Sopranos Season 6 **Warning for finale spoilers**

[AI_Franchise]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

Many parents can relate to yesterday's show when all their kids are busy with is partying and coming home late day-in and day-out..but yesterday wasn't that great of an episode.

O, and all characters have street cred in real life...and stay true to their character.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060502/ap_en_tv/sopranos_arrests;_ylt=Aq0Q6gzDxG_ZZ9siQohfFzDK.nQA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3YXYwNDRrBHNlYwM3NjI-

[Silverstring]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

I not only thought that this last episode was excellent, I thought it was one of the best ALL TIME in the series history. Seriously.

As David Chase has said, "The Sopranos" is all about consumerism, how weak people indulge their excesses in search of identity. However, we all seek to deny or obscure our self-indulgence and greed. Vito puts on a facade (husband, kids), but ultimately breaks down. Similarly, the mob puts on the facade of power and the ultimate bond through the construct of family, but what has the power to break that bond time and time again? Money. Think Carmella's spec house, AJ's allowance, Chris' Hollywood plans, etc. Dr. Melfi's line about "This is not Omerta" was classic, as was AJ's about Tony being a hypocrite. Through silence/denial, the contradiction of greed/unity elides confrontation.

The juxtaposition of big business and the "little guy" underlines these very same issues, and highlights another contradiction. Jamba Juice/Starbucks and the "Family" are two sides of the same coin. What is the mob if not a corporation? Primarily concerned with business, wielding influence through power, subsuming or eliminating any threat to operations, constantly expanding its boundaries whenever possible-even while attempting to appear it has other interests-community, unity, relationships, loyalty. It's all a metaphor for our consumerist society, where the dollar is the almighty master. Witness Tony finally selling out the shop, the offer just had to be high enough.

Sure, self-indulgence is denied or delayed, because people, and these characters, don't want to believe they are as shallow as they are, and they certainly don't want others to know(Tony's denial of his adulterous intentions to Dr. Melfi). The denial(a last-minute rejection of a SMOKING Juliana Marguilies), is only temporary, as the need must ultimately either be satisfied or displaced onto something else(WHERE THE HELL IS MY SMOKED TURKEY!!!!). These characters know no true self-restraint.

Of course, if you miss out on all this subtext and metaphor, the series seems to be nothing more than a character-driven "Scarface". Episodes like this, then, are difficult to enjoy, because internal conflict and underlying tensions aren't as attention-grabbing as fights and "wackings". To me, the greatest rewards in this show are in its layers, so I'm still surprised that some people enjoy it for only its "surface"-which, in a lot of ways, is actually pretty generic- trusted member of family betrays, gets punished, rinse, repeat. EVERY mob movie/series carries that structure.

It's a damn shame that the Vito story-line will be pigeonholed by some as being some sort of Brokeback Mountain-takeoff(PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: The Brokeback jokes have long since reached "Show me the MONEY!"-level triteness. If you have any dignity, get off that ship. What else is in your repertoire? Michael Jackson child molestation jokes? Star Jones/Reuben Studdard fat jokes? Britney Spears is white trash jokes? Macarena references? Do you still pop your collar? At this point, isn't it TOO easy?). Nevermind that these episodes were long since written and probably shot before that film even premiered, not to mention the gay Vito seeds were planted 2 years ago.

EDIT: Here it is-

"It's about money, materialism, consumerism, buying stuff."

"It's (America) a great country, but everything is for sale."

-David Chase

from the interview at this link:

http://www.kenauletta.com/news.html

[TarHeelMan]

Re: Sopranos Season 6



Well said, mang... I came across something on another site, from the NJ newspaper, that goes into detail about the episodes, that might provide interesting reading.

http://www.nj.com/tv/ledger/index.ss...l=1&thispage=1

[TarHeelMan]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

On the same site, here's some more stuff about seasons past of the Sopranos... you cats might enjoy it.

http://www.nj.com/sopranos/index.ssf...ve/hoopla.html

[ODogg]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

I not only thought that this last episode was excellent, I thought it was one of the best ALL TIME in the series history. Seriously.

