I was trying to think of who she sounded like. I thought she sounded a bit like Adriana, but I wasn't sure.

Small tidbits that build up a distaste for his character, because eventually he'll be the Judas. I felt nervous seeing him near Tony's room, due to his implications in the last episode. Besides, the series has been known to show everything you might see in real life in human interaction, farts included.

I loved when Carmella played Deep Purple while Tony was on the bed.

The only thing that could've made the episode better would be Radiohead's "How to Disappear Completely" or "Treefingers" playing while Tony's dreaming.

I personally think that it isn't a dream sequence and that Tony is in purgatory. My family since the death of my grandmother has always been wondering about such life after death and Tony I feel is in purgatory. He can't get out of where he is. He has lost his identity. The fires is costa mesa and that commercial all lead me to believe this.

What do you guys think?

You don't know the difference between a dream and real life? I think they made that pretty clear.

I wonder if the whole season will be like this Tony in a coma hovering near death. A.J talking revenge was funny. Uncle Junior in the can telling the agents where to get off was another riot. Either he will remain in jail or be killed for what happened. I still say this guy is faking it all the way. Finn hates dental school, who cares. The woman on the phone in the dream sequence did sound like Gloria Trillo. Next weeks episode looks good but we all know that from the episode trailers from two years ago.

Yes, Barbara. She was in maybe 2 or 3 episodes over the entire run. She was the sister who needed to get away from the mother and that life.

As for AJ, that scene resonated to me that when the chips are down, no matter how stupid the kid is, he's really his father's son.

That Uncle June is great! See what he told the cops? My nephew shot himself, he's mental and seeks mental help, or something like that. The old man is faking it. He knows exactly what he is doing. Crazy like a Fox!

I totally enjoyed the episode. I loved the biazzare messages that were sent by the writers. Tony dreaming that he was living the legitimate life. Yet no matter what, even as hard as he tries, he was destined not to be legit. He was destined to do things the illegal way. Great writing.

Edie Falco, in my eyes, secured an Emmy award for her performance last night. A very underated actress. Spectacular acting by her!


Don Cardi

As I mentioned earlier, I'm so glad that this wasn't all a dream. I don't know if any of Tony's dreams are suppose to have meaning for the story's purpose, but it's interesting to analyze it.

We all have our theories, as far as Tony's life, his idendity, etc. However, for further analysis, what do you think the bright light on the horizon would symbolize? Any connection with the bright lights on the helicopters that were flying overhead???

TIS

The bright lights, to me, have two meanings. At the beginning when he is walking and the helicopters are hovering over his head, and he looks up at them and the bright lights, if you look closely you can see a silouette of a doctor looking down on him with examination lights behind him. That was the first faint hint that Tony was dreaming while being worked on.

The second meaning, IMO, is that the bright lights and the helicopters overhead symbolize that he is facing death and looking up at God. Looking up at heaven.


Don Cardi

Another reference to lights, so to speak, is the news broadcast Tony was watching in the bar, showing the fires in Costa Mesa or Southern CA.

TIS

The fires in that scene represented HELL.


Don Cardi

Well, the worse possible outcome for Tony would be for him to wake a "born again", hanging out in the airports saying "Hare Krishna"(flashback to the 60's). Or worse yet, an extreme "right winger"


TIS

Ahhh, but I believe that scene was written to remind us of this GF son instead:

[Michael returns to the Don's room, at his bedside.]

MICHAEL : Just lie here, Pop. I'll take care of you now. I'm with you now. I'm with you...


That scene told me that no matter how at odds AJ has been with Carmela and Tony, he's really his father's son.

Life is a circle repent. Tony's mom drove his father nuts, and Tony grew up resenting her and becoming like his father. Carmela has driven Tony nuts over the last few seasons, and we see how much AJ resents her and in her own way how she is always all over AJ, driving him nuts too.

AJ is destined to grow up like Tony.


Don Cardi

Ok, so I'm consumed with Sopranos right now.

I was thinking of another theory. The way that this show is written, it can go in any direction.

What if we are being shown this part of the story (which we all think is Tony dreaming or hallucintating) two years into the future? Tony was shot. He survived the shooting and went into the witness protection program hence the new identity. Only subconsciencely he still thinks of himself as Tony Soprano. He's having trouble in his mind with accepting the new life and letting go of the old one.

