Giants fans.

At the Bing, Paulie is actually glad Phils gumar is dead as a result of some episode she caused at a social gathering. Ends up the woman was actually Phil’s girlfriend and she lives with her dad. And they do look quite similar, nothing like one last dose of Freudian theory from Chase. They shoot the breeze before being handed a newspaper showing the picture of the man they actually killed, here they put two and two together.

While cleaning/draining the pool, most likely to limit AJ’s options, Janice dares her daughter to cry and asks Tony for money for Juniors hospital bills. Tony lashes out at her by first offering her a five, then saying she has a lot of balls and says “Exile on Main Street” in reference to Bobby feeling sorry for Junior.

Silvio shows up as Janice is leaving to report the bad news about the squandered attempted hit. Apparently Paulie takes full responsibility and the reason news didn’t come about this sooner is Phil has been in hiding. Tony says “So we never had any real shot on him”. They/we seem to think he was tipped off because he’s been on the lamb lately. Tony stresses making sure that the word gets around to everyone about the pending war.

Bobby walks into a model train store as his phone rings, missing The Call. He discusses The Blue Comet with the owner and the guy tells him it’s eight grand for the whole set. After waxing nostalgic about the actual train, we are welcomed to shots of one of the toy trains moving when two guys in gloves, jackets and tightly-worn hats walk up and shoot Bobby about ten times while two crying children are being held by their father. The trains collide.

Sil and Patsy are cleaning house in the back of the Bing. As they try to pull off, two guys different from the two in the train store catch them coming out and force their car to crash. Patsy, who has his gun readily available, starts firing away. Sil scrambles to the back seat to reach for his and everyone comes out of the bing to spectate, then start to run inside after Patsy gets away on foot. As the two guys pull off, we see everyone only escaped to the front of the building, and they watch as a biker skids out and crashes, tehn gets ran over by a random car and everyone gasps.

Tony pulls Carm away from Rosalie and looking at photos from their Paris trip. Tony reassures her that families are off limits and that she needs to take the kids away from him so they’re not collateral damage. Rose offers to help but there is really nothing she could do, it’s a shame we didn’t see more of her this season. She is definitely one of the more tragic figures on the series.

Tony busts into AJ’s room, and tells Rhiannon to leave, AJ tells her to wait downstairs and Tony overrides him and tells her to get the fuck out. AJ says they could have been doing anything, then Tony responds, “Yeah, but what were you doing? Nothing”. Aj says they’re just friends. Tony changes the subject and tells AJ about Bobby, who is at first resentful and then laments having to help with everything. He then begins to get emotional about Bobby passing, as he starts to cry Tony grabs him and throw him in his closet while he sobs. Tony gets pissed off that AJ was looking at more terror research online. That girl, she’s an enabler.

Meadow and Carmela run into Janice’s house, they all look concerned for each other.

Tony and Paulie clean out the Soprano hosehold. Paulie crudely comments on Rhiannon’s legs as he watches her and AJ talk out by the pool. Paulie says AJ is “riding high”, how uninformed.

The remaining recognizable members of Tony’s crew (short of Patsy) head to a RANDOM safe house, as in we’ve NEVER seen it before. I imagine all these houses look similar, so it makes sense why so many were under the impression it was either Junior’s or Livia’s (As to why people were so hung up on it I have no idea). Anyhow, Carlo, Benny, Paulie, and Tony’s driver are the only people I can identify/ Tony says Paulie and his driver can leave, but they offer to stay and Benny looks anxious like he was willing to jump at the prospect (Remember, he was mercilessly beaten after Tony Blundetto shot Phils brother, I can’t imagine he wants to relive that).

As Tony walks away they discuss ordering a pizza. Tony goes up to a room with the assault rifle Bobby gave him for his birthday and harks back to the conversation he had with Bobby out on the boat about dying in “Sopranos Home Movies”. All set to the soothing sounds of Tindersticks, “Running Wild”. And I think they have used this song before, but I cannot remember in which episode.

This episode was, by and by, the most tense I have ever been watching not only an episode of The Sopranos, but any episode of television or any film, ever. My foot was twitching, my eyes were frozen and my heart was racing; it was so amazingly intense. The pacing really set the tone, every movement, every look, every decision carried so much weight that it was almost too much to bear. I watched this episode on Sunday with four other guys, and it’s the only time I can recall all five of us pindrop silent. Just incredible.

I am not one for speculation, and I loved that the previews for Sunday’s episode, “Made In America” were discrete. But I will just say that I don’t think we’ll see nearly as much carnage on sunday as we did in “The Blue Comet”.

I might come back with some more thoughts today, but I my self-diagnosed carpel-tunnel is acting up.

Since I find this changing of the guard at NBC completely intriguing, I thought I would comment on their recent success with The Critics Awards, as they received more nominations than any other basic or cable network (including HBO and Showtime).

The formatting for this is atypical, there are only two acting awards (Individual Acheivement In Drama/Comedy) of which NBC snagged four of the possible ten nominations, including Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler as Tami and Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights (Baldwin and Fey received the other two nominations for their roles on 30 Rock). Of the three “Best ____ Program of The Year” Categories, NBC received six of fifteen nominations, but the one category that speaks in droves and is a testament to the exemplorary performance of Kevin Reilly is New Program of The Year. NBC took a majority three of the five possible nominations (Heroes, 30 Rock and of course the Grid Effect darling, Friday Night Lights).

If this critical buzz extends to the Golden Globes and The Emmy’s, NBC’s ratings might pick up and Kevin Reilly will have ended up getting hosed. Especially since HBO hired in house to replace Chris Albrecht, making one of the more sought after positions unavailable. Of course, awards do not always translate into ratings. Arrested Development took home a slew of Emmy’s after their first season and saw a depreciation in the Nielsen’s. But none of these series even approach AD in eccentricities, so maybe their actual commercial appeal will be recognized.

But this outcome, while I am sure Mr. Reilly feels validated in some manner, really must stick in his craw. If the network somehow turns things around and crawls out of the ratings gutter it will undoubtedly be at least partly a result of these three series; and Ben Silverman, the brash, young, up and comer will reap the benefits. As Kurt Vonnegut might say, So it goes…

Also picking up nominations were other Grid Effect favorites The Wire and The Sopranos. The former specifically for Outstanding Program and Outstanding Drama, both of which i am assuming it will win. I can’t recall a film or telelvision series being as critically heralded as The Wire. The Sopranos was nominated in both Outstanding Drama and for The Heritage Award, where it is going up against such series as Mash, Roots and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I am not entirely sure what the criteria is for this category, but if age counts for anything then David Chase is shit out of luck. While I think his series has been as influential if not more so than all of its competitors, I am assuming he can be nominated again thus Roots is probably taking home the incredibly discrete hardware.

