The Sopranos - "Members Only" OAD: 3-12-2006 *spoilers*

[terpfan1980]

It's been a long time, but Tony S and the boys are back tonite. Bring on the show!

[TIVO_GUY_HERE]

I forgot how much they ate on this show... man im hungry

[bidger]

Whoa! So much for the premise that every Season starts out slow.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Heh. I was thinking, "Wow, Tony dodged a couple of bullets this week!"

And then along came June...

[mikellanes]

Now that's a premier!

[pdhenry]

Where did "Florida guy" come from? Have we seen him before?

EDIT: I guess it's this guy:
Eugene Pontercorvo
Played By Robert Funaro

"Boss or no, you don't raise your hand to another made guy."

Eugene is a member of the crew that was headed by Ralph Cifaretto, and was one of the few people who actually seemed to get along with the late capo. He's one of the newer made guys in New Jersey; he got his button at the same ceremony as Christopher. That day Eugene stood up in front of Tony Soprano and the rest of the family, and pledged his undying devotion to them, above any and all else.

It wasn't long after his swearing-in that Eugene got an object lesson in what "devotion" truly means. It was his card game that was robbed by Jackie Aprile, Jr. and his cohorts in their attempt to impress Tony Soprano. The robbers were high on crank, and ended up killing the dealer and wounding Furio. Not long after, Aprile, despite being the only son of the former don, was executed. He'd shot a made man and because of that, there was nothing anyone could do for him. It was, as all made men know, a thing of honor.

http://www.hbo.com/sopranos/cast/character/eugene_pentacorvo.shtml

[terpfan1980]

I had forgotten just how crazy Uncle June was... he is most certainly off his rocker, which Tony S. can certainly testify about now.

Meanwhile, it's nice to know that the Feds have been keeping busy, and haven't given up on trying to nail the big guy. Too bad for them that most of their best leads keep winding up dead, even if one was from natural causes.

I actually did feel sorry for the poor guy that inherited the $$ from his aunt, up until I saw him in the car with the feds. Once that hit, the empathy went away. Then of course, to see him swingin' sort of swung the pendulum back in the other direction.

It was nice to see the results of the celebrity fit club guy on the show, though everyone involved with the show needs to send Aida T. (Janice) off to the same place, for twice the length of time. Not to be sexist, but she seems to be trying to catch up to Gandolfini in the size department....

[sgsmith]

What did Tony say to AJ? "It's family you can depend on."? unh-unh

[Gregor]

Wow!

[prefect42]

I know of no other show that can be off the air for so long and grab you back in without missing a beat like that, wow.

My wife mentioned right before Uncle Junior came down the stairs that Tony had better watch him or else he was going to shoot Tony not knowing who he was, and just as soon as the she got that out of her mouth he shot him.

Can't wait to see next week.

[yaddayaddayadda]

More Meadow in lingerie, please.

[SullyND]

What was it at the beginning and end, the poem or whatever it was... All I remember is 7 and satan...

[Paperboy2003]

No coming attractions....grrrrr

[Bars & Tone]

More Meadow in lingerie, please.
+1 :D

[Todd]

Well that episode ended with a bang!

[terpfan1980]

More Meadow in lingerie, please.

... I wish to subscribe to your newsletter :D :up: :cool:

[Bars & Tone]

Vito with the hot dog was good for a chuckle.

[rawbi01]

Wow! I'm going to have to go back and watch it again.. This show moved at a fast pace.. This is one of the major reasons I have Tivo..

[Win Joy Jr]

My wife mentioned right before Uncle Junior came down the stairs that Tony had better watch him or else he was going to shoot Tony not knowing who he was, and just as soon as the she got that out of her mouth he shot him.

My wife said the same thing...

[zyzzx]

So is Tony dead or is this a cliffhanger fakeout? I'm not sure I'd like this show without Tony.

[pdhenry]

I guess you'll have to tune in next week! :D

[Graymalkin]

Somehow I don't think Tony's going to die. I do think, however, that he's going to be in an entirely different frame of mind about assisted living. :)

[spartanstew]

My wife mentioned right before Uncle Junior came down the stairs that Tony had better watch him or else he was going to shoot Tony not knowing who he was, and just as soon as the she got that out of her mouth he shot him.



I said that to my wife, but it was when Tony first entered and turned the light on.

And there's no way Tony (Gandalfino) weighs 280+

[pendragn]

That was quite an opening.

I read somewhere a wile back that Gandolphini has to gain weight for the role. They want Tony to be fat.

I think not showing previews was a nice touch. I know I was looking to see if Tony showed up in them.

tk

[tgmii]

I was amazed at the new mode of product placement. Can't wait to see whats on the model train next week! Clever. Nestle, Porche, Vette, Cingular, Motorola, Stewarts, and Pasta I'll recognize when I see it in the store.

Who needs commercials?

Pretty good episode though....

[UnionBuster]

And there's no way Tony (Gandalfino) weighs 280+




Oh no, that's just about right.

[mikeinla]

Tony ain't gonna die...he's in next week's episode. This is not a spoiler...it's on the episode guide!

James Gandolfini had to put on about 65 pounds to continue to play Tony...a thin Tony didn't work for the producers.

[Johnny1138]

Great start, and I absolutely loved the reading of Seven Souls.

[bdlucas]

Somehow I don't think Tony's going to die. I do think, however, that he's going to be in an entirely different frame of mind about assisted living. :)
Well said :)

[kenr]

I was amazed at the new mode of product placement. Can't wait to see whats on the model train next week! Clever. Nestle, Porche, Vette, Cingular, Motorola, Stewarts, and Pasta I'll recognize when I see it in the store.

Who needs commercials?

Pretty good episode though....You missed the Sunoco gas in the opening. They were advertising gas for 97 cents a gallon.

[5thcrewman]

Guess he was the last member! :rolleyes:

[marksman]

I thought he was on his way to losing weight on his sushi diet.

[ChofuHS]

More Meadow in lingerie, please.


Looked like she might be back to her eating problem, which I saw a special where she talked about her real life problem with the eating disorder that has almost killed her and also came close to removing her from the show. She looked much thinner this year to me.

[ChofuHS]

I was amazed at the new mode of product placement. Can't wait to see whats on the model train next week! Clever. Nestle, Porche, Vette, Cingular, Motorola, Stewarts, and Pasta I'll recognize when I see it in the store.

Who needs commercials?

Pretty good episode though....

I told my wife we should buy stock in the sunglass company. Too late though, he won't be wearing them often enough now to start a fad.

[smickola]

Great episode. I was stunned when I saw Adriana!

[geetarandsushi]

Great episode. I was stunned when I saw Adriana!
Looked hot as ever... :)

[speedcouch]

Great ending that's for sure, but I really had a lot of trouble following some stuff in this episode. I guess it's because of (what seemed to me like) so many new characters. Especially that bit at the beginning with the poem/song. Thankfully, they eventually showed you who everyone was. But certainly didn't need to see the FBI agent vomiting in the first minute. What IS it about this obsession with vomiting in movies and TV anymore? :down:

I figured out the inheritance guy was getting ready to off himself right before he did it. I guess he saw that as the only way out for his wife and kids.

I agree they purposely didn't show previews so you didn't know if Tony made it or not. Of course, it wouldn't be a show without him. I just think that one guy who was obsessing about "if anything happened to Tony, I'd be in charge" will now get his way while Tony is out of commission for a while.

You missed the Sunoco gas in the opening. They were advertising gas for 97 cents a gallon.

That's been in the opening segment as long as I've been watching the show.

Cheryl

[jeff125va]

Tony ain't gonna die...he's in next week's episode. This is not a spoiler...it's on the episode guide!

James Gandolfini had to put on about 65 pounds to continue to play Tony...a thin Tony didn't work for the producers.
That doesn't make it not a spoiler. People who don't want to know what happens in situations like this make it a point to avoid cast listings for upcoming episodes. Obviously this was the reason there weren't any previews for next week, I imagine it would have been difficult to show any at all without giving something away.

[jeff125va]

Where did "Florida guy" come from? Have we seen him before?

I was wondering if I was the only one thinking that. Although it wasn't that I didn't recognize him, it was that I didn't know his name, and I find myself thinking that with a lot of the non-primary characters in this show. His wife did eventually call him by his name later in the show, and it did seem familiar, but there are just so many people to keep track of.

I didn't expect the shooting at all like a few here have said, but I was thinking of Tony's "other" sister about a minute before she called him. We haven't seen her in a long time.

Definitely the best season in a few seasons. Not that I minded the seasons where they slowly built up to things, but this was just great.

[SullyND]

That doesn't make it not a spoiler.

Tony being in the next episode also does not mean he doesn't die (I don't think he will, but if he did I am sure he would still be in every episode.)

[jradosh]

I loved the comment about Frank Vincent's eyebrows. For some reason that really cracked me up. :p

I'm all for seeing more of Meadow in her nightie, but never cared for the season that focused on her college life. That was the most boring patch of Soprano story-telling. ever.

Note to self: if I ever do the suicide thing, do not hang myself. Eek... that looked painful :eek:

Carmella acted more vapid than I remember her from past seasons. Did she have some electroshock or something? Maybe she's on anti-depressants?

Has anyone identified the "seven" song/poem yet? William Burroughs - The Seven Souls (http://www.tbo.com/life/MGB9H8PNLKE.html)

[jeff125va]

Tony being in the next episode also does not mean he doesn't die (I don't think he will, but if he did I am sure he would still be in every episode.)
Absolutely, especially in the Sopranos. Obviously Adriana last night, and there have been countless other dead characters who have been in flashbacks or dreams or whatever. And we're talking about Tony here; dead or alive, he's going to be around all season. But my point is still correct, spoilers are not limited to previews of the following week's episode.

[Rob Helmerichs]

I'm a little surprised about the talk of Tony possibly dying--to be honest, when watching the ending of last night's episode, it never occured to me that he might die.

