Sopranos Season 6B Episode 7: "The Second Coming"

Spencer: A few thoughts this week as I can't seem to compile anything into a coherent whole.

Tony's rescue of A.J. at the pool was quite a powerful moment, and especially nice was the dichotomy between gangster Tony (the "what the hell is wrong with you moment") and fatherly Tony (as he coddled AJ in his arms). AJ's arc has not been what I expected it to be - once he started moving towards the gangster lifestyle I was worried that the "father becomes son" storyline was going to play out, something that always seemed contrary to the way AJ's character has developed. So I'm glad Chase has, for now at least, had AJ reject that lifestyle and in fact view it as reason for suicide.

I want to return briefly to the point I made last week about comparing the Sopranos to the final Seinfeld episode, which was basically a giant middle finger to the audience. I think the Sopranos is winding down in a similar way and is making a parallel point, forcing us to take a deep, hard look at the characters we've been watching - and enjoying - for 6+ years. Like the plot of the Seinfeld finale, which exposed how effectively "evil" the 4 leads in that show really were, the Sopranos is showing us not only how terrible its characters are, but also posing some harsh questions to us. AJ confronts the truths of the world and finds it too much to bear - we find it entertaining. Melfi's psychiatrist finally confirmed this week what many viewers have long suggested, that if her therapy is doing anything for Tony, it's effectively making him a better criminal. That condemns Melfi, but it also condemns us, as Melfi has long served as the representation of the audience in this show.

This season has felt drastically different than any seasons past. Part of me thinks that's a good thing - I'm glad they didn't just repeat themselves - but I still believe that they are structuring the episodes around making a "point", rather than making great episodes. Sometimes those two goals collide, and I do appreciate the ambition of the writers this season, but in many ways this has felt like a very different show.

I'm also glad it's ending. Gandolfini has expressed some sense of being done with the Tony character and if this season confirms anything for me it's that TV series should really not try to extend too long - you end up repeating yourself or sacrificing your characters to try something different in the show. Some of the action of the past few episodes - Christopher's death, AJ's suicide - haven't really affected me emotionally because I view them with some sense of detachment. I think the tone of this season and its attention to themes and messaging encourages that - I don't feel a loss when Christopher dies, I feel it more as a point that Chase is trying to make. Like I mentioned earlier, I think Chase is very reactive to his audience, and I think that feeling shows up in the show, which makes it interesting to see where he goes, but makes me care about the characters less, because I know he's only trying to outguess us.

Sopranos Season 6B Episode 6: "Kennedy and Hedi"

Kate: Aw, bye-bye Chris-to-fah. Even though I knew it was coming, both in the arc of the entire series (a black bird at your window while getting made; never a good thing- look how Eugene turned out?) and also in terms of the episode ( how many times does one have to show a dark turning road driven by a hopped up (or skittish because he is a rat?) driver before you know something bad is going to happen? Apparently it’s 6).

And to kill a major character off at the beginning of the episode- that’s revolutionary for the Sopranos. I was floored.

Chrissy’s cause of death: he choked on (by) his own blood. Although it’s rather ‘in your face” (the blood thing) I kind of like that he died literally by the hands of Tony by the simple act of pinching his nose. Although the scene was hard to watch, I had to admit that I shared some of Tony’s relief that it was finally over. The scene I had dreaded was come and gone. Christopher Moltisanti – RIP.

In a drug induced dream-like Peyote madness sequence (do you think that’s all the dream-ness Chase needs to feel satisfied, or do you think another one will come along before the season’s end?) Tony’s luck returns. It immediately reminded me of the dream sequence in season 5 where everyone is telling Tony that he isn’t prepared, and that he hasn’t taken care of ‘that thing” ( that thing being killing Tony B) and really I think that’s when Tony’s luck started to run out (not in the gambling episode…) . After that episode nothing went right for Tony- he had to kill Tony B far too late, Vito death (= money troubles), The Shooting, Adriana’s death (Christopher’s divergence), the death of Johnny Sack, and finally (perhaps the most importantly) making an enemy of Phil, a nasty bastard, that just might be part of Tony’s eventual downfall.

This time Tony righted what he had down wrong in Season 5- he killed Christopher before Christopher became a problem. Christopher was bound to destroy Tony in some way whether with the Feds, drugs, or his emotional rampages. Tony was prepared. Tony took care of ‘that thing” and, perhaps, Tony has finally learned from past mistakes?

