TVSquad

I so want to hope that all of this is leading up to something, perhaps I am being impatient...AJ is a tiresome out of control whiny, screw up. The Vito story line can end already... I want to see more of the "family's" (mob family)politics... To me, the only redeeming part of this entire episode is the fact that Tony didn't cheat, once again, on Carmella, though I thought him taking out the whole-no-smoked-turkey-in-the-house on her was interesting (like, I wish I would have had slept with the real estate aganet after all?).

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Another lame ass episode. Way to suck!

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The Italian Festival is called:

San Gennaro festival or the Feast of San Gennaro.

Having been to it many years I can say from the previews it looks just like it.

This episode was ok, I'm not going to defend it by saying it was one of the better ones, but the previews for next week look so good, I really didn't mind.

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I also thought the preview for next week looked good BUT so did the one for this week. I thought this episode was better than last week - more Vito and less restaurant politics - but it still seemed to drag on forever. Oh well...

And, does anyone else think that the Johnny Cake guy looks like Morgan Spurlock? It must be the mustache.

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Has anyone noticed a lot of references back to the first season, particularly the first couple episodes? Last week we were treated to a winding plot about Artie's restaurant, and if you recall, the first episode of the series was about Junior wanting to whack someone in the original Vesuvio, resulting in the place getting blown up. Also, AJ's collapse in the bathroom of the club in this week's episode hearkens back to Tony's panic attacks that began this whole series. In fact, AJ's behavior in general seems to be a lot like the old Christopher... desperate to "branch out," and really kinda annoyingly whiny.

I'm expecting to see the ducks come back soon.

Am I reading too much into all of this?

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geese, im a 47 year old heavy set guy......how come i dont have women throwing themselves at me??
i even have a "o" at the end of my last name....geese

well, nice how tony's guilt made him deniy himself, and then he reverted back to the mean ,yelling, selfish husband...interesting how that works...

poor aj...doesnt have his fathers matzee..just he's anziety.....

and yeah..poor vito...coming to terms and falling into the arms of one of the village people.....alas but short lived....yes his dippy wife will tell phil he called and show him the phone,,phil will follow up on that guys name that was on the phone and pinpoint his local....
and of course...this will not sit well with tony...

according to previews and interviews...its not over with the real estate lady......
and one last thing.....isnt it something how anything,
like tradition, values, family.....is ALWAYS avaliable...
for the RIGHT PRICE.

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I keep watching week after week and I am still waiting for some action here! Jeez, between Tony's whacked, whiney kid, 'Gay' Vito, Arnie's restaurant problems, more Junior, Tony fighting his 'urges, and all his bizarre dreams in the first few episodes..I almost wished I had just watched the ever so boring 'Housewives' and let somebody tell me in 'one sentence' what is happening w/ the Soprano Family!

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Last week and this week's episode featured the two most annoying characters - Artie and AJ - enough about them already. Christopher's humor is very entertaining and I believe the episode three weeks ago (where Finn revealed what he knew) was very funny and very well-done. Artie's character drives me crazy and the overacting with all of the hand motions is sickening - in fact, he irritates me to the point where if my name ended in a vowel, I might be tempted to whack him out!

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A few observations:

Tony is obviously worried AJ will follow in his footsteps, look for him to give AJ some help. My bet is AJ will work or manage the Crazy Horse; someone needs to manage the day-to-day business.

Junior does die, he's featured at San Gennaro in the season 6 trailer (without glasses). Infact if you watched the season 6 trailer you'd have seen how he dies, It's still online at HBO. Sadly the season previews are badly edited, you basically know who dies and who doesn't once you've seen the first 3 episodes of a series.

This season seems to be more comedic, Patsy noting how 'it's over for the little guy' when they try and shake down a Starbucks

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I think this season is very interesting; all the different twists and turns; Going back to when Tony was in the coma and that whole thing with Kevin Finnerty; I think that in the end, when there's no more Sopranos, the very last episode, (as much as I'd rather see him get wacked, if anything) will relocate in the witness protection plan and his name will be Kevin Finnerty, and maybe, just maybe he will end up marrying Dr. Melfi? That is one of my theories, as a whole. I cannot understand why David Chase threw this twist at us regarding Vito; I do know that that is not allowed and probably he will be getting whacked as soon as they locate him (I thought they'd be a little smarter in trying to find him by zeroing in on all the predominately gay areas, which New Hampshire happens to be one of them!) I feel very sorry for Uncle Junior, since I honestly feel this time was Alzheimers! Chrissy has his mind set on Hollywood, which a friend suggested that maybe this whole Soprano thing might end up like the movie, "Get Shorty"; good theory, also, but I can't see them ending a 7 year series like that. Regarding what AJ did last night; well, that was just plain stupid on his behalf; Tony doesn't need any extra attention pointed at him from the cops or Feds. It seems like AJ was living out his real life in last nights episode. Vito's wife will definitely tell Phil about the phone call, and Phil will trace the phone to the owner and where he lives. I feel that Phil will find Vito and put the hit on him; this will create the war between NY and NJ, since Tony clearly told Phil that this was his problem and he will handle it his way. Next week looks very interesting, so until then...............

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Gena -

I agree with you. The references to season 1 are striking, and everytime we see Tony by the pool, I am expecting a duck to land in the water, so it is not just you. Something is happening here for sure.

