Sopranos

[George Costanza]

Anyone see it last night? It's kickin' into high gear now. Vito is fucked now!

[partlycloudy]

http://i1.tinypic.com/v4phfk.jpg

[stillies77]

Vito is gonna get it! About time man...he is so annoying this season...i love the scene in the gay bar

[Quinn]

Good episode last night. Seeing Vito in his leather was great comic relief. After he was caught at the bar, I figured Vito would attempt to kill both of the two witnesses before they could tell anyone.

The episode's driving theme was less than subtle: it's all about image, and that image must be one of strength. One other thing. How stupid was Tony to accept Johnny Sac's proposal to ice one of his capos? Talk about walking into a trap.

-Quinn

[hondarobot]

I haven't watched the show since the second season. It's a great show, I'm just hopelessly behind at the moment.

I don't really know the context of the comment, but what Quinn posted about Image/Power is interesting. It's true for the most part, but I think being assumed to be weak, when really quite strong, is a much more dangerous combination.

I'm playing a great Civ 4 campaign right now, with that idea as my primary tactic. Using some units as supposedly weak "Dagger" attacks, pulling back in apparent retreat, then jumping the enemy with commando units from the woods once the're inside my territory. Good game so far.

Oops. Not trying to turn this into a Civ 4 thread. Back to regularly scheduled broadcasting.

[NickTheQuick]

"I'm not GAY, IT'S A JOKE" LMAO.

[Jasadin]

"I'm not GAY, IT'S A JOKE" LMAO.

I couldn't believe Vito just went all YMCA like that.I thought he was gonna stay way back in the closet getting by on the occasional DL encounter with male escorts or something like that.I can't wait to see how this works out.

[Quinn]

I don't really know the context of the comment, but what Quinn posted about Image/Power is interesting. It's true for the most part, but I think being assumed to be weak, when really quite strong, is a much more dangerous combination.


In a "normal" setting – where social contract theory holds true – I agree that there are times when it can be advantageous to appear weak. What I think the show’s writers were attempting to communicate last night was something quite different: in the world of organized crime, where the state of nature applies as a rule rather than an exception, any perceived weakness invites attack. Think about it:

1)Tony’s impaired health caused him to loose influence among his capos. As such, he felt it necessary to demonstrate his power in order to reassert his dominance. That’s why they showed him staring at the arms of his various associates. He was assessing which person had the most physically imposing presence so that he could make an example out of them. What was his intended message? If I can do this to the strongest of you when I’m ill, think about what I can do when I’m fully recovered, so you better fall back in line – or else. Brilliant!

2)Johnny Sac cried at his daughter’s wedding, which caused his capos, including his extremely loyal underboss (Phil), to immediately question his worthiness as a leader.

3)Vito, for engaging in homosexual behavior, was placed in great peril because of the aggression it encouraged among his associates.

In “normal” social settings, recovering from an illness, crying at your daughters’ wedding, or going to a gay club wouldn’t usually cost you your life. In the world of organized crime, any of these things can lead to your getting killed because of the weakness that is associated with them.

Once again, this was a really good episode.

-Quinn

[hondarobot]

I totally agree, Quinn, I was just commenting on some gaming tactics I'm trying out in Civ 4 today.

I'm using a variation on the Dagger/Rubber Dagger opening. Numerous false attacks after I've established powerful counter forces to foil the AI enemies once they think I'm weak, combined with specialized units in strategic choke points. Lure them in when the're chasing me back, then BAM!.

It's not brilliant on my part, just something I'm fooling around with tonight. Playing as Egypt (War Chariots!).

Once again, don't wan't to hijack this into a Civ 4 thread. Just something I'm working on right now. It's fun.

And yes, I'm a dork. And loving it!

[the9]

Maybe now they can get to killing people...

Worst season of the series IMHO.

First half was blatant visual product placement, and now they've switched it up to verbal product pitches.

It's not like I pay to watch this stuff... Oh wait, I do.

[Dino Velvet]

Question; so when Meadow's boyfriend went to the construction site and thought he saw Vito blowing a guy it was made to be believed that he wasn't really doing it. But, could we have been wrong and Vito was giving that dude an AM hummer?

Also, like the guy a couple of posts above me said, could Vito have possibly killed himself when he checked into the hotel room?

[chefmike]

Question; so when Meadow's boyfriend went to the construction site and thought he saw Vito blowing a guy it was made to be believed that he wasn't really doing it. But, could we have been wrong and Vito was giving that dude an AM hummer?

Also, like the guy a couple of posts above me said, could Vito have possibly killed himself when he checked into the hotel room?

How was it "made to be believed that he wasn't really doing it?" You're the first person that I've heard say that.

I think the writers want the initial conclusion to be that he killed himself, but that scene could turn out a number of ways...if he didn't kill those two guys before they outed him, then he's a marked man and only has a couple of other alternatives...

[chefmike]

As a matter of fact, Imus has the show's cast on frequently and they have discussed that particular episode on his show. It was meant to portray exactly what it seemed to be, that Vito was doing a little early morning knob-gobbling.

[Dino Velvet]

OK, maybe it was just me. At the time that I saw that episode, I thought that Meadow's boyfriend(forgot his name) thought he saw something that actually was not going on. I thought that Vito might have been doing some coke or something, anything other than sucking some cock.

[NickTheQuick]

Fuck David Chase and his long ass breaks.... 6 months until the next episode. Bullshit. I was certain that Chris was gonna get whacked by one of Leotardo's boys when they showed him at the diner. How about AJ's little vixen? She looks a lot like Julissa from BET. I'd also give up my Gary Fisher to tap that ass.

[Jasadin]

Fuck David Chase and his long ass breaks.... 6 months until the next episode. Bullshit. I was certain that Chris was gonna get whacked by one of Leotardo's boys when they showed him at the diner. How about AJ's little vixen? She looks a lot like Julissa from BET. I'd also give up my Gary Fisher to tap that ass.

That was really interesting how she tested him.It's like he proved he was a man for handling the situation in her eyes(with a little help from Gary Fisher).Omg did she reward him or what?

[popperluv]

Prediction -AJ will get her pregnate .

[chefmike]

I thought that it was a lame finale and a lame season, overall...this season certainly had its moments, but as a Soprano's fan, I was disappointed for the most part.

I thought that Big Love's finale was far better, and I think that when all was said and done, that it's first season blew this Soprano's season away...

Fuck the Soprano's...bring on Deadwood and Rome...

[Quinn]

I thought that it was a lame finale and a lame season, overall...

Fuck the Soprano's...bring on Deadwood and Rome...

The writing for the Sopranos definitely lacks the consistent nature you find in other HBO programs. It's very erratic.

On the plus side, Entourage begins this Sunday.

-Quinn

[Jasadin]

I just watched and I have to say that Carmela is full of shit.How could she be on that "it's my money kick".Think of all the killing and murdering Tony has done for years for her lavish life style.Fuckin Cunt! :thumbsdown