Also, the roulette table IS just like the Solar System, no?

Spencer: Well aren't you taking a practical view of things? I think the practical reasons for Tony to off Chrissy were all there - as you point out, Chrissy was a ticking time bomb for Tony (and himself), and he acted before things got to Tony B/Pussy proportions before things got out of hand.

But damn, if Tony is actually "learning" as you put it, I'm not sure we like the results. This was the coldest of many cold episodes for me, in the sense that Chase is no longer holding punches with these characters - not only are they downright evil, but they aren't too sympathetic anymore are they? Tony's struggle with fidelity, his family problems, even some of his work problems (it's hard being the boss, not that I would know); all was relatable, if in a different realm. I think it's a little harder for viewers to relate to killing your surrogate son by holding his nose closed, then taking a private jet to vegas, screwing a stripper ex-girlfriend of the guy you just killed, and then doing peyote.

Of course, these characters were always evil and despicable, but for now, Chase isn't infusing them with the humor and moments of emotion that made them so appealing to us for all these years. It reminds me a little bit of the way Seinfeld ended - basically with a big FU to the viewers, asking "and THESE were the people you spent so many hours watching??" Here, I think the revelation has a bit more weight, just the way that the first 2 hours of fun and good times in "GoodFellas" is brought to a crushing moral halt in the last 1/2 hour. But it sure hasn't been as much fun watching how truly evil these characters are.

While the death in the first ten minutes thing certainly caught me off guard, it does bother me that the Sopranos is so damn reactive. I appreciate being aware of your audience and occasionally having fun with their expectations (Lost's characters often spew audience criticisms i.e. "I...want...answers" in a knowing nod to their fanbase) but ultimately what's left on screen is the thing that lasts, and I think the best art comes from intending to make the best art, not by going out of your way to screw with your audience. Chrissy's death had been something predicted by Sopranos fans probably since Season 1, so, no, it wouldn't have been as shocking to place this episode's first ten minutes at the end of last week's episode, but it would have carried a greater emotional punch, and I think would have been more respectful to the character's development and story. Chase has always been one to play with audience expectations and then surprise them - he relishes it - but I really wish he'd focus on just making the best show he can.

I, like many others, did enjoy the actual scene leading up to his death, with the suitable lyrics to comfortably numb (the child is lost, the dream is gone), added to the fact that comfortably numb is essentially a song about pink floyd getting really, really high. The moment before the crash with Tony looking at Chris, realizing what is happening, was quite nice.

Of course the irony is that Tony acts exactly like Chris immediately after killing him. Tony kills Chris right as he's offering the wisdom that Tony imparted only a few months earlier - every day is a gift, life's too short etc. Tony's murder of Chris and his bend in Vegas can be seen as the culmination of his rejection of the possibility of change that seemed so obvious following his shooting. Rather, he has fully embraced the cold/practical/methodical Tony.

A few things to spur further debate - what do you make of the "I Get It" and the return of the Season 6A Beacon? Did AJ's final scene in this episode suggest that he is actually rejecting the gangster lifestyle or is he merely expressing the same depression that plagued his father and drove him further into the mob world?

Kate:I'm not sure if I agree with you when you say that Tony has fully embraced the cold/practical/methodical "Tony" (one of the "Two Tonys" if you will). Remember, Chase says that almost everything that comes out of the mouths of his characters is a lie; I believe that Tony's escape to Las Vegas (the city of sin?) and the drugs, and the gomah (sp?) was in some way him trying to keep this comfortably numb feeling that can't possibly last. I don't think he was simply partying because he didn't give a shit.

However, you are completely correct in saying that this was one of the coldest episodes in Sopranos history. This is the second time when Tony has had to make a decision against his family for the sake of The Family (the first being Tony B), but this time, he did it with more ease, with less questioning (that the audience was privy to) and it stung. You are also correct in saying there was no "Tony is sometimes just a regular guy' relief. It was the complete opposite of "College" where we have the duality of Tony being a Murderer and a father. In "Heidi and Kennedy" Tony isn't even just a murderer, he is acting like a sociopath. There was no Big Pussy regret, no Pie O My heart, and seemingly, no remorse.

In my previous post, I said killing Chris was the 'right' decision, and I've read that statement from lots of reviewers, bloggers, and fans; I think Chase is forcing us to look at the logical monster that lies in everyone rather than JUST fucking with the audience.

