SOPRANOS Season 6: Season Finally!!!.. Episode 12: "KAISHA"

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I'd wait another two years if they actually ended this show with something worth watching.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Let me correct. The first half is done after this batch of episodes which ends sometime in June.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

After these last three episodes, there's 8 more episodes next year. They start shooting next month and begin airing them in January.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Yup. Odd indeed, something was very... off. But then again, I did think of the same of the initial bonding scenes. Still, they felt more natural, that stuff at the end was straight up ackward. I felt they were trying to tell us something, which I didn't quite... get.

Like that damn wine which kept showing up all over the place in the episode.

Gotta watch it again.

I agree with whoever said the flashback scene was pointless. Turns out it's everyone's favorite scene? Eh.

--
H

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Because it was a great scene. Sorry if it wasn't your bag, but the acting by Gandolfini and Imperioli was fantastic and it really showed how tough it was for Christopher to tell Tony about Adrianna and the Feds.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

And we saw all sides of Tony:
pissed when Christopher tells him, then inquiring "for how long? what has she told them?";
then concerned that Christopher is a rat, too, so he rips his shirt open to check for wires (And Chris's reaction is perfect, essentially, "Tony, how could you even think such a thing of me?");
and finally the uncle/(god)father who stays calm, thinks clearly, and will take care of it, and make it go away.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Well, if you go back and read my post, you'll see that I described the scene as "gratuitous", not bad. It was beautifully acted and written. As a scene in the original episode it may have been appropriate. But here, a season later, it was completely unnecessary for the storytelling. It was great for showcasing the technical and artistic abilities of the screenplay writers and actors, but as for telling the story, it was superfluous. It gave me no information that I did not already have,and actually took me out of the moment of bonding between Chris and Tony which was happening.

I guess it makes sense if you have to cater to the people who don't watch the Sopranos regularly and did not see what happened to Ade last year.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Will the next 8 episodes be the last of the series?

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Without a doubt, yes.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Unless HBO convinces David Chase to change his mind.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I agree with you Philip.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I hope not. The show is losing steam and I am beginning to wonder if it should have lasted 6 seasons.

Funny how HBO would do ANYTHING for Chase and The Sopranos, yet they cancel shows that are BETTER now- Deadwood.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I agree. Go to any other Sopranos forum and you'll have the same complaints. This is the most Sopranos friendly forum on the net.

But I would say that I don't agree this is the worst Season. Season 4 was a complete write off which I'll never watch one episode, ever again.

The show just hasn't been the same since it got "PC'd" after Season 3 and it's too bad. I'll never forget that tragic episode in the same season where Ralphie (Joe Pantoliano), beat that poor woman to death. I couldn't get that out of my mind for weeks. Nothing on this show, since S4 and on, has made any kind of impact on me.

Season 5 had great potential and had it's moments, but on the most part the writing was very uneven and weak, espcially with Tony's cousin (Steve Buscemi). His turn around from going straight to "bad" was some of the worst character development I've ever seen on Television. I was so confused when he seemly for no reason, started beating up his business partner and turning evil in the course of a few seconds, right before our eyes. I actually watched the episode three times and couldn't figure out what lead him to doing that. Just because he conveniently found a bag full of money on the steet and had a couple of setbacks with getting his business started up? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Season 6, with the exception of Tony's dreaming, started out great. I think it's gone way down hill, since Vinnie went to this small town. They've really stretched that one out and just about everything else. I will say, they have FINALLY done a great writing job with AJ this Season. He was just along for the ride in Seasons 1 to 5 and did NOTHING. And he's actually turned out to be a very decent actor as well.

As far as I'm concerned, Chase has just lost control or the quality of writing on the show. I have no doubt from all the complaints he got from Seasons 1 to 3, concerning the way some people were depicted and the violent content, that he toned it down for that reason. I'm not one of those, "someone needs to be wacked every week", kind of people, but the show has gone way over the edge from crime drama to melodrama for me. If chase has done this to open it to a wider audience, then maybe he has succeeded in that way. Even my mom watches the show now, and she deplores violence in movies and TV.

