The Sopranos - Family Values

Junior's Review

Junior's Review
(Episode 70 - MR. & MRS. JOHN SACRIMONI REQUEST)

The core of the newest episode of the Sopranos is a big wedding scene. Johnny´s daughter gets married and Johnny is allowed to attend the wedding for only six hours. It seems enough time for Johnny to enjoy the celebration and to do business with Tony. After refusing to clip Rusty Tony reconsiders his refusal in a conversation with Johnny and promises to take care of Rusty. Everything seems fine for Johnny until a police car blocks the newly weds to force Johnny´s departure. The head of the N.Y. mob isn´t able to hide his feelings any longer and starts to cry in front of all the people. For Phil a sign of weakness. A boss is not allowed to cry, he lets the wiseguys know. And Phil is afraid of Johnny becoming a rat. Tony doesn´t agree, but he has to realize that he is confronted with the problem that he might not be taken seriously. Chris is questioning his decisions all the time and Tony feels he needs to show his power and beats up his new bodyguard at the end of the episode. In another development Vito is surprisingly spotted in a gay disco by family members and hides in a motel room with a gun. To me this episode does tell us something about respect and lack of respect. But it even more centers around the question if the mobsters are really able to change. The conclusion from this episode is a sharp no.

Take for example Johnny. He can wear a tux, he can spend 425 k for the wedding and he can forget about his prison cell for a few hours. But under the surface of singing, dancing and eating he is still the guy who is held responsible for his crimes. No amount of money can change that. Nothing can change the fact that he is a prisoner and must sleep behind the bars. He is who he is.

Take for example Vito. The gay, fat and dumb mobster tries to hide his true desires from the rest of his personal world. He succeeds. Nobody in the mob world knows about his sexual orientation. But he can´t stand the wedding, behaves strangely and leaves early. He follows his true wishes and goes to a gay club and dresses like a regular from the s/m scene. This is the true Vito and nothing is going to change him. It was a big surprise that his coming out was done without connection to Finn. However, seeing Vito in the motel room, made the impression he knows that he can do anything, but he will be forever the gay man he is with all the consequences.

Take for example Tony. I think Tony was prepared to handle things different, telling Maedow how he sees things different. But as he hears the talk about Johnny he knows he has to stay focused. Tony doesn´t hesitate. The alpha male beats up his bodyguard in front of his guys. Problem solved. Only for the moment though. Tony´s inner thoughts are different from the necesseties of his daily life. I hope this conflict will grow throughout the upcoming episodes because it creates a great dilema for Tony. In the final moments of the episode Tony throws up in the bathroom. The bathroom looks like a prison cell. Tony can´t escape his life. He is locked in. Does he want to get out? Can he get out? Or will he even follow Johnny and be put in the can? Everything is possible...

Let me just add, how sad it was to see that Junior isn´t a part of the family anymore.

comments are welcome to: jan@winning.com

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