However, he is doing that too; I'm (as always) going to refrain to comment because although there is only 3 episodes left, I have faith Mr. Chase is not going to reveal his master plan completely until the very last moment.

(He's got me wrapped around his finger…)

A.J.-Is he a big red herring or the key to the next chapter in the Sopranos? I could go either way, and depending on how it was handled, I would be satisfied with either way. On one hand, I've never really bought A.J. as the mobster type. He seemed so different from Tony, and vastly different from the young Tony that we see in flashbacks. However, on the other hand, there have been clues: the selfishness (and Carmella constantly saying things to explain his behavior to Tony by saying, "and where do you think he GOT THAT FROM?"), the panic attacks, and his carelessness with humans (remember that time that Carmella tripped on the stairs and he just kept right on going? Shudder.)

Would a future mobster would cry "MOMMY" when he saw a bear in the yard? I don't think so. Especially since we know that Tony Sr. stood tall when he saw his father cut off someone's finger. And he was only 12.

Also- Isn't The Sopranos about the mob being dead?

In response to your question of "I get it", there's a funny story there. All Monday after the Sopranos I was drawing this wonderful theory in my head about Tony's own need to 'rat' based on his Melfi confession dream and him yelling out "I DID IT!" to the great canyon when he was peyote trippin'. Then I read a few things and realized that he DIDN'T say that and my theory was crushed.

I …have…no…idea…what…Tony…'got'. I was lost on that. It's hard to admit but I can't even speculate.

Sopranos Season 6B Episode 5: "Walk Like A Man"

Spencer: Ahhh, so THIS is why I liked the Sopranos. After a couple of clunkers, The Sopranos returned to form last night with "Walk Like A Man". First I'll note that "Walk Like A Man" is also the title of a Bruce Springsteen song off of his underappreciated masterpiece, Tunnel of Love, and while I'm not Bruce-crazy enough to think he invented the expression or anything, the father/son dynamics in the song are largely represented in this excellent episode.

Last week, we discussed how I felt the writers had been sacrificing characters and plots for their thematic purposes. This week, Terrence Winter taught us a lesson on thematics done right, as the theme (fathers/sons, what is passed down through generations) was nicely woven into the show without feeling heavy-handed. Everything in this episode worked, from the nice parallel story lines (Christopher with Tony as father as well as his own "junky" father, AJ and Tony), to the humour (great look on Paulie's face as he drove up to Chris' house), to the more emotional moments (season highlight for me so far: Tony's pseudo breakdown in Melfi's office. We've seen him do this a few times, but this was a great great moment of the dichotomy of Tony as well as the viewer's conflicts with Tony - when he proclaims that he "infected" AJ's soul, he's not entirely wrong - but it's hard not to sympathize with Tony at that moment).

Of course, we also had a little thing called "plot", which was not only refreshing, but finally left me with that "giddy" feeling we described last week. Not only were the plot developments exciting (Chris' near rat-like confession, Tony and Chris becoming even more at odds), but they were also framed nicely by previous seasons and episodes, including the Chris/Paulie face-off, and the subtle way that Chris has been thrown out of the loop because of his sobriety. Tony's disenchantment with Chris has in particular been done very well, with a nice arc of trying to bring Chris into his inner circle in the beginning of Season 4 by having Chris murder that Cop, to Tony being an enabler of Chris's addictions in Season 5, to Chris becoming increasingly distracted with Hollywood in Series 6a.

Even the AJ story worked last night. I haven't particularly enjoyed the whole AJ gone straight story line, but it was almost worth the payoff in "Walk Like A Man" as we witness gangster parenting - how happy Tony and Carmela are that AJ is back on his feet, staying out till all hours, and back into drugs and alcohol! How do you overcome the depression that Tony has burdened AJ with - follow the lead of your father, young man - have lots of vices, do lots of bad things, enjoy your newfound happiness.

Finally, Winter got all the details right last night. I loved how Tony returns to therapy with the intention of quitting, only to bitterly relent because of AJ's new depression - "I'm trapped here forever!" - at this point Tony's weary enough of therapy to hate it, but also aware enough that he needs it.

All yours.

