I wasn’t able to watch the latest episode of The Sopranos on its original air date because I was visiting family in Appalachia. In many ways I felt like Vito – escaping the hectic greater New York area for simpler and arguably safer settings. But I can’t fully relate to Vito because, well, I’m not fat and retarded.
What was he thinking going back to New Jersey and contacting Tony? He could have had a nice new life. Sure it would have included work, like everyone else’s, but he might have had a chance at happiness. He missed his family. But I think greed was a greater motivator. He wanted to have a lot of money and some authority like before. We see this pattern over and over again. Ade could have gotten out but she couldn’t rat on Christopher. Christopher could have gotten out but he saw those yokels from New Jersey and concluded he didn’t want that life. So he stayed in, for better or for worse, leaving Ade to get splattered in the woods.
Now, I’m not condoning these people’s attitudes towards gays; far from it. I’m just pointing out that they’re not well hidden. And I can’t think Vito didn’t know he was putting his life at risk by coming around there. Did he honestly think Tony would work something out with him?
I love how blatant they were about the hypocrisy with these people. I’m convinced more and more that these violent thugs do not live without a moral code. They have one. It seems very strict actually. It’s just contradictory and convoluted. But then again, whose isn’t? The best example was Phil’s wife preaching about the shameful ‘lifestyle’ of being gay while her husband nods in enthusiastic agreement. The church condemns homosexuality. But apparently good Catholics have no problem ambushing someone in a hotel room and bludgeoning them to death.
Speaking of internal contradictions, I talked a lot recently about progress in Carmella. There are realizations there but they hover in her subconscious. She knows Ade is dead. She knows it has something to do with Tony’s line of work. Her dreams are revelatory. For whatever reason she just can’t bring herself to admit certain things. And the writers tease us constantly with hints of progress but never go anywhere with it. If they wanted a way to end the show, I think falling back on the acting talents of Edie Falco and letting Carmella wake up to some reality might be a great way to wrap up the series.
Something about being in Paris made Carmella really philosophical. While Roe seemed content to be a tourist Carmella was an unstable mess. Travel does provoke introspection and one has to wonder if that’s physically painful to Carmella. That question, "Who am I and where am I going?" is troublesome for any adult. But really questioning yourself has got to be difficult for someone who lives with such duality. Again, great direction for the series to go.
My favorite part of last week’s episode was when the kids sound out words in the newspaper and discover Daddy’s not a spy. It was one of those classic Sopranos moments when you’re not sure if it’s supposed to be funny but, damn, it is. Runner up for this award has to go to the fat loudmouth that spontaneously found himself getting stabbed. One moment Sil is hugging him like an old friend the next he’s whacking him over the head. I love how the wrapped up dead guy on the floor is just another business headache for Tony. They lost their ability to recognize intrinsic value to human life long ago so Tony is not the least bit put off by a bloody corpse in front of him but the ramifications of this guy getting stabbed. Funny? I can’t help it.
HBO does this weird thing to try to keep ending shows on life support. They did it with Sex and the City. The last season ended up being drawn out into two extended seasons. Same here. Contracts were just signed for the cast this week to participate in the final episodes to air in 2007. If they’re just now figuring out who gets what contract I’m assuming the writers don’t know which characters are going to survive to the end.
If you want speculation you can look on about 1000 different places on the internet. I won’t try to predict what will happen but I will voice a wish. I hope the series goes somewhere. I hope there’s a revelation or a defection or something that forever changes these people’s lives and provides a plausible end point. Often after even the most entertaining episodes you’re left amused but not satisfied. I’m hoping the finale of the Sopranos doesn’t leave me sore with TV blue balls. That would be a real shame.
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