TV: The Sopranos Discussion Thread

[Richard]

Haven't seen this series in ages, its ok and will keep watching but ifound the wire better. Good guys vs bad as opposed to bad guys vs victims.

The wire is the best television series, ever, in my opinion but you and I must have watched a different series.

The cops weren't good and the gansters weren't bad. Almost all were grey, which is why the series was super accurate. McNalty wasn't solving crimes for the victims or to keep the streets clean he was doing it as a game, a deadly game. He was doing it to show he was smarter than the rest.

Even the "hero" cops were almost certainly shown to be corrupt at times. Look at what they did-steal drugs, money, assault people, jam people, harass people. The hubris was ridiculous. They shot people.

Again, you and I must have watched a different series. A saw a hollow, corrupt organization juking stats and trying to keep the gravy train rolling through successive administrations.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

He was a hell of an actor and I always hoped they would do a series based around Tony Sr.

They did, its called The Sopranos. Its good too

 

[DaaaaB's]

He was a hell of an actor and I always hoped they would do a series based around Tony Sr.

I think the movie coming out soon is about him somewhat. It's Johnny Boy not Tony Sr tho.

 

[DaaaaB's]

During my recent, rewatch Jr. became one of my favorite characters for sure.

I love the scene where he ruins Carmella's dad's surprise birthday. Such a jackass move.

 

[John Price]

Johnny Boy Soprano passed yesterday RIP

 

[Voodoo Child]

In a series that's a dark comedy about the Jersey Mafia but most people who haven't watched it think is a crime thriller about the Jersey Mafia, Junior stands tall.

'Where does he get the...effrontery?!'

I saw your girl at pet therapy last week, how does she keep her coat so shiny?'

'Your father never had the makings of a varsity athlete.'

It's between him and Little Carmine for funniest character, and I'll give it to Junior - LC might have a higher laughs per scene, but Unca June is consistently excellent.

1. Junior
2. Little Carmine
3. Christofa
4. That c***sucka Ralphie
5. Tony

Paulie is also funny but by around season five starts to grate on you.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Funniest scene is Junior stumbling upon Curb Your Enthusiasm and thinking Jeff and Larry are him and Bobby. Great wink - and I tend to dislike the stuff - to a sister show.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Peppers and eggs? That's what I shoulda had

...You know where I was? I was getting a haircut

What the hell would we have in common? ...Bunion. You know how I feel about feet

 

[tarheelhockey]

Funniest scene is Junior stumbling upon Curb Your Enthusiasm and thinking Jeff and Larry are him and Bobby. Great wink - and I tend to dislike the stuff - to a sister show.

Honestly? It's not that it wasn't funny, but the humor kind of went past me because of how chilling it was. Imagine being in Bobby's shoes there, like WTF do you even say back to him?

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Honestly? It's not that it wasn't funny, but the humor kind of went past me because of how chilling it was. Imagine being in Bobby's shoes there, like WTF do you even say back to him?

It's not Bobby who's with him in that scene. It's that little old man who helps him here and there. Can't remember his name.

 

[tarheelhockey]

It's not Bobby who's with him in that scene. It's that little old man who helps him here and there. Can't remember his name.

Oh yeah. There were so many scenes of him and Bobby sitting around in that room, it felt like another one of those.

 

[Primary Assist]

Funniest scene is Junior stumbling upon Curb Your Enthusiasm and thinking Jeff and Larry are him and Bobby. Great wink - and I tend to dislike the stuff - to a sister show.

"Joonyah, its not you. It's a tv 'progrim'... a movie."

It's not a movie. I love how the writers make it so the wiseguys are consistently misstating common facts or making little errors like that.

 

[reckoning]

I finished Season 2 a few weeks ago, and I actually liked it even more than Season 1. I didn't like most of the new characters, but it looks like I won't have to worry about them returning.

Anyways, I have a question: In Season 1, the corrupt cop tells Tony that p***y is wearing a wire and working with the police. But Tony later suspects that Jimmy is the one who flipped, and that the cop mixed them up because they look somewhat similar. When it turns out that the cops original info was correct, does that mean Jimmy never flipped?

 

[The Kingslayer]

I finished Season 2 a few weeks ago, and I actually liked it even more than Season 1. I didn't like most of the new characters, but it looks like I won't have to worry about them returning.

Anyways, I have a question: In Season 1, the corrupt cop tells Tony that p***y is wearing a wire and working with the police. But Tony later suspects that Jimmy is the one who flipped, and that the cop mixed them up because they look somewhat similar. When it turns out that the cops original info was correct, does that mean Jimmy never flipped?

I was always under the impression they were both wired for sound. Jimmy in the basement with Tony asking about the Columbian money was the giveaway.

 

[kook10]

I finished Season 2 a few weeks ago, and I actually liked it even more than Season 1. I didn't like most of the new characters, but it looks like I won't have to worry about them returning.

Anyways, I have a question: In Season 1, the corrupt cop tells Tony that p***y is wearing a wire and working with the police. But Tony later suspects that Jimmy is the one who flipped, and that the cop mixed them up because they look somewhat similar. When it turns out that the cops original info was correct, does that mean Jimmy never flipped?

Fun fact: the entire first season cost about as much as one episode in the final season.

 

[Voodoo Child]

I finished Season 2 a few weeks ago, and I actually liked it even more than Season 1. I didn't like most of the new characters, but it looks like I won't have to worry about them returning.

