Hey GP!!

I too think that Johnny Sac's days are numbered. SC had a good point anaylizing the dream sequence of Tony "getting it done" (as was asked of him several times), referring to his inner conflicts of doubting and possibly killing Tony B. I know he really wouldn't want to do it, but I think if the time comes, he'll lack any kind of conscience or second thoughts about it, and just consider it a "business" move.

In the previews he says "I gotta do this myself", which could be what he's referring to, and yet, you are right that the previews have been very misleading.

Btw, I like your new avator! Now that's cool!!!

TIS

Other thoughts:

We see Tony and Johnny Sac having a meeting where Johnny tells him that his family will reign down on Tony's. To avoid a war, Tony could always make nice to Johnny by killing Little Carmine and ending the war. Remember it was Tony who legitimized him by taking the trip to Florida when they were having that beef with the Esplanard.

The Vallachi Papers- Tony would never flip. I have a feeling this is in reference to Christopher. He would on the drop of a hat. The test dream might be of Tony having to clip Christopher.

Why?

Hey TIS! How's the day at the office?

W L'Italia!

They made a movie with the late Charles bronson as Vallachi. I believe that he flipped because they tried to have him killed in jail. Don't hold me to that because my memory of the movie is a bit fuzzy. As for Tony, it isn't in his character to be a stool pidgeon. Tony's fate might be:

1)He kills himself rather than go to jail.

2)He is killed by another family.

3)Chris rats the entire crew out and Tony ends up in prison.

Paul - thanks for the thoughts. Perhaps, I should have been more specific. I wanted to know why you think Christopher would flip & why the book & the dream were references to Tony having to kill Christopher.

I doubt that Tony B will die. This will probably be the factor in Chris flipping in the final season. Chris has seen the affection that Tony shows to his own cousin over Chris. Chris is only a cousin through Carmella. Tony B is a cousin, cousin (famiglia). Chris wasn't happy that the casino went to Tony B. Chris still doesn't know what to think about the Adrianna thing (the accident). Chris could also go down hill like Henry Hill with the drugs once again. Chris has been seen using alcohol which might lead him back to heroin. Finally Chris probably sees Tony B as Tony's future successor and not him.

Why don't Johnny Sack & Lil Carmine just go after each other? Instead they kill "small potatoes" like Lorraine, Joe Peeps, Angelo, Billy. Why don't they just send a hit squad after the other top guy and end it?

I just rewatched the last twenty minutes of the episode, and I'm firmly convinced that the ending (with Tony talking to Carmella on the phone) was nothing more than small talk between two people who have shared so much of their lives together.

Consider this: Tony woke up from a very disturbing dream, and then got very disturbing news (from Chris). Tony was all alone, probably very lonely and stressed out. What is more natural than seeking comfort from someone who really knows you? He called Carmella to just simply hear her voice, and kind of like "be with her", so he wouldn't feel alone. He (and Carm, as well) was taking solice in the daily, trivial things in their life (the dog barking at 5:30 a.m., describing a dinner with friends, etc.) BOTH of them were comforted from this exchange, prompting me to believe they'll get back together.

Also - when Tony was running away from the crowd who witnessed Phil Leotardo's shooting, it was reminiscent of the "Frankenstein" movies when the village's population would chase after the monster (there was even one guy wearing those funny Teutonic shorts). It hit me - Tony sees himself as a monster!

We don't have to see the actual shootings here; in fact its better we don't. The real drama of the series is from the psychological effects of the character's actions. Thats what makes this show great.

It might be frowned upon by the other families. I have no idea, that seems like the simple solution but either it has a deeper meaning of just Chase dragging the saga along.

Good analysis SC!! It seems this whole season has been more or less a physcological study.

Did anyone notice while Tony was dreaming, in the scene with his "coach" from high school, how Tony looked in the "trophy" case? Wasn't there a conversation earlier in the season regarding Tony not getting a tropy in high school? With Junior I think?


TIS

Junior kept saying that Tony didn't have the makings of a varsity football player which peeved Tony to no end. We probably didn't see the shooting of Phil and Billy Leotardo because it would have been a mirror image of the first season's Funhouse episode where Tony wakes up and ultimately Big Pussy is shot to death and left as fish food.

bump

Well, David Lynch would be very proud of this episode. Almost like a tribute to his work!

Good enough episode, with stories progressed in small, subtle ways.

Just VERY bizarre timing though, with only two episodes to go and all...........

Are there people still reading these threads? I hope so, because....

This is the BEST episode I've EVER seen. Perhaps even greater than the marvellous Pine Barrens (which too was only 3 episodes from the end).

Why do people feel uncomfortable with having such a dream-like episode near the end. Season two's actual finale WAS a dream (and again, one of my favourite episodes). Season 1 had dreams near the end: The penultimate episode of the first season had Tony having dreams over the fantasy girl next door, and the final episode was called I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano. Season four had some very weird dreams, with Ralphie and Carm in the car etc--and those too were when Tony was away from home, in Florida.

David Chase always said that he admired David Lynch for telling his stories as dreams, and this admiration is no more evident than here.

It was like an early Luis Bunuel film--particularly L'Age d'Or, with the horse in the house.

It's a bit of a coincidence that I only watched Frankenstein and its immediate successor for the first time this week--Tony running down the alley, as SC said, resembles the chase scenes in those films remarkably.

Never mind Tony B.; what about poor Artie Bucco!? Tony's mind is all cocked up at the moment, wanting to go after Charmaine Bucco, and he talked to Artie with some hostility a few episodes back. I hope he doesn't end of killing him for some reason. With this show, you just don't know.

I also think that not showing Billy Leotardo's killing was a reference to The Godfather, when the Family learn that Bruno Tattaglia got hit. I must say, though, it would have been powerful had we seen Phil Leotardo almost being whacked.

But then again, this episode wasn't about that. It showed Tony's subconscious like never before. I've watched the episode twice now (I taped it, then watched it this morning after seeing it last night ), and can honestly say that it's definitely the best so far this season, if not in the show.

Season five continues to reinvent itself, and is becoming increasingly more driven by and dependent on Gandolfini. How he didn't win an Emmy this year is beyond me.

By the way, in last night's TV guide, I saw a picture of BadaBing dancer Tracee (the one who Ralphie brutally murdered), sitting at the dinner table with AJ. She was nowhere to be seen in this episode though; the closest we got was seeing Carmela wearing braces.

Mick

Mick, I am glad that you are enjoying season 5 so much, I am at the other end of the spectrum reliving the glory days of season 2 w/ viewings on HBO2.

Actually the man that deserved the Emmy this year was not even nominated.

That would be Ian McShane for the fantastic "Al Swearingon" on HBO's Deadwood.

Enjoy the rest of the season, and come join us on the long wait.

DMF, as brilliant as Season two was, for some strange reason, I always find it the most difficult to rewatch. That is, as for rewatchability factor, I rate it the lowest (not necessarily the worst though).

I haven't seen Deadwood yet; hopefully it will come to terrestrial TV soon. He is a great actyor though, and I suggest you watch Johnathan Glazer's debut feature film Sexy Beast, with McShane in a minor role (and Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone magnificent in the two leads).

Mick