From the previews, next weeks episode looks like a real snoozer, so I think I might actually bypass this one for the first time ever.


Jeff

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Enought with the Vito thing already....

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I really enjoyed this episode, funniest by far also. Johnny is going to prison, Vito is back in town.. Paulie has cancer...I am hoping the Vito thing wraps up soon i am getting bored with the Brokeback Cannelloni stuff...

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Agreed. I'm ready to whack him myself just to kill this storyline. It's overshadowing the other parts of the season which I enjoy. I actually found myself leaving the room to do other chores whenever Vito came on.

I've heard that Sopranos ratings are down quite a bit this year. I wonder how much they've suffered because of this never ending subplot.

It's a shame actually because I do think the non-Vito stuff has been quite good although Domenic Chianese's absence this season has hurt. I always found the Junior character a great joy to watch.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

OkI have to admit I was a bit let down by this episode. The Whole Johnny Sacks Story line was a bit of a whimper, the energy was just not in this episode, It did provide a bit more on the Janice/Tony Relationship, but it's pretty evident to regular viewers that Janice is a standin for Livia, and his Love/Hate relationship is the same. The Vito Storyline looks to be what is inevitably going to Split the Family apart. It's interesting that it won't be the Feds that finally bring them down but the Hatred for a Gay Man. Still a bit of a let Down of an Ep, and My Mom even called last weeks Ep tame. I think Chase does need to crank it up a notch. Maybe I'm being harder than normal because HBO Screwed Deadwood over this Weekend.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

The thing that I liked most about this episode was that they focused on multiple characters. A little Tony, a little Johnny Sack, a little Vito as opposed to focusing more in depth on Artie or A.J. or Vito. Keep in mind, I dug those episodes but it's nice to get a semi-equal mix again.

I liked Janice's line about Neil Young playing with toy trains and Tony saying "He owns Lionel!"

Ever since Junior recovered from cancer in S3 and got a mistrial in S4, his character has (unfortunately) been used very little. At least last season had a Junior heavy episode though.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Not sure if you know this or not but Neil Young is an exec with Lionel Toy trains, he is a BIG toy train hobbyist, I was heavily hooked into this hobby some years back. A layout like Bobby's would be several grand at the least. Back to the show...

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I have no idea what that whole Vito story was all about, what has been spent on that story, 3 hours? A total waste of my time. It has become an above average show.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I'm enjoying this season more then the last three. This might change upon me retwatching them on DVD... but this is the first time I'm certain I want to own a Sopranos season on DVD since Season 3.

What was the preview for next week about?

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I have such mixed feelings about the show these days. On one hand, I still look forward to watching it every week in the hopes that something mind-blowingly good will happen. On the other hand, I seem to be more and more disappointed after watching it and realizing that it's never again going to be as good as seasons 1 and 2. Tonight's episode was almost a complete waste of time up to the last 10-15 minutes when a few interesting things actually happened. The show just seems to be all over the map these days focusing entire episodes on characters we don't really care about(Vito, Artie Bucco, Gene Pentecorvo, etc) and not enough time on the actual mafia life. I know some people are quick to jump in and say "this is a show about family and the mafia stuff is just ancilliary activity in the background", but that's bulls**t. The Sopranos was ALL about the mafia the first two seasons and that's what made it so great. It started to go off course in season 3 and has never really been the same since. Sure, there have been some brilliant episodes in recent seasons, but the momentum has clearly been lost as the show goes on.