Kate: “Walk like a Man” seemed very classic Sopranos- very first season-esque. I thought it was the plot driven narrative (and even I, who has/will defend the previous 3 episodes completely, thought, ‘thank God’ when things actually started to, as you say, “Happen”) but after pondering it for a day I really think it’s because Christopher is back. Not back in the way of season 6a where he was hugging dogs, stealing wine he couldn’t drink, having sex with Carol Hathoway and marrying strangers- but back to under-the-influence-Chrissy who talks too long about his feelings, is overly sensitive, and is self aware. In a way Christopher is the most entertaining and enjoyable character to watch on the Sopranos; his storylines often have the most heart, comic relief, and hopefulness, and although his placement in this episode is bleak, I find it refreshing to see him back in the mix of all this madness.

You have to wonder how this whole father/son dynamic is going to play out in terms of the series end. The theme of parenting in general has been heavily prominent in each episode (although I’m struggling to find an example in “Cleaver” at this moment and time- perhaps I will have one with my second rebuttal) in the form of mentors and blood relations. Perhaps it’s Chase saying: this show isn’t about The Family at all-but rather the mafia is a simple catalyst to show you the inner workings of everyday family dynamics. If this is the case I think the end of this show will rely heavily on the persons that intersect Tony’s two families- Bobby, Christopher, Junior and (now, perhaps) AJ.

And speaking of AJ- um, did I see that correctly? Was, er, gulp, Robert Iler captivating in that episode? I thought he was great not only in the therapists office – responding to a bland lifeless shrink (this episode seemed fairly anti ‘talking it out’ in general – Chris shoots JT after he confesses to him about his frustration with his friends, who laughed at him for speaking frankly about being a parent, which happened because he had ‘too many feelings’ to reject the drink that Paulie gave him, which was a drink that was supposed be about ‘forgiveness”- etc.) with bland lifeless (but not lacking in pain) answers, but also in the woods, with the acid. That face- the face that launched a thousand speculations on AJ following his father’s footsteps.

The rawness of AJ’s unbridled emotion makes Tony feel uncomfortable, which leads him to send him off to the Bing to forget that his heart is broken, which leads AJ to find some mini mafia friends, which leads AJ to be infected by something much worse than depression- but rather ‘rage turned outward.’ Do you think that Tony on some level knew what he was doing there? We mentioned back when discussing in the episode ‘Remember When’ how this show is constantly looking at the past (and I said that was because they were in a Mafia and the past is vital to their existence, and you said it was because the writers were being lazy asses….or something to that effect ;) and I realized that Tony IS looking at the past, but clearly does not LEARN anything from the past, or his own experiences. Otherwise he wouldn’t be pushing his son to hide his feelings under a criminal rock. It’s exactly that kind of behavior that has him in therapy in the first place.

The only thing I found disconcerting about this episode was the whole terrorist angle- I’m not sure I dig Tony ratting out ‘the new Mafia’ if you will.

Spencer: You're right about Christopher - in many ways, he is the soul of the show, the source of great humor and heartbreak (OK, I just wanted to use alliteration). It has been interesting how they have entirely dropped the Carol Hathoway character after "Kaisha" - unless she comes back that alone suggests that we should consider this new "season b" a season on its own.

The episode did feel like a throw back to some of the earlier seasons, and I think the surrounding episodes really helped it seem a refreshing and invigorating change of pace. I'm already wondering what we'll see next week with only 4 episodes left - another piece of misdirection or more of what we saw this week. It's only a glimmer of hope, but wouldn't it be great if Chase actually gave us the final 4 episodes of plot-driven drama that many yearn for?

Robert Iler has become quite compelling, although I never really had a problem with him as you did in seasons past. Granted, he was obnoxious, but that was the character, and I always thought he did a pretty darn good impression of an obnoxious bratty punk with too much money. Iler's scene with his new therapist, along with Tony's breakdown, were my 2 favorite scenes of the episode.

As others have suggested elsewhere, I think Chris' shooting of JT is most about the words that are rarely uttered in this show - "you...are...in...the...MAFIA". It actually reminded me of a prior season (6a?5?) where Melfi actually says the word "complicit" to Carmela. The morality of these characters is only acceptable to themselves by never confronting the truth - the directness of JT's assertion was an assault at the very fiber of Chris' being (probably some great philosophical term to throw in here but I don't know it) - in order to continue being who he is, he had to kill JT.

I'm not surprised at the path that AJ has taken since Chase is too pessimistic to let any sort of "AJ Grows Up" storyline last. I think you're right; Tony does not learn. I'm not sure if it was a conscious decision to push AJ into a pseudo gangster lifestyle, but as I mentioned above, that lifestyle is the only thing that allows the Sopranos to sometimes escape their deeper unhappiness.