[jeff125va]

I'm a little surprised about the talk of Tony possibly dying--to be honest, when watching the ending of last night's episode, it never occured to me that he might die.
Maybe that's because you equate dying with no longer being on the show. Those of us to whom it did occur, at least from the posts I've read, seem to think it's unlikely but that he'd still be on the show if he did. He was shot in the abdomen and barely able to get to the phone; I think that without the context of the actor/character being the star of the show, his fate would have seemed more dire. HBO certainly seemed to be playing up the possibility by not showing any previews.

[Jon J]

Vito with the hot dog was good for a chuckle.
Especially after his...ummm...date at the construction site was in the previous scenes at the beginning of the show. ;)

[Lee L]

I figured out the inheritance guy was getting ready to off himself right before he did it. I guess he saw that as the only way out for his wife and kids.




Cheryl

My wife was saying, "how is going to kill himself with a shell?" right before the camera pulled back to see what he was doing.


I think in some ways, the fact that the guy was somewhat unknown does not matter. The showed that as far as anyone in the mafia knew, he was a loyal, stand up guy, but that there was no way out, no matter what.

I was kind of mad about no previews, but they could not show anything without tipping their hand one way or another, so I understand.

I also think it would be possible to kill Tony off anf have him still appear. They have done it with Big P. I would be much more likely to beleive it if we were anly a few episodes away from teh end though. I'm guessing that he barely makes it somehow since the cops would respond to teh 911 call. The question in real life is how quickly they qwould respond and whether they would send a paramedic right away and if he could really live even 15 minutes with internal injuries like that.

[jeff125va]

Especially after his...ummm...date at the construction site was in the previous scenes at the beginning of the show. ;)
Yeah, I get the feeling they will be going somewhere with that story line eventually. Interesting how little it takes to keep a plot line alive from week to week.

[mrpantstm]

I thought he was on his way to losing weight on his sushi diet.

I think that was his problem. Sushi may be better for you than a hamburger but he was eating a ton of the stuff even without Carmella. Sumo wrestlers get fat too from eating sushi. ;)

Definitly a good episode to start off the season.

[BryanRDC]

Vito talking to Gene about the possibility he could take over the family if Tony were gone, really emphasizing the point -- do you think he was encouraging Gene? Maybe Vito's feelin' it since he dropped all the lbs?

[JLWINE]

Tony ain't gonna die...he's in next week's episode. This is not a spoiler...it's on the episode guide!


Dude, although I never thought for a moment that HBO would kill Tony off this soon; a spoiler by any other name is still a spoiler. Please use tags. Thanks!

Slight Spoiler:
I've heard from someone that has seen the first four episodes, that next week is a backfill story. Therefore, Tony being in next weeks episode does not tell us much.
End spoiler

[ravonaf]

There is no way that Tony is dead. It's just not going to happen. They still have 19 episodes left in the final season. It would be really really stupid to pay him 1 mill an ep to appear in dreams and as a ghost. There is just so many of those type scenes available before it would completely ruin the show. There would be no show without him. Now, when we get to around episode 17-18, all bets are off.

edit:
After posting I have one final thought. What if last nights episode was the final ep and the rest are all in the past? Unlikely, but it may fill in some things in this ep that may not have made sense.

[JDHutt25]

Anybody catch what Uncle Jun said before he capped T?

[ireland967]

I don't think they set the timeline specifically, but Carmella had some statement that made it sound like its been just over a year since the happenings of last seasaon. Is AJ still in high school? Looks like he still lives at home.

Meadow - wow. Definitely quite a bit slimmer since last season, not that she ever looked anything less than stunning.

The suicide scene was scary, I suppose if your weight doesn't snap your neck right away it can be a pretty rough way to go.

Once Tony got the numbers dialed for 911 I figuired he was safe. I'm sure its painful as all hell, but I wouldn't think getting shot in the abdomen would be life threatening unless you couldn't get medical attention for an extended time.

[JDHutt25]

I don't think they set the timeline specifically, but Carmella had some statement that made it sound like its been just over a year since the happenings of last seasaon. Is AJ still in high school? Looks like he still lives at home.

Meadow - wow. Definitely quite a bit slimmer since last season, not that she ever looked anything less than stunning.

The suicide scene was scary, I suppose if your weight doesn't snap your neck right away it can be a pretty rough way to go.

Once Tony got the numbers dialed for 911 I figuired he was safe. I'm sure its painful as all hell, but I wouldn't think getting shot in the abdomen would be life threatening unless you couldn't get medical attention for an extended time.

Tony called him college boy at one point.

As for the suicide scene, once he finally stopped twitching, he soiled himself but good. That didn't look like a good way to go in any way.

[pmyers]

I don't think they set the timeline specifically, but Carmella had some statement that made it sound like its been just over a year since the happenings of last seasaon. Is AJ still in high school? Looks like he still lives at home...

Somebody in the show did mention something about it being a year...I think it was Tony and Carm and Tony said "Its been a really good year for us" when they were eating sushi.

Tony also made reference to AJ being in college.

Does anybody else think Tony is going to end up with the sushi waitress?

[Paperboy2003]

Janice wasn't pregnant at the end of last season and the babys 15 months old....that gets us 2 years at least.

[TAsunder]

Hmmm.... tony's having digestive problems and overeating, not too satisfied with his weight, then gets shot in the stomach. Say hello to your new weight loss program, Tony! It's called food in a blender and IV drips.

Who was it that Tony joking said he was to Junior? Was that a mortal enemy of Junior? That's what I thought, but I'm not too good with names.

Good episode. Unlike others here, I think it's going to take me a couple of episodes to be truly rivetted by this show, but I am looking forward to it.

[Paperboy2003]

...but then again, they confused the issue by saying that Adrianna's been gone 'over a year' without a word. That was a bit odd.....I'd place it about 2 years though since the last episode which works out for real life roughly as well....

[jeff125va]

Anybody catch what Uncle Jun said before he capped T?
I don't recall exactly what he said, but he thought that Tony was Pussy Malanga, who he thought took the money he had Tony trying to dig up in the back yard. I don't know if he was ever actually in the show, but I know he's been referred to before. He is why Pussy Bompensiero was called "Big Pussy," to distinguish them from each other.

(New topic). When Gene (Florida guy) was driving back from shooting the guy in the diner, they made a point of showing him wiping the guy's blood on the map. I really thought they were leading us to believe that the police were going to find him and connect him to the murder with that evidence. The obvious irony would have been Tony approving his retirement, only to get busted on what would have been his last job. Was there some other purpose to that, other than to completely mislead us?

[Figaro]

Well I wouldn't worrry too much about the rest of the season being a flashback while Tony dies. From the way the first part of this story went, it is obvious that not much happened during the past year or two in the world of the Sopranos. If the story were to do that it would be an even bigger cop out than Dallas!

[aus1ander]

All I can say is Tony was *lucky* to get shot in the abdomen. He has at least 2 inches of fat between the skin and his internal organs for the bullet to pass through (and lose velocity). A skinny guy would be a lot more trouble.

[JDHutt25]

(New topic). When Gene (Florida guy) was driving back from shooting the guy in the diner, they made a point of showing him wiping the guy's blood on the map. I really thought they were leading us to believe that the police were going to find him and connect him to the murder with that evidence. The obvious irony would have been Tony approving his retirement, only to get busted on what would have been his last job. Was there some other purpose to that, other than to completely mislead us?

I thought the same thing. Maybe it will come up again in some form, who knows.

[TAsunder]

Still very possible that it will come up. Even though he's dead they could still investigate his death, find the blood, tie it to the murders, and get his wife to testify against tony. They will dangle rehab for the son as a motive.

Just a thought.

The writers were really into cars this week.

[pmyers]

How much of a pain in the *ss was Eugene's wife?

[Figaro]

How much of a pain in the *ss was Eugene's wife?
Oh man what is her problem? She knew what she was marrying when she married him.

[MikeMar]

I thought the Florida guy was going to get killed up in Boston, or at least setup somehow. Oh well.

[ravonaf]

Oh man what is her problem? She knew what she was marrying when she married him.


Maybe she didn't want to see her son die from drug addiction, or her husband rot in prison. Some wives are kind of funny that way. :)

[Legion]

Still very possible that it will come up. Even though he's dead they could still investigate his death, find the blood, tie it to the murders, and get his wife to testify against tony. They will dangle rehab for the son as a motive.

Just a thought.

The writers were really into cars this week.

Testify to what? She only thinks she knows what he does. He has obviously never told her any details. All she could testify too is that he was gone that night during a certain time frame.

Once T called 911 and the operator heard nothing on the other end, that is an immediate dispatch. Help will arrive before he bleeds out.

[pendragn]

I thought the Florida guy was going to get killed up in Boston, or at least setup somehow. Oh well.
Yeah, so did we. Especially with the way Chrissy gave him the order. It seemed very cagey.

tk

[crowfan]

Who was it that Tony joking said he was to Junior? Was that a mortal enemy of Junior? That's what I thought, but I'm not too good with names.Wasn't it Artie Shaw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artie_Shaw)?
Does anybody else think Tony is going to end up with the sushi waitress? Yeah I did too. When he went back to eat by himself, I was sure the scene was going to cut to him in the back with the watiress.

[Figaro]

Maybe she didn't want to see her son die from drug addiction, or her husband rot in prison. Some wives are kind of funny that way. :)

Well then maybe she shouldn't have married a mobster. :p

[MikeMar]

Wasn't it Artie Shaw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artie_Shaw)?

Seinfeld reference:

"Artie Shaw - Honeysuckle Jump"
"That was Artie Shaw with Honeysuckle Jump, be the next called to corrently identify the next song and win the prize of carrying a rope under woody wood pecker in the Macy's day parade"

Kinda butchered it, but you get the idea :)

Edit: Found it

ELAINE: Artie Shaw. "Honeysuckle Jump." <The song ends.>

DJ ON RADIO: That was Artie Shaw, "Honeysuckle Jump."

MR. PITT: Elaine! How did you know that?

ELAINE: Oh, my father used have a huge collection of big band records.

DJ ON RADIO: Congratulations to our listener Wayne Hopper for identifying it. And by doing so, he becomes our seventh person to land the WFBB-sponsored Woody Woodpecker balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. <Mr. Pitt hears this and is intrigued; mouths the words "Woody Woodpecker."> There are only three spots left. We're going to take a little break now; when we come back, you'll have three more chances to win a spot holding a rope under Woody Woodpecker.