Speaking of The Sopranos, Alan Sepinwall ran off an all-time top ten list of episodes, and while this is easy and arguably pointless when there are so many episodes one could make an argument for, I’m going to semi-hijack the concept and give a favorite episode from each season, just for the sake of argument…

1) “Boca”, episode nine
I actually commented about this one on Sepinwall’s blog, but this is probably a top three episode for me. Tony has a rash of morality when he ultimately decides to report Meadow’s soccer coach, whose been sleeping with her teammate, to the police as opposed to rectifying the matter himself. This comes at the behest of Artie after initially deciding he wanted him dead (one of the few times Artie has exhibited any bloodlust), and some sage advice from Melfi.
This is also one of the funnier episodes are Tony compiles a number of cunnilingus jokes directed at Junior, which ends up triggering Junior’s botched assassination of his nephew.
Close second(s): The Pilot, I Dream of Jean Cusamanno, The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti, Isabella

2) “The Happy Wanderer”, episode five
A popular answer for season two is either “Funhouse” or “Knight In White Satin Armor”, as a major character died in each. But The Happy Wanderer, more so than any other episode in the first three season speaks to Tony’s incurable, homicidal mindset. When he explains to Melfi how agitated he is with the average, carefree American (AJ exhibited traits like these this past season in a much less hostile, more self-destructive fashion).
Close second(s): Full Leather Jacket, The Knight In White Satin Armor

3) “University”, episode six
David Chase has always made sure that his series was dramatic, but the first two seasons could almost be classified as comedies. This episode, almost halfway through their third season represents a turning point. Ralph Cifaretto viciously beats a stripper to death that he impregnated and Tony holds him accountable by knocking the shit out of him. Most of Tony’s crew sides with Ralph and Tony eventually concedes that Ralph was legitimately disgruntled.
Close second: “Amour Fou”

4) “Whitecaps”, episode thirteen
Probably the most dreary of the six seasons ends in an explosive finale where Carmela demands a seperation in an acting clinic from Edie Falco and James Gandolfini. The pacing, the timing, the dialogie, everything about this episode is flawless.
Close second(s): Whoever Did This, Eloise

5) “Long Term Parking”, episode twelve
Have to go with the crowd favorite here. It’s better known as the episode Silvio, Chris and Tony all conspired murder Adriana 9Sil pulled the trigger) after her heartbreaking confession to Chris about pressure from the feds. People often classify Ade as “innocent”, which is nonsense. Simple-mindedness is not a synonym for innocence. What Adriana was, was an intimate member of their family, demonstrating that no one is off limits to preserve their well-being.
Close second(s): Unidentified Black Males, Irregular Around The Margins, Where’s Johnny

6) “Walk Like A Man” episode seventeen
This one stands out, probably because it’s the last episode centering around who I thought was the most compelling character in Chris Moltisanti (he was killed early in the following episode). It accentuates all the issues between Chris’ tumultuous relationship with Tony, all of it was predicated on false sentiment and self-interest. And of course, Paulie had to get intricately involved. AJ also begins his downward spiral that led to his subsequent suicide attempt and in the process exhibits all the traits he inherited from his father: the depression, the anger, the lack of responsibility, etc.
Close second(s): Too many to count, but we’ll say “Kennedy and Heidi” and “The Second Coming”.

Go ahead, tell me where I’m wrong.

While watching The Sopranos on Sunday and hearing a Doors song in the background, it dawned on me that all four dramatic series we deem appointment television utilize music in profoundly effective ways. Along with The Sopranos, The Wire, Friday Night Lights and Rescue Me (Starts back up a week from tomorrow on June 13th) use the music as almost an unnamed character and when it’s absent its effect is even more resonant.

I decided to discuss this after I stumbled onto this radio interview with Martin Bruestle, a producer on The Sopranos where he details the selection process for music in the series. They go over the significance of “Comfortably Numb”, their intentions to use “Thru and Thru” to conclude the second season and the meaning behind the Italian folklore song, “Ninna, Ninna”, at the end of the episode before memorial day weekend, “The Second Coming”. All three contain lyrics that pertain specifically to the heart of the characters and speak to their current state. In several ways, unless you are intimately familiar with them, what the music says about Tony’s, AJ’s, Carmela’s or Chrissy’s psyche might go undetected.

The Wire’s usage of music is handled much differently. Generally speaking, the only time you hear any music on this series it is played within the setting. Meaning it is audible to the audience and the characters, coming from a passing car or from someone’s radio. The only exception to this I can recall is the closing montage at the end of every season. The music in this series is used to establish setting rather than to resonate emotion and is a hybrid of classic rock, mowtown, R&B and rap/hip-hop (I’m still not clear what the difference is between these two is, but I can always distinguish them, go figure). But when it is absent, it’s eerily noticeable: Wallace’s death, Bodie’s death, Michael’s killing, Michael’s father’s death, Ziggy’s killing, Omar killing Stringer, etc. In virtually every other crime drama music overheads all pivotal plot points (usually a score, not pop music), this isn’t the case with David Simon, he uses music to create a realistic approximation of the urban environment, when the music is absent, something devastating/chilling is generally about to happen.

Rescue Me uses its music probably more than any of these series’, probably egregiously so. As opposed to The Wire, anytime something relevant happens to Tommy Gavin, you can almost que up the modern alternative rock, and much like The Wire, their method works for their series. The music on this series seems to be meticulously chosen and tends to consist of indie bands. Damn near every episode concludes with a montage encompassing every character before fading to credits where often something life-altering takes place for one of them (Usually Tommy).

Friday Night Lights doesn’t use music as liberally as Rescue Me but it is definitely more random. I guess the best way to paraphrase this is it works in the scenes where they use it and tends to when they do not, but occasionally are wondering where it is when they opt to leave it out. Other than climatic points in the series, they often use some sort of hard rock or rap in footbally scenes and soft rock in the pivotal relationship sequences. The two that come to mind specifically are Daniel Johnston’s, “Devil Town” (used twice actually, once before they play their first game without Jason Street, and secondly at the State Championship parade); and The Killers, “Read My Mind” as the town of Dillon sets up the makeshift football field in “Mud Bowl”.