The terrorist plotline has been hinted at over and over again, and its part of Tony's skewed morality that he doesn't see any similarities between them and himself (think Carmela's assertion that there are much worse men then her husband). I haven't decided if I buy his helping them out, particularly since it could hold implications for Chris, but I'm interested to see if it plays out or is one big giant FU red herring.

Kate: It’s funny for a show about Mob there is very little usage of the word “Mafia” in general, no? In fact, I can’t think of one time when Tony and his crew ever say that they are actually in the Mafia. There are some great lines about ‘what they do’ without ever saying the words (i.e “this thing of ours”, “once you get into this family, there is no getting out” (which seems to be the theme of this season) “I’m a soldier Adriana.”) There is a great scene in season 3 where Carmella goes to see a therapist and he calls her money ‘blood money’ and tells her that she is an ‘accomplice’ Although this shakes her to the core there is no other option than to stop thinking of it immediately; she hides in her huge house and pretends her husband isn’t a vindictive man. Chase once said in an interview that everything that comes out of his character’s mouths are lies, which is why when the truth is heard, no matter how insignificant , shocking things happen.

What an awful picture of Tony Chase is painting this season. Although he isn’t strangling a rat in hiding with a piece of rope, putting Ralphie’s head in a bowling bag, or putting the hit out on Adriana, he is slowly but surely making the audience lose faith in the one thing that he has always been- a good father. It started with his resentment and treatment of Christopher- who is perhaps the most loyal person in his life as well as the one who looks up to him the most. No other character has given up more to show his love and respect for Tony. It continued with Tony’s utter carelessness with Little Vito and has culminated with this episode with AJ. This AJ storyline is the first time that we see Tony not being a good father to his actual son (yes, one time he slapped AJ but he felt really bad afterwards …). Seeing AJ curled up in the ‘fetal position rather than banging coeds’ makes Tony go about and pity for himself, rather than his son. He is trying to brush AJ’s problems right under the rug, as he did with his own, hoping to turn AJ into some kind of Gary Cooper/John Wayne type. I really believe pushing (whether on purpose or not) AJ into a life of violence is the most monstrous Tony has been on the show. It is especially monstrous because this is the first time we see Tony realizing that “this life” ( I guess I use euphemisms as well…) isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

However- perhaps this is how they set up a situation where Tony gets to be a redeem himself? I doubt Chase would be that optimistic but I also don’t doubt he is misdirecting us every chance he gets.

And WHAT will Carmella do if she gets wind of AJ being all gangsta??? I have a feeling Whitecaps 2 is a brewing.

Until next week Spencer- I’m so glad to have you back on the Sopranos Train!

Sopranos Season 6B Episode 4: "Chasing It"

Kate: “Chasing It” (what great name for an episode! It also created a new phrase I will use when I do things that show that I have zero faith in humanity a la David Chase) flirts with my theory that Tony is not going to end up dead or in jail (i.e. avec le bang), but rather powerless, which is seems to be the worst fate of all (as shown last week via Uncle Jr.). I would assume that when it comes to the life of the Mafia, money = power and Tony is losing it in spades.

I love the Tony is “gambling and losing” storyline. Doesn’t being in the Mafia itself mean making gambling a way of life? It’s making money you didn’t earn, quickly and with great risk. Tony answers Melfi’s question, “What are you chasing?” with “It’s a big part of my life.” This conversation isn’t about Tony’s gambling problem at Atlantic city, but rather his gambling problem with his (and his family’s - as Carmella points out about twice a season) life. The fact that Tony is losing his luck at cards is also describing Tony losing his luck within the ‘family’. The story line also brings back images of ‘the guy who owned the sports store’ and JD – gambling pathetic fools who Tony (and Christopher) used to prey on. How did Tony get so low?

I really think Tony wants out of the Mafia and is discovering - just like Vito and Eugene in season 6a (finally an answer to the madness?)- that there is no escaping because ‘it’s a big part of [his] life.” I found his conversation with Carmella (and side note: how AMAZING was that Whitecaps-esque fight scene half way through the episode? I know/hope that isn’t the last we’ll see of the Carmella/Tony fire) about how ‘big picture-wise, I’m up, way up!” heartbreaking because the episode’s tone and Tony’s actions would greatly suggest otherwise.