Just another theory. And not really too far fetched when we're talking about David Chase and The Sopranos.


Don Cardi

Im kind of intrigued by the pergatory theory. In the end when he is sitting near the window and out on the horrizon you can see flashes of the sun, I think that means he is in a place where he is always between night and day. The sun isnt rising, but it isnt really setting either. Interesting.

With regards to AJ's vow of revenge, I think it makes for some very intersting storyline to come, but I really dont buy it. It was very out of character for him to make such a claim, and if he follows through on it, then I wont be a happy viewer.

I think those flashes of light were supposed to be the brush fires burning in Cosa Mesa; perhaps they're symbolic of the fires of hell that Tony fears.

A few random thoughts about last night's show:

1. The family that Tony speaks with on the phone from his hotel room isn't his "real" Soprano family - they're squeaky clean (much like the salesman that Tony is supposed to be mistaken for - Finnerty). The kids are younger, and their only "problems" are about soccer and throwing up - simple everyday things. That isn't Carmela's voice either (and I doubt its Gloria Trillo).

2. I'm still not 100% certain about Uncle Junior being totally insane. He seemed his old cranky self when being questioned by the shrink until his lawyer "coached" him with the reason he was being questioned. It was only at that point that he seemed to go overboard. The whole thing MAY be an act.

3. Vercetti made a good observation - we're slowly being shown a bad side of Vito Spatafore and thats probably leading up to him being shown as a Judas. (Vito is setting up Bobby Bacala for a fight over the crap game that was Junior's and which Vito is trying to gain control of).

4. Funny how the crew is fighting to show who loves Tony the most - Vito brought some food and wanted to drive AJ home - Paulie drove AJ home and wanted to buy Tony a stereo for the hospital room - Christopher actually bought the stereo.

5. Was anyone else secretly glad that AJ got so passionate about taking revenge against Uncle Junior? Its about time he felt passionate about something other than cars or video games.

the questions will be whether or no A.J. actually goes through with his promise. i don't know if he is capable of doing such a thing. i remember an earlier season where tony says that a.j. would never be strong enough for the business...but that meadow would. if he does it, do you guys think he'll be caught and arrested? maybe that leads to tony deciding to rat people out to save a.j. "friends will let you down, but family is always there."

MSN ran this interesting take on last night's episode, speculating much of what we are:

"As if in a sort of twisted, hall-of-mirrors version of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” Tony was reflecting on his own life through the salesman version of himself, imagining an idealized reality just as Willy Loman does."

"he was a salesperson living an apparently flatline sort of life. Arriving at a convention for work, he talked to his wife on the phone, and that woman was a bland, non-Carmela female;"

TIS


The Sopranos

This episode had a lot to do with the opening montage of episode 1. According to HBO.com, the lyrics of the songs played over that montage were from William S. Burroughs' "Seven Souls." The first part of which reads as follows:

"The ancient Egyptians postulated seven souls.

Top soul, and the first to leave at the moment of death, is Ren, the Secret Name. This corresponds to my Director. He directs the film of your life from conception to death. The Secret Name is the title of your film. When you die, that's where Ren came in."

And from wikipedia:

"Ren(name): A person's name (rn in Egyptian) was given to them at birth and would live for as long as that name was spoken, which explains why efforts were made to protect it, placing it in large amounts of writings. For example, part of the Græco-Roman Book of Breathings, a descendant of the Book of the Dead, was for ensuring the survival of the name. A cartouche (magical rope) was often used to surround the name and protect it for eternity. Conversely, the names of deceased enemies of the state, such as Akhenaten, were studiously hacked out of monuments."

In Tony's dream, he loses his wallet, his ID, and eventually, his name. Remember toward the end when he told the doctor his name wasn't Kevin Finnity, the doctor asks what his real name was, and Salesman Tony says something to the effect of, "what does it matter? I'm going to forget soon any way [in regards to the Alzheimer's]."

This could be the departure of Tony's first soul, his "Ren."

