There is a conflict in Tony. Contrast the scene with Phil in the hospital with his comment at the house to Chris about the ice. One attitude or the other will win out in the end. Carmela keeps going on about Ade and Tony has put an awful lot of trust in Chris who, I think, will ultimately break down and bring Tony with him.

I also think that Don Verceti has a real good point.

While I didn't completely hate this episode, although I thought it a very weak one, especially for a season finale. An episode like this one would have been ok if it were in the middle, or even towards the end of a season. But to use this one as a season finale was fruitless and dissapointing.

How much did we need to see with Chris and Julianna acting as crack whores? We got the point, but again, like many episodes this season, the writers beat the same old point until we're sick of it ( remember Vito? :rolleyes: ).

I didn't buy the Hospital scene with Phil and Tony. In just a scene or two before, we see Phil, at that sitdown, totally berate and humiliate Tony with his name calling, etc. Now I'm supposed to believe that Tony is reaching out to him while Phil is facing death? Give me a break.

Another unrealistic scene for me was when Tony is in his office at Satriale's Pork Store and he goes out to sit with the FBI guy. No mob boss, or any mobster for that matter, in their right mind would be caught sitting ALL ALONE talking with an FBI agent. It's one thing when all the guys are sitting around outside and they exchange "pleasentries" with one another. But to sit all alone, inside a place, Mob Boss and FBI agent, talking one on one, is out of the realm. Totally unrealistic.


Uncle Junior? Well I for one still do NOT believe that he is as crazy as everyone thinks that he is! He was smart enough to give the money that Bobby gave back to him, to the caretaker and whisper "One hand washes the other."

And his remark to Bobby about his not being alone in the shooting of Tony. Hey! Maybe that was the "cliffhanger" that we all were waiting for! :rolleyes:

Weak, very weak.


Don Cardi

On the Uncle Junior situation...having had family with alzheimers these people have good days and bad days. The good are great, giving you the illusion that they're getting better...and the bad days are BAAAAAAAAD, like when they shoot you in the gut (to Tony, not to me, to be straight)

Well, I felt the same way about all the puking this season (I do appreciate the "cover-your-eyes signal" of Juliana crawling towards the garbage can, that was considerate).

That said, I didn't mind all the boffing but this new angle of Christopher seemed like a cheap way to sting out (no pun intended) the realtor character. Why even introduce the scenario of her and Tony to begin with? Why not just start with CM hooking up with her at AA? There's enough fuel for drama there without involving the big guy.

But now HERE'S a question that totally blew past me last night! Is AJ's new girlfriend the same character as Paulie's girlfriend from Season 2 (the episode where CM is recovering from the botched hit by Chip n Dale)????

I agree that the episode was good but should not have been the last before a seven mounth lay off.

This season started out strong with three classics and it re-kindled a fire that I thought I lost for the show. But here we are 9 weeks later and I don't know what happened. I feel like an aligator that has been getting its belly rubbed for the last 9 weeks. The season did not suck but I don't feel satisfied. I'am not one that is only interested in hits, but I felt it was necessary to end on a intense solid note before the January hiatus.

I thought they were leading up to that too. The BBQ in Brooklyn, the make shift sit down, Phils tempature rising, talking about taking someone close to Tony out. It had me going and then they spoil it with Phils heart attack and Tony making nice.

I did like when Melfi told Tony he can't expect to eat every bowl of rigatoni.

And then we end with A Soprano Christmas.

The only thing that would have been more of a let down would be if they had Johnny Cakes singing "Oh Holy Night"
In the backgroud.

Thank God Deadwood starts next week

As for Tony reaching out to Phil, it was only after Agent Harris told Tony a hit was out on someone close to him. Tony was trying to make Phil see things the way that Tony now does after his near death experience. In otherwords he wanted Phil to have a different outlook on life which would make him cancel the hit.

I see your point about Agent Harris and Tony eating alone, though the fact that it was in Satriale's Pork Store does make the situation a little better considering other connected guys are constantly in the building. If they were eating alone at some random restuarant in the next town your point would be stronger. In my opinion anyway.

Anyone hate how they bring a charcter is, build upa story and then it just disappears?

What ever happened to Artie and his resturant?

What about the old man who was in the hopsital with Tony?

What about Johnny Cakes, does he know Vito got killed?

For those interested; today the Rita Crosby show (MNSBC 10:00 p.m. EST) will have Soprano cast members on. I don't know which cast members, and assume it'll be just one short segment, but if you're around, check it out. They just advertised it.


TIS

Well, I felt the same way about all the puking this season (I do appreciate the "cover-your-eyes signal" of Juliana crawling towards the garbage can, that was considerate).

That said, I didn't mind all the boffing but this new angle of Christopher seemed like a cheap way to sting out (no pun intended) the realtor character. Why even introduce the scenario of her and Tony to begin with? Why not just start with CM hooking up with her at AA? There's enough fuel for drama there without involving the big guy.

But now HERE'S a question that totally blew past me last night! Is AJ's new girlfriend the same character as Paulie's girlfriend from Season 2 (the episode where CM is recovering from the botched hit by Chip n Dale)???? [/b][/quote]I remember that Paulie's girlfriend had two kids.

Wow. Frank Vincent was on "Opie and Anthony", and he didn't pull any punches about the writing of Season 6. Some quotes were: "We didn't write it. We only act." "I really don't know what is going to happen in the final 8 episodes, but he (Chase) has a lot to atone for."

I can't picture Tony doing anything else. It's Christmas and someone close to him is threatened? What's he gonna go, bash heads with Phil and cause more violence or try to come in agreement with him?

Though I will admit, the violence-craving part of me wanted something big to happen. It would be interesting having the final scene be a murder.