MR. PITT (to Elaine, excited): Could you identify the next song? Could you? Could you?

ELAINE: Mr. Pitt, why would you want to hold onto the ropes on the Woody Woodpecker balloon?

MR. PITT: My father was a stern man. He forbad us to participate in any activities that he thought were associated with the common man. The Thanksgiving Day Parade was first on the list.

ELAINE: Oh. Alright, I'll do the best I can. <Turns up the radio.>


So Artie Shaw was not June's mortal enemy :)

[ravonaf]

Well then maybe she shouldn't have married a mobster. :p

After 20 years of marriage maybe she had a change of heart. All I'm saying is, you can't blame her for wanting out. It's what any sane person would want.

[jeff125va]

Still very possible that it will come up. Even though he's dead they could still investigate his death, find the blood, tie it to the murders, and get his wife to testify against tony. They will dangle rehab for the son as a motive.

Just a thought.

The writers were really into cars this week.
They could find it, yes, but I don't see how they could use it. He's dead. The blood marks would have his fingerprints.

[Langree]

Still very possible that it will come up. Even though he's dead they could still investigate his death, find the blood, tie it to the murders, and get his wife to testify against tony. They will dangle rehab for the son as a motive.

Just a thought.

The writers were really into cars this week.


His wife would have no direct knowledge of Tony's involvement, nor does she likely have details of what he did that night. She would likely be a dead end to the Feds.

I think the blood on the map bit was more a read herring for the viewer to get into a comfort zone that this guy could continue to be a player in events.

[5thcrewman]

The way Eugene's son was Hulkin' around as he left the house, I'd almost guess he was shooting steroids except for the cooking spoon with his rig.

Did Eugene think the Feds would leave him alone if he moved to Florida? Maybe the prisons are nicer down there? :rolleyes: If he gave evidence, wouldn't he have to go into witness relo and give up the house in Florida anyway?

So Eugene commits suicide because he can't leave and he can't give them up and Tony eats the equivalent of a whale at the sushi place.
What's next, sword-wielding, pinky-missing, motorcycle-riding foot soldiers?

I wonder if it will turn out after all that Uncle Junior was justified in shooting Tony, that he was working with Pussy and Tony was going to kill him that night?

[Jon J]

Once T called 911 and the operator heard nothing on the other end, that is an immediate dispatch. Help will arrive before he bleeds out.I could have sworn the E911 operator asked where is your emergency as if NJ doesn't have number locator. I'm sure I misheard, but I'll go back and check the recording. ;)

[ravonaf]

I could have sworn the E911 operator asked where is your emergency as if NJ doesn't have number locator. I'm sure I misheard, but I'll go back and check the recording. ;)

They did ask that. But I'm sure it's just to verify what thier computer is already telling them. In the age of caller ID and the internet there is no way they don't know where the call is coming from.

[Figaro]

They did ask that. But I'm sure it's just to verify what thier computer is already telling them. In the age of caller ID and the internet there is no way they don't know where the call is coming from.

Not every town has enhanced 911, even in this modern day and age.

[Langree]

No, she did ask where. I find it hard to believe that Jersey wouldn't have the locator systems in use.

It's not like he was on his cel.

I put it in the same area as hearing dial tones and out of order/"fast busy" tones as soon as someone hangs up on TV, I especially like dial tones on cel phones.

[5thcrewman]

Will head's roll for the way people are dis-respecting Ginny?
I thought it was pretty thoughtless for Christopher to offer to buy the Maserati and then for Carmen to rub her new car in Ginny's face.

[Lee L]

Did Eugene think the Feds would leave him alone if he moved to Florida? Maybe the prisons are nicer down there? :rolleyes: If he gave evidence, wouldn't he have to go into witness relo and give up the house in Florida anyway?



I figured he must have wanted the feds to let him testify, then move to FL as part of the protection program. Unfortunately, they jus tdid not have enough to let him go just yet.

To whoever said they thought Eugene was being set up. I though for sure that they were sending him into a trap as well, figuring that once they knew he wanted out, that he could never be trusted.

[CharlieW]

We have E911 in New Jersey.

Verizon cutover the last of the remaining towns in the project more than a year ago.



-- Your friendly neighborhood Verizon employee ;)

[Graymalkin]

CHARLIE! Good to hear from you again, my man!

[pmyers]

So is everybody a rat now? geesh... I did like how they were all praising the dead rat not knowing that he was one.

[scheckeNYK]

Anyone notice how Tony yelled at Melfi - "It's a nursing home!" That's an exact reversal of what he used to do w/Livia - "It's a retirement community!" Nice attention to detail.

[TAsunder]

What would his wife testify to? Is that a real question? Yeah she may not be able to bring tony down by herself but I'm sure she could get the ball rolling again now that two of their witnesses are dead.

[jeff125va]

There is no way that Tony is dead. It's just not going to happen. They still have 19 episodes left in the final season. It would be really really stupid to pay him 1 mill an ep to appear in dreams and as a ghost. There is just so many of those type scenes available before it would completely ruin the show. There would be no show without him. Now, when we get to around episode 17-18, all bets are off.

edit:
After posting I have one final thought. What if last nights episode was the final ep and the rest are all in the past? Unlikely, but it may fill in some things in this ep that may not have made sense.
Yeah, they could have a "six months earlier" caption in the opening scene, leading up to us learning his fate in the series finale.

[5thcrewman]

Anyone think that the rest of the season might be a Jacob's Ladder-type of cheat?

[Langree]

What would his wife testify to? Is that a real question? Yeah she may not be able to bring tony down by herself but I'm sure she could get the ball rolling again now that two of their witnesses are dead.

It would all be hearsay and they wouldn't be able to substantiate it because he's dead.

(and to all the lawyers here I know hearsay may not be the correct term in this case)

"My husband told me Tony asked him to go kill this guy in Philly", which in essence is wrong cause it was Christopher, and even if she knows that, we then have "My husband told me that Christopher told him that Tony wanted me to go kill this guy in Philly"

Apparently she was unaware of hubby talking to the Feds too, so she knows nothing concrete about what her husband did, she she knows he's killed folks, but I HIGHLY doubt she knew who, where,why or who gave the order.

[jeff125va]

What would his wife testify to? Is that a real question? Yeah she may not be able to bring tony down by herself but I'm sure she could get the ball rolling again now that two of their witnesses are dead.
The whole question of what she could testify about is moot because they have nothing to threaten her with. They can't prosecute her for being married to a mafia hit man (and other assorted duties).

At least it's moot in terms of the blood on the map coming back into play. I guess in theory she could testify against Tony out of revenge, but as some have said, it's doubtful that she has any first-hand knowledge that would actually hold up in court. I think his suicide will be very suspicious to Tony et. al. Not letting him move to Florida probably won't seem like a viable explanation, especially after suddenly coming into $2M.

[johnconaway]

I don't recall exactly what he said, but he thought that Tony was Pussy Malanga, who he thought took the money he had Tony trying to dig up in the back yard. I don't know if he was ever actually in the show, but I know he's been referred to before. He is why Pussy Bompensiero was called "Big Pussy," to distinguish them from each other.

(New topic). When Gene (Florida guy) was driving back from shooting the guy in the diner, they made a point of showing him wiping the guy's blood on the map. I really thought they were leading us to believe that the police were going to find him and connect him to the murder with that evidence. The obvious irony would have been Tony approving his retirement, only to get busted on what would have been his last job. Was there some other purpose to that, other than to completely mislead us?


Tony said he was "Artie Shaw" who is a big band leader for the music that was playing in in Uncle June's kitchen as Tony prepared his dinner.

[Langree]

Tony said he was "Artie Shaw" who is a big band leader for the music that was playing in in Uncle June's kitchen as Tony prepared his dinner.


Junior must be a Glenn Miller fan, how soon we forget the Big Band Wars of the 1940's.

[Figaro]

Anyone think that the rest of the season might be a Jacob's Ladder-type of cheat?

It better not be as that would suck!

[TAsunder]

Sorry, maybe testify is the wrong word. How about inform. They have no leads now, the guy is dead, they could certainly use her. Maybe they wouldn't need to threaten, even if they did I'm sure seizure of assets and arresting the drug addict son are good motivators.

Yeah in court her testimony is worthless, but in terms of getting them getting info, maybe not. Her husband was pretty tight-lipped too.

[Adam1115]

I could have sworn the E911 operator asked where is your emergency as if NJ doesn't have number locator. I'm sure I misheard, but I'll go back and check the recording. ;)

Almost everywhere, dispatchers are trained to ask where the emergency is, as the location information is a BACKUP.

1) The information can be wrong, from the telephone company or database provider.

2) You could be using a VOIP Phone systems and not be in that location.

3) You could have multiple buildings, etc., and only have the address of the main number, for example a company with multiple buildings, floors, etc. If you dialed 911 on the 15th floor of a large company, the receptionist may have no idea where you are.

[TAsunder]

Or you could have seen something and went home or to some position of safety THEN reported it.

[robinreale]

My wife was saying, "how is going to kill himself with a shell?" right before the camera pulled back to see what he was doing.

Funny ... I said the exact same thing.

[jeff125va]

Tony said he was "Artie Shaw" who is a big band leader for the music that was playing in in Uncle June's kitchen as Tony prepared his dinner.
Right, but that's not what I was referring to. I'll have to go back and watch it, but I'm pretty sure Junior called him "Malanga" when he shot him.

[Legion]

Funny ... I said the exact same thing.

He did what he had to do for his family. At least they can go to Florida now and live in the home he wanted them to have. His other family he gave up on when he went to work for the feds.

[bdlucas]

Wasn't it Artie Shaw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artie_Shaw)?
Yeah I did too. When he went back to eat by himself, I was sure the scene was going to cut to him in the back with the watiress.
In the coat check room! Oh wait...

[jeff125va]

Does anybody else think Tony is going to end up with the sushi waitress?
Maybe I'm being naive, but is there any chance Tony is serious about being faithful to Carmela? I don't think we've seen him with anyone since they got back together, have we?

[bullitt]

Janice wasn't pregnant at the end of last season and the babys 15 months old....that gets us 2 years at least.

That's what I thought but it did not appear that Johnny Sack was being held for 2 years and there was a reference by Tony to Carm about Ad being gone for a year. :confused:

[jeff125va]

Anyone notice how Tony yelled at Melfi - "It's a nursing home!" That's an exact reversal of what he used to do w/Livia - "It's a retirement community!" Nice attention to detail.
Great memory on your part, great writing on their part.

[smickola]

Regarding Tony's weight...I too read somewhere that they wanted Jim Gandolfini to gain weight for the part, I guess it makes Tony more imposing. Watching in HD, on the 5:1 sound Tony's breathing was very loud and labored throughout the show, it seemed to be up high in the sound mix. Anyone else notice that?

[ravonaf]

Regarding Tony's weight...I too read somewhere that they wanted Jim Gandolfini to gain weight for the part, I guess it makes Tony more imposing. Watching in HD, on the 5:1 sound Tony's breathing was very loud and labored throughout the show, it seemed to be up high in the sound mix. Anyone else notice that?

Tony is supposed to be a spoiled American with no self control. Him gaining weight every season just accentuates that reality. If they were to do a season 7 he would have to balloon up to 350 and would probably keel over from a heart attack before they even finished filming. :)

[Hansky]

Yeah in court her testimony is worthless, but in terms of getting them getting info, maybe not. Her husband was pretty tight-lipped too.

If he made comments over the years that could be used to string together a story, her testimony may be as good as anyone else's. Just like an real mob trial.

[NinerK]

Maybe that's because you equate dying with no longer being on the show. Those of us to whom it did occur, at least from the posts I've read, seem to think it's unlikely but that he'd still be on the show if he did. He was shot in the abdomen and barely able to get to the phone; I think that without the context of the actor/character being the star of the show, his fate would have seemed more dire. HBO certainly seemed to be playing up the possibility by not showing any previews.

All very good points. But so far nobody has mentioned that he was able to dial 911. I may be wrong but I think the cops are required to "check out" that type of call. You know, where someone calls 911 but says nothing.....Anyway, I don't think for a minute that Tony will die from it. Yes it is a GSW; but it was in his side and again, he was able to dial 911.

[Lee L]

Oh, I forgot the biggest product placement of them all, David Yurman. My wife is a Yurman addict so we both thought that was funny.

[pmyers]

Regarding Tony's weight...I too read somewhere that they wanted Jim Gandolfini to gain weight for the part, I guess it makes Tony more imposing. Watching in HD, on the 5:1 sound Tony's breathing was very loud and labored throughout the show, it seemed to be up high in the sound mix. Anyone else notice that?

I commented on his breathing too....Tony also mentioned Sleep Apnea.

[pmyers]

There definately was a lot of product placement but I don't think it really took away from the show. I think I/we just notice it because it doesn't really happen much with network TV.

[TAsunder]

There definately was a lot of product placement but I don't think it really took away from the show. I think I/we just notice it because it doesn't really happen much with network TV.

Quite the contrary. Happens a lot in network TV. But not often in HBO.

[TiVo Bum]

So Artie Shaw was not June's mortal enemy :)How can you be so sure about that? So he was a big band guy. Maybe he ran numbers on the side and crossed Jun back when he was just a wee lad. ;)

[TAsunder]

Or maybe he insulted frank sinatra.

[pendragn]

There definately was a lot of product placement but I don't think it really took away from the show. I think I/we just notice it because it doesn't really happen much with network TV.
I must not pay too much attention, as I almost never catch it. Or if I do, it's not very distracting. People really do talk about their Porsches, or driking Pepsi.

tk

[marksman]

So is everybody a rat now? geesh... I did like how they were all praising the dead rat not knowing that he was one.

I also like how the guy keeled over right after the scene where Tony is lamenting he can never catch a break. He was catching breaks left and right in this episode until he got shot. :) He just didn't know it.

[JohnB1000]

I'm suprised no one mentioned the real reason there was no "next week on the Soprano's" we all waited to see them then they rolled straight into Big Love, that's how to capture an audience :)

I was disappointed with this show but I think that stems from too much expectation on my part, the show needs to get going. They spent way too much time on Eugene and we hardly new he is, but hardly any time on interesting characters like Paulie, Christopher and Silvio.

[bigrig]

I stole this description of the scene from another forum. Some interesting stuff, makes me wonder if they're trying to foreshadow Tony's (?) death:



Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Top soul, and the first to leave at the moment of death, is Ren, the Secret Name. This corresponds to my Director. He directs the film of your life from conception to death. The Secret Name is the title of your film. When you die, that's where Ren came in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This was Janice, the littlest Baccala, and then Bobby himself - his new hobby, anyway. 'Conception' was Janice and Baby Baccala and the death was the train.


Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second soul, and second one off the sinking ship, is Sekem: Energy, Power, Light. The Director gives the orders, Sekem presses the right buttons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This was Gene and his wife.


Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number three is Khu, the Guardian Angel. He, she, or it is third man out ... depicted as flying away across a full moon, a bird with luminous wings and head of light. [snip]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This was Meadow.


Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number four is Ba, the Heart, often treacherous. This is a hawk's body with your face on it, shrunk down to the size of a fist. Many a hero has been brought down, like Samson, by a perfidious Ba.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This was Ray Curto.


Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number five is Ka, the Double, most closely associated with the subject. The Ka, which usually reaches adolescence at the time of bodily death, is the only reliable guide through the Land of the Dead to the Western Lands.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This was AJ and, in the last part, Ade in Carmela's dream.


Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number six is Khaibit, the Shadow, Memory, your whole past conditioning from this and other lives.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This was Ade fading out in Carmela's dream.


Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number seven is Sekhu, the Remains.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



And this was Carmela looking up at the ceiling [and, perhaps, Tony with the shovel in Junior's backyard].

[bdlucas]

Regarding Tony's weight...I too read somewhere that they wanted Jim Gandolfini to gain weight for the part, I guess it makes Tony more imposing. Watching in HD, on the 5:1 sound Tony's breathing was very loud and labored throughout the show, it seemed to be up high in the sound mix. Anyone else notice that?
No need for 5.1 sound, it's evident even in stereo. But that's nothing new this season.

[marksman]

He did what he had to do for his family. At least they can go to Florida now and live in the home he wanted them to have. His other family he gave up on when he went to work for the feds.

Thinking about this more I do not get it. His wife apparently didn't know he was in with the feds... But could he really think the feds were going to let him walk away if even if he managed to get free of Tony? He was really stuck, but I am not sure why it took all that happened to make him realize it. Even if Tony gave his blessing, the feds would have likely arrested him.

[Colorado]

I guess Tony never got his cell phone off the boat...

Even though there is E911 in place they need to ensure the data is correct any time you call. Maybe you JUST moved. Also as others have said maybe the incident is not at your location. Anyway. They try to call back to ensure there is a problem. With the line busy they will send a patrol car pretty quickly.

[jeff125va]

All very good points. But so far nobody has mentioned that he was able to dial 911. I may be wrong but I think the cops are required to "check out" that type of call. You know, where someone calls 911 but says nothing.....Anyway, I don't think for a minute that Tony will die from it. Yes it is a GSW; but it was in his side and again, he was able to dial 911.
I think more significant than the fact that he called was the fact that he was barely able to get there and once he had, wasn't able to move or even speak. He had been able to shout just a minute or so before, so he was going downhill fast. There was a discussion earlier about whether the operator asking "where is your emergency" meant that the 911 service didn't have location info or it was just for confirmation. Regardless of where the wound was, he was bleeding and clearly unable to help himself, not even to put pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding. Either they didn't know where he was calling from, or, if they did, yeah they'd be on their way, but he was going to be bleeding at least until they arrived (or Junior came to his senses, or someone else stopped by or whatever). But since TV can never be relied on 100% to reflect reality, it's still a possibility that "where" wasn't just for confirmation. Every time I've called 911, they've asked "what is your emergency?" But even if they hadn't been saying "where?" I think it would have had the same dramatic impact: the operator asking "what is your emergency?" with Tony on the floor unable to respond would still have seemed pretty dire. We just wouldn't be having this interesting E911 discussion.

As far as the location thing goes, I remember a friend of mine over 10 years ago, living in a pretty rural part of VA, having street numbers assigned for their house to be in compliance with 911 location info. I can't imagine in a densely populated area like North Jersey, the writers not expecting that viewers would assume that they know where he's calling from.

[sgsmith]

The background text:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/gary.leeming/burroughs/westernlands.htm

Because it was hard for me to pay attention to the words and the action.

[Adam1115]

I think more significant than the fact that he called was the fact that he was barely able to get there and once he had, wasn't able to move or even speak. He had been able to shout just a minute or so before, so he was going downhill fast. There was a discussion earlier about whether the operator asking "where is your emergency" meant that the 911 service didn't have location info or it was just for confirmation. Regardless of where the wound was, he was bleeding and clearly unable to help himself, not even to put pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding. Either they didn't know where he was calling from, or, if they did, yeah they'd be on their way, but he was going to be bleeding at least until they arrived (or Junior came to his senses, or someone else stopped by or whatever). But since TV can never be relied on 100% to reflect reality, it's still a possibility that "where" wasn't just for confirmation. Every time I've called 911, they've asked "what is your emergency?" But even if they hadn't been saying "where?" I think it would have had the same dramatic impact: the operator asking "what is your emergency?" with Tony on the floor unable to respond would still have seemed pretty dire. We just wouldn't be having this interesting E911 discussion.

As far as the location thing goes, I remember a friend of mine over 10 years ago, living in a pretty rural part of VA, having street numbers assigned for their house to be in compliance with 911 location info. I can't imagine in a densely populated area like North Jersey, the writers not expecting that viewers would assume that they know where he's calling from.

I installed 911 systems for over 3 years, EVERY dispatcher will ask for your location even if they have it.

