Sopranos: New Season

[IJ Reilly]

Will Tony be in a vegitative state all season?!?! The "Dream" sequences are interesting. I am wondering if they will off Junior, or if he will crack and start saying things he shouldnt to the authorities.

So far i am very impressed with the new season, well worth the wait.

Ed

He's not in a vegetative state now -- he's in an induced coma. Or is he? I'm beginning to wonder whether Brad Grey & Co. aren't yanking our chains with this plot development, and we'll find out later that the entire thing was just one of Tony's anxiety dreams. I hope not -- that would be one dream sequence too many for the good of the series.

Either way, we're going to find out where the loyalties among Tony's captains lives. A struggle for control and authority between Silvio and Paulie will probably be the next development. A.J. will slip further towards the dark side, as we all knew he would. But will he take a shot at his uncle?

Lots of possibilities, as Tony lays in that hospital bed, deciding whether life is worth living. And assuming he survives, does he retire? Is that what the first episode was about?

 

[iBlue]

to answer the above: yes his in an induced coma but that is tough to come out of too for whatever reason. once someone reaches that state things seem to change. (don't quote me, just seem to recall that being the case with comas, induced or not) the doctor said something to the effect of "with that much ativan, he's snowed."

i don't think this whole thing was a dream. i can't believe HBO would ever pull a stunt like that. (god i hope not, how lame would that be?)
i get tired of the dream sequences but there was some interesting symbolism behind it. the whole lost briefcase: "my whole life was in there." i just don't want to endure another half an episode of it.

the whole thing is so messed up. (and wow what a gross wound) of course i don't think tony will ever be the same, whichever way this plot turns. stupid junior. (he'll get plugged for this i bet)

i can't wait for this to all unfold. i'm bummed this is comiing to a close though. seems like the end of an era. (first Sex and the City, then Six Feet Under, now The Sopranos)

you know what makes me nuts most of all? i'm pretty sure my stepfather knows how this ends, he works in post-production for the company who handled this. he didn't handle the sopranos clients himself but his co-workers did. my mother told me he doesn't even give it away by so much as a glance. damn him!

 

[clayj]

Uncle Junior has to die. Consider the alternatives:

1. He goes to jail for shooting Tony. While there, the FBI bugs his cell or puts in a jailhouse informant. Jun's ramblings, no matter how incoherent, suddenly become leads for more FBI investigations. Remember, there's no statute of limitations on murder.

2. He goes to a rest care facility / hospital. Again, he'll be shooting off at the mouth.

3. A.J.'s expressed a desire to kill Jun. If Tony doesn't come out of his coma, A.J. is technically the hereditary heir to the Soprano family. Christopher's related, but he ain't the boss' son.

 

[iBlue]

^ yeah, what clayj said ^

also wanted to add: there is no way tony is "getting out" (retiring). it's not like a nice day job with a 401K and retirement benefits. you want out, you get out in a body bag or by becoming a federal snitch. the latter is not happening, no way.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I'm suspicious about the retirement thing because it was so pointedly dragged into the plot in the first episode. A character was introduced and immediately knocked off just to drive home the point that mobsters never get to retire. I'm assuming that Tony comes out of this in some reduced state, well enough to know that he can't cut it as boss anymore.

Uncle Junior in jail... no, I don't think so. He's too crackers to convict.

 

[clayj]

Uncle Junior in jail... no, I don't think so. He's too crackers to convict.

Too crackers for prison, perhaps... but while being arraigned and prepared for trial, there's a very good possibility that bail could be denied and he'd be remanded to the county jail.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Too crackers for prison, perhaps... but while being arraigned and prepared for trial, there's a very good possibility that bail could be denied and he'd be remanded to the county jail.

Maybe. But to advance this plot element, I think Junior has to stay out of custody long enough for A.J. to at least be tempted to take a shot at him. I've got an idea that the main theme of this season will be whether there's going to be a generation of Soprano mobsters in the post-Tony era, or whether the entire organization will collapse under weight of all that twisted "family loyalty." Either way, we're going to see a lot of irony, that's for sure!

 

[e²Studios]

What is up with Paulie doing what he did at the end, was it a emotional thing from his anger from finding out who his real mother is, or is it a bigger thing that will develop over the season?