Since all four series use music in remarkably different ways and all four methods are immensely effective, there isn’t necessarily a right way and a wrong way; just an appropriate way as it pertains to any given series. Music doesn’t make any of these narratives, but it certainly enhances the experience of following them and adds another element to already multi-faceted scenarios and characters.

Back tomorrow with links.

Little late this morning but an improvement on the rest of the week, I was contemplating posting this next Friday as there isn’t a new episode for another nine days. But what the hell? I have nothing else to write about. onto the recap…

Asbestos is rotting/steaming/dissolving in a marsh outside the city. This shit is either going to end up being the downfall of Tony Soprano or Al Gore made some self-indulgent alterations to the scripts.

Tony and AJ are sleeping soundly until both are woken by AJ’s blaring alarm, “Ridin’ Dirty” Chamillionaire. This is the first psuedo-shout out to my home state since Paulie was jailed in Youngstown in season four. The heart of it all, baby.

Tony walks downstairs and sees Carm opening a watch he had sent to her from Vegas. She’s grateful and implies he probably cheated, “I don’t know what its for”, Tony claims its for having to go to Vegas to handle Chris’ business. And in a way, it’s not a lie. Depending on how relative of a term you feel “business” is.

Asbestos, Stefano offers to shake Bobbys hand, he refuses, Bobby is cold, pissy. I think I preferred jovial, wide-eyed Baccala. This new contemptuous Bobby even gives Stefano shit for not having an envelop for the money. I suppose it’s the one case you would actually demand an envelop, what with the hydrous magnesium silicates that are flying around.

AJ’s in therapy, finally telling his therapist about the beating of the Somalian. “Why can’t I catch a fucking break?” He rhetorically asks, almost mimmicking his father verbatim. AJ bitches about Israel-Palestine and other somewhat volatile cultures/conflicts. AJ regals a bunch of morbid shit and compares their durress to the extreme comfortability to Americans at The Mall of America and his parents. “She’s not black…she’s pretty tanned”, is AJ’s response when his therapist suggests Blanca might be related to all these observations.

Tony walks into Satriales while Silvio reads “How to Clean Anything”, this is an appropriate read for Silvio on a number of different levels. The mafia all had a picture of Chris framed while on the set of “Cleaver”, Tony looks displeased. Tony really reminisces passionately about his peyote experience. Paulie starts rattling on and on about some story, while everyone sits there expressionless.

At dinner, Kelli and Caitlin is with Carm and Tony when AJ comes downstairs, and he explains how they spray chemicals on American beef, instead of cleaning rat shit out of the plants. AJ says, “Fine, bury your head in the sand” is his response to his parents disinterest. Tony tells him to give it a rest since he’s upsetting people who’ve “been through a tragedy”. I find it amazing that AJ’s parents can use any situation and converse it into a motive for appropriate behavior. When AJ vandalized his high school’s swimming pool, his fathers outrage stemmed from the fact he did it on Carmela’s birthday. Anyhow, the scene ends with this gem from Tony: “Twenty years he won’t crack a book, now he’s the foremost authority”.

AJ is mesmerized by “The Second Coming”, A Yeats poem that can be applied to any bleak situation/outlook. His teacher reads the first half in class the camera cuts to him reading the second half in bed.

Tony talks with agent Harris and his lacky, he seems annoyed, almost regretful he ever talked to them in the first place. They ask about the two Arabs Tony gave them information about and shows him pictures for verification. The FBI is not even sure if they’re still in the country. Crack work there, boys.

Tony, Bobby and Sil go to New York to meet up with Phil, he manages to hold Tony responsible for his Brothers death once again by simply sending his condolences to Kelli, saying, “The grieving process takes longer, the closer you are to somebody”. Tony nods in acknowledment, not wanting to have the same conversation again.

To business matters Phil is refusing to budge on the 25%. When Tony asks why he isn’t going to even consider his new proposal, Phil is smug and obnoxious. “You made an offer which I considered, and rejected”. Tony recalls his moment with Phil in the hospital, “There’s a point where business, bleeds into other shit, makes shit financially unfeasible”. Phil, still defiant, replies with a nonsensical joke, “Charles Schwab over here”. Tony resents the wiescracks; Phil explains his prison experience about how sometimes compromising is more than we always expect.

Silvio pulled some Jersey jobs from NYC. Butchie and his cohort beat the shit out of the messenger then rob him of $320. Who ever said mobsters were petty.

Meadow talks with AJ and tries to break the ice with Borat, he, in his newfound wisdom, doesn’t think it was fair to the people involved. He is really blue and has dropped out of school. She tries to turn off his radio, he snaps. His voice starts to crack when he explains that he doesn’t even know why he’s upset, or rather, why everything is afflicting his conscious. While Meadow is trying to offer him advice, he randomly blurts out that we’re going to bomb Iran and that Bush will do it before he leaves office. She just concedes not wanting to argue foreign policy because it’s not the issue at hand. She assumes he is surfing the web for porn and that would actually be preferred, because he is on an Al-Jazeera website. Meadow suggests that maybe he moves out, he claims he is too ill and needs his moms cooking. AJ calls Meadow “their pet”. Meadow says, “We’re Italian AJ, you’re their son, do you have any idea what that means? You’ll always be more important.”

Carmela has made AJ some hideous looking things called “Lincoln log sandwiches”, they appear to be hot dogs on white bread draped in Cream Cheese. She leaves and he looks out at the pool.

Cut to AJ sitting on the diving board with a tear streaming down his face and the cover half-removed. He has a brick tied to his ankle and throws a plastic bad over his head, sealing it with a rubber band. he throws the brick in the water and follows it. Naturally, he has a change of heart and swims back up (He cut the rope too long) but the length of the rope doesn’t allow him out of the center of the pool. Tony comes home to the same sandwiches and hears AJ screaming, he looks out through the window and sees AJ holding onto the diving board byu his fingertips. As he’s walking outside with the sandwich and can’t figure out what is going on, AJ slips back under the water and Tony jumps in, grabbing him. He puts AJ’s elbows on the edge and gathers the brick from the surface of the pool, lifts him onto the surface, all the while AJ is is bawling. He gets him on the surface and screams, “What the fuck is wrong with you?” before cradling him in his lap repeatedly saying, “You’re my baby” or “You’re alright, baby” or some variation of those two. Jesus.

