Indicators of Tony's Decline as a Person Over the Years

[thegame1999]

I didnt really know what to name this topic but I guess that will do. Anyway, I felt like last nights episode really degraded Tony; the coke snorting and lust for his nephews fiancee in my opinion are two indicators that Tony is eventually going to hit rock bottom. If you recall Season 2's "Commendatori" episode, Tony turned down sex with Annalissa because it was 'bad for business'; but judging from his behavior last night, you know he's changed for the worst. He is barely in control anymore, you know as well as I do that the Tony we are watching right now would f*** the brains out of Annalissa should he go back to Italy tommorow despite any 'bad business'. Trying to have sex with the finacee of what is supposed to be a sort of second son to him is downright disgusting; let alone the fact that he was willing to risk that special 'bond' just for some cuz. Season 4's incident with Ralphie was another good indicator of Tony letting personal feