Where's Johnny ~ Review

[Rightfielder21]

What did everyone think?

</p>

[TheSopranosHBO]

I want to know what everyone's interpretation of Junior crying at the end means?

Great Set-up episode for things to come!

9/10, minus one for Phil not killing Lorraine.

</p>

[The Don]

I thought it was a great episode. I loved seeing Feech in action <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> I couldn't help but feel sorry for Junior though.... reminds me too much of Livia. As for Paulie, I hope nothing happens to him after the conflict with Feech. All together a great episode, can't wait 'till next week!

</p>

[HoezJockMe]

<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/pimp.gif ALT=":hat"> Yo wut up people..I started watching the Sopranos in early December , started with Episode One Season One...and i watched every Episode there is, now i am caught up with everyone and this show is crazy....This is da Best Episode this Season...Feech is a man not to be F'd with...Paulie might end up like the lawnmower guy and Johnny Sack is a cold man...Chris looked like such a chump...The next episode is gonna be crazy...what does everyone think about Feech's chances, another Richie Aprille?

</p>

[Iggs56]

I thought this episode was fantastic. Feech definetly is old school, where he takes what he wants. I don't know if he will be another Richie, or Ralphie for that matter. I think that he will be a true test for Tony's management skills in trying to manage the old school and the new school. I also see the rebirth of Livia through Janice, but atleast Tony will be able to stand up to Janice. Very powerful at the end with Junior nearly coming to tears, as if he cannot believe that he is now a withering old man.

</p>

[JDPeck]

jeez, is this a first, a camela-less episode? And where the hell is Melfi
Overall, I really enjoyed the amount of mafia storylines that were presented this week

</p>

[tenaciousdan]

can someone please write a summary of what happened in the episode?

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[shazahaha]

This one really set the bar. Pretty damn good.

</p>

[chicoxl]

AWESOME episode. Best one yet of the season.

Feech's character is a little typical of a Sopranos antagonist, and you can almost take it to the bank that he'll be another Richie as the season shapes up. Of course, that makes it no less enjoyable. He's a great character. I enjoyed his brief scene with Blundetto, and it gave you some insight into Tony B's psyche. No matter what he might say, he's not totally convinced that he wants out yet.

As for the Janice, I thought Tony ripped into her good. He got right to the heart of her dimensia in 5 seconds flat. Him grabbing her by the throat was excellent, and Baccala's reaction - or lack thereof - was very telling. While the Janice/Livia link is an obvious one, Janice is neither smart or cunning enough to have as much pull. I wouldn't be totally shocked to see her bolt out of town before too long. I think everyone is seeing through her now.

The Tony/Junior stuff was classic. Brilliant. While I do miss the old wise-ass Uncle Jun, his character is really shaping up nicely. What I liked especially was how Tony was able to see parrallels between Uncle Junior and his mother. I know that he's starting to wonder how much of his mother's malice (later on in life) was due to her own being, and how much was due to some sort of medical condition. The fact that the doctor who cared for Livia is now caring for Jun had to play in his head.

I also loved the scene with that new girl. "I'll suck your c---. All of you guys!" Classic.

Chrissy seems to be in way over his head, and it seems like only Tony thinks he has any chance at all of moving up in the family. Everybody else looks at him like a lackey and a junkie.

All in all, this was a brilliant episode. It was a set-up while still being action packed enough to carry it's own weight.

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub132.ezboard.com/bsopranolandforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=rightf ielder21>Rightfielder21</A> at: 3/22/04 6:08 am

[joannmel]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>9/10, minus one for Phil not killing Lorraine. <hr></blockquote>


My sentiments exactly....roflmao!!!

SKANK!!!

classic

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[chall100]

Yes I think this is the first Sopranos episode ever without Carmela.
This episode is what I really watch the Sopranos for, the mob parts. This in my opinion is one of the better episodes of the last 3 seasons. Of course, this one does not beat Pine Barrens though.