At a psych-ward, AJ is being rolled into the hospital and is full of valium, he has a very non-emotional reaction to the parting from his family. Carmela and Meadow are devastated.

Tony walks into the Bing and no one says anything. He takes it upon himself to bring up the “500 pound elephant in the room”. It’s good to see even in times of calamity, Terrence Winter goes out of his way to be funny. They all lament their own kids emotional issues. Except for Paulie, who blames it on all the toxins in the environment, this coming from a swell of guys who are dumping asbestos into marshland.

Tony walks into his kitchen and claims to his wife that he is depressed and she runs down the Soprano hiostory of depression, and claims AJ didn’t get it from his side. They had this argument before in season one with they speculated that AJ might have had ADHD. They attack each others lineage, she calls him out on his bull shit because he was so jovial in high school, he replies, “Oh poor you, you got married under false pretenses.” She calls his depression a “card”, he takes real offense. She asks if he has any idea if he knows what it is like to spend day after day with someone who constantrly complains. I think he does, Carm. “Fuck you”, Tony replies. “I don’t need thy watch” Carmela expresses. And by “expresses”, I mean “physically hurls”. Tony throws it back in her direction but without any physical malice.

In therapy, Tony is ashamed of AJ, it could have been a cry for help, suggests Melfi. Tony, in so many words conveys that he believes AJ’s botched attempt is a result of his mental defeciences more so than a subconscious expression. He blames Carmela’s over nurturing ways, “wiping tears off on her apron”, Gotta love that imagery. Tony says he is ashamed of him, calling suicide the cowards way out. She says that whoever said that doesn’t understand depression, but Tony does. He looks like he understands and agrees, but it pains him to acknowledge that heredity would have anything to do with this.

Carmela visits AJ, he seems disconcerned, more agitated and bitches about the food. She offers “chicken parm” with a hopeful smile and he says it’s not allowed because of the bulimic girls. Asks if dad is still mad. She reassures him that he was never mad, just hopeful and loving.

Meadow is at a coffee shop with someone I don’t quite recognize, and some NY mob guy named Coco approaches her and comments about cream on her mouth and says to random guy, it must be nice to tuck her in at night then laughs like a moron. Meadow looks horrified and random guy looks confused.

Meadow is explaining what happened to Carmela, when Tony walks in and she reluctantly shares it with him. Tony is absolutely livid and his restrained rage is uncanny, “Yeah…what else he say?”. Meadow does some sort of motion with her hand and after sharing the cream comment. Tony tries to put her mind at ease and Carmela changes topics by asking who she’s dating, she says it’s Patrick Parisi, brother of Jason (one of the two AJ was befriending) and son of Patsy (The guy who pissed in Tony’s pool in the season three premiere. Tony storms off, indifferent about her new boyfriend and steaming about Coco, claiming he has a meeting with Silvio. Meadow has also decided to go to law school, at least for the time being on account of medical school being too hard and Patrick’s psuedo-passion he uses to describe the justice system as a means to get laid.

Melfi… back on her own therapy. She subtly refers to Tony and Elliot drinks water out of the most elaborate bottle I’ve ever seen. She explains to Melfi that therapy often enables sociopaths, which I guess Tony technically is. I casually refer to him as such occasionally around these parts, but is there a more appropriate clinical term to apply to someone such as Tony Soprano?

Tony walks into Coco’s restaurant and beats him mercilessly with the butt of his gun. Butchy tries to step in while he repeatedly and intensely repeats, “My daughter, my fucking daughter”, Tony is really tempted to kill Butchy. He places Coco’s teeth on a ledge (resembling a curb) and stomps on the back of his head. Storms out while a restaurant worker mundanely says “get a mop” like its something that happens everyday.

AJ is in group therapy with Tony and Carm, he is recusing all blame and pinning it on his parents. He has really refined his skills. Tony says “poor you” and calls him a mama’s boy. I think a firm hand could be helpful, but really I have no idea. He talks about Livia and how she told him it’s “all a big nothing”, Tony cannot deny it, even though he wasn’t there. AJ refers to Green Grove as a nursing home which causes Tony to put his face in his hand in annoyance. Its a retirement community, AJ. Fucking idiot.

At Satriales, Patsy says they’re not too young to be grandparents and suggests they get dinner. Carmine sends his condolences about AJ and says, “You’re at the precipice, Tony, of an enormous crossroads”, Jesus. Even Tony looks confused. When Carmine mentions Phil will shut down some project, he says its easy for him and Tony takes offense. Carmine then says he was being prudent but Tony calls himself out on his own bull shit, and that the timing of Coco’s nonsense factored into his over-reaction.

In therapy, Tony claims he is a good guy, “basically”, and that he loves his family. Tony gives an insight into his peyote trip and explains how he knows of an afterlife, asks/assumes Melfi has done acid, she assures him she hasn’t. He uses an analogy that our mothers are like buses, they drop us off and go on their way, and we keep trying to get on the bus instead of leading our own lives. Melfi claims it to be insightful and I suppose coming from Tony, it is.

Carmine and Tony go to meet Phil and Butchy answers the door saying Phil refuses to see anyone. This seems like an old mob trick to assert dominance, have the party in question go out of his way to meet you and then refuse to see him once he arrives. As they’re walking back to the car, Phil screams from his window screen on the top floor of his bizarre house, its all very Monty Python-ish, as Carmine pleads with him to resolve this civilly.

AJ sits in the hospital and watches some made video with a Lincoln impersonator talking about insomnia.

Tony walks into the hospital, pizza in hand before a nurse tells him no food is allowed in the “unit”. He leaves it and walks inside while some song entitled, “Ninna Ninna” by an unknown artist plays as he puts his arm around a seemingly mellow AJ. Fade to credits.

Good, solid episode. I’m hoping this isn’t the last we see of AJ or Meadow, and two weeks seems like an awfully long wait in between episodes. Enjoy the extended weekend, see you Tuesday.

I discussed much of the symbolism in Thursday’s post and glossed over it or didn’t touch on it at all in the following post. Anyway, on to the recap.

Some Eastern Europeans (not entirely sure which ethnicity, specifically, forgive my American indifference) argue over asbestos being dumped with hordes of construction equipment, they have to recalibrate the situation…

Cut to Tony and Chris talking to Phil and Butchy about asbestos, Phil wants a bigger cut than Tony feels he deserves. Chris is wearing a hat not fully pinned down and his nervously glancing around. If you remember “Two Tonys”, Tony discovered Jack Masserone was working with the Feds when he was suspiciously wearing a hat, and used his Rogaine application as an excuse. Does anyone remembering Chris wearing a hat? Ever?