There is various protocols that vary from center to center, for example being asked what your emergency is vs where it is, however they WILL ask for your address regardless of the fact that it is on the screen. It is totally normal to ask where the emergency is so they can start the dispatch in their computer aided dispatch software while they are talking to you.

Also, someone mentioned the dispatcher hanging up and calling back. This would almost certainly NOT happen, the dispatcher would not disconnect thee call for a considerable period of time, as the line is open and nobody is talking. The dispatcher would continue to attempt to get a response from the caller, send TDD tones to determine if it is a deaf caller, and be dispatching a patrol car at the same time.

[smickola]

[QUOTE=Colorado]I guess Tony never got his cell phone off the boat...

I had to laugh at the cellphone bit. I just got rid of Cingular here in Jersey because their signal is so awful. I guess it's a bit much to expect a good signal out on the water, but that seemed to me to be a pretty dubious ad placement!

[jeff125va]

Thinking about this more I do not get it. His wife apparently didn't know he was in with the feds... But could he really think the feds were going to let him walk away if even if he managed to get free of Tony? He was really stuck, but I am not sure why it took all that happened to make him realize it. Even if Tony gave his blessing, the feds would have likely arrested him.
Actually, that post made me realize exactly why he committed suicide. But as to your other questions, I think the main reason was that he didn't want to tell his wife about the feds, and just got caught up in his own wishful thinking that he could swing the Florida thing as part of his deal for testifying. I also think they were stringing him along letting him think they might go along with it, and he didn't realize that they wanted him to stay in the mafia and continue to feed them info, whereas he thought all the prior info he'd given them was enough.

There's another way it might actually make sense though. If he retired, and assuming he never had to testify in court (and they just used his info as leads to build a case on) there would be no need for the FBI to put them in Witness Protection. Otherwise, he should know there's no way they'd put them in WP in the same place he'd been telling Tony he wanted to move to.

[pmyers]

[QUOTE=Colorado]I guess Tony never got his cell phone off the boat...

I had to laugh at the cellphone bit. I just got rid of Cingular here in Jersey because their signal is so awful. I guess it's a bit much to expect a good signal out on the water, but that seemed to me to be a pretty dubious ad placement!

Actually, it was because the battery died, IIRC.

I like how he even had a Stugots II jacket.

[Bananfish]

Quite the contrary. Happens a lot in network TV. But not often in HBO.

It's awfully difficult to stick a cell phone or automobile product placement in Rome or Deadwood!

[mikeinla]

That doesn't make it not a spoiler. People who don't want to know what happens in situations like this make it a point to avoid cast listings for upcoming episodes. Obviously this was the reason there weren't any previews for next week, I imagine it would have been difficult to show any at all without giving something away.

Since the title of the thread reads "spoilers", you shouldn't be reading it if you want surprises. And since there were many, many preview scenes with JG, it's hardly a spoiler. Let's not get silly about this.

[Figaro]

It's awfully difficult to stick a cell phone or automobile product placement in Rome or Deadwood!


Well they stuck a Mercedes in Ben Hur! ;)

[Bananfish]

I must not pay too much attention, as I almost never catch it. Or if I do, it's not very distracting. People really do talk about their Porsches, or driking Pepsi.

True, but they usually don't tell their wife when handing her the keys, "I got you the 4.5 liter V8." Do you think that would have any meaning whatsoever to Carmella? I'll bet Porsche paid a pretty penny for that line - all the dialogue related to the Porsche gift was just blatant product promotion unrelated to the reality of what the characters would actually say.

[Lee L]

Frankly, I was surprised at the fact that the V-8 was an option on the Cayenne. IF you get soemthign smaller, why not just get the Toureg?

[TAsunder]

It's awfully difficult to stick a cell phone or automobile product placement in Rome or Deadwood!

Well, there's also the wire, big love, entourage, and curb your enthusiasm.

[marksman]

True, but they usually don't tell their wife when handing her the keys, "I got you the 4.5 liter V8." Do you think that would have any meaning whatsoever to Carmella? I'll bet Porsche paid a pretty penny for that line - all the dialogue related to the Porsche gift was just blatant product promotion unrelated to the reality of what the characters would actually say.

I think you could fairly easily support such a line being as part of the conversation. We are not privy to the characters entire existances, so for all we know they have gone out looking a the Cayennes together and a salesperson distiniguished models in a similar way and she indicated that was the one she wanted.

To be honest i didn't even notice it, so it did not strike me as odd sounding in the least. Using real products makes a heck of a lot more sense then someone going into a bar and ordering a "beer".

[SullyND]

I think you could fairly easily support such a line being as part of the conversation.

I agree - I took it as part of the character... No one is going to go into a dealer and say I want the 4.5 because of the Sopranos... Tony did the same thing when he got DJ the Xterra (It's got the safety package blah blah blah)... It's about the bling... He didn't buy his wife a new car, not a new SUV, not even a new Porsche - He bought her a status symbol, which she then proceeded to go around and flaunt at all the other women she could.

[Colorado]

I installed 911 systems for over 3 years

Me too, out of Denver

I didn't see this mentioned, but was the opening dialog William S. Burroughs?

[xuxa]

Has anyone identified the "seven" song/poem yet? William Burroughs - The Seven Souls (http://www.tbo.com/life/MGB9H8PNLKE.html)

from la times

It's "Seven Souls," a steeped-in-the-Egyptians, spoken-word piece by Beat Generation icon William S. Burroughs, reading an excerpt from his novel "The Western Lands" to a funk-jazz musical arrangement recorded by bassist Bill Laswell and his band Material (OK, I had to look it up).

[Marco]

True, but they usually don't tell their wife when handing her the keys, "I got you the 4.5 liter V8." Do you think that would have any meaning whatsoever to Carmella?

No, but I can still hear a man, especially a man like Tony, saying that, not thinking that it wouldn't matter or make sense to his wife ... it makes sense to HIM.

[Adam1115]

Me too, out of Denver

Well thats weird, me too.. :) I PM'd you...

[Spiff]

I was amazed at the new mode of product placement. Can't wait to see whats on the model train next week! Clever. Nestle, Porche, Vette, Cingular, Motorola, Stewarts, and Pasta I'll recognize when I see it in the store.

Who needs commercials?

Pretty good episode though....

The one that I got the biggest kick out of was the "Philips" logo on the TV that seemed to glow in the dark very obviously so you could read it. It seemed really out of place.

I loved the episode, but am hoping the rest of the season isn't backstory.

[barrettd]

Since the title of the thread reads "spoilers", you shouldn't be reading it if you want surprises. And since there were many, many preview scenes with JG, it's hardly a spoiler. Let's not get silly about this.

This is a thread for this week's episode, so spoilers about this week's episode only are permitted. Anything related to a future episode must be spoiler tagged. There are plenty of people who make it a point to avoid reading guide data as well as watching previews. From the rules:

Previews of Next Week and other spoilers:
Anything shown on the “previews of next week” is considered a spoiler on this forum, and must be tagged as such, using spoiler tags. (See below for instructions.) Any spoiler information from other sources, such as articles, websites, personal friendships with producers, etc., must also be tagged.

Tip: It is very helpful to label why you are spoiling something. For example, many people on this forum will watch and read spoilers of "previews of next week" since they are aired. But, they do not want to know anything from spoiler sites or people "in the know." So that these users can make the best choice, please be clear on why something is a spoiler.

Example:

On a spoiler site, I saw:

Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)nothing happened

[tony touch]

Oh, I forgot the biggest product placement of them all, David Yurman. My wife is a Yurman addict so we both thought that was funny.


They do love nice watches on the show. Remember Tony giving Brian a Patek Philippe watch (usually runs well over $10,000).

[PeteEMT]

I found the map funny in a way,

The Map is of Upstate NY. Rochester to the far top left, Edge of Massachussetts to the far right. Binghamton is near the bottom center.

The one blood steak ends right over my hometown.

Any route from N. Jersey to Boston through upstate ny would add 2-300 miles to the trip.

[pdhenry]

I think you could fairly easily support such a line being as part of the conversation.Sort of reminded me of the Truman Show...

[Mabes]

This is a thread for this week's episode, so spoilers about this week's episode only are permitted. Anything related to a future episode must be spoiler tagged. There are plenty of people who make it a point to avoid reading guide data as well as watching previews. From the rules:

I know that rule because I've seen it in discussions. But though I've been around for years I didn't know the spoiler rules were written down somewhere. I see now they are a sticky. So mikeinla, with 81 posts, didn't know the rule. Good thing it's come up in a situation where nothing was really spoiled.

[IndyTom]

"Did this come from the Bread Museum?" - Silvio

Best line of the episode.

[Satchel]

I read somewhere that the break in the actual show (almost 2 years) was the same time lapsed as the break in the Sopranos world...something like just over 18 months have elapsed in Tonys world.

[Bananfish]

How much do you suppose the "taste" was that Gene (Florida suicide guy) gave Tony from the $2 million?

[Gregor]

How much do you suppose the "taste" was that Gene (Florida suicide guy) gave Tony from the $2 million?

I think it was the watches.

Does Tony get a taste of everything the guy does?

[marksman]

I think it was the watches.

Does Tony get a taste of everything the guy does?

He gave him the watches (those were expensive watches), but he also handed him an envelope at the funeral.

[Langree]

He gave him the watches (those were expensive watches), but he also handed him an envelope at the funeral.

My understanding was the envelope was due him from one of the usual takes.

[jeff125va]

This is a thread for this week's episode, so spoilers about this week's episode only are permitted. Anything related to a future episode must be spoiler tagged. There are plenty of people who make it a point to avoid reading guide data as well as watching previews. From the rules:
Thanks for saving me some clicks, and probably keeping me from making some sarcastic remarks about being told what threads I shouldn't read, that I might (or might not) regret later.

[jeff125va]

My understanding was the envelope was due him from one of the usual takes.
No, he specifically mentioned that it was from the inheritance. It was hard to tell whether it's "officially" spelled out that even such non-business related income is subject to tribute, but the money, and even the watches, had the spirit of a bribe, or at least some serious butt-kissing related to his request to retire.

[bidger]

My understanding was the envelope was due him from one of the usual takes.
Gene specifically says, "I don't know what I was thinking...for you...your taste...the inheritance." when he handed Tony the envelope.