</p>

[cutthroat]

Great action. Junior was hilarious. His best episode of all the seasons. Amazing scene between Junior and Tonh on couch. FIGHT SCENCE WITH JANICE -- F---in awesome. Energy level in this one is why I watch the Sopranos. Keep 'em comin'.

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[FlyOnMelfisWall]

I missed Carm and Melfi, but this episode was still outstanding. The mob stuff was well done and, unlike last week, was properly counterbalanced with a good deal of family drama. All the stuff between Janice, Tony, and Junior was first rate.

I disagree with the poster above that denigrated Janice's smarts and cunning. She has as much of both as any character on the show, and that's been evidenced repeatedly in myriad ways. And I might add that she has as much guts as anyone. Not many men, let alone women, would slap the crap out of Tony and still be swinging her fists (and connecting) while he's trying to strangle her. She doesn't back down from him, which is one of the reason their scenes can always instantly devolve into all kinds of ugliness.

That said, Tony almost broke my heart tonight. He continues to show that he is the only one in his mob circles with a soul and a spark of decency, which is what makes it possible for this show to appeal to such a diverse audience and for that audience to really care what happens to him.

His move to reconcile with Artie, while not a textbook display of humility and contrition, was still a big step for a guy with Tony's reputation and tough-guy image concerns. He was even bigger-hearted with Baccala, first making it clear that he wanted Bobby to watch after his uncle because he wanted to ensure that Junior was well cared-for, this the same uncle that tried to have him killed 4 years ago. Then Tony offers a little pep talk about Bobby's marriage and makes the very generous statement that Janice is a "good kid", even if he couldn't maintain eye contact when he said it, LMAO. Realizing that Bobby is also his brother in law, though, and that his sister's financial welfare and the tranquility of her home life was tied up with how much Bobby earns, he rethinks his initial position and indicates he'll find some way for Bobby to earn extra money.

Of course he didn't reap much for his efforts at generosity, especially from Junior. The last scene on the couch was brilliantly poignant, with Tony once again the emotionally starved son looking for some crumb of genuine parental affection. Next to what Livia offered, I guess he should consider Junior's silent tears a banquet.

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[harmony2k66]

I agree. I love Janice, and I thought some of her best moments were offered this evening. Everybody on this show is doing so bad. It really is a shipwreck. I thought the best part of "Where's Johnny" was the scene between Tony and Janice. That had been building since Season One, and was a very big payoff in my opinion, That's the kinda stuff I love on this show, and that was a perfect moment. I thought that the scene with Junior and Tony was also the best, and shows how far there relationship has matured. Tony offering Artie a chance to move into his bachelor pad was also good. I loved seeing Artie coming in, with Tony on the couch with the six pack. I hope that this angle continues, and I look forward to seeing the hi-jinx of Artie and tony rooming together. Originally I posted that I didn't want Tony and Artie living together because they would sit around, get drunk, and bitch about there ex's. But I think it might be a lot better, and more than that, especialyl with this show. Paulie and Feech, two old dogs fighting over a bone. Still, Paulie and his Chainsaw Massacre line was some of the best humor this show has provided yet. It might just be my faviorite one liner of the show. I may be wrong, but wasn't tonight's offering from a new writer? Last week I cringed a little when I didn't notice the name, though I saw him as a Consultant in the opening Credits this evening:Matthew Weiner. Now, like the Artie and Tony Room situation, I must say I think it's great that Chase, Green, Winter, and Burgess, aiern't having to do the whole thing. it's great that the structure of the show seems to be more similar to the days of Season One and Two. I thought this season would just be Three with more layers, and more Four added in, but it feels unlike any season in almost every regard except for the ones listed above. Anyways, great episode, Bring on "All Happy Families"! And once again, A great post FlyOnMelfisWall. I remember we both agreed on how great the first episode was, and I did like the second, but I LOVED THIS ONE. This and the first are all the reasons that we may be right, and this might just be the BEST Season yet!!!!!

