The Sopranos - Family Values

Junior's Review

Junior's Review
(Episode 69 - THE FLESHY PART OF THE THIGH)

Tony Soprano is back in business, but I don´t think it´s business as usual for him. Tony is aware that there is a bigger picture, though he hasn´t made up his mind how this bigger picture exactly looks like. Two possible explanations are offered. One from a preacher man and another from a fellow patient, who is a scientist. Clearly both represent the ongoing creation-evolution controversy.

Tony is too smart to take the advice of the preacher man seriously who thinks that dinosaurs lived 6000 years ago. On the other hand the scientist can´t give soulsaving answers. Because, as he puts it, it is complicated. All things are related and it´s all about how we choose to perceive them, as the scientist points out. Brilliant reference to quantum physics. Remarkably Tony says he didn´t choose nothing (yet) and that´s why he takes a big interest in the thoughts of the scientist. Tony understands completely that there are no easy answers.

He came a long way from the start of the Sopranos. He learned a lot and I disagree to claims he hasn´t changed at all. He has, but the open question is how far the change will go, One of the main purposes of the first four episodes of season six is to show that Tony´s worldview is changing. Even more than through the sessions with Melfi. Close to the end he surprisingly reaches out to Janice, telling her that every day is a gift from now on. But his sister remains cold blooded. Janice wears different clothes and she doesn´t pretend to represent a different life style anymore. There´s the true Janice who follows into the footsteps of her mother. (How will Bobby react to her manipulations?)

Relationship with mothers are a big issue on the Sopronas and a new chapter is introduced with the fact that Paulie´s real mother is the aunt, who is a nunn. Paulie is upset and his anger leads him towards a potentially fatal error. He goes after the Barone kid, totally against Tony´s orders, because he has seen how much mama Barone loves her child. She is prepared to die for him. All things are obviously connected. Paulie who previously almost killed Tony with his selfish talk seems to become more and more unreliable. Let´s see what will happen to him. He certainly doesn´t share the opinion that there´s enough garbage for everyone, as Tony says to settle the Barone disput with Johnny.

There are many other great things in the episode. First of James Gadolfini´s outstanding performance. One could almost feel his pain. The referece to original hip-hop gangstas advertising their records by the number of bullits they have in their body. The superb shooting of the episode. The funny and meaningfull dialogues. I almost forgot how much happened in the week before and isn´t picked up. Season six so far is phenomenal and it´s hard to wait for next week.

comments are welcome to: jan@winning.com

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