On the drive back from the contemptuous meeting, Tony and Chris discuss the Phil “issue”, as he is set to induce a regular headache on for the Jersey faction. Chris seems to insist that Tony relax, “Whatever happened to stop and smell the roses?” Tony laments that there are people like Phil that will take those roses and stick them up your ass. Chris plays with the audio system while Tony observes him, he either knows he’s high or nervous about something else, it is never made entirely clear what his thought process is at this point, though shortly we will discover it’s probably one of disgust. Chris goes for the radio right when a gradual turn comes up, he heads into an oncoming car and they swerve out of the way leading to them flipping the car over seven or eight times.

The camera shoots back to Kennedy and Heidi, Kennedy suggests they go back, Heidi claims she can’t because she is driving with her learners permit after dark. Essentially displaying the self-preservation that the majority of us embody. We expect it from psychopaths like Tony, Chris, Silvio, etc. But we would like to assume two high school girls wouldn’t be so shallow. Think again. They could have been a witness to a car full of accidental deaths and continued driving. To be honest, it wasn’t entirely unrealistic.

At the scene of the accident, Chris caught the blunt end of the accident, claims he cannot pass a drug test and he’ll have his license revoked if the cops find him in this state. Tony initially goes to help him switch car seats, busts open the window and begins to help him, until Chris claims he could never pass a drug test again and Tony glances at the shattered baby’s carseat in the back for the second or third time, watches him cough up really viscous, dark red blood while wheezing violently, Stops dialing 911, then plugs Chris’ nose shut, forcing him to choke on his own blood. Tony wipes the blood off his hands onto Chris’ shirt. Yet another way of Tony recuse himself and holding someone else responsible. This time it’s Chris, for his own death.

At the hospital, Tony asks how “his friend” is, he calls Carmela and she goes hysterical. Tony looks annoyed more than anything. Tony blames his death on the lack of a seatbelt. After he hangs up, he glances at Christopher’s belongings and looks somewhat remorseful.

Tony is now lying in bed at home when the guys walk in, they are all really uncomfortable with death, trying to make small talk. Paulie blames it on Chris “led foot”. One guy keeps trying to break the awkward silence with bringing up Carlos arrival, Sil calls him out on it. When asked if he was high, Tony says he would have killed him himself if he knew that he was.

Tony walks downstairs with the assistance of Meadow, who is, unbelievably, still a cast on the show. Tony orders Meadow to get him a scotch. And suggests Meadow get one as well, explaining to Paulie, “They were close”. Well, he did get her speed when she was in high school with the assistance of Brandon Falloon. Other than that I’m not sure they’ve ever had any screen time that didn’t involve a third party. Paulie regrets his relationship with Chris, explaining, “If you were his father, I was his dutch uncle”, regretful that he spent so much time arguing with Chris about money and such. Tony simply says, “It’s over”.

Kelli’s father is livid about leaving their granddaughter fatherless, this is neither the time or place, pal. Patsy comes in and explains that Lucci died from a stroke on the way back from seeing “Jersey Boys”. Everyone gasps. In case you need refreshed, Lucci was Paulie’s mother, then discovered she was biologically his aunt, but I guess reconciled since.

Tony is in therapy, and begins lamenting Chris’ death as “pain he’s never known”, before conceding that he is relieved. Calling Chris a, “sniveling drug addict” and expressing further, “Let me tell you something, I’ve murdered friends before, relatives even, my cousin Tony, my best friend Puss, but this?” And then he wakes up and asks Carmela if he was talking in his sleep. She flips on an interview with Katherine Hepburn where she explains her hardest acting gig. Make of it what you will.

Tony waddles downstairs to make an espresso, when he picks up a Cleaver coffee mug, he immediately walks outside and throws it into the woods to discard any guilt he may have. Tony asks Carm to make it because you average person need a pilots license to operate the cappuccino machine Paulie bought them. Sweet peat, is he ever grateful? Carmela is sorry about what she said to Chris and implicating him with Ade’s disappearance. “Why are we so quick to blame? What is the attraction in it?” she rhetorically asks herself. Though I’m sure Tony can answer from experience: “What are you kidding me? Its great! Alleviating yourself of any guilt so you can sleep at night then losing yourself in a metric ton of boos and narcotics. Few things are more rewarding, Carm, I suggest you do it more often.” Tony tries to get Carm to admit that she was relieved when she heard Chris passed, she asks insulted and said that if she seemed in anyway relieved it was because Chris died and not him. She is completely overwhelmed by the life she leads, and I almost feel sorry for her. Tony mentions the branch going through the baby’s carseat, saying, “She would be mangled beyond recognition”. Carm walks away and Tony is surprised she doesn’t want to hear it, he’s reflecting his mother more and more.

In therapy, Tony talks about Chris’ mother, Joanne, a lush, who abandoned Chris as a child is now reaping all the sympathy from fellow mourners. Tony says he walked Chris through his biggest problem and says that he handled it because Chris was incapable, and that Chris never showed any gratitude. I don’t think we was all that thrilled about killing his fiancee, Ton. In fact he seemed relatively conflicted over it. I would venture to guess that if he could do it all over again he would have eloped with her. Tony says his biggest problem is having to put on the facade of mourning, and that he doesn’t feel it, which makes him feel like a hypocrite and makes him angry. Yeah, its a real bitch when people constantly unknowingly remind you that you murdered your nephew or cousin or whatever the hell days after you did so.

Julianna walks up to Chris’ wake and Tony introduces him to Carmela. Julianna first admits she used to buy her meat at Satriale’s, then admits she is a recovering addict and that she owes Chris a lot. Tony asks, “What are u going to do?” she replies, “Nothing you can do” without skipping a beat, Tony: “Thats my point”. Carm and Tony sit down and Carmela reassures him that he loved him “so much”. Tony seems to buy it, but just for her sake. Danny Baldwin nods at him.

The guys hang out and talk, Tony sees Joanne collapse at her sons coffin and says, “Fucking James Brown now”, then sees Kelli walk up with thick, dark glasses on and says, “Jackie Kennedy”, now he’s reducing everyones misery to pop-culture references. The Jason’s comfort AJ.

Tony tells the director of “Cleaver” about the babyseat. He doesn’t seem to understand the relevance.