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[harmony2k66]

I loved her tonight as well. If that was the challenging scene, she handled it perfectly. Back to The Janice and Tony bit, Downneck started the stones for that one, but to actually allow the character of Janice to mature enough on the show, to now just show her scheming, was a long deserved payoff. Aida Tutorro(misspelling) is one of the finest actresses on the show. It was great to see her get to dig into something new. This was the best maerial she has gotten since Season Two and her arrival, and Season Three, and her feud with Svetna. The only problems I had with this episode was what you mentioned FOMW, no Melfi, No carm, and No Meadow. I guess we need a little more time till we can bring Melfi bck into the fold, but I expect this to be the only Carmella-less episode this season. There was also no Silvio, but I read his role was reduced due to touring with The E-Street Band.

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[FlyOnMelfisWall]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>I think it's great that Chase, Green, Winter, and Burgess, aiern't having to do the whole thing<hr></blockquote>

I agree. They always have freelance writers, of course. I even read that a certain percentage of episodes are REQUIRED to be written by freelancers by rules pertaining to the writers guild, or some such union. But it's nice to see one written this well by an "outsider", which makes me think the ones coming up later by the main 4 will be REALLY terrific. These first 3 eps all feel more like setup episodes than anything else. So the new writers are doing a lot of the "dirty" work while the old pros are saving the cream for themselves. And I wouldn't have it any other way.:-)



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[harmony2k66]

Last seasons first few episodes, weren't reallt too much for setup. Come to think of it, neither were Season Threes, while One and Two's first few episodes were all about set up for the season. The way they are setting up this season, it really seems like they are getting us ready for the final rounds. When Chase and Co, do jump "ship" later it should be very interesting to see what happens. I noticed that in the preview for next weeks, "All Hapy Families", it's time for the executive game. I guess this is the one Peter Bogdanovich directs, plus we got Frankie Valli in one of the previews. Can't wait.

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[PatCooper]

I thought it was a slow episode- the trailer from last week had more action than the show- I will need to see a seond showing- I did enjoy a few nice scenes with Paulie and the landscapers-



</p>

[harmony2k66]

I meant When Chase and Co jump aboard ship. Hell, how about when Chase and Co climb aboard.

</p>

[eruptus]

This was definitely a classic episode. They kept gangster- and family-plotlines in perfect balance. If this season is about Tony as the head of the families, this episode served that purpose well. The stuff between him, Janice and Junior was great. Sometimes it seems like Tony is just a little boy. The way he was hurt by Junior's remarks and how he reconciled with Artie showed his human side. I can't remember the last time he was portrayed so vulnerable.

The Feech/Paulie beef was similar to the waiter-killing. These guys are all loose cannons and Tony will have a hard time keeping everybody happy. Not to mention keeping everyone in line.

I can see Chris getting pissed off in the future episodes. Tony hasn't given him any credit after rehab. Instead Tony reminds him of his position and acts like Chris is some kind of an idiot.

Vince Curatola and Frank Vincent were great. Phil Leotardo was one mean bastard and had his share of the great one-liners. ("Is she any good? What am I asking you for, you probably showed her how.")

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[OldMaid54]

Awesome episode! Tony is the little boy and displayed this perfectly in the scene with Uncle Jun.

Janice is a brilliant character. Her level of manipulation is some of the best. I think Bobby is finally realizing what he got himself into.

I loved the scene & conflict between Paulie and Feech and I was waiting for something like this to happen. The way the turf battle was acted out was great and I think this will not be the last between those two.

What about Adrianna? It would be interesting if somebody, e.g. Rosalie, spots her in the car with the fbi lady.

Old Maid


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[CroydCrenson]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>jeez, is this a first, a camela-less episode? And where the hell is Melfi<hr></blockquote>

Probably why I liked this episode so much.

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[TheSopranosHBO]

haha i agree Croyd. Finally we got an episode that focussed on the MOB and not the relationships between Melfi and Tony, and Tony and Carm.

