The Sopranos - Family Values

Richardson's Review

Richardson's Review
By Matt Richardson
(Episode 69 - THE FLESHY PART OF THE THIGH)

In the fourth episode of season six, Tony completes his full recovery from the shocking shooting from the season opener. Before going thru surgery to finally close the wound on his stomach "T" encounters a recovering drug addict who has now become a reverend and Alan Arkaway (remember Janice's narcoleptic ex?) who both petition Tony to turn to Christ in light of his shooting. Paulie meanwhile discovers some shocking news of his own when he discovers his sick Aunt Dottie is really his mother thus actually making Nuccia his aunt. And on the business front, Jason Barone (the son of Dickie Barone of Barone Sanitation) is looking to sell his fathers company, therefore putting Tony's W 2 form on ice. This also then leads to a minor dispute between Tony and Phil regarding Tony's share of the sale of the company. Tony also engages in some intellectual conversation with John Wynn (Hal Holbrook) who while watching a boxing fight with Tony, Paulie and a rapper named "Da lux" who was shot 7 times, discusses his philosophy on boxing and life in general. "Nothing is separate," he says. "Everything is connected." Fearing for her son's life Jason's mother visits Tony and asks him to not hurt her son. Tony doesn't, but Paulie does - demanding he cough up 4 G's a month to him, presumably to pay for Nuccia's nursing home fee. After speaking to Tony about his shocking revelation, Tony tells Paulie that his problem is that he feels too sympathetic for himself. How this well affect Paulie's relations with Nuccia, however, remains to be seen.

Also:
Tony hears of the EMT completing a "wallet biopsy" on him before going into surgery, accusing a paramedic of stealing 2 K from his wallet. When the paramedic returns with the money on Tony's final day in the hospital though, Tony waves him off and lets him keep it...Bobby earns a few grand from a member of Deluxe's posse who pays him to shoot him, thus hoping to raise his profile in the rap game. Bobby, though, gets a earful from Tony who warns him not to rely too heavily on the fact that they are brother-in-laws. When Bobby apologizes for not being available to watch Junior the night Tony was shot, Tony demands that Bobby should never mention Junior to him again...Carmela tells Tony she believes there was more to the package she received from Paulie and Vito and warns her husband to keep an eye on Vito...Silvio is back on his feet after spending just a single night in the hospital...Carmela and AJ have rekindled after AJ gets a gig working at Blockbuster...I particularly liked the spirituality of the episode and how everything is "connected." Could this mean Tony will re-evaluate (and possibly change) his whole life as a result of being shot by Junior? He did tell Janice after leaving the hospital that every day from now on "is a gift." Not typical Tony talk. Interesting...

Shock Factor: B + Richardson's Review: B +

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