[markp99]

I wondered the same thing when I watched the ep. My guess, it was a ~$25K taste, :)

[canoebuildah]

Since Junior Suprano lives on Overlook Ave in Belleville, Tony would be close to both fire house and hospital.

The Washington Ave fire house is less than 1/4 mile from the intersection of Washington Ave and Overlook Ave. Junior's street runs for seven very short blocks up hill. They could get him out of the house pretty quickly and then it is less than two miles to Clara Maas Hospital's emergency room which if I remember correctly, is a trauma center.

Chris

[Graymalkin]

I'm actually going to have to go to Clara Maas Hospital in a couple of weeks! Just a routine exam, though. Whew.

[aforkosh]

Was Ginny (Johny Sack's wife) being played by a different actress than before?

[IndyTom]

I wondered the same thing when I watched the ep. My guess, it was a ~$25K taste, :)

I am guessing it was way more.

Tony conveniently sprang on a Porsche Cayenne moments after receiving the cash.

[MyM3]

"Did this come from the Bread Museum?" - Silvio

Best line of the episode.

Agreed. Silvio is the most under-utilised character in the show, imo. I love his hair, too! :rolleyes:

[MyM3]

Frankly, I was surprised at the fact that the V-8 was an option on the Cayenne. IF you get soemthign smaller, why not just get the Toureg?

C'mon, can you really see the Boss of a Family giving his wife a Volkswagen?!?

Also, the base-model Cayenne comes standard with a 250 HP V6 - http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/cayenne/

[iceturkee]

two words - frankie valli

didn't even recognize him. had to go to hbo.com to find out if it was the same guy. now, if he had started singing ``sherry,'' i might have know who it was!!!

[bdlucas]

Agreed. Silvio is the most under-utilised character in the show, imo. I love his hair, too! :rolleyes:
Yeah, he's great. My favorite scene with him was last season when he was explaining the screwup with the tombstone (they inscribed his nickname Peeps instead of his full name) to Tony by saying the guy who did it was dyslexic. Tony's puzzled reaction and then the look on Silvio's face was wonderful.

[InterMurph]

He did what he had to do for his family. At least they can go to Florida now and live in the home he wanted them to have. His other family he gave up on when he went to work for the feds.

There's no way the wife and kids are getting away to Florida with the inheritance. As soon as Gene told Tony that he had inherited $2M, I said, "he's a dead man." Tony will find a way to get the rest of it. Even with a bullet in his gulliver.

[ravonaf]

Was Ginny (Johny Sack's wife) being played by a different actress than before?

Nope, same actress. I do think she put on a few extra pounds though.

[RangersRBack]

Well they stuck a Mercedes in Ben Hur! ;)

Dude sorry you had to endure seeing Meadow in lingerie last night. I know she's way too thin for you. :D

I think we can both agree we'd like to see Katharine McPhee in that same outfit tho! Talk about a vote-getter.

Oh and my vote for best line, when Gene tells Tony he wants to retire to Fort Myers......."what are you, a hockey player?"

[ravonaf]

There's no way the wife and kids are getting away to Florida with the inheritance. As soon as Gene told Tony that he had inherited $2M, I said, "he's a dead man." Tony will find a way to get the rest of it. Even with a bullet in his gulliver.

No way I see that happening. I've never seen Tony steal from his captains, especialy when they pay him his due. He's greedy but not that greedy. Besides, like he said, he's had a VERY good year.

[Figaro]

Dude sorry you had to endure seeing Meadow in lingerie last night. I know she's way too thin for you. :D

I think we can both agree we'd like to see Katharine McPhee in that same outfit tho! Talk about a vote-getter.

Hah! :D I didn't think Meadow looked as thin as everyone is saying she did. Was it just me or was there a hint of desert animal foot anatomy present?

Yes if Ms. McPhee performed wearing that outfit I would most certainly be moved to vote, amongst other things! ;)

[bidger]

When Big Pussy flipped did Tony raid his family's assets, InterMurph? No, he took his revenge on his "soldier", but left the "civilians" be. As a matter of fact, he helped set up BP's wife with the body shop. You noticed she's driving a 'vette now, right? Tony did do some "correcting" when BP's wife told too much of her business to Carmella, but the damage was restricted to her car. Gene paid his "homage" to the boss so that's taken care. Tony has a family too, remember?

[cheesesteak]

So is everybody a rat now? geesh... I did like how they were all praising the dead rat not knowing that he was one.
That's pretty much how the Philly mafia died. Everybody was po'd at somebody else or was afraid of getting whacked and started cooperating with the feds. Their replacements were about 30 points lower on the IQ scale. Sure the Philly mafia exists to a certain extent but it's run by a bunch of schmoes now.

[chavez]

There's no way the wife and kids are getting away to Florida with the inheritance.

I disagree. How would it look to his other captains if he pilliaged a dead captain's family?

[cheesesteak]

I don't think Gene's wife really got the part that Tony was going to kill him if he moved to Florida.

I hadn't seen a Sopranos episode in so long I didn't recognize half the women in the show. Who was the lady with the Corvette? Have we seen Gene's wife before?

[Figaro]

I disagree. How would it look to his other captains if he pilliaged a dead captain's family?
Gene wasn't a captain.

[pmyers]

That's pretty much how the Philly mafia died. Everybody was po'd at somebody else or was afraid of getting whacked and started cooperating with the feds. Their replacements were about 30 points lower on the IQ scale. Sure the Philly mafia exists to a certain extent but it's run by a bunch of schmoes now.

and cheesesteak was never heard from again.... :p

[InterMurph]

When Big Pussy flipped did Tony raid his family's assets, InterMurph? No, he took his revenge on his "soldier", but left the "civilians" be. As a matter of fact, he helped set up BP's wife with the body shop. You noticed she's driving a 'vette now, right? Tony did do some "correcting" when BP's wife told too much of her business to Carmella, but the damage was restricted to her car. Gene paid his "homage" to the boss so that's taken care. Tony has a family too, remember?

Big Pussy was family. Gene was a soldier. Big Pussy's widow was stretching to make ends meet. Gene's widow is sitting on $2M.

You may be right, but my instincts tell me that Gene's widow will be shaken down shortly. Particularly if Tony finds out that Gene was cooperating.

Part of the appeal of The Sopranos for me is that it explodes many of the "family" myths from The Godfather. Tony has used and abused so many people, and left so much destruction in his wake. I don't think a little Sicilian mythology is going to stand between him and $2M.

Especially since Carmela's spec house (18 months from concept to framing!) is costing so much. Remember that the lot alone was $600K. And too bad she couldn't get it done before the real estate bust came!

[pmyers]

I predict we'll never hear about Gene's family again....that storyline is dead.

[quezsmith]

Will head's roll for the way people are dis-respecting Ginny?
I thought it was pretty thoughtless for Christopher to offer to buy the Maserati and then for Carmen to rub her new car in Ginny's face.

I agree! And who was her friend with the vet? Wasn't that "Big Pussy's" widow?

[pmyers]

I agree! And who was her friend with the vet? Wasn't that "Big Pussy's" widow?

Yes, that was Big Pussy's widow driving the Vet.

[Lee L]

Well, in general, the mafia tries to leave civilians alone, part of their "code". The guy offing himself probably did them all a favor as it kept them from having to whack the guy, which given what his wife knew about him trying to get out would have meant they might have had to get her too and then they have 2 kids, one of which is old enough to know what happened.

[InterMurph]

Well, in general, the mafia tries to leave civilians alone, part of their "code".

This is the "code" portrayed in movies and TV. In reality, the "code" of the mafia is to do whatever it takes to survive and make money. Civilians get shaken down, intimidated, brutalized, and killed, all as a matter of business.

Granted, they don't kill civilians often, because doing so brings heat from the cops and the Federales.

Not to mention the definition of "civilian". There is no way that Gene's wife would be considered a civilian, since she's married to the mob. And what about the guy in Boston that Gene killed? He was a "civilian" until he borrowed money (or gambled).

[MikeMar]

Gene wasn't a captain.

Yeah, Chris's whole thing with Boston was cause he was a Captain and could tell him what to do.

[KRS]

Was the older guy using pine for the framing Carmella's dad?

I liked how the plastic on the house was all torn up - a nice touch to add to the 18 month timeframe.

I also liked Tony's expression after he asked Carmella in the kitchen "How's the car" and she basically blew him off. You could see him thinking that his being in her good graces was awfully short lived.

"You should have consulted your sponser before buying that jacket." :)

[canoebuildah]

Was the older guy using pine for the framing Carmella's dad?

Yes, that was Carm's dad Hugh.

Chris

[pmyers]

That was awful stupid of her dad to use the wrong lumber for framing. That's going to cost a ton of money and waste a lot of time.

[marksman]

That was awful stupid of her dad to use the wrong lumber for framing. That's going to cost a ton of money and waste a lot of time.

Tony still has not made any phone calls...

Something tells me that the head of the New Jersey Crime Family has connections within the building inspectors or the means to exert proper influence when he so decides.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Tony still has not made any phone calls...

Something tells me that the head of the New Jersey Crime Family has connections within the building inspectors or the means to exert proper influence when he so decides.
Yeah, the stupid thing was counting on Tony to get the job done.

[terpfan1980]

That was awful stupid of her dad to use the wrong lumber for framing. That's going to cost a ton of money and waste a lot of time.

That part reminded of a sitcom about 'nothing' and the father of the main character from that show....

It seems he was thinking they could do it the old way, and unfortunately for him, the newer inspectors weren't buyin'

{ tangent mode on }

I'm always a bit mystified by the changes in building processes and such. I started out in the field of architecture a long time ago and never really got off the ground. I did however take a great class called 'construction materials and processes.' It was fascinating.

Having seen my parents (my father obviously, and his father and my mom's dad also) build their own home in my younger days, I had seen some of the processes involved.

I know over the last several years that processes have changed a lot. Old standards for 16" o.c. studs became 24" o.c. Older materials have been phased out in favor of newer, lighter, but hopefully sturdier materials.

