This is a weekly feature. I'm reviewing The Sopranos episodes starting from the beginning. This is the fifth episode of the first season.
Past Episodes
Pilot
46 Long
Denial, Acceptance, Anger
I knew this was a great episode, but I forgot it was THIS GOOD. This is kind of an atypical Sopranos episode in that it's basically just two story lines stretched out over a full hour. Not a lot of important things happen in the long-run, but a lot of important things happen with the way the audience views the characters.
This is the first episode where we are exposed to Tony. It kind of slaps the audience in the face. "Oh, wow, yeah he is a bad guy." He's not just misunderstood. He's genuinely not a good person. I don't know if the strangling scene was accurate time-wise in that that is how long it takes to kill someone, but it felt like forever. That scene was painful. It's not particularly pleasant to watch someone die like that on screen, even if it's fake.
The other sad thing about this episode is that Tony kind of seems to derail what appeared to be a strengthening relationship between him and his daughter. Not like I blame him for not saying "Oh yeah, I had to kill that guy, he was a rat," but it's pretty clear that Meadow has lost faith in confiding in her dad. She knows he did something bad, but is frustrated he won't tell her.
Also, Tony kind of left Meadow to get drunk in the bar, which is hugely irresponsible. He had to know she was going to get drunk, right? That's some material for "How to be a Bad Parent."
The other story, amazingly, was just as impressive. In fact, I knew the Meadow/Tony story was gold before I watched this episode. I didn't realize the Carmela/Father Phil story was this good. I basically copied her confession word-for-word in the quotes, because it's truly remarkable writing.
We get into the reason that Carmela is with Tony and why she more importantly stays with him. We see how much of an internal struggle she has gone through knowing that Tony is a pretty bad person. I'm not sure they could have found a more effective way of showing the audience this. Any other way to convey that message would have seemed forced. This seemed natural.
It might just be me, but Father Phil seems like kind of a dick. He is kind of complicit in all of this too. He is getting the rewards of Tony's evil deeds by watching DVDs and eating great Italian food. He wants Tony to turn to religion, but I'm also pretty sure he wants to be able to go into that house without worrying about his conscience.
That's pretty much the only characters who made it on the show. Chris gets to talk on a payphone for the entirety of the episode. A.J. brings his mom some food and then goes to play Nintendo (HEY IT'S THE 90s moment!). Also, Dr. Melfi gets bitched at in a short phone conversation with Carmela.
Oh, and some serious foreshadowing in this episode with regards to Tony's relationship with Irina Peltsin. She mentions how her cousin is in town for two weeks and she already found her "knight in white satin armor," a phrase she repeats in the episode "Knight in white satin armor." That was a short scene, but it really shows these guys knew what the hell they were doing.
Surprise Guest Appearances
Well, Sarah Thompson is hardly famous, but when she appeared on screen, I recognized her immediately. Sure enough, she was Eve on "Angel." (Other credits include Boston Public and 7th Heaven)
Emma Thompson is Father Phil's crush. Who doesn't like Emma Thompson though?
Deaths
Fabian Petrulio, the rat
Quotes
"What do you study in India - how not to get diarrhea?" - Tony, who gets a big kick out of his own joke
"Are you in the mafia?" - Tony
"Maybe being a rebel in my family is selling patio furniture on Route 22?" - Tony's weird obsession with selling patio furniture
"I lost my pencil - up his ass." - Carmela to Dr. Melfi
"It means hopefully someday we will learn to tolerate, accept, and forgive those that are different." - Father Phil, something the Church would be smart to actually follow themselves.
"I have forsaken what is right, for what is easy. Allowing what is evil in my house, allowing my children - Oh my God, my sweet children, to be a part of it, because I wanted things for them, wanted a better life, good schools, I wanted this house, wanted money in my hands, money to buy anything I ever wanted. I'm so ashamed." - Carmela in her confession
"My husband - I think he has committed horrible acts... I'm the same, I've said nothing, I've done nothing about it. I got a bad feeling it's just a matter of time before God compensates me with outrage for my sins." *gun clicks meant for Tony on next scene* - more confession
"Want to know something about us wise guys? The hustle never ends?" - Tony to Fabian
"No man can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true" - Hawthorne
"This is too fucked up for me to even think about about." - Tony, about Father Phil staying over
"What did you do for 12 hours - play name that pope?" - Tony
Playlist
"Life's a Bitch" - Nas ft. AZ
"Oxford Comma" - Vampire Weekend
"One Headlight" - The Wallflowers
"Let the Drummer Kick" - Citizen Cope
"Juice" - Ces Cru ft. Tech N9ne - This song is so awesome. Listen to this if you can.
I don't like the Carm and Father Intintola plot. If she were really on the prowl for every season and succeeding, it might have somewhere to go. But now, he makes TWO appearances after his last one in season 2.
ReplyDeleteAJ can't boil an egg :P
Also, like in season 4ish when Tony visits Artie in the hospital, Artie mentions Tony can see fifteen or whatever moves ahead. I'm guessing Tony KNEW and was always scheming in the back of his mind how to get to Fabian Petrulio, and his daughter staying at the bar was the best out-excuse. His argument later, "you don't know what you saw, you were seeing pink elephants. I told you not to drink". he wins, he left her to drink and gets to call her out on it, while he was out doing business.
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