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[TWO GUNS GIANCARLO]

This was the best written episode since Whitecaps. The episode revealed dynamics concerning almost all the relationships that have a direct bearing on Tony's future. Tony having such a severe reaction to Uncle Junior's comments concerning his high school football days just illustrates Tony's ongoing effort to preserve the image that A.j. has of him. A.j.'s was the most surprised at the revelation concerning Tony's football days which was evidence by the look on his face. Tony has always manipulated A.J.'s view of him and I think he was threatened by the possibility of his son looking upon him differently due to Junior's comments.

Tony's moment with Junior at the end of this episode speaks volumes about Tony's need to be liked or loved by everyone around him.

Tony's confrontation with Janice was the most satisfying aspect of this episode, It took Tony all this time to finally express his true opinion of Janice to Janice without trying to be comical about Janice and her irresponsible behavior and her tendency to manipulate and eventually destroy every man whom she becomes involved with. I'm glad to see that Tony has finally taken the gloves off so to speak as far as Janice is concerned.

Paulie and Feech were the equivalent of two pit bulls in a dogfight. Each one not only unwilling but unable to compromise in anyway. In the end we'll see who is top dog between these to old school gangsters, Paulie has finally found in Feech someone just as ruthless and abhorrent as himself.

I'am now more than ever looking forawrd to what this upcoming season has in store.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/devil.gif ALT=":evil">



</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub132.ezboard.com/bsopranolandforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=twogun sgiancarlo>TWO GUNS GIANCARLO</A> http://www.sopranoland.com/episodes/ep02/thumbnails/02-paulie1.jpg at: 3/26/04 4:49 pm

[omertastugots]

I personally think this was one of the best soprano episodes ever because of the great acting, and the humor which hasnt been around a lot lately, plus paulie being involved heavily. I would say this ranks in the top 5 episodes of all time with season 1 ep 6 and ep 12, season 3 ep 11 and season 4 ep 2. I still think season 1 episode 6 and 12 are the best episodes ever. This episode was capped off without melfi being the annoying marge simpson. That is the analogy I thought of. Everything is funny with homer or bart, but then marge has to add her compassion and virtuistic ideas into the mix.The same with melfi. The sopranos is a violent show with all human sins- food, cars, sex, money, greed etc. and melfi ruins it.Especially when she sees her therapist.Jesus h. christ it is the most pointless sh-t ever.

</p>

[madribub]

Tony has always been jealous of Janice. Was there some kind of subconscious retaliation towards her for being Johnny Boy's #1 girl? It was sad at the end for both Junior and Tony. The way Junior was crying reminded me of Boca after he'd pied Bobby. He does love these people, but he's so afraid of his own vulnerabilities. Does he know that he's dying? He must know.

Dostoevsky said in Brothers Karamazov that Hell was a place where we are incapable of love. He warns in the book that if we miss our chance here on earth, to love and be loved, then we have sentenced ourselves to Hell, a limbo land without love where we are an eternity away from the potential acts of love on earth. Maybe that's what's going on with him right now.

Or he could just be dying and he's sad and pissed, scared and regretful? WEll it's all the same.

</p>

[Soda drink]

lol Tony jealous of Janice? give me a break. Barbara was the favored girl not janice....

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[Johnnyo12]

I am loving this season, and this was the best show so far. Janice is a pain in the ass and I agree with some of the others that she will "move away" before the end of the season. I do also feel that Aid's time is ticking- she is either going to tell the FBI to Foff or she is going to get spotted. It appears that she is taking more and more risks where and when she meets with the Feds. Chris has shown that he still doesnt get it. His outburst with Johnny S and T. took him one big step back. I think this old school new school line is going to go in some very very interesting places this season- perhaps Pauli and Leech will go toe to toe?

I would like to see Tony and Uncle J repair their relationship a bit more before Uncle J dies...

I hope Tony and Carm get back to gether

Meadow gets prego

I would also like to see more of Sal, he is the one character I don't feel I know him as well as I know some of the others..

