I nearly fell off my chair (well, out of the bed, actually) with the line about Stew Leonard's.

Vic's line to Patsy at the restaurant really stuck with me, referring to Silvio. Something like: "If it was Tony that clipped Ralphie over a horse, he'll be the first one to make a move"

Silvio is the consiglieri and knows the importance of the Rules in "this thing of ours". Tony is the one betraying the family, not the other way around. Ralphie's a jerk, but the powers that be made him a "made guy" for a reason and Tony made him a captain. He has to honor that, unless Ralphie puts the family at risk, like Pussy did. If suddenly Tony starts going around the rules with no business justification, he has to go.

Maybe that's what Chase is going for, the breakdown of the family and structure with our hero as the culprit. Tony's getting too popular with the viewers and he has to remind us that he's not a role model.

That intervention is as funny as Paulie's obsession with death from season 2. I will never laugh louder than when I saw Paulie about to beat up the guy who supposedly spoke to the afterlife.

That could be Oblong! I never really thought of that. How do all of you feel? When the series ends, should Tony end up dead or losing it all, or in jail...or would you rather see it end with him still "on top"? Myself, I can understand if they end with Tony losing everything, and yet, I kind of wouldn't mind if they ended it with him still "in charge". What do you think?

TIS

I know that when Johnny Sac wanted Ralphie whacked he went to Carmine for permission, since he's the boss. Had Carmine given him permission, he could have done it. Since Tony is the boss of North Jersey, was he perfectly within his rights to whack Ralphie? That's like having tacit consent, isn't it?

Hi ,
I have been pondering that point. Wouldn't Tony need to have a sit down with Silvio? When he was having a problem with Richie Aprile wanting him dead, Tony consulted Silvio and Silvio said, "We would be better off without him(Richie)." This time Tony acted on his own and I think he knows he messed up. Remember the scene right after he killed Ralphie.

Paul

I don't think the problem is so much that he whacked Ralphie without "asking" but it's why he whacked him. It wasn't business.