illiades
June 6th, 2007, 12:27 AM
Firstly, as for myself, have been reading for a while and finally decided to post.
Secondly, and more importantly, the issue. A matter of chronology....
When AJ was in the 'secure unit' being visited by his parents Carmella commented 'just one more week of this'' to Tony.
The next scene Tony is being warned by Agent Harris that the hit is out.
Then, some time after, the scene where the 'who and who' should be touched from the New Jersey faction between the New York guys in the beauty salon occurs, followed immediately by AJ being at home coming downstairs for 'homemade oatmeal'.
Somewhere during these vital scenes a week has passed.
Tony has either not heeded the threat prior to Harris, or even pro Harris' warning, or has not accomodated it the importance he needed to.
Bobby was killed, as we are implied to believe, he didnt answer the telephone call which would have forewarned him in his car as he entered the train store.
Silvio was shot as he was just, literally, leaving his workplace.
Seconds made the difference between these two living and being hit, for, had Bobby answered the call, he might have been more cautious, and had Silvio not been warned by Tony until just before to have, somewhat morbidly, 'eyes in the back of his head', he too might have been more suitably prepared. Gun in hand, rather than in the backseat of the car, spring to mind.
Tony is not only responsible for the deaths'near deaths of his consigliere, and more importantly close friend, Sil and his brother in law, Bobby, but he is responsible for a clear lack of, or poor application of, strategy on his families behalf.
As Paulies audio book version of Sun Tzu will testify, never fight a war you cant win. And as the art of war suggests, striking first, categorically, and decisively, is a significant part of being a leader / general of men.
Tony has thus far 'failed' miserably.
The multitude are hardly with him, certainly not in regards to physicality.
His closest in one family are gone.
His closest in the other, those by him at Arties for one 'of the best nights of his life in the storming rain' are still with him.
For his downfall doesnt he have to lose these too?
His strategy towards them is far from convincing as of yet. He has left them in the 'open'.
No doubt seperating them from him is the logical move, but without a protector, has he not left them in the wilderness.
All of them. By themselves.
Truth be told, Tony has backed himself into a corner.
He cant call on a Hesh like figure to mediate, damn, even Hesh has relative vengeance towards him at the moment.
He cant 'rely' on a Christopher, on a Tony B, on a Silvio, on a Bobby, even on a Pussy who he lost touch of before he had lost touch 'of' himself. Nor his Uncle.
Those close to Tony dont surivive.
His strategy and planning fails them all.
His plans for Chris were fruitless. For Bobby too.
For Meadow, plans of a doctor dont fruit.
For AJ, nothing lasts.
A likeable character, in parts, Tony can be, and its only through the complexity of his character, or the talent of David Chase, that we can sincerely feel 'for' him. Be it empathy or not.
But as a symbol of a 'strong' leader, a giant amongst men, even as a mob boss? He has failed.
Their collective power has weakened under his command.
Tony is the anti-thesis of Sun Tzu's ideal.
His strategy has left him by himself in his room.
He is where he has carried himself to be.
Its his own fault. Its causality. Its the big bubble at the end of the flow chart.
Its karma. Its justice. Call it what you will, but he has only himself to blame and those around him have justification to blame their plights, to a great extent, on him too.
If all this is so, the final question is.....as a depressive sociopath, can we believe that subconsciously this was his all of his own willing? The downfall was of his making?
ps - and on another note,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131AQlnDQu0 - a sopranos trailer for the final season, the 2nd part of the series.... 48 seconds in to the trailer, has this yet to happen? the 3 people shooting?
its 6.25 am here so maybe am 'forgetting' something.
Secondly, and more importantly, the issue. A matter of chronology....
When AJ was in the 'secure unit' being visited by his parents Carmella commented 'just one more week of this'' to Tony.
The next scene Tony is being warned by Agent Harris that the hit is out.
Then, some time after, the scene where the 'who and who' should be touched from the New Jersey faction between the New York guys in the beauty salon occurs, followed immediately by AJ being at home coming downstairs for 'homemade oatmeal'.
Somewhere during these vital scenes a week has passed.
Tony has either not heeded the threat prior to Harris, or even pro Harris' warning, or has not accomodated it the importance he needed to.
Bobby was killed, as we are implied to believe, he didnt answer the telephone call which would have forewarned him in his car as he entered the train store.
Silvio was shot as he was just, literally, leaving his workplace.
Seconds made the difference between these two living and being hit, for, had Bobby answered the call, he might have been more cautious, and had Silvio not been warned by Tony until just before to have, somewhat morbidly, 'eyes in the back of his head', he too might have been more suitably prepared. Gun in hand, rather than in the backseat of the car, spring to mind.
Tony is not only responsible for the deaths'near deaths of his consigliere, and more importantly close friend, Sil and his brother in law, Bobby, but he is responsible for a clear lack of, or poor application of, strategy on his families behalf.
As Paulies audio book version of Sun Tzu will testify, never fight a war you cant win. And as the art of war suggests, striking first, categorically, and decisively, is a significant part of being a leader / general of men.
Tony has thus far 'failed' miserably.
The multitude are hardly with him, certainly not in regards to physicality.
His closest in one family are gone.
His closest in the other, those by him at Arties for one 'of the best nights of his life in the storming rain' are still with him.
For his downfall doesnt he have to lose these too?
His strategy towards them is far from convincing as of yet. He has left them in the 'open'.
No doubt seperating them from him is the logical move, but without a protector, has he not left them in the wilderness.
All of them. By themselves.
Truth be told, Tony has backed himself into a corner.
He cant call on a Hesh like figure to mediate, damn, even Hesh has relative vengeance towards him at the moment.
He cant 'rely' on a Christopher, on a Tony B, on a Silvio, on a Bobby, even on a Pussy who he lost touch of before he had lost touch 'of' himself. Nor his Uncle.
Those close to Tony dont surivive.
His strategy and planning fails them all.
His plans for Chris were fruitless. For Bobby too.
For Meadow, plans of a doctor dont fruit.
For AJ, nothing lasts.
A likeable character, in parts, Tony can be, and its only through the complexity of his character, or the talent of David Chase, that we can sincerely feel 'for' him. Be it empathy or not.
But as a symbol of a 'strong' leader, a giant amongst men, even as a mob boss? He has failed.
Their collective power has weakened under his command.
Tony is the anti-thesis of Sun Tzu's ideal.
His strategy has left him by himself in his room.
He is where he has carried himself to be.
Its his own fault. Its causality. Its the big bubble at the end of the flow chart.
Its karma. Its justice. Call it what you will, but he has only himself to blame and those around him have justification to blame their plights, to a great extent, on him too.
If all this is so, the final question is.....as a depressive sociopath, can we believe that subconsciously this was his all of his own willing? The downfall was of his making?
ps - and on another note,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131AQlnDQu0 - a sopranos trailer for the final season, the 2nd part of the series.... 48 seconds in to the trailer, has this yet to happen? the 3 people shooting?
its 6.25 am here so maybe am 'forgetting' something.