Anyways, I have a question: In Season 1, the corrupt cop tells Tony that p***y is wearing a wire and working with the police. But Tony later suspects that Jimmy is the one who flipped, and that the cop mixed them up because they look somewhat similar. When it turns out that the cops original info was correct, does that mean Jimmy never flipped?

Season 2 is incredible, many people's favorite but I think 3 is the best because it has has the most top ten episodes (University, Pine Barrens, Amour Fou).

For me it goes 3 > 2 = 6B > 4 > 1 > 6A > 5.

And season five is still plenty good.

The Jimmy-p***y thing is addressed in the season 3 episode 'To save us all from Satan's power', but I think that episode is just muddying the waters, since Jimmy was acting very suspicious and in S2 the feds say Puss has been working with them for only a year or something.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Fun fact: the entire first season cost about as much as one episode in the final season.

I'm going to assume cast and staff salaries shot through the roof + other production costs. Although I don't think season 6 in terms of scope was that much more ambitious than season 1. The entire scope stays fairly consistent throughout besides the New York gangsters playing a bigger role.

 

[kook10]

I'm going to assume cast and staff salaries shot through the roof + other production costs. Although I don't think season 6 in terms of scope was that much more ambitious than season 1. The entire scope stays fairly consistent throughout besides the New York gangsters playing a bigger role.

Some cast deals were only covered through 6A since that is when it was actually supposed to end. They renegotiated much higher for 6B, so definitely above the line costs were the biggest factor. Additionally, locations such as the actual Soprano house smelled the gravy train coming to an end and demanded more money as well. That said, I think the scope was a good bit bigger than S1 in particular. Carmela went to Paris, Tony went to Las Vegas, they went to the Adirondacks, they wrecked some Escalades for Kennedy and Heidi, they shut down route 17 for the shootout at the Bing, they had funeral scenes which required all of the extended cast, tons of extras for street scenes, festivals, casinos etc etc. iirc the final episode was a 30 day shoot compared to 8 for a typical one.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Some cast deals were only covered through 6A since that is when it was actually supposed to end. They renegotiated much higher for 6B, so definitely above the line costs were the biggest factor. Additionally, locations such as the actual Soprano house smelled the gravy train coming to an end and demanded more money as well. That said, I think the scope was a good bit bigger than S1 in particular. Carmela went to Paris, Tony went to Las Vegas, they went to the Adirondacks, they wrecked some Escalades for Kennedy and Heidi, they shut down route 17 for the shootout at the Bing, they had funeral scenes which required all of the extended cast, tons of extras for street scenes, festivals, casinos etc etc. iirc the final episode was a 30 day shoot compared to 8 for a typical one.

Totally right. I hadn't realized all those big set pieces in that season.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Not to mention all the food they had to buy for the spreads . I love James Gandolfini and wish he was still here but man did he balloon and his cheeks were so fat it changed his voice

 

[DaaaaB's]

Not to mention all the food they had to buy for the spreads . I love James Gandolfini and wish he was still here but man did he balloon and his cheeks were so fat it changed his voice

Two things that were in almost every episode are Tony eating and his loud breathing. I'm not making fun of him but I've had several friends comment the same to me.

 

[FMichael]

Some cast deals were only covered through 6A since that is when it was actually supposed to end. They renegotiated much higher for 6B, so definitely above the line costs were the biggest factor. Additionally, locations such as the actual Soprano house smelled the gravy train coming to an end and demanded more money as well. That said, I think the scope was a good bit bigger than S1 in particular. Carmela went to Paris, Tony went to Las Vegas, they went to the Adirondacks, they wrecked some Escalades for Kennedy and Heidi, they shut down route 17 for the shootout at the Bing, they had funeral scenes which required all of the extended cast, tons of extras for street scenes, festivals, casinos etc etc. iirc the final episode was a 30 day shoot compared to 8 for a typical one.

Don’t forget the cost of those NY Islander tickets...

 

[Mickey Marner]

I finished Season 2 a few weeks ago, and I actually liked it even more than Season 1. I didn't like most of the new characters, but it looks like I won't have to worry about them returning.

Anyways, I have a question: In Season 1, the corrupt cop tells Tony that p***y is wearing a wire and working with the police. But Tony later suspects that Jimmy is the one who flipped, and that the cop mixed them up because they look somewhat similar. When it turns out that the cops original info was correct, does that mean Jimmy never flipped?

There are several informants in the show, so it's not necessarily an either or situation. The way the show handles p***y's arc is fantastic. A lesser show would've made it a cat & mouse game and the focal point of season two. But the Sopranos treats it as a dreading feeling in the back of your mind that you know must eventually be faced, while still leaving plenty of room for Richie as the season two antagonist.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Talking about Junior, one of the most underrated scenes in the series was the care he took to spare some old widow he connected with. She was happily married to some corrupt cop and knowing how connected Junior is - in their old age - she questions him about how she'd find serious money in her husband's pockets, way above his pay grade. The poor gal asks Junior if her husband was ever on the take and aware, all Junior does is willingly lie to a lover and says that someone has to win at the races. A deeply romantic and responsible scene.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Talking about Junior, one of the most underrated scenes in the series was the care he took to spare some old widow he connected with. She was happily married to some corrupt cop and knowing how connected Junior is - in their old age - she questions him about how she'd find serious money in her husband's pockets, way above his pay grade. The poor gal asks Junior if her husband was ever on the take and aware, all Junior does is willingly lie to a lover and says that someone has to win at the races. A deeply romantic and responsible scene.

The dreadnought, had to overcome his feelings on feet to charm her. Junior was very much a person who treated others by how they acted or talked