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AJ does seem a little bit whimpy right now but don't forget he did seem infactuated with the violence at last years keg party. Hence the "event planning", I hope he does follow in Tony's foot steps I just wish he would hurry up and break his cherry.

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Male sexuality has been a dominant topic in most episodes, and it seems to me that this topic in Vito, AJ, and Tony's lives were interestingly interwoven this week. Vito is on the margins of the thug life and quite possibly is going to die because he has been outed; he himself is, as pop psychologists might say, "conflicted," as witnessed by his fight with the Morgan Spurlocklike character and then his tryst with him (supersize me?). No matter what most viewers think about the Vito's sexuality, it seems safe to suggest that Vito was being true to his own innate character by having the affair and were satsifed that he has been able to work through his conflict. I think that many viewers were pleased to see Tony uncharacteristically end the sexual affair with the real estate agent. What gives, though? Vito has an extramarital affair and we're supposed to be pleased that he has it; Tony, even though the "truth" of his character is that he's a dog (he loves to watch strippers, it seems, even in his post-death experience life), denies his real self when he rejects sex with the real estate agent and we're supposed to be glad that he does. There is some interesting inconsistency here. What about AJ? What is it about his feigning never to have been interested in a career as a "event planner"? Remember that in past episodes, AJ's parents assumed that his interest in this career path might suggest that AJ is gay, but they shrugged it off and accepted the possibility. Now, however, AJ behaves as if he'd never mentioned the event planner career; instead, we see in full Soprano, semi-tawdry heterosexual relationships but is possibly having a panic attack at the club where he meets women. Is he wrestling with a truth that Vito already has, and which Tony has suspected? Is this why Tony is more sympathetic of Vito than the rest of the gang? Mere ramblings, here, and quite possibly unrelated to what's to come in future episodes, but I can't believe that insinuations about AJ's sexuality in the past is totally unrelated to Tony's at least tacit support of Vito.

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there are clues all over the place this season. i don't object to any episode just because it's not making sense at that particular time.

i think that they are working towards a "times they are a changin'" theme. things are different and tony tries to weave his way through them without (ultimately) success.

in this sense they brought the show back to the old neighborhood and made that point. they have already shown that wise guys aren't the same, kids aren't the same, the mob business isn't the same, etc.

i think somehow vito is part of this- as tony is not all excited about whacking him.

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Not having sex with the Real estate Girl was not about guilt. Tony panicked as she started to open his shirt which would have exposed the scars.

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As you recall, Tony is putting on the French Blue Shirt and Carmella comes up and buttons the shirt over the wounded abdomen. When Tony is with the real estate agent he doesnt reject her until he looks down and watches her undo the shirt his wife buttoned up for him. He rejects the real estate agent not out of love or devotion to his wife, rather, because of his realization of what a swine he is. His guilt about his desires leads him to forego them for now. But just as Vito felt guilt, raged and ultimately surrendered to his true nature, ultimately Tony will do the same thing and he will surely bed down with the real estate agent because he is who he is.

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The moment a single episode of the Sopranos becomes explainable in one sentence is the moment when it loses the very essence of what makes the show so great. I love that Chase is making us think and guess at the clues he's leaving us. All of these little subplots and characters fit so well into the overall picture. It just takes time to let it percolate.

Watching the tease for next week, it appears that those looking for immediate gratification will get their taste soon anyhow.

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Young AJ Soprano is becoming a bit of a cult hero amongst his friends and peers. Here's the son of a notorious crime boss and gangster living off the legend that is 'Tony Soprano' yet unlike his father - AJ is a little boy lost. By any other definition he is a mama's boy. He's failed out of school. He's working a dead-end job and all the supposed glamour of the mob lifestyle has completely escaped him. He wants to be like his dad so bad but there is no way in hell his dad would ever have a $1890 drink bill or be tipping midget waiters at a nightclub. Whilst Tony Soprano would have underlings paying money up to him and free meals and drinks wherever he goes, AJ is the total opposite - paying for all his friends and tipping waiters and the like. After each and every AJ failing, and there have been many, he feels his natural course is to try and impress his father and do the deed on Uncle Junior. Even in this he fails miserably and ends up arrested. What exactly he was thinking by his attempt to kill Junior is another example of his ineptitude. Even if he succeeded in killing Junior, did he even have an escape plan? He quotes the Godfather scene to his father, when Michael Corleone pulls off an execution - but Corleone had it all meticulously planned. AJ is anything but meticulous.

In other developments, Vito establishes contact with his wife but in the meanwhile, Leotardo has a hard-on for Vito (pardon the pun!) and wants him more than dead. Will Vito's call be traced back to his hiding place where now Vito has outed himself with one of the locals?

Tony is definitely a changed man. Whilst the seductress real estate agent Julianna finally tempts Tony to sell a property he owns, the two finds themselves in the throes of lust. As Juliana begins to unbutton Tony's shirt, he remembers his loving wife Carmella buttoning up his shirt before he was to leave the house. With deep love and care, Carmella was dressing him up yet now Tony finds himself about to cheat on the one woman who truly loves him. It was like the angel and the devil sitting on each of his shoulders, but this time, Tony rejected the devil and went home to his angel. Albeit in a fit of rage that there was no smoked turkey in the fridge(!)

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Enough of the "Brokeback" episodes. Let's get on with the show.

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Sopranos has gotten too "Brokeback" for me.

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