I begin with The Sopranos, because that is the show I am already in the middle of watching. I stopped before I reached the end of season 2 for some reason and have not seen an episode in three months. So instead of just dropping in on the episode I stopped, I watched the pilot for the second time to kind of get back in my mode where I want to watch Sopranos episodes.
It worked. In fact, it worked so well, that it spurred me to do episode reactions. Since I have the benefit of knowing how season 1 plays out, I feel it allows me more room to write. As of right now, while I watch an episode a week, I'll also try and finish the episodes I haven't seen. For example, by the time I reach Season 2, I kind of hope to have finished most of the series since that is 12 weeks from now.
Anyway, this post has obvious spoilers, not just for this episode but up until I stopped watching. I probably won't post much about season 2, but I know I will post at least one thing about it in this episode.
This is not a typical Sopranos episode at all. The set-up is different, there's more dark humor than any other episode, and I'd say 90% of the episode is about Tony. Somehow, the remaining 10% are filled with only relevant details. It seems like nothing unimportant happens in this episode.
We find out a lot about Tony, none of it inconsistent with later representations. I'm always impressed when shows have such a good grasp on their characters this early on. Granted, they don't really give enough material to the other characters for that to happen, but every single character seems accurately written from the start.
To use an example, Meadow Soprano is pretty much the stereotypical teenager daughter in this episode, but everything she does in this episode is in-character to a tee. Now, whether the writers had fully grasped the character at this point or if they figured it out later, it doesn't really matter.
The ducks representing Tony's family was way too-spot on to me. I don't think psychology works like that. That's a minor qualm as far as problems with episodes go. Another psychology related thing I wonder is if people have dreams that symbolize what is going on with their life? I personally have never had a dream where that was a case. I don't know, it feels like it is something that only happens in movies and TV shows. It seems like a pretty quick and easy way to show character details/development.
The little amount of screen time that Chris gets impressively shows a great amount of character detail. Chris shows initiative and kills a man before he is supposed to. He wants desperately the credit for this. This is a recurring theme with Chris as he always wants to skip the part where he pays his dues. Also, Chris and selling his life story is already brought up in this episode.
The part where Carmelo shows little concern for Tony at the hospital honestly seems out-of-character to me, the lone time I felt that way. The priest/Carmela episode in Episode 5 is foreshadowed here as well.
The strange and complicated Artie/Tony friendship is explored her, a storyline that will be often repeated. Actually Tony destroying the guy who owes him money by using different means than money is foreshadowed when he later does it to Robert Patrick in Season (I figure you'll remember the actor better than the name)
This is just a fantastic episode that works a lot better the second time. Not that it wasn't great on first viewing, but knowing how far ahead the writers were thinking certainly improves the show.
So this is the basic framework of how my episode reactions will go. And then I'll end the post with a letter grade, because... I don't know why, but I'm doing it anyway.
Quotes
"It's good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that and I know. But lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over."
Here we go. Here comes the Prozac!I'll have more quotes in future episodes when I write them down as I'm writing.
Grade: A
I agree with you on the ducks thing, it fits too neatly, it's too easy an answer. This was just the pilot, and they do bring up the ducks more, but I'm glad it never flourished into anything substantial. That would be giving too much credit to symbolism.
ReplyDeleteBut, in this series, Chase does kind of show us that god, afterlife, heck, purgatory, dreams and psychics do exist, so in this universe, I'll let it slide. The two worst dream sequences I think are the one in season 2, about Pussy the fish, and the one in season 3 where Melfi has the dream about the dog and vending machine. It's all too easy.
Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 1 feel a little weird, because in the first one Tony has a voiceover narrator thing going, and the second has a cold open. Episode 3 is where we get into the regular production that feels like a mob story as it's happening.