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Originally Posted by Qwikshot
This was a good episode...kinda reminded me of "Defending Your Life" with Al Brooks.
There were so many elements to this episode and a lot of symbolism going round. Also, I don't think Tony is in hell, rather he is in limbo.
Heaven was the conference, but he didn't have the credentials to get in. When the elevator was out of service (check out the bear!) he "descends" down the steps, but stumbles and falls before he can go all the way "down" the red steps. Clearly, he isn't meant for hell yet either.
The doctor's prognosis that he has AZ isn't meant to be taken literally; it means he's losing himself (plus the real doctor states Tony may have brain damage).
Remember Tony can hear, his brain can listen to what is going outside...hence we hear at some point "Meadow" tell alter-Tony about "AJ"'s stomach virus (which real AJ was apparantly suffering from).
The last shot is just chilling with the Moby music...but I also liked the Joe Johnson musak ("Always something breaking us in two") which is about distance, things falling apart...to the cold Moby music as he looks out towards the light beacon from the airport.
Alter Tony is what he could have been, he works for Precision Optics (things that make you see clearly) but also as a weapons manufacterer. The one woman he almost sleeps with almost looks like his therapist...in the end though Alter Tony deals with all the problems in a calm manner, and Alter Tony doesn't get the girl at the end either...
I thought Vito was creepy when he was going to give AJ a ride home (in both the fact that I think he's one to flip to NY and not in touch with his lifestyle (as if he could be)...when he talks about Gene's suicide it was both funny and frightening in the way he was so detached speaking about it, -- that Gene could have been gay)) I was glad when the psychopath Paulie took AJ home...
I don't think AJ has the ability to whack Junior; in fact, AJ bottling up emotions is the weakest link amongst the Sopranos and ripe for exploitation. Meadow seems strong and lucid, she's definately the Michael Corleone to AJ's Fredo...Carmella was someone you could have sympathy for.
Next week with be a bang...
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I concur with this assessment. The episode was meant to set the table for the final run of the series. There were a lot of subtle things crammed into this episode, it'll take a couple to three viewings to catch it all. Even from the first episdoe of this season, I didn't catch that Uncle Junior shouted "cazzata Malanga" when he shot Tony. That's some true, old school, Italian cussing.