Sorry for the mini-rant, but after watching this episode tonight and then finishing season 5 of The Shield(that I had recorded over a month ago) right after that it was painfully obvious that The Sopranos is no longer the most compelling show on TV. I will still continue to watch every week(as I have for all 6 seasons), but it's just not the same as it used to be and that's a damn shame. Flame suit on.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I'll watch every episode to the end, but I've pretty much accepted the fact that NOTHING will happen each week that I watch it. Especially this week's episode. They could have actually completely removed this episode from the lineup and we wouldn't have even noticed. I'd be okay with these types of "day in the life" episodes if it wasn't for the fact that the show is close to wrapping up. Chase should follow the example of what "The Shield" is doing to wrap things up.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

what the heck..... why are main characters left out of entire episodes yet we keep seeing JOHNNY CAKES?! David Chase.... WAKE UP

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

I was very dissapointed by this week's episode, but the scene of the Federal Mashalls reposessing "Christopher's" car was priceless! $25K he payed for it! Ha ha ha! I was pretty much rolling on the floor. Johnny Sac's story about meeting his wife was sad.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

Maybe people don't know "what the Vito story was about" because it isn't over yet so it is a little harder to assess its meaning and importance. Personally I wait until I hear the punchline before deciding if a joke is funny or not, but maybe that's just me.


Characters you don't really care about. Some of us are actually interested in the supporing players and don't mind that they maybe get the spotlight for an episode or two in six years. As for the show being "all about the mafia" - it never was. If this were a Mafia show Tony wouldn't be in therapy, we would hardly ever seen wives, kids, parents, etc. It would be about "the life". It isn't, and never was, and as it approaches the end it needs to deal with impact of the past six years on the human beings involved. That's called drama and is not the same thing as action/adventure, which is the genre a lot of people seem to think the show should be.

Personally, I thought the best scene was Tony's breakfast with Meadow. "You know who's a very good listener? Your mother"

Regards,

Joe

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

That "coffee...with the chicory" exchange at the prison between "the Lord of the Lenses" and Johnny Sack, where his brother-in-law can't get the lingo down or talk in code, was hilarious. He's trying to tell Johnny about Tony. "What the f-k is that?" Johnny says, annoyed. "Your neighbor...A.S." And Johnny says to him, "Did you pick up the birthday cake for Gin with the marzipan flowers?" Brother-in-law: "The stuff behind the pool?" Johnny: "No, an actual f-ing cake."

Also funny: when Tony's trying to comfort Meadow, but the microwave keeps beeping that his breakfast is ready. Tony can barely hang in there with Meadow, when his food is ready and waiting.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

When Tony makes the crack about living in sin - that was classic.

Now that Vito is back in Jersey, we'll have to see what comes of what.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

The Meadow "talk" was hilarious. This ep had a lot of comedy material - the prison scene Allen described, the birthday party, Christopher and the repossession, Tony's talk with the guys from New Orleans. Loved Tony's line to Janice when she came to the back of the butcher shop. Something like "Even if I gave you what you wanted, we both know you'd be back the next day bitching about something else."

And Sil's "The Perfect Secretary" poster he put up in the Bing just as Tony was complaining about Carmella and the Spec house, and the line on the poster underneath the title was something like "Carmen's first anal scene!"

The best though was the Vito at work montage with the narration about waiting to look at his watch as a "reward" and how it had to be at least 11:30 because of the position of the Sun. The whole Vito storyline was worth it for that scene. Back when I worked in an office I had many, MANY days like that. Even finding true love couldn't outweigh the misery of "9-to-5ing" it for a guy like Vito.

Had a number of "down" moments as well. Tony really stuck it to Johnny, taking his house and I just cringe at any scene with Janice and the kids.

I thought it was a very good ep, an improvement over the last couple.

Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"

But the longer it takes to get to the actual punchline...the better the punchline needs to be. I've heard many jokes that took a LONG TIME to get the punchline only to be extremely dissappointed. At least if the joke itself was short, you don't feel as cheated.

That said, I was thinking perhaps now that Vito killed that guy, and his car is all banged up, it will be pretty hard for him to hide what he did from the law. Perhaps this will be the Feds in to get him to flip? Really, if you think about it, Vito is the perfect candidate for the Feds - him cooperating with them is probably the only way for him to stay alive.