Tony is out of the coma and seems to be doing much better, it will be interesting to see what happens now. One wonders if a hit on junior will beat Anthony to the punch. Tony needs to do something big soon to assert his power even in his condition, i see big things coming for the season.

Ed

 

[IJ Reilly]

From the very start, Paulie is the one member of Tony's crew that we could never imagine being a nice guy in a different life. He's always had that dangerous inferiority complex and an exaggerated level of paranoia, which makes him basically untrustworthy. I thought the plot twist about his mother was a bit forced, but I think the point is, Paulie is freelancing now -- which is bound to foment a crisis.

As for Tony, he's obviously starting to question "the meaning of life," which I think will lead to him trying to get out of the business. This will lead to a power vacuum, which to has to be filled either by Paulie (who really wants it), or Silvio, who is loyal to Tony, but who prefers being a number two man. One of these guys probably is not going to survive Season Six.

Nice cameo from Hal Holbrook, btw.

 

[iBlue]

i always thought paulie was hilarious but he turned my stomach in the last two episodes. what a prick. like tony said to him, he needs to get over that petty sh**. what he did to that guy at the end was pure jealousy.

i'm glad carmela mentioned what she saw with vito and paulie in the elevator. those two cannot be trusted at all. i bet vito kills meadow's boyfriend for what he knows about him too.

i died laughing when bobby shot that guy: "he shot me in the ass!"

good season. i'm sad it's ending though.

 

[IJ Reilly]

i always thought paulie was hilarious but he turned my stomach in the last two episodes. what a prick. like tony said to him, he needs to get over that petty sh**. what he did to that guy at the end was pure jealousy.

i'm glad carmela mentioned what she saw with vito and paulie in the elevator. those two cannot be trusted at all. i bet vito kills meadow's boyfriend for what he knows about him too.

i died laughing when bobby shot that guy: "he shot me in the ass!"

good season. i'm sad it's ending though.

Seeds of doubt. Very few survive when these are planted in Tony's mind.

I don't know where they're going with the introduction of the gangsters to the gangstas, but it's obviously deliberate. So we shall see!

 

[fistful]

I'm glad Tony is finally getting out of the hospital. While the past few episodes are being used to foreshadow and/or setup what is to come I've found them to be completely boring. The season 6 premiere however was brilliant.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I've tried to avoid reading most of this thread as this season hasn't been shown in the UK yet (I think), let alone being released on DVD (naturally) which is how I'll probably end up seeing it after getting through Season 5 last weekend.

Anyway, saw a small piece in Metro (London freesheet) this morning that ratings for this season were very low and that the planned eight specials intended to follow on from Season 6 were going to be canned.

I'm not sure whether this is true or not but without spoiling it for those who may not have seen it, is this perception true? That this series is below-par?

One thing I found from watching each series in a very short space of time, that the arcs are carefully plotted to reach an intensity in the later episodes of each season. Almost like watching an 11-hour movie. So maybe there's some hope for it to come to a spectacular conclusion.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I've tried to avoid reading most of this thread as this season hasn't been shown in the UK yet (I think), let alone being released on DVD (naturally) which is how I'll probably end up seeing it after getting through Season 5 last weekend.

Anyway, saw a small piece in Metro (London freesheet) this morning that ratings for this season were very low and that the planned eight specials intended to follow on from Season 6 were going to be canned.

I'm not sure whether this is true or not but without spoiling it for those who may not have seen it, is this perception true? That this series is below-par?

One thing I found from watching each series in a very short space of time, that the arcs are carefully plotted to reach an intensity in the later episodes of each season. Almost like watching an 11-hour movie. So maybe there's some hope for it to come to a spectacular conclusion.

It's a mixed bag. Some episodes are up to standard, but I think they're trying to do too much in too short a time, in terms of introducing plot elements and characters, so some of the ideas are underdeveloped. Still, the worst Sopranos is better than the best of nearly anything else, and have some confidence that they'll wrap it up in spectacular fashion. Maybe this season is for completists, but I can't imagine any fan of the Sopranos missing it.

 

[balamw]

the worst Sopranos is better than the best of nearly anything else

I agree 100%. Some sub plots have been sub-par IMHO, but the main arcs are shaping up nicely.

I think the biggest problem they faced with the ratings is that viewers have moved on in the long hiatus. Hope the bonus episodes still happen, but the last preview gave me a bit of a feeling of finality. "Only three episodes left".

B