Peripatetic wrote:Why the fuck are they bringing this whole gambling thing into it now?

We're lead to believe that Tony's spent the last ten years building his empire, he's on top etc. and suddenly he's fucking broke from gambling?

WTF.

I'm totally with you. Very weak to introduce a major character flaw in your main character at this point. That really bummed me out.

Lemuel Gulliver wrote:

burun wrote:I got very angry at Tony for being nasty to Hesh.

Yeah. That sort of sucked. Hesh has always been good.

Like almost every single other character in the show, Hesh now has a reason to fear Tony's wrath. Basically everybody has reason to want Tony dead, while also fearing that they will be elimated. Maybe not Sil. There should be a show about him, soon.

AJ is going to go postal. I can feel it. The old man is somehow responsible for his relationship fizzling. Maybe AJ kills his old man before it's over.

cesb wrote:Like almost every single other character in the show, Hesh now has a reason to fear Tony's wrath. Basically everybody has reason to want Tony dead, while also fearing that they will be elimated. Maybe not Sil. There should be a show about him, soon.

I don't think this would ever happen, but someone just reassure me that it won't:

They aren't setting this up so Tony can be clipped in the 2nd or 3rd to last episode in a whodunit way are they?

cesb wrote:The old man is somehow responsible for his relationship fizzling.

I never even thought about that, but it makes perfect sense. Fuck. For the last couple episodes I've been wondering why the hell they even have her on the show. Duh.

cesb wrote:

Lemuel Gulliver wrote:
AJ is going to go postal. I can feel it. The old man is somehow responsible for his relationship fizzling. Maybe AJ kills his old man before it's over.

I agree, this would add to the greek tragdey type story arc. Son, kills father and all, new breed killing off the old breed.

Peripatetic wrote:

cesb wrote:The old man is somehow responsible for his relationship fizzling.

I never even thought about that, but it makes perfect sense. Fuck. For the last couple episodes I've been wondering why the hell they even have her on the show. Duh.

Going further on this:

Do you think it's possible that she's just pissed/annoyed that AJ is such a loser?

When they were all having dinner the other night and Carm was talking about selling her house, Meadow said something about, "oh, they'll be so happy, and they have a baby" or whatever and that chick shot AJ a look that I thought said, "why the fuck you ain't buy me a house yet? I got a baby." And then when AJ proposed and he told her all that bullshit about how he'll be day manager at Papa Johns soon and then he'll have his own Pizza Hut or whatever. Do you think she got on board thinking AJ was in line to someday take over the family and then got out as soon as she realized he had no shot?

Peripatetic wrote:

Peripatetic wrote:

cesb wrote:The old man is somehow responsible for his relationship fizzling.

I never even thought about that, but it makes perfect sense. Fuck. For the last couple episodes I've been wondering why the hell they even have her on the show. Duh.

Going further on this:

Do you think it's possible that she's just pissed/annoyed that AJ is such a loser?

When they were all having dinner the other night and Carm was talking about selling her house, Meadow said something about, "oh, they'll be so happy, and they have a baby" or whatever and that chick shot AJ a look that I thought said, "why the fuck you ain't buy me a house yet? I got a baby." And then when AJ proposed and he told her all that bullshit about how he'll be day manager at Papa Johns soon and then he'll have his own Pizza Hut or whatever. Do you think she got on board thinking AJ was in line to someday take over the family and then got out as soon as she realized he had no shot?

I think she realized that AJ is one of the most boring people on planet earth & that she'd be better off living in a row-house with some other dude, than a mansion with Papa Johns Employee of The Month April 2007. Just my take on it.

I say AJ, Chris, Paulie, Phil, & Bobby don't survive.

-Jeremy

oucheh wrote:

Peripatetic wrote:

Peripatetic wrote:

cesb wrote:The old man is somehow responsible for his relationship fizzling.

I never even thought about that, but it makes perfect sense. Fuck. For the last couple episodes I've been wondering why the hell they even have her on the show. Duh.