With all that said, I'm a bit surprised that such a fuss was made about the materials that were being used in Carmella's house, though I'm sure some poetic license was used to make it a 'wedge' issue between Carmella and her father.

Of course there are always concerns about using the right materials for various reasons, perhaps because of problems with termites and such, and I would have thought that Carmella and her dad would have made sure to meet code, but it seems the point of that sub-plot was that Carmella's dad was responsible and he dropped the ball completely...

{ end tangent mode }

[jcondon]

Maybe she didn't want to see her son die from drug addiction, or her husband rot in prison. Some wives are kind of funny that way. :)

Moving her son to Florida isn't going to help his drug problem. I know someone who moved his family to 'help' his son. His son promptly got himself kicked out a zero tolerance high school in the new location.

The problem is with the kid and drugs not living in NJ or NY.

His wife was a spoiled bitch and just wanted to live in Florida. Perhaps she should have married someone who lead a straight life and worked a normal 9-5 job if she didn't want this life. But, then again she might have had to work too then.

[InterMurph]

I know over the last several years that processes have changed a lot. Old standards for 16" o.c. studs became 24" o.c. Older materials have been phased out in favor of newer, lighter, but hopefully sturdier materials.

You should watch the great movie "Mac" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104783/), directed by and starring John Turturro, sister of Aida Turturro, who plays Janice Soprano. There's a great scene about stud measurements. And it's a great movie overall.

[robinreale]

Moving her son to Florida isn't going to help his drug problem. I know someone who moved his family to 'help' his son. His son promptly got himself kicked out a zero tolerance high school in the new location.

The problem is with the kid and drugs not living in NJ or NY.

His wife was a spoiled bitch and just wanted to live in Florida. Perhaps she should have married someone who lead a straight life and worked a normal 9-5 job if she didn't want this life. But, then again she might have had to work too then.

I totally agree. Nothing annoys me more than people who think moving away is going to change somebody. People are who they are no matter where they are IMHO. Also, that is the exact reason she wouldn't marry a guy who worked a normal 9-5 job - she's clearly a spoiled bitch.

[robinreale]

That was awful stupid of her dad to use the wrong lumber for framing. That's going to cost a ton of money and waste a lot of time.

The guy who plays her Dad really looked horribly ancient in this episode. I was also surprised by the way she was talking to him. That seemed out of character for her, despite his stupid mistake. I would never talk to my Dad like that.

[jradosh]

The guy who plays her Dad really looked horribly ancient in this episode. I was also surprised by the way she was talking to him. That seemed out of character for her, despite his stupid mistake. I would never talk to my Dad like that.
I thought that was her contractor, not her dad.

[Lee L]

That was her dad and he used to be a contractor IIRC. THats why she brought him in with her.

[bidger]

I thought that was her contractor, not her dad.
They're one and the same. Remember what he said about, "No good deed goes unpunished". I noticed that he shaved his beard and, surprisingly, it makes him look older.

[jcondon]

Frankly, I was surprised at the fact that the V-8 was an option on the Cayenne. IF you get soemthign smaller, why not just get the Toureg?

Wow. I just looked and the base model is a v6.

I think the Toureg is better looking anyway.

[jcondon]

No, but I can still hear a man, especially a man like Tony, saying that, not thinking that it wouldn't matter or make sense to his wife ... it makes sense to HIM.

He got her the model just over the base v6. If he wanted to impress he needed the Turbo.

[jcondon]

I also liked Tony's expression after he asked Carmella in the kitchen "How's the car" and she basically blew him off. You could see him thinking that his being in her good graces was awfully short lived.



She was pissed he went to the Sushi place without her. I bet he ends up with the waitress as someone else has said.

[chewbaccad]

Well, I see the show comes back with a bang! Lots has been commented on already, so...

The "Members Only" line cracked me up when they were all sitting at the table, as well as the Fed dying for a sandwich after being in Pakistan for 6 months.

2 things really bothered me. Tony's breathing sounded horrible. It was very distracting to me. That, and it reminded me too much of the recent Family Guy ep with all the fat guys in a room making noises ;) The other was the product placement. It's always been there, but it just seemed far more blatant than usual. Funny aside though, the whole engine conversation you guys have been discussing seemed the most natural to me. I bought a new Mustang a year ago and constantly get asked what engine's in it, hp output, etc. I totally saw where that was coming from :cool:

[Philly Bill]

You missed the Sunoco gas in the opening. They were advertising gas for 97 cents a gallon.
FedEx was in there somewhere.

[InterMurph]

The guy who plays her Dad really looked horribly ancient in this episode. I was also surprised by the way she was talking to him. That seemed out of character for her, despite his stupid mistake. I would never talk to my Dad like that.

I don't remember her talking to her dad that way, but that's the problem with the show's long hiatus. After almost two years, I just don't remember the tone very well. And I didn't have enough time to watch the repeats of the previous episode before Sunday.

[astrohip]

I read where Gandolfino gained all that weight for a movie he made that required it, not long before this season of Sopranos started filming. Then HE decided it really fit Tony's character and decided to keep the weight on.

[5thcrewman]

He got her the model just over the base v6. If he wanted to impress he needed the Turbo.
C'mon! It's Jersey! If he REALLY wanted to impress, he'd a popped for the IROC!! :p

[cancermatt]

And then along came June...

Just because you take such great pleasure in correcting other people's spelling, that would be "Jun" for Junior :p

Watched the last ep from the previous season back to back with season opener (after dodging spoilers on local/natl news and Letterman? of all places) and I'd forgotten how much I require the use of closed captioning assistance with all the mumbling and Italian being spoken :)

Looking forward to next week!

[Rob Helmerichs]

Well, I figure it needs the "e" on the end because otherwise it would be pronounced "juhn." Compare "run" and "rune." :p

[ravonaf]

I don't remember her talking to her dad that way, but that's the problem with the show's long hiatus. After almost two years, I just don't remember the tone very well. And I didn't have enough time to watch the repeats of the previous episode before Sunday.

When they were planning the party for her father they had a fight over Tony being invited. This isn't the first time they have fought. Plus, she has a bad habit of treating freinds/family like hired help. At the end of last season she says that she's going into business with her father. And now suddenly she's treating him like a contractor. Like everyone else on this show, she has serious issues. :)

[pmyers]

When they were planning the party for her father they had a fight over Tony being invited. This isn't the first time they have fought. Plus, she has a bad habit of treating freinds/family like hired help. At the end of last season she says that she's going into business with her father. And now suddenly she's treating him like a contractor. Like everyone else on this show, she has serious issues. :)

c'mon now....you wouldn't have been p*ssed at him too? It wasn't like he didn't know what he did was not up to code....he just thought because he knew somebody that he could get away with it. How much money would that have really saved them? A couple thousand?

[jones07]

Were I'm from you don't yell like that at your pops.

Golden rule, never do business with family ;)

[Graymalkin]

Sopranos' ratings suffered from the long delay and the tougher competition from Desperate Housewives. New York-area ratings were very high, but the rest of country wasn't so good.

I think the show is wrapping up just in time.

[robinreale]

I don't remember her talking to her dad that way, but that's the problem with the show's long hiatus. After almost two years, I just don't remember the tone very well. And I didn't have enough time to watch the repeats of the previous episode before Sunday.

I agree about the long hiatus. It seemed to me she always treated her parents with such respect, and her blowing up on her Dad like that just really surprised me.

[robinreale]

When they were planning the party for her father they had a fight over Tony being invited. This isn't the first time they have fought. Plus, she has a bad habit of treating freinds/family like hired help. At the end of last season she says that she's going into business with her father. And now suddenly she's treating him like a contractor. Like everyone else on this show, she has serious issues. :)

I remember the disagreement about the party, but I can't recall the details. Again, I guess such a long stretch of time in between seasons kills any recollection.

[robinreale]

Sopranos' ratings suffered from the long delay and the tougher competition from Desperate Housewives. New York-area ratings were very high, but the rest of country wasn't so good.

I think the show is wrapping up just in time.

I read in the paper this morning that Desperate Housewives kicked ass in ratings over the Sopranos premiere. Is the show wrapping up after this season though? I heard this season will be 12 episodes and they will be back in 2007 for 17 more. ??

[pdhenry]

I heard this season will be 12 episodes and they will be back in 2007 for 17 more. ??12, then 8 a year from now (already in production) and that's it.

[4inziksych]

I read in the paper this morning that Desperate Housewives kicked ass in ratings over the Sopranos premiere. Is the show wrapping up after this season though? I heard this season will be 12 episodes and they will be back in 2007 for 17 more. ??

That's becuase it's on a premium channel, it always gets its ass kicked. But for HBO it's a huge hit.

[pmyers]

Is Desperate Housewives still on the air? ;)

[busyba]

Is Desperate Housewives still on the air? ;)
Yeah... I assumed once the whole mystery of Mary Alice and Dana was solved that the show was over. Did I miss anything worthwhile?

[Langree]

the other difference is, The Saprano's has multiple showings the same day ond over the week, whereas DH is only shown once.

I think if it were a true head to head contest The Saprano's woulda beat the snot out of DH.

[jradford]

He got her the model just over the base v6. If he wanted to impress he needed the Turbo.
I actually specifically recall him using the word "Turbo" when describing the car to Carmela.

[robinreale]

Yeah... I assumed once the whole mystery of Mary Alice and Dana was solved that the show was over. Did I miss anything worthwhile?

Not too much, actually. I don't enjoy it as much as last season, but I still watch. It's picking up a little bit now.

[SeanC]

I actually specifically recall him using the word "Turbo" when describing the car to Carmela.

I heard him say Turbo as well.

[vman]

More Meadow in lingerie, please.

This thread is useless without pics!

[pmyers]

This thread is useless without pics!

/agree

Actually, do we have any idea if Meadow and that guy are married yet? Did she have a ring on? Weren't they talking about having an engagement party last "season"?

[Amnesia]

Actually, do we have any idea if Meadow and that guy are married yet?I certainly had the impression that they were not, but I'm not sure exactly why.