You only have one legitimate plot hole there; Artie and his restaurant.

The old man in the hospital died, and Vito's storyline is done, that includes Johnny Cakes...

Hey at least no one on this board has been bitching recently about the rumored VITO/FINN rape scene.
I can't beleive people fell for that.

Yeah. :rolleyes:

You only have one legitimate plot hole there; Artie and his restaurant.

The old man in the hospital died, and Vito's storyline is done, that includes Johnny Cakes... [/b][/quote]Exactly. Though, this is also not the first time Artie gets an entire episode to himself and then is left in the dark for a while.

Also, Don Vercetti put it perfectly. Even those of us who constantly say, "Oh, I'm not watching for the whackings" wanted something violent and big to happen in the end of the episode. I admit that, and I will defend the necessity and greatness of last night's episode to the last second, but Vercetti is absolutely right. Tony trying to talk sense into Phil was what needed to be done in attempt to stop a hit on someone "close to Tony." Let us not forget that when Tony left Phil's room, Phil's crew still treated Tony disrespectfully. Just because it is possible that Phil now sees things in a new light (like Tony did in the beginning of the season) it may be too late to stop a war or at least the major hit. Phil's crew is obviously against Tony.

Just a reminder of my post above. Anyone by a tv, turn to Rita Crosby on MSNBC. It's on now, and in about 5 minutes she's going to talk to 5 Soprano cast members about last night's episode. Don't know which cast members, but she said she was going to ask about the disappointing finale.


TIS

Well, that was quick. What? all of 5 minutes? :rolleyes: Paulie, Bobby, AJ, Johnny Sac. They were at a charity golf game for the Hackensack Hospital.

Basically they defended the finale saying that "even in real life mafia, they don't necessarily whack someone every week" and that the show was about "family."

They teased AJ about having his first sex scene, and everyone seemed to love the show, and the cast and indicated how close they all were on/off screen.

Btw, they are raffling off a Harley Davison "Soprano" motorcycle at this charity event. Only 1,000 per ticket.

TIS

I admit it, the information was bad about the rape. But again, we all fall for it sometimes.

Good finale though...and ya, its set up perfectly for next January. Tony and gang are in a world of shit, and its just gonna get worse.

Tony getting shot in the opener was actually suppossed to be a season finale.

I kind of just wish, for once, that the show would step outside of its "realistic" and anti-sensational boundaries and leave us with a nice cliffhanger or a big mysterious whacking or something like that. I mean, yes, I appreciate the show doesn't often use ridiculous plot lines, but sometimes it just gets a little boring.

The show either needs to get more mainstream (lots of hits, violence, guns, etc.) to please its simpler-minded audiences, or it needs to get more abstract (more dreams, more innovative direction choices, deeper character changes, etc.) because this current middle ground doesn't seem to be working.

I've GOT to ask two questions, and y'all tell me at the end of the '07 (Part II) episodes, when I'm proven wrong, but:

(1) Exactly how many characters do we REALLY care about on this show?

(2) Exactly how many episodes are left?

Try this yourself, fellas, 'cause I just can't think of a ninth character that makes a damn, which means that (just like in real life) a bunch of stugats are gonna survive: Bobby and Janice, probably Paulie, Hell--even Phil Leotardo will "scrape by." Is there a drift, here? Eight episodes, eight hits, a balls-to-the-wall HITFEST in '07! Somebody BIG is gonna die every damned Sunday on this show until it's all gone. My only question: Will it be Tony or Carmella who goes last? 'Cause this existence just ain't big enough for the both of 'em...

So: if I'm right, which eight (major) characters exit early? WHO GETS IT? Lemme know. Selah.

Okay,
Bobbo

Lol, my girlfriend actually said this exact same thing to me yesterday. I guess it is possible, though I kind of doubt it.

But just for fun, the characters I personally care about: Tony, Carmella, Chris, Paulie, Sil, maybe Meadow and AJ, especially if AJ keeps up his new found maturity. Um...oh yeah, Dr. Melfi.

It was rather anti-climatic. I don't think a hit is required in every episode, but this one was alomost boring. You'd think that they could have come up with something to do in it.

The way they were doing the camera work I thought Chris was going to get it. Paulie makes the show and is my favorite. Phil Leotardo is another great charater as portrayed by Frank Vincent. We have the set up for some great stories but WTF Chase is doing is beyond me. They need 100 episodes for syndication and that is all they care about IMHO. I am glad that Deadwood is coming back.

How is that all they care about? The eight bonus episodes aren't going to reach 100 episodes.

I think Chris ditched the girl he looked very wierd when they were in the coffee shop i think he broke it off with her

I don't know if he ditched her, but he did have one hell of a strange look on his face lol. His big wide eyes.

There have been 77 episodes right now. Eight more makes it 85. Not even close to 100, you'd need to add another long season on top of the new eight.

I trust David Chase, he has never failed us before (in my opinion).

Does anyone know how much time will pass in the storyline between last Sunday's episode and the episode in January? Just out of curiosity. I don't think that has been revealed yet though.

all in all a good episode i thought. not what id normally expect from a finale epsiode i guess but who cares...the season kept me entertained unlike last season did. i have no complaints really, just cant wait til Jan rolls around for the 8 bonus episodes.

PS - AJ is 1 lucky s.o.b. that chic is HOT. i love my latinas. :p

Don't be surprised if Sopranos is given another season. Look at The Shield that was just renewed for another season when this was going to be it for the show when it returns.

You may have to define "syndication" because, I'm sorry, I've never heard of this 100 episode rule before.

I see more and more current-run series showing up on various cable channels. I'm sure none of the Law & Order spinoffs reached 100 before being hawked on the USA Network. Same with Without a Trace on TNT.