Tony specified that all his friends were murderers, which brought me back to the whacking by Bobby in “Soprano Home Movies.” Did you notice how much Bobby’s presence has changed since “Sopranos Home Movies”? He tells Tony to “let it go” (ballsy) in regards to Tony saying he’ll never forgive the way that Phil treated the little V situation, he gives Tony advice (“tell Hesch to go fuck himself”) and his whole presence is stronger- a bit more like the way Tony used to be.

If Janice= the new Livia, than Bobby = trouble.

This whole episode was full of inklings and red herrings regarding the end of the Sopranos (which makes it so fun to watch, no?) i.e. Tony driving by the Mosque seeing the guys who used to hang out at the Bing (how many times can they allude to terrorism before I start believing them?), Hesch’s girlfriend biting the dust (foreshadowing Carmella’s end?), and Tony’s zero interaction with Christopher and the audiences lack of insight into Christopher’s home/personal life (do I smell a rat?-it’s a long shot, but still, it has been a long “no-Chrissy” stretch.)

And- I’ll leave the little Vito shower shitting to you my friend. Cheers.


Spencer: Let me start by pondering an unintentional side-effect of this blog. I'll admit that with the prospect of our little write-ups in my head, I tend to watch this season's episodes with a particularly critical eye. I'm essentially looking for things to write about, and though I forget the appropriate expression, sometimes it's easier to criticize than it is to compliment.

Still, I'd argue that the new level of attentiveness I give the show should enhance its stronger moments while emphasizing the weaker ones. Though I suspect you might not believe me, I don't think I'm taking a particularly harsh view of this season because of the blog, but hopefully just getting more out of the show than I did in years past.

All that said, as you might suspect from my little disclaimer, I found this episode interminably dull and irritating.

I've always found one of the strengths of the Sopranos' structure, or the way it refuses to be structured, is the freedom it allows an individual episodes' director/writer to take show places it has never been before. The show's rules, or lack thereof, have allowed for unexpected flashbacks, dream sequences, etc., and the show is such that it expects its audience to accept the devices as means towards a greater end of enhancing the meaning of the show.

"Employee of the Month" and this year's "Soprano Home Movies" are two examples of this done well. In both cases, we are presented with a show that is largely not the show we expected to watch, focusing on characters and locales unexpected, and in the case of SHM, even the aesthetics of the show were notably different (Tony/Carm's outfits, the small cozy nature of the lake home, etc). Yet despite their departures from a traditional Sopranos show, both shows not only enhanced our understanding of our central characters, but further did not shortcut or manipulate those characters as a means to an end. Melfi's dilemma (and decision) at the end of EOM not only fits her own character, but also prompts us to consider Tony's potential "value" in society as a force outside the law, willing to dole out revenge in cases where the law can't. That's a valuable episode in our understanding of Melfi, but it really does come back to Tony, even though his actual screentime is limited.

This season, more than ever, other than SHM, I've felt like Chase and Co. have really been moving these characters around a chessboard, and pushing them into places that they do not belong, for the purpose of the episode's "point". In "Chasing it", we're faced with Tony's gambling addiction, as a means to exploring happiness and fulfillment. Not only has there been much indication that Tony has been an addicted gambler in past episodes, but he's actually been the smarter/prevailing head in similar situations, both with "guy from the sports store" and Artie. I think that's largely what Chase is getting at (Tony's unhappy with his position, can't get out as you suggest, and is sort of acting below his capabilities and thus things he used to be above (gambling addictions), he's now not), and that's fine, but as further insult, it simply hasn't made for compelling television. The past two weeks of the Sopranos has been two of the dullest episodes I can remember and not because "nothing happens" but because the things that are happening have been solely serving their individual little episodes thematic points, and have used the characters solely as a means for getting there, without respecting the six seasons of history the show has put behind them.

I always enjoy the acting between JG/EF, but the fight scene you referred to was just so lazy to me. In season 4, those scenes are earned. We've got a season of Carmella grasping at her feelings for Furio as well as her financial ties to Tony; Whitecaps was so special because it felt like an appropriate culmination; we'd never seen it before, but we believed it because it had been appropriately foreshadowed and developed. Here, the fight came out of virtually nowhere, seemed vastly out of Tony's character (much like the whole episode), and further, although Tony said just about the nastiest thing he has ever said to Carmela, all she does is sulk and stay quiet at the end of the episode? Why? Because this wasn't meant to drive the plot forward, it wasn't meant to make us understand anything about how Carmela has changed, or how their relationship has changed - Carm doesn't leave Tony again (as I suspect she would have) based on his little outburst because the outburst is serving the episode, not the series.