[5thcrewman]

I certainly had the impression that they were not, but I'm not sure exactly why.
Because the way she was dancing around in her underwear! NOT married! :p

[RangersRBack]

Because the way she was dancing around in her underwear! NOT married! :p

Hah!!! :D

[jschuur]

Sopranos' ratings suffered from the long delay and the tougher competition from Desperate Housewives. New York-area ratings were very high, but the rest of country wasn't so good.
On DirecTV, there's an airing at 6 PM Sunday that wouldn't conflict with Desperate Housewives. Sure, you have to assume that for some people that's closer to dinner time and not an option for them, but if you insist on watching it right away on Sunday (and don't have dual tuner DVRs), you can still watch both.

[Marco]

On DirecTV, there's an airing at 6 PM Sunday that wouldn't conflict with Desperate Housewives. Sure, you have to assume that for some people that's closer to dinner time and not an option for them, but if you insist on watching it right away on Sunday (and don't have dual tuner DVRs), you can still watch both.

"6 PM"
Maybe in California.

[cancermatt]

After re-watching the previous ep and then watching this ep, I'm confused about Meadow's man. While on the construction job, did he catch two wiseguys in an inopportune position afterhours in a car? If so, who were they? I don't think there has been any mention or reference to this incident since it happened, has it? Just curious if that is a future plot or storyline that might show its ugly head soon (not that i'm looking forward to it). Or if it means Meadow's future man will get whacked for his knowledge.

[ravonaf]

After re-watching the previous ep and then watching this ep, I'm confused about Meadow's man. While on the construction job, did he catch two wiseguys in an inopportune position afterhours in a car? If so, who were they? I don't think there has been any mention or reference to this incident since it happened, has it? Just curious if that is a future plot or storyline that might show its ugly head soon (not that i'm looking forward to it). Or if it means Meadow's future man will get whacked for his knowledge.

It was one of Tony's Capos and a security guard. The guard was on the recieving end. You are correct. They haven't meantioned it since. The actor playing the capo was doing an interview and he said it was his idea to do it. He said it was based from a real life mob guy that was gay. He said the guy was such a good earner that they didn't do anything to him.

[pmyers]

It was one of Tony's Capos and a security guard. The guard was on the recieving end. You are correct. They haven't meantioned it since. The actor playing the capo was doing an interview and he said it was his idea to do it. He said it was based from a real life mob guy that was gay. He said the guy was such a good earner that they didn't do anything to him.

It was actually the Capo who had lost all the weight in the last episode. If you remember, after the incident he invited Meadow's guy to a baseball game for "bat night" and he didn't show up and instead decided to get engaged to Meadow. Of course it turned out like the Capo really was interested in hanging out with him and not killing him for what he saw.

[RexTrout]

Can't find a link to where I read it this morning, but there was a big article about how HBO took no money for product placements in this episode...the Cayenne, the train cars, Cingular, etc. NONE. It was all part of the script and trying to make the dialog realistic.

[marksman]

I don't remember the exact fight either.. I do remember Tony gave her father a nice gun as a gift, and it was the hit of the party. I don't even know if it were much of a fight more than a disagreement. Carmela was torn on the whole issue, it was not like she emphatic he not come, as far as I can recall, but I was not paying close attention when I re-watched it.

[TiVo'Brien]

I remember Eugene from last season. He was one of Tony's crew visiting the kid in the hospital that Phil Leotardo had beat up while looking for Tony B. A split-level house in Ft. Myers? Uh, I doubt it. My guess on the envelope for Tony: 1% = $20k?


I got a real chuckle watching Uncle June scamper/dodder away after having shot Tony. :p Well acted, true to an old man's physical character. :up:

I was disappointed in Carmella the way she was showing her Porsche around. I don't remember her being that insecure. It was especially bad form to drive over to Ginny's. :down:

[FlugPoP]

Its comes on @ 6pm in California(pacific time) on D*. It's great not having to wait till 9pm for it.

[jeff125va]

Can't find a link to where I read it this morning, but there was a big article about how HBO took no money for product placements in this episode...the Cayenne, the train cars, Cingular, etc. NONE. It was all part of the script and trying to make the dialog realistic.
I've always wondered why people complain so much about product placements. Sure, they're usually obvious and sometimes don't feel natural, but in real life most people talk about brands of stuff, drink brand-name drinks and drive brand-name cars, so what's the big deal? Although I'm surprised they took no money for it, unless they just had no takers among car makers that would fit well into the story. I remember a placement once on Alias for the Ford Focus. Now, if Tony had given her one of those (no offense to Ford Focus owners) and she gushed about it like she did the Porsche, I could understand the complaints. I wonder if they took money from Nissan when he got A.J. the Nissan XTerra a season or 2 ago. Tony sounded even more like a car salesman talking about that one, IIRC.

[Figaro]

I've always wondered why people complain so much about product placements. Sure, they're usually obvious and sometimes don't feel natural, but in real life most people talk about brands of stuff, drink brand-name drinks and drive brand-name cars, so what's the big deal? Although I'm surprised they took no money for it, unless they just had no takers among car makers that would fit well into the story. I remember a placement once on Alias for the Ford Focus. Now, if Tony had given her one of those (no offense to Ford Focus owners) and she gushed about it like she did the Porsche, I could understand the complaints. I wonder if they took money from Nissan when he got A.J. the Nissan XTerra a season or 2 ago. Tony sounded even more like a car salesman talking about that one, IIRC.


The only product placement that ever really bugged me was an Apple Cube on Dark Angel. Here it was supposed to be some futuristic world and some guy was hacking into and controlling massive computers all over the place. Meanwhile at work we couldn't even get our Cube to talk to our print sever half of the time.

[pmyers]

Can't find a link to where I read it this morning, but there was a big article about how HBO took no money for product placements in this episode...the Cayenne, the train cars, Cingular, etc. NONE. It was all part of the script and trying to make the dialog realistic.

No offense to you, but I don't believe that for a second...unless the camera man were being paid on the side to zoom in on all the "products" ;)

[Marco]

Can't find a link to where I read it this morning, but there was a big article about how HBO took no money for product placements in this episode...the Cayenne, the train cars, Cingular, etc. NONE. It was all part of the script and trying to make the dialog realistic.

No way.
For one thing, HBO's lawyers would never go for it, because they could be open to potential liability if the product's maker thought the use of the product in the show was unfavorable to them.

[Lee L]

Actually, the product placement does not really bother me. I would be very surprised if they did not take money for it. In fact, I would say they were stupid if they did not and left tons of $$ on teh table.

[jeff125va]

No way.
For one thing, HBO's lawyers would never go for it, because they could be open to potential liability if the product's maker thought the use of the product in the show was unfavorable to them.
Good point. Most shows mask the brand names of stuff, unless, of course, they're paid placements. I've never understood exactly whose rule that is - the FCC, the networks' own censors, etc. or why.

[FlugPoP]

Good point. Most shows mask the brand names of stuff, unless, of course, they're paid placements. I've never understood exactly whose rule that is - the FCC, the networks' own censors, etc. or why.

It’s because the networks don’t want to endorse a product that they are not paying for. No free advertising that’s how they make the money.

[cwoody222]

I read where Gandolfino gained all that weight for a movie he made that required it, not long before this season of Sopranos started filming. Then HE decided it really fit Tony's character and decided to keep the weight on.

That's what I've read too.

The weight gain was NOT for this role; it was for a movie.

Now, whether James just couldn't (or didn't want to) lose the weight and then "decided" to fit the character... that's up to you ;)

[cwoody222]

Yes, that was Carm's dad Hugh.

Chris

It was? Who was the old guy who died then?... who the FBI inferred was also a rat?


Did this episode not start w/ the typical 'newspaper on the driveway' shot? I deleted it and wasn't paying attention but I thought Tony was IN a car.

[jeff125va]

It was? Who was the old guy who died then?... who the FBI inferred was also a rat?


Did this episode not start w/ the typical 'newspaper on the driveway' shot? I deleted it and wasn't paying attention but I thought Tony was IN a car.
That was Carmine Lupertazzi, the former boss of the New York mafia, that Johnny Sack now runs. I don't remember if we knew anything about his informing before, I only caught a few episodes of the repeats they've been showing.

You may remember he had a stroke I think last season (hard to keep track with the long gaps between seasons) which led to the power struggle between his son and Johnny Sack.

And no, I don't believe it did. The first scene was the two FBI guys in the car, when the one had to pull over and throw up.

[G8rMan]

That was Carmine Lupertazzi, the former boss of the New York mafia, that Johnny Sack now runs. I don't remember if we knew anything about his informing before, I only caught a few episodes of the repeats they've been showing.

You may remember he had a stroke I think last season (hard to keep track with the long gaps between seasons) which led to the power struggle between his son and Johnny Sack.

And no, I don't believe it did. The first scene was the two FBI guys in the car, when the one had to pull over and throw up.

Carmine died last season(or maybe the season before). It led to that power struggle between Johnny Sack and Little Carmine, which Carmine backed down from.

The old guy that dies in this episode was Ray Curto, one of Tony's guys.

[jeff125va]

Carmine died last season(or maybe the season before). It led to that power struggle between Johnny Sack and Little Carmine, which Carmine backed down from.

The old guy that dies in this episode was Ray Curto, one of Tony's guys.
Oops, thanks. Like I said, hard to keep track. I remember the power struggle, just not him actually dying.

[ravonaf]

No way.
For one thing, HBO's lawyers would never go for it, because they could be open to potential liability if the product's maker thought the use of the product in the show was unfavorable to them.

No one said they didn't have permission. They said they didn't take money.

[TiVo'Brien]

Hey, what's with all this kissing now? Up to now, it's always been the hug with two slaps on the back. Now they're all kissy kiss. :confused:

[robinreale]

I got a real chuckle watching Uncle June scamper/dodder away after having shot Tony. :p Well acted, true to an old man's physical character. :up:

That the best laugh I've gotten from Uncle June since he fell in the tub and yelled "your sister's c*nt."

[Figaro]

Junior is starting to resemble the guy from 6 Flags a little too much.

[jcondon]

Junior is starting to resemble the guy from 6 Flags a little too much.

A while ago I even said to someone look its the Junior. They laughed and said no it's not.

:)