They go to Nucci’s wake where there is virtually no one in attendance. Some guy thanks them, Tony looks over at Paulie who looks livid, and Tony says to Carm , “I gotta get out of here”. Paulie notices him in the doorway at this, Tony asks him how he’s coping and Carmela comments on how lovely the room is to which Paulie replies, “There’s no one in it”. Paulie wants to make sure that he views this as a fundamental lack of respect that he’ll never forget. Tony tries to reassure him that many of her friends have already passed, he replies, “So she outlived Sil, fucking Carlo?” Tony, to get out of the inevitable heated conversation says Paulie should be thankful he stopped by and that this is neither the time nor the place. Could these two be anymore self-absorbed? “Their disrespecting me”, “Doesn’t my arrival mean anything?” You know, you two are at occupying wakes.

AJ talks with his therapist. and says he feels fine. Numb, even.

AJ and one of the Jason’s see Victor walking up on crutches while some girl explains the story he fabricated to spare himself having to admit what happened. Tony and Jason laugh at it, she looks confused.

Tony watches Kelli breast feed, then calls some guy at Caesars Palace to book a suite. Said guy sends a plane for Tony implying that he’s probably dropped at least hundreds of thousands of dollars there. Upon arrival, He gambles, loses, repeatedly. No one wins at roulette. Not for nothing, but maybe Tony is just bad at gambling, and he’s usually infinitely lucky. Nowadays, it seems like he’s losing accordingly.

Back in dirty Jers, AJ’s professor lectures about the significance of Wordsworth and his objection to materialism.

Tony lies by the pool at Caesars where all the grade A tail tends to rest, and if you notice in the background, that’s not an embellishment. While I was staying there I got a strong impression that they were hotel employees.

Tony goes to visit a women we’ve never met before. Its an unbelievably gorgeous actress from The L Word, Sarah Shahi. We come to discover her name is Sonya, she offers him a drink after he calls her beautiful in so many words. She tells him about Chris, she seems shocked more so than saddened. She says it’s good that he left something. Tony leaves. She asks how long he’s in Vegas for, He says an undetermined length.

Tony is staying in the same tower I stayed in as well. My trip was more eventful but less enlightening. Someone named Stefano calls nervously about the asbestos, and Tony looks perturbed to be interrupted but puts his mind at ease for the moment.

AJ hangs out on the patio of the Jason’s frat house. When one of the Jasons shows up and opens his door on some oncoming Somalian on a bike. They proceed to beat him down and throw a few racial epithets his way. AJ sort of throws him into the fray as a gut reaction, then looks on in horror as they beat this poor kid for something that was essentially all Jason’s fault.

Shahi is fucking Tony. Hard. And lights up a post-coitus joint. Tony smokes weed for the first time that we have seen, and it doesn’t look fitting. They discuss Chris, and while she claims he said some depressing shit, Tony seems truly sad. Strippers, they have some great intuition.

Tony and Phil argue over the phone subliminally and Butchie giggles after Phil sends fake condolences for Chris’ death. Phil might as well be doing a Jerky Boys routine right now, except for the life and death implications.

AJ, now sullen after the racist beatdown from his newfound friends, is lamenting the state of the world to his shrink. He even drops an, “Why can’t we all just get along?” Damn, that Conflict in the Middle East is really getting to him, some people just aren’t cut out for the rigors of college life, I suppose. I really have no idea which way AJ is going.

Tony takes some peyote with Sonya, then throws up in a toilet (a common side effect) and gazes at the bathroom light, seemingly satisfied.

Cut to the two of them walking through the lobby at Caesars, my friend had an instance like this, walking from Pure to the hotel room, but was projectile vomiting in front of dozens of people fresh off a red-eye and other onlookers.

They eventually get to the casino and tony is enamored with a devil faced slot machine. They get to the roulette table, and Tony claims, “Its the same principle as the solar system”, wins two huge bets in a row, tips the dealer, or whatever the fuck he’s called in roulette, much to the bemusement of Sonya. He hits 24 again, then proclaims, “he’s dead”, then barrels over laughing.

Some men dump the asbestos in a marsh and we here some ducks quacking, so much for Tony’s concern for wildlife. Everyone and everything is expendable to him now, set aside Meadow, most likely AJ and maybe Carmela.

Tony and Sonya chill out on a cliff somewhere on the outskirts of Vegas. Tony sees a sonic flare from the sun and proclaims, “I Get it”. Then screams it out, crying/laughing in amazement. The camera pulls out showing this big, overbearing criminal force and it makes him look astoundingly insignificant, and I fucking love it.

Tomorrow night: Tony and Carmela argue, he breaks out a “poor you”, and tensions with Phil look like they escalate. I don’t really understand what Phil is trying to leave as his legacy or his rationale for it. Apparently he wants to be known as the boss who tormented Tony Soprano. Yeah, that will live in infamy.

We are really running low on topics here, people. We are down to three series we consider appointment television here at Grid Effect, and one of them is The Office, which has its season finale tonight. After that we’re down to three episodes of The Sopranos and Entourage before we’re officially out of material.

Oh, I know. We usually keep it fairly light-hearted round these parts, but since last Sunday’s episode of The Sopranos was overloaded with more symbolism and subtext about human nature and the American experiment than any other episode since “The Test Dream”, why don’t we go over some metaphorical references that are at the heart of the series?

(Note: If your primary concern is who killed who then this post will bore you to tears. Also, it goes without saying: indicting spoilers)

1) Comfortably Numb: For the second week in a row, the Pink Floyd track has been referenced in the series. Last week with Tony lugging down the steps in the morning to find his depressed son watching cartoons and this week Chris played the Van Morrison cover on The Departed soundtrack. Nevermind the irony of Chris referring to the album of a film about the police infiltrating organized crime as “killer”, I cannot think of a better state of mind to describe Tony with than comfortably numb, particularly by episode’s end.

Tony said he turned, what? 47, in “Sopranos Home Movies”. And in “Remember When” he claimed to have killed Willie Overall when he was twenty-two. That’s a solid quarter-century of maiming and murdering. The body count on Tony, for murders that he either ordered or carried out himself has to be through the roof right? Even if he is responsible for only one a year (we know this is a gross underestimate), that’s twenty-five lives burdening his conscious. Really, what else could he be other than numb? And considering it’s either part of his genetic makeup or he has been conditioned (or both) to be a soulless, degenerate sociopath, he’s comfortable with it. Comfortably numb is an apt description for the bulk of the characters on the series, actually.