And speaking of Pauli, what about brinning back that Interior decarator?<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/pimp.gif ALT=":hat">

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[Rightfielder21]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>I would also like to see more of Sal, he is the one character I don't feel I know him as well as I know some of the others..<hr></blockquote>

Sal Vitro, the landscaper?

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[thegame1999]

Best episode so far this Season. Three years after Livia's character dies, her influence on the show remains strong.

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[kcmule]

i am disappointed with this episode, and with this new season in general. what made this show special was how the mob activities affected tony's entire family. but now that the family is all broken up, its just a show about mobsters arguing over lawn mowers. i know theres a bit more to it than that, but honestly now that tony's immediate family is so far out of the picture i continue to lose interest.

</p>

[vietzta]

coolz
i hope the episodes keep goin this way
cuz its a gangster show..not a daytime soap opera
if u want that type of drama watch bold and the beautiful or something

</p>

[Johnnyo12]

No Sorry my bad Silvio...... Mr. Bada Bing...<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/pimp.gif ALT=":hat">

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub132.ezboard.com/bsopranolandforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=johnny o12>Johnnyo12</A> at: 3/25/04 12:45 pm

[kcmule]

there have been gangster shows
there have been 'soap opera' type shows
but never before have they been merged so successfully - that's what made the sopranos special (and why they chose to call the show 'the sopranos', no?). doing this made many viewers actually able relate to the characters; we've all been in families before - but we're not all gangsters. the show is still interesting, but IMHO not up to the standards set by itself in earlier seasons.

</p>

[eruptus]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>cuz its a gangster show..not a daytime soap opera<hr></blockquote>
It's definitely not just a gangster-show. Anyone who has seen more than one episode probably knows this. And I think that everyone here likes the gangster-element of the show even a little bit, so that kind of comment is unnecessary.

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>the show is still interesting, but IMHO not up to the standards set by itself in earlier seasons.<hr></blockquote>

That's pretty harsh judgement after three episodes. Each episode has had perfect balance of mob and family stuff. I'm sure you'll see more of that family-stuff in the future episodes. And if last episode didn't have Melfi or Carm, it doesn't mean that the family-plotlines are gone for good.

It's stupid to argue about these things. If the show was just about family, it would lose it's edge and not a lot of people would watch it. It would also lose the moral issues. And if the show was just about the mob-family, it would get old pretty fast. Just look what happened to Oz. Now the show has merged the two sides perfectly. So it's idiotic to say "ditch the family-stuff" or "ditch the mob stuff". One side of the show wouldn't exist without the other. If you don't like the combination, this show is not for you.

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub132.ezboard.com/bsopranolandforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=eruptu s@sopranolandforum>eruptus</A> at: 3/25/04 6:39 pm

[Soda drink]

well said eruptus, well said.

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[FlyOnMelfisWall]

Eruptus, I agree with much of what you wrote. I also appreciate the condescending inaccuracies you were responding to, although the truth of your position would have been no less evident had you left out the words "stupid" and "idiotic".

For the benefit of those who don?t already know, David Chase has offered several tidbits about the origin of the Sopranos. It first took the form of a feature film concept inspired by his wife?s suggestion that he write about his relationship with his mother. Only instead of making the son a television writer/producer, which he felt would bore audiences, he made him a mob guy.

When later approached to do a ?Godfather? type television series, he felt that there was very little else to be done with the traditional mob movie concept or the (by then) hackneyed idea of following the exploits of a ?crew? of mob guys. He felt the only new place to go was to the mob guy?s suburban home, to the contemporary reality of family life for someone in today?s Mafia. He combined this idea with his prior feature film idea about a mob guy with a difficult mother, and the Sopranos was born.

He has also commented that the mob stuff in the show, for him, is like the trunk of a Christmas tree. He doesn?t really look at it for the trunk. What he?s really interested in are the branches and all the ornaments and tinsel that hang on them ? i.e., Tony?s psychology, personal relationships, and family life. Yet the branches obviously stem from and are supported by the unseen trunk.