Going further on this:

Do you think it's possible that she's just pissed/annoyed that AJ is such a loser?

When they were all having dinner the other night and Carm was talking about selling her house, Meadow said something about, "oh, they'll be so happy, and they have a baby" or whatever and that chick shot AJ a look that I thought said, "why the fuck you ain't buy me a house yet? I got a baby." And then when AJ proposed and he told her all that bullshit about how he'll be day manager at Papa Johns soon and then he'll have his own Pizza Hut or whatever. Do you think she got on board thinking AJ was in line to someday take over the family and then got out as soon as she realized he had no shot?

I think she realized that AJ is one of the most boring people on planet earth & that she'd be better off living in a row-house with some other dude, than a mansion with Papa Johns Employee of The Month April 2007. Just my take on it.

I say AJ, Chris, Paulie, Phil, & Bobby don't survive.

-Jeremy

Over the last few episodes, it's obvious that she's not very comfortable with the way AJ's familiy blows through money, where the money comes from, etc. She's looked the other way up until now, because she actually likes the dumb kid. But ultimately, for the sake of her kid, it's just not a good idea to be around those people long-term. My take.

Whatever, whatever. AJ's gonna pin it on his old man, anyway. Because of you this because of you that I'll never be able to yadda yadda yadda.

Also, I somewhat agree with Jeremy. The last few episodes, guys are going to be dropping like flies. I would be shocked if Tony gets it any sooner than the end of the last episode. He's just basically a better, angrier, smarter more cut throat guy than anybody else.

I think the gambling serves as a proxy for excitement and danger for Tony. What's the Churchill quote? "There's no thrill like being shot at and missed"? Without gun play, putting $25K on a horse you know nothing about but that shares a name with your daughter is pretty risky.

Remember when Tony almost got whacked in the first season or 2? He loved it. He said as much to Melfi with a big shit-eating grin on his face. Last season, he got shot for real and lived. He got circumspective at first, but after the immediacy of his brush with death faded, he needed another fix. Getting shot is anything but boring. He's addicted to the rush. I remember a few seasons ago he was telling someone not to bet football. The gambling bit is just another vice. Just like he tells AJ or Jackie Jr. that the life isn't all that great and they should stay out, he goes to the Bing to hatch another scheme, etc. It would be out of character for Tony not to be gambling at this point.

A couple of pages ago, someone wrote about the emasculation of the men in this show. I wish I could take credit for thinking this up, but I can't. Well played. I thought about it all day. It makes perfect sense. The premise of the show is about a guy in the most testosterone-filled macho industries there is having to open up his feelings and get in touch with his softerside. That's already calling manhood as its traditionally known, esp. in his neighborhood, into question. He'd bitch at Melfi that gone are the days of Gary Cooper. Tony wants to be Gary Cooper. But at the end of the day, he's not. He's a depressive, in an industry that could give the coldest fish stomach ulcers from worry, all heaped upon contemporary bourgeois life that already sends millions of patients to the shrink couch and onto Prozac, etc. He gets panic attacks because of it. [I'd submit part of the reason he hasn't had one in a while is because gambling serves as a nice distraction.]

I don't think AJ will blame Tony. Maybe tangentally, for not fronting him in some sort of business. I would be shocked if Tony schemed to break up AJ and Blanca. This was the first time AJ's shown any initiative--even the football stuff seemed like a fluke--and Tony was probably more happy to see him off his ass than fucking off. That said, his Gary Cooper schtick is going to flip out when AJ mopes around on Sunday.

Oucheh nailed it: AJ Soprano would be one of the most boring people on Earth. You'd have to have your head examined if you thought you could have an intelligent conversation with him. I suspect he'll get clipped. He's too stupid and wreckless. Probably not Tony.

Fuck. What a show. They have millions of decent Americans rooting for a sociopathic mob boss to come out of this clean. Salut, David Chase. That's some trick. You are one crazy bastard.

does anyting think theres significance in their drive through the muslim neighborhood?