As David Chase has said, "The Sopranos" is all about consumerism, how weak people indulge their excesses in search of identity. However, we all seek to deny or obscure our self-indulgence and greed. Vito puts on a facade (husband, kids), but ultimately breaks down. Similarly, the mob puts on the facade of power and the ultimate bond through the construct of family, but what has the power to break that bond time and time again? Money. Think Carmella's spec house, AJ's allowance, Chris' Hollywood plans, etc. Dr. Melfi's line about "This is not Omerta" was classic, as was AJ's about Tony being a hypocrite. Through silence/denial, the contradiction of greed/unity elides confrontation.

That's a great post. However most people aren't as smart as you are in seeing metaphors, symbolism etc. I am with you that I "get" that sort of thing more than the average viewer. I remember in school when teachers talked about symbolism and metaphor alot of people just didn't understand it and couldn't grasp it, thus missing out on a lot of great works of art, literature, etc. Television I guess is really not much different. Sopranos is so much more than just people getting whacked.

[Defel]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

I don't see how someone can still be a fan of the Sopranos after six seasons and just like it for the whackings. Especially since one season doesn't exactly equal one year...

I would think if someone stuck with a show for six seasons, they would like it for the characters and character development.

I didn't watch the entire run of OZ for 5 years (or was it 6?) for the full frontal male nudity.

[TJdaSportsGuy]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

I didn't watch the entire run of OZ for 5 years (or was it 6?) for the full frontal male nudity.

Not that there'd be anything wrong with that...

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

I liked when they went to that shop (Starbucks?) tyring to get protection money. Pretty funny. Looks like with big name businesses moving in, getting money won't be as easy.

I was thinking the same thing when I was watching this past week. It's like having a bunch of ma and pa businesses being bought out on a block where you were making protection money off of and then Blockbuster Video, McDonalds, & KFC go up and you are trying to get protection money from those businesses.

[Thrasha]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

Great post Silver, one of the best I've read on OS.

[ODogg]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

I didn't watch the entire run of OZ for 5 years (or was it 6?) for the full frontal male nudity.

OMG OZ, i loved that show....but yet it gave me constant nightmares. I think they should show that show to high school seniors and the crime rate would immediately go down for the next generation. Talk about scared straight!

[EWRMETS]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

I don't see how someone can still be a fan of the Sopranos after six seasons and just like it for the whackings. Especially since one season doesn't exactly equal one year...

I would think if someone stuck with a show for six seasons, they would like it for the characters and character development.

I didn't watch the entire run of OZ for 5 years (or was it 6?) for the full frontal male nudity.

OZ was a great show.

[Thrasha]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

Another good episode but it's really starting to feel like nothing major is going to happen. If the whole Vito storyline is supposed to be the big thing these next few episodes than it'll be a disappointment.

I didn't see who directed this weeks episode but whoever did, did a great job. The scenes with Tony and Christopher telling T about Adrianna and the scene with Chris in the car with the junkie were great.

[RoyalBoyle78]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

Another good episode but it's really starting to feel like nothing major is going to happen. If the whole Vito storyline is supposed to be the big thing these next few episodes than it'll be a disappointment.

I didn't see who directed this weeks episode but whoever did, did a great job. The scenes with Tony and Christopher telling T about Adrianna and the scene with Chris in the car with the junkie were great.

WOW, you really thought it wa a good episode, man I a huge Soprano fan, and I think this season has really stunk it up so far.

[Thrasha]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

WOW, you reallt thought it wa a good episode, man I a buge Soprano fan, and I think this season has really stunk it up so far.

It hasn't been the best season IMO, but I've still enjoyed it. But like I said, I really liked a few of the scenes this week. Christopher is obviously trying to dive in to this relationship with this new chick to try and fill the hole left by Adriana.

BTW, has Chris's wife ever been on the show before? It caught me off guard, she should have at least been on the show a couple times before this at least.

[RoyalBoyle78]

Re: Sopranos Season 6

It hasn't been the best season IMO, but I've still enjoyed it. But like I said, I really liked a few of the scenes this week. Christopher is obviously trying to dive in to this relationship with this new chick to try and fill the hole left by Adriana.

BTW, has Chris's wife ever been on the show before? It caught me off guard, she should have at least been on the show a couple times before this at least.

I think this season was done bad. I mean we new nothing of Christopher girlfreind all season, he just gets married out of nowhere. I mean come on.