Also telling are the broad themes that Chase has articulated for each season. You?ll notice he hasn?t said season one was about Tony wrestling with his uncle for ultimate control of the mob or that season two was about Tony discovering and eliminating traitors within his crew or that season three was about Tony's efforts to deal with a particularly ambitious and ruthless underling (Ralph). In Chase?s own words, seasons one through four focussed on Tony as a son, brother, parent, and husband respectively.

These statements reveal pretty clearly what this series was conceived to be: a family drama centered around the patriarch, one who happens to be in the mob. The mob provides the very important context for the drama, but it is still context ? background ? that which is offered not for its own intrinsic value but to enhance and augment the character study and family drama which is the foreground and focal point of interest. And this concept is born out by the sheer amount of screen time devoted through the first four seasons to shrink visits, nursing home visits, college and secondary school visits, ADD, juvenile delinquency, kids? soccer and football games, school choral concerts, family dinners, family barbecues, kitchen bickering, dining room bickering, family room bickering, bedroom bickering, and the like. It?s no coincidence that the opening and closing sequences of each and every season thus far are dominated by images of Tony?s home, of Tony in his shrink?s office, or of Tony surrounded by his wife and children.

I can say that without this family focus, I would never have gotten sufficiently absorbed in this series to become a regular viewer, let alone the rabidly obsessive viewer and poster that I am today. But I?ll take it one step farther. If Chase had not imbued the central character with the psychological conflicts, moral self-contradictions, and endearing vulnerabilities of Tony Soprano, I would not be watching. I simply have no capacity to give a crap about a bunch of mostly stupid, inarticulate, sociopathic, conscienceless alpha males with an infinite greed for money and power, perverse delusions about ?loyalty?, zero impulse control, and a view of women that lies somewhere between misogyny and the conviction that they are worthwhile only as broodmares or for the blow jobs they provide. In other words, I have no interest in guys like Christopher, Paulie, Feech, Ralphie, Richie, et. al. Put any one of them into the center of this show, and, no matter how many wives and children you give him, he won?t make me care what happens to him and therefore won?t command my interest or loyalty as a viewer. Tony has much in common with those men, but it?s his striking differences, the dichotomies between what we sense he would most like to be and what he is, that make the Sopranos appeal to such a diverse and large audience. I know my sensibilities must statistically represent at least a good million or so viewers.

On the other hand, I agree with eruptus that Tony's psychological and family conflicts derive their compelling moral gravity from his mob involvement. So even though I watch for the family and psychological drama, I appreciate the crucial importance of the mob context. If Tony were a wealthy real estate developer instead of a Mafioso, the Sopranos would still be a good series but not the colossal film/television landmark that it has become.

</p>

[eruptus]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>although the truth of your position would have been no less evident had you left out the words "stupid" and "idiotic".<hr></blockquote>
Ok, maybe it was a bit rude. I just got REALLY tired of this pointless criticism.

</p>

[Soda drink]

WOW! flyonmelfiswall<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/pimp.gif ALT=":hat"> ......thats all im gonna say

</p>

[Vesuvio]

You're absolutely right. This was the first episode ever without Carm. As the clock was winding down, I was sure that they'd show her at some point.

She was the only character besides Tony to have appeared in every episode. Her streak is now over at 54 straight.



</p>

[aalleyne]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>I do also feel that Aid's time is ticking- she is either going to tell the FBI to Foff or she is going to get spotted. <hr></blockquote>

I agree, but the problem with her telling the FBI to f--- off is that if she does that, they'll bust her for moving cocaine through her nightclub. And if they do that, they'll also probably make sure Tony and the boys find out that she was baiting them out--which might very well mean curtain for her . . .

So in other words, I think Ade's informant status is going to get spotted eventually no matter what she does. Otherwise what's the point?

</p>

[Soda drink]

lol i wonder how an episode with out tony soprano being seen or even mentioned will be like....i cant fathom it.

</p>