Past Episodes
Big Girls Don't CryHappy Wanderer
D Girl
Full Leather Jacket
"Bust Out" begins with a witness identifying Tony near the scene of Matt's shooting. It is a smart writing decision even though we know Tony will not get caught. For one, there's a tension on whether that witness will be killed before the end. We want to like Tony and killing innocent people tends to make that hard. For two, it allows us to see Tony scared and genuinely afraid. Lastly, it forces Tony to want to spend more time with his family while he can.
The killing of Matt does weigh on Tony. Matt's a dumbass sure, but he's a stupid, naive kid who was in over his head. Obviously, it's a not a death that will stick with him for very long - shooting at your nephew tends to do that - but it's nice that it affects him from an audience point of view.
The onset of an indeterminate prison sentence forces Tony to look at his relationships with his children. Tony tries to connect with AJ. He also has hands down the best scene of the episode with Meadow. He's sitting alone in the kitchen, drinking when Meadow walks in. He tells Meadow it's all for her and AJ. It's really beautifully played by James Gandolfini - no surprise there.
Tony has another fantastic scene earlier in the episode with Dr. Melfi, when he tells her that he may be going away for a while. It's one of the better acting moments from Lorraine Bracco, who plays that scene with restrained terror. Those two scenes alone make this episode an easy A for me.
It's sort of horrible that while Tony may be going a way for a while, Carmela gets tempted to cheat on him. I'm not saying that as an indictment on her character given Tony's misgivings. Anyway, she's tempted by this impossibly good guy - hard-working, loyal, only single because his wife died. Clearly, the tandem of Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, and Frank Renzulli were trying to make a situation where it would almost be unbelievable to not cheat.
And fittingly, the resolution doesn't disprove this either: they only don't cheat because Vic finds out what Tony has done to David Scatino. Scatino provides some depressing laughs with how bad he's treated and how uncaring they seem to be that they are destroying his business. It's almost a reminder to the audience that while he may care about his kids, he's also a monster who absolutely deserves to go to jail.
Meanwhile, Richie is still being influenced by Janice, who is telling Richie about how much Tony is disrespecting him. Richie tells Tony he wants more of the garbage business. This slow trickle of a season-long plot is increasingly making it clear this will not be resolved easily.
Things I would like to have expunged from my brain: Richie pointing at a gun at Janice while having sex with her with her saying "Baby you're the best." That is one of the most horrifying scenes in the entire run of The Sopranos for me.
Grade - A
Surprise Guest Appearances
Not a surprise, but I've been watching Louis Lombardi (who plays Skip) on the fourth season of 24, and he's a better actor than I originally thought. Two somewhat similar, but absolutely differently played characters.
Deaths
Surprisingly none
Quotes
"On your way out, you think you can roll the garbage cans down the hill? Tomorrow's pick-up day." - Tony to the police - The humor is all in the delivery by Gandolfini
"You're a cute prick, Pus, I'll give you that." Skip's underrated
"GET THE FUCK BACK IN YOUR FUCKING HOLE! NOW!" *few seconds of silence "Davey, you're doing a good job!" - Gandolfini is just the best
"Well I knew you had this business here Davey. It's my nature. The frog and the scorpion, you know?" - Tony to Davey confirming he intentionally ruined Davey's life
"Sometimes, we're all hypocrites." - Yeah, especially you Meadow in the later seasons
"I can't not notice he's fucking you." - Richie's approach to getting Junior on his side was funny
"Ok so I wanted to fuck her." - Tony getting to the point about how Melfi reminds him of Isabella
Playlist (first two from this episode)
1. "Wheel in the Sky" - Journey
2. "You're Still the One" - Shania Twain
3. "Urban Photograph" - Urban Cone
4. "Cousins" - Vampire Weekend
5. "Mr. Quiche" - Wildcat! Wildcat!
Full Leather Jacket
"Bust Out" begins with a witness identifying Tony near the scene of Matt's shooting. It is a smart writing decision even though we know Tony will not get caught. For one, there's a tension on whether that witness will be killed before the end. We want to like Tony and killing innocent people tends to make that hard. For two, it allows us to see Tony scared and genuinely afraid. Lastly, it forces Tony to want to spend more time with his family while he can.
The killing of Matt does weigh on Tony. Matt's a dumbass sure, but he's a stupid, naive kid who was in over his head. Obviously, it's a not a death that will stick with him for very long - shooting at your nephew tends to do that - but it's nice that it affects him from an audience point of view.
The onset of an indeterminate prison sentence forces Tony to look at his relationships with his children. Tony tries to connect with AJ. He also has hands down the best scene of the episode with Meadow. He's sitting alone in the kitchen, drinking when Meadow walks in. He tells Meadow it's all for her and AJ. It's really beautifully played by James Gandolfini - no surprise there.
Tony has another fantastic scene earlier in the episode with Dr. Melfi, when he tells her that he may be going away for a while. It's one of the better acting moments from Lorraine Bracco, who plays that scene with restrained terror. Those two scenes alone make this episode an easy A for me.
It's sort of horrible that while Tony may be going a way for a while, Carmela gets tempted to cheat on him. I'm not saying that as an indictment on her character given Tony's misgivings. Anyway, she's tempted by this impossibly good guy - hard-working, loyal, only single because his wife died. Clearly, the tandem of Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, and Frank Renzulli were trying to make a situation where it would almost be unbelievable to not cheat.
And fittingly, the resolution doesn't disprove this either: they only don't cheat because Vic finds out what Tony has done to David Scatino. Scatino provides some depressing laughs with how bad he's treated and how uncaring they seem to be that they are destroying his business. It's almost a reminder to the audience that while he may care about his kids, he's also a monster who absolutely deserves to go to jail.
Meanwhile, Richie is still being influenced by Janice, who is telling Richie about how much Tony is disrespecting him. Richie tells Tony he wants more of the garbage business. This slow trickle of a season-long plot is increasingly making it clear this will not be resolved easily.
Things I would like to have expunged from my brain: Richie pointing at a gun at Janice while having sex with her with her saying "Baby you're the best." That is one of the most horrifying scenes in the entire run of The Sopranos for me.
Grade - A
Surprise Guest Appearances
Not a surprise, but I've been watching Louis Lombardi (who plays Skip) on the fourth season of 24, and he's a better actor than I originally thought. Two somewhat similar, but absolutely differently played characters.
Deaths
Surprisingly none
Quotes
"On your way out, you think you can roll the garbage cans down the hill? Tomorrow's pick-up day." - Tony to the police - The humor is all in the delivery by Gandolfini
"You're a cute prick, Pus, I'll give you that." Skip's underrated
"GET THE FUCK BACK IN YOUR FUCKING HOLE! NOW!" *few seconds of silence "Davey, you're doing a good job!" - Gandolfini is just the best
"Well I knew you had this business here Davey. It's my nature. The frog and the scorpion, you know?" - Tony to Davey confirming he intentionally ruined Davey's life
"Sometimes, we're all hypocrites." - Yeah, especially you Meadow in the later seasons
"I can't not notice he's fucking you." - Richie's approach to getting Junior on his side was funny
"Ok so I wanted to fuck her." - Tony getting to the point about how Melfi reminds him of Isabella
Playlist (first two from this episode)
1. "Wheel in the Sky" - Journey
2. "You're Still the One" - Shania Twain
3. "Urban Photograph" - Urban Cone
4. "Cousins" - Vampire Weekend
5. "Mr. Quiche" - Wildcat! Wildcat!
If Tony hadn't done it, someone else would have. Davey was just bad at keeping money
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