2) The Babyseat: Tony seemingly used the shattered babyseat as a sort of moral justification for murdering his nephew. The thing about Tony is, he never needed any moral quotient or outside approval to murder anyone before, and I don’t think this is any exception. Him trying to invoke the babyseat into every conversation with anyone who’ll listen wasn’t an example of him seeking approval for executing Chris, it was Tony attempting to convince himself that he still has a degree of ethics, that his intentions are not always selfish, that indeed he is sometimes selfless. Which we know is bullshit, but when you’re pure evil, its hard to be honest with yourself. Him saying, “See, see, its a good thing he’s dead, he was an endangerment to his child” is just Tony pretending he had motives for what he did/does/has done other than self-preservation.

3) “I get it!”: And yes, he said “I get it”, not “I did it”. He already claimed “he’s dead” in the casino, and for a man with an infinite amount of secrets, this is the closest he has ever come to any sort of non-theraputic confession. Peyote is a helluva drug, apparently.

The significance behind this revelation is that he doesn’t need to adhere to any sort of moral criticism. His “getting it” is that he’s going to hell anyways, so he might as well do everything he can to keep himself alive. When he was shot, and in that coma induced dream/metaphysical experience, he believed he visited hell As he said to Hal Holbrooks character, “I went some place…And I don’t want to go back”. In previous episodes, he’s contemplated killing Paulie, Bobby, and only carried out the murdering of Chris because the opportunity presented itself.

Now, in a chemical induced epiphany, he’s decided relentlessness is his only chance of prolonging the inevitable. He realizes he’s going to hell, and his trepidation about it is going to result in either mass carnage (New Jersey, New York, it doesn’t really matter so much as it keeps him tickin’) or pandering to those who are a threat to his survival. And since he realizes his lifestyle for the last twenty-five years has taken him past the point of redemption, and his ego is so much that he’s incapable of humoring his enemies, I am fully expecting the former. A true narcissist. Tony Soprano is one of the few people wherein the more murders he commits, the more likely he is too avoid incarceration. Paulie, Silvio, Phil, are much greater threats to his life and freedom alive than they are dead. In their last conversation, Chris suggests Tony give Phil the 25% he wants for dumping asbesstos on his property. “Life’s too short” is his rationale. Tony’s response (paraphrasing), “Its too short to be a fucking lacky, too.” Doesn’t sound like the, “everyday is a gift” jargon that we heard immediately post-coma. The pointlessness of change is a major theme in this series and something I could write a fucking book on.

But this is all vintage Chase, I cannot conceive a more cynical outlook on humanity than the one he portrays on this series. I’ll discuss the significance of Kennedy and Heidi in tomorrows recap, but it only further expresses it. In fact, there is so much more symbolism that deserves to be at least noted and I’ll try to get to most of it tomorrow in the recap. I just thought these were some major philosophical points that deserved their own post, as they are so brilliantly conveyed.

So, any other theories? Dissecting this series works much better with a multitude of voices. Am I going wrong anywhere? I haven’t even touched on AJ in this episode, anyone actually predicting a positive outcome for this kid? Feel free to discuss in the comments.

Damn. This was vintage Sopranos, satisfying for the fanboys and the art house goons (note: I’d like to think I’m somewhere in between but I am most likely a goon). Tony, continuing his persistent alienation of all those around him and Chris following suit; the difference being that Tony is a boss and such behavior is more likely to be tolerated. Even though, as it relates to those in The Mob, Chris actually has something to be upset about. At least more so than Tony. Honestly, I don’t think Christopher Moltisanti is much longer for the world but good golly is Michael Imperioli a hell of an actor. Talk about range. Anyways, Onto the recap…

We open this episode with yet another set of Tony lying in bed (I think this makes three out five episodes in this (half) season), Tony walks downstairs singing “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd. Specifically, the lyrics: “When I was young I had a fever/My hands felt just like two balloons”. Which is relevant later in the episode as it relates to Tony’s issues with his parents ans his insecurity as a parent himself. AJ is up early do to narcolepsy and depression, his mom offers him food for who knows how many times and AJ vocalizes his annoyance. He disparages his job but claims it is the only thing he has, Tony makes it abundantly clear rejects AJ’s potential depression.

Chris’ father in law is selling the power tools outside of his store (the products Tony and Paulie setup from the Cubans in Miami).

At the bing, Chris and Paulie discuss their venture, as it surprisingly lucrative. Chris is chastised by Paulie for his cheers with a club soda, points out that Paulie and Tony are hypocrites when it comes to how he handles his alcoholism. Paulie invites him out for some prime rib and gambling, but after the argument that just ensued, he resentfully declines. Paulie takes offense, as you knew he would and asks, “What you’re watching your fucking cholesterol now, too?” Chris is not amused.

At Satriales, Tony talks with agent Harris and one of his assistants about Phil Leotardo, then Tony inquires what sort of favors could be done should he give them info about the two Arab guys that frequented the Bing in the first half of this season. He calls Chris for their numbers, Chris seems skeptical when Tony says he is with “some people”. This could end up incriminating Chris. Tony discusses the two Arabs history with the feds and other than a phone number and some gun peddling and credit card scam, it is all pretty vague.

AJ is visiting Blanca at the construction site, telling some inane pizzeria story. One of the workers walks by and says hello in a flirtatious manner, she is overly receptive, apparently AJ has been having crying jags and when Blanca threatens to stop seeing him, he breaks down right on the spot. Claiming he cannot sleep without her and clutching onto her. When she pushes him away, he walks away dejectedly and masking his sobbing from some passing construction workers.

At the bing, Tony is hitting on the stripper who gave him head in “Cold Stones”. When he gets a call from Carm and suggests he come home because she is concerned for AJ and is afraid to leave him alone. Yikes. I don’t think anyone wants to see that.

Tony talks to him and they discuss his station in life, AJ feels like he won’t ever attain anyone else, Tony says it’s a good thing because he was care taking for another man’s kid. Tony says, “These fucking women, they’ll drive you nuts with your emotions and whatnot”, what exactly doesn’t make Tony emotional? Tony says he’s special because he’s, “handsome, smart, hard worker, and… lets be honest, white, that counts for a lot nowadays.” Tony suggests he get a blow job as a cure all, AJ shouts he doesn’t want one, when Tony asks him to keep his voice down, he tips off the fact that Carmela is standing right outside his door, she takes the cue to walk in, sending AJ flopping face down in his pillow. AJ ends the conversation by asking, “What’s the fucking point?” Tony is befuddled, concerned.