Perhaps, as you suggest with regards to Bobby, we're seeing small strands of plot lines that will play out over the coming 5 episodes. But the show really needs to stand up on its own before the benefit of later episodes, and so far, I don't think it has.

Kate: Sigh, were we watching the same show?

I don’t feel like “Chasing it” is a self serving episode at all- in fact, my entire write up was about how many references and clues it had to the past and future shows. I understand that you think that Tony’s gambling problem came out of left field (and thus Chase is pushing that Chess piece to a place he is not supposed to go…nice metaphor, albeit a little confusing. Do you mean that Chase is making his knights move diagonally, or his pawns move backwards or simply putting his characters in ‘danger’ positions?) but did it really? Tony has always gambled and not only with his money, but with his family, his friends, and his own life- it’s just that now he is losing and thus suddenly looks like a problem.

The Edie/James scene in this particular episode stems from Tony feeling powerless and taking it out on both the weak (Bracco’s sister- is there a nicer character in the series? She has been dealt a horrible hand the poor thing) and the stable to make himself feel like ‘Mr. boss man’ (pour vous Madame Sinatra) again. There is a huge imbalance of power for a man like Tony when his wife has more money then he does (remember when Hesh tells his son that minus assets Tony is only worth 600,000 which is the same amount of money Carm get’s for her Spec house?.) It terrifies him and makes him crazy. This is something that has been building for… seasons. Why else wouldn’t he lean on the building inspector? Why else would he not let her play the stock market? Why else would he not want her to take the Real Estate courses? He likes Carmella home, cooking him dinner, and caring for his children. This could be seen as another Mafia way of life that is becoming impossible to keep in a modern time.

It’s not “virtually out of no where” or out character for Tony.

I also feel that Carmella understands why he is angry, which is why she doesn’t leave. All and all Carmella is a perfect wife for Tony because she both challenges him, but also understands (to a point) her ‘role.’ I love the idea that there is this fire bubbling right underneath both of their skins; a fire that had been controlled since Tony got shot. Perhaps this is also symbolizing that the whole “everyday is a gift’ Tony is coming to an end?

All and all I’m sorry you are so disappointed with the way this season (series?) is turning out. I’m sorry that you find it is both dull and irritating when I’m here giddy with excitement for the next episode. Do you feel your disappointment is similar, on par with, or less then your disappointment in season 6b?

Spencer: It's funny that you mention the "giddy with excitement" feeling; that's exactly what I used to get from the Sopranos and haven't been experiencing at all this season. I think, like many, I'm anticipating a anti-climactic wind down to the series, and with the depressing way things are going for Tony and co., I think it's going to be a dark and bleak ending for these characters, albeit in a quiet pathetic way (think Junior) rather than in an explosive blaze of glory.

It's interesting to think about Season 6a in the Season 6b context because aside from the content of the show, the whole a/b season thing seemed more like an HBO marketing issue than the season actually being one complete whole. Indeed, "Kaisha", however anti-climactic, did at least feel like a finale, and as a whole Season 6b has set off on new plot threads.

Still, the thematic aspects have remained largely the same, including the "when you're in, you're in for life", along with the slow spiral to irrelevance of the mob in general. I have been interested by this season's sense that Tony no longer wants to be in the mob - he looks at Carmine and Phil's desire to stay out of the mob (albeit, that was short-lived), and he wants to get out too. These last few episodes have emphasized the flaw in the "money is all" priorities of the characters while revealing how emotionally bankrupt their relationships are.

I didn't find Tony's fight with Carm "out of nowhere" in the sense that I never believed his character would never act the way he did, or that the tension with the spec house or Carm's other extra-curricular activities hadn't been explored in prior seasons. I did find it out of nowhere in the context of the episode and of Season 6b where they haven't been prominent issues. I've just found the writing this season to be lazy in its willingness to sacrifice all for its thematic purposes, while pushing plot and character development to the side. Tony becoming a degenerate gambler isn't totally out of line with his character, I just didn't feel they'd appropriately brought his character to that moment - they just placed him there, similar to the way that AJ has magically transformed into some sort of adult.

I think to some extent the tone of this season has really beaten out most of my liking for the characters, which has been critical to the show's success all along. Even when Tony was a monster, he was still appealing and compelling; the downward spiral has been far less fun to watch.