Also, if you go back and rewatch that opening montage, you'll see that AJ is shown when Burroughs explains the fifth soul:

"Number five is Ka, the Double, most closely associated with the subject. The Ka, which usually reaches adolescence at the time of bodily death, is the only reliable guide through the Land of the Dead to the Western Lands."

As Tony's only son, you could say that would make him his double and the most closely associated to him. Supporting this theory, at least in my opinion, is that AJ has reached adolescence at the time of Tony being shot (you could say he matured a lot in this episode). He also has the long hair, which resembles Tony's hair when he was that age as seen in the flashbacks from season 5 relating to him and Tony B. Carmela even made mention of how, when Tony was younger, his hair was long enough to "grab hold of."

Also, in this episode, AJ used a "poor you" on Meadow, something Tony has done numerous times over the years (something he obviously got from his mother). Then, if you go back a ways we know that AJ also suffers from the panic attacks that have plagued Tony.

So, if AJ is Tony's "Ka," the question becomes, how can he be "the only reliable guide through the Land of the Dead to the Western Lands" if he doesn't doesn't exist as himself in Salesman Tony's dream world?

Long post, I know, but I think David Chase is really getting at something deeper than just Tony dreaming about what his life could have been. There might have been more connections to the "Seven Souls" in there, but that's what I picked up on the first watching.

Oh, and another thing, the name of the bald Asian doctor that Carmela spoke with: Dr. Ba. From Burroughs' words:

"Number four is Ba, the Heart, often treacherous. This is a hawk's body with your face on it, shrunk down to the size of a fist. Many a hero has been brought down, like Samson, by a perfidious Ba."

Wow. Great observation.

Here's an article that clears up a few things:

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/sepinwall/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/11428364021 23280.xml&coll=1

Chase says it himself: It's not a dream, it's purgatory (like where Christopher went while in his coma after being shot a while back?).

And, Salesman Tony's wife was just a generic voice, not Gloria or Charmaine.

This one has me puzzled. A stomach shot is one of the most lethal. Remember Lee Harvey? He was shot inthe stomach and was dead within an hour. Even if you do recover, it is slow. So, Tony is in rehab, but still the boss? I'm thinking that without his formidable presence, the stage is set for some internecine "disputes".

hello everyone. its been awhile since ive posted on here so i figure id stop in and see whats up and say hey.

I really like this episode. I was almost in tears twice durring the hole thing. Im hoping so much that Tony comes out of the coma. Cant wait til next week.

Interesting article Capitili! I wondered also about the FBI and Christopher possibly becoming their next informer. However, I can't see Chris turning traitor, at least not at this point. Sounds kind of funny now, but as the author indicates, these things are usually included for a purpose, and we are use to, and enjoy being surprised, so anything is possible. I think this whole incident will bring out a more mature AJ.

TIS

Welcome back Sicilian123

my predictions...somebody is gonna want tony's seat. this is where christopher steps up and trys to run things and possibly...i mean possibly...bring aj into the family. hey, he sounds pretty serious on killin uncle june, maybe its that time where he wants to b just like his dad. or he could possibly get caught doin it....if i heard correctly this is the season where tony wants to become legit. could this b the situation that makes him want to quit? but wait...u dont retire...remember last week? is everyone gonna b pissed? are they gonna go after tony? o god! i cant take it anymore! hurry up sundays!

You know, Chris has to be conflicted. He has this huge allegiance to Tony, but Tony did order the death of A. Also, remember how he and Tony B made fund of Chris at the restaurant. And also remember that Chris seemed ready to leave the life with A until he saw that transient family at the gas station. So, his conversation witht he FBI could be a prelude to a closer relationship with the Feds.

I still can't figure how they're gonna reconstitute Tony in such a short time. Maybe they will fast forward.

yeah i honestly think that agent harris is there for more then just the sandwhiches. something is up his sleeves, and i am also thinking they are trying to get a christopher. they might be hoping he hasn't let go of the ade thing.

Agreed. I still love this show a whole lot, and its still the best show on television by far, but it has changed a LOT since the first season.

well i'll say this much, with the exception of all of the fourth seaoson...and half of the third...the soparnos is definatly an amazing t.v. show.

first season is the best without saying. and the second follows. but the fifth i think was better the the third and fourth.

I personally think it's gaining more depth as it goes on.