At Chris’, Kelli answers the door for a cookout the two of them are having. It’s Barbara, and I am always worried about her husband, Paul. Kelli seems sweet, but it’s at a point in the series that it’s impossible to even like anyone remotely associated with the main characters.

Chris takes notice of Bobby and Tony talking business out of his earshot while he grills. Tony approaches and mocks Chris’ nonalcoholic beer. Tony makes a comment about never seeing Chris, then instructs him on how to grill some steaks. Chris thinks he should understand how hard it is for him to be around the bing because he’s in therapy and “understands the human condition”. He tries, lord does he try. Chris says between the strippers at the Bing and half of them being coke heads, and the sandwiches at Satriale’s, he cannot avoid temptation, so he avoids the locales of temptation all together. Tony suggests he shows some balls, and compares alcoholism to eating eggplant. Chris levels with him about his father, Dickey, saying, “my father, your hero, he wasn’t much more than a fucking junkie.”

Outside of Kelli’s dads hardware store, little Paulie and someone else are stealing items out of his store when Al pulls up with a handgun drawn. Apparently he has a silent alarm that goes off in his bedroom, little Paulie puts on the facade that his party attempted contacting Chris. It’s all bullshit to keep the old man on his heels.

AJ notices a happy couple in his pizzeria and quits on the spot. Crying.

Patsy gives Tony some money and says how beneficial its been with his son doing some loan sharking at college. Tony seems impressed yet dissatisfied, as this only emphasizes how abnormal AJ’s behavior is. He goes outside and sees Carlo with his son, Jason, and Patsi’s son, Jason. While admiring some of the dancers, Tony sits down with them as they exclaim, “majoring in cash, minoring in ass” at Rutgers. There having a party and Tony suggests they call AJ, they say they will. Tony covers for his sons dismal situation saying he dumped Blanca because he didn’t want anything long term.

Paulie and Chris discuss the power tools thing, it is heated, as one would imagine. I can’t recall the last time these two had a levelheaded conversation.

Chris goes charging into the bing to voice his displeasure with Paulie. Tony is dismissive to his plight, Bobby asks what happened and Chris gives him a stern look, like Bobby has no business being anywhere near this conversation. Tony tells Chris to wait outside while he is conducting actual business, and once again rubs his sobriety in his face, suggesting he grab a Lime Rickey.

Meadow tells her parents she is concerned about AJ, and how he is parroting some girl she knew at Columbia that killed herself.

AJ lies downstairs watching television, Tony sits down in the recliner next to him to seemingly make sure AJ doesn’t do anything drastic.

Tony sits in the waiting room and ponders the same blue statue he pondered in the pilot. They go inside and Tony refers to his therapy as a jerk off, but he cannot leave because his kid is suicidal. He says Carmela is getting a recommendation from his pediatrician (Isn’t he twenty?) because of Melfi’s recommendation for his daughter advised her to travel to Europe. Tony laments how his kids have a generally happy demeanor and his son is so atypical. He says he knows he is prone to depression and he can handle it. But likens AJ’s situation to that of a sick baby, and how a parent wishes he/she could trade places with him/her so he/she wouldn’t have to suffer. It’s touching and would be sympathetic if it was anyone else articulating it. He is regretful of passing his “Rotten, putrid genes” down to his son. Questions if this is all there is, after all the emotional exploration.

Chris is at AA, ranting about Tony’s hypocrisy, “pours your drink with one hand, judges you with the other if you drink it”. His frustration is immense and I cannot believe he wasn’t more volatile.

AJ is in the home studio, flipping channels and Tony walks in, suggests he keeps it on a John Wayne film, being that he is the quintessential traditional alpha male. AJ and Tony discuss the prospect of this party, Tony says, “you don’t want to talk, don’t want to eat… but that being the case you’re fucking going to that party”.

Chris talks with the businessman in the stairwell about his marriage and explains almost everything abiout the Adriana situation. Chris feels like it went unappreciated. Chris thinks that’s when their relationship got poisoned. I would suggest that it lost much of its solidarity when Chris claimed he didn’t love him after the Jackie Jr. shooting in “Amour Fou”. At least, that’s when the downward spiral began.

Little Paulie and friend wait for Al to leave his hardware store, then go in to get the drills from the power tools scam. When confronted by one of the store managers, they pretend to call Al and leave a message and all but force their way in, they would have done so physically if he had made a fuss.

In Therapy, AJ discusses Blanca to a male shrink and he thinks she left because his family is in such a high tax bracket, which may be misinformed. We are never given a clear cut reason as to why she left, but my guess would be is she didn’t want the mob affiliation. He admits he’s been feeling suicidal but has never tried to kill himself. Recapping his therapy sessions are much easier than Tony’s.

At said party, Jason is trying to get AJ into loan sharking, AJ dismisses it with his SAT score. A stripper offers him a dance and he unenthusiastically accepts as the other Jason strolls by with a stripper completely shitfaced.

At a poker game at Vinnie’s, Chris walks in and proceeds to beat the shit out of little Paulie. Then caps it off by throwing him out a two story window. He lives.

Carmela busts into their room, aghast that Tony would force AJ into going to a party at Bada Bing. Carmela points out his depression, his age, Tony thinks it’s a positive, “I know you’d rather see him sitting in his room drinking coco, but this is the way back to college. Trust me”. Again, for anyone else this could be true, but Tony has forced AJ into a friendship with the second coming of the mob.

Chris apologizes to Tony and it is intertwined with shots of Paulie doing numerous donuts on his lawn. Tony blames Chris for not being around, saying their business is face-to-face (remember Goodfellas?). Paulie destroys his lawn, Chris suggests that Paulie leaves a cell phone message if he needs products out of his father-in-laws store. Tony says he is paying Little Paulie’s hospital bills, which seems fitting, and that he will talk to Paulie, which we never see.

Chris calls Tony, outrages about his lawn and terrorizing his wife and daughter. Tony tells him to relax, Chris ends up hanging up on him reassuring him that he’s not going to cause any problems for Tony.

At a frat party, AJ is starting to blend in a little more. Some kid named Victor comes up asking for a loan from the Jason’s, they turn him down and use AJ as a figurehead, referring to him as “Tony Soprano Jr.” AJ does not seem perturbed by all of this like he was in the first half of this season.

In the morning, Carmela is now ecstatic that AJ