Episode 1.07 : Down Neck - Grades & General Review

[FlyOnMelfisWall]

Please post all grades, reviews, and general or abbreviated comments about the episode in this thread. Use individual threads for longer or more substantive thoughts/discussion points.

[Garth]

8 - Solid episode, we get the first of example of a Sopranos flash-back. Great use of music with White Rabbit. Also, this episode manages to have a good portion of it be flashback without the "current day" issues being lost in the process. As Tony is contemplating the problems with AJ, his memories come up, all to further the plot as well as provide some very rich psychological background for Tony.

[Detective Hunt]

There is no doubt that this episode is an important one in The Sopranos history and I hate to rate it as low as I have. But when the subject involves AJ, I tend to do that. However, his issues certainly work towards furthering our knowledge, and perhaps even someday Tony's - that his father is a huge factor not just in his life, but also in his mindset.

This is the second time in this first season, that something is focused on Tony and his father (the first being when Tony told Carm about going to therapy and she responded that certainly he talked about his father as if this was a big deal.) I maintain still that it is this relationship that Tony has never truly understood or dealt with, all the while focusing on his mother. In the end, his father did him far more harm than Livia.

The flashback scenes are wonderful and the actor playing Johnny (I forget his name all of the sudden) does a great job. I am so glad that he has stayed with this role, or that Chase has kept him here. As well, the woman playing Livia has some great lines and does well to sound very much ike Nancy Marchand.

I agree - the choice of music is wonderful, not just for the time period, but also to suggest that drug-induced state Tony is in while this is going on. It's weird, I recall this as a really great episode, and mainly for the music. But in watching it again, it doesn't quite live in my memory as other episodes do. For that reason, I give it a solid 7 (though you could probably bump that up to a 7.8)

[Garth]

It's weird, I recall this as a really great episode, and mainly for the music. But in watching it again, it doesn't quite live in my memory as other episodes do. For that reason, I give it a solid 7 (though you could probably bump that up to a 7.8)

Interesting that you thought that DH. I watched it again last night, and I noticed some editing things that we saw very rarely in a Sopranos episode. Specifically the freeze-frame at the end of each flashback vignette as well as a fade to white. I enjoy this episode quite a bit. I am however finding myself a bit melancholy that I am not enjoying it as much as I used to.

This could be for a couple of reasons. It might be because I viewed the entire series not that long ago in prep for the final 9. It also might be that I have viewed this first season more then any other. Finally, perhaps my interest in the show is waning now that the series has completed. I am hoping it isn't the latter, because I have always loved the show and would not want to grow tired of it.

[jouster]

It also might be that I have viewed this first season more then any other.
That's interesting, Garth - would you say that that's because you enjoy the first season the most, or is it because it's the season that's been available the longest? I, personally, am not as enamored with the first season as some. I prefer the directions the show took in later years. But it's certainly great television and obviously I enjoy watching it, and have seen it many times.

[Garth]

That's interesting, Garth - would you say that that's because you enjoy the first season the most, or is it because it's the season that's been available the longest? I, personally, am not as enamored with the first season as some. I prefer the directions the show took in later years. But it's certainly great television and obviously I enjoy watching it, and have seen it many times.

Yeah, it is not my favorite either. The reason I have viewed it so often has to do with the fact that I dislike seeing just random episodes. So if I am going to watch the series, I usually always start at the beginning. I think that is another reason the first season feels stale. I prefer alot of the later seasons (the first season IS great, just somewhat unfocused at times), so I am kind of hoping that by the time we get to the third and fourth seasons I will be back in the stride. I also wonder if only watching one episode a week makes it difficult to be as satisfied. I am used to sitting down and watching episodes at my own pace.

[jouster]

This really is an excellent episode, but a couple details in the flashback have always bothered me. Tony hiding in the trunk of the car is very "network" to me - not totally implausible, just more the kind of thing precocious kids from other shows do. The other is the cop firing on the fleeing gangster (whose name I unfortnately can't remember) at the amusement park. With all of those civilians around? Regardless, the rest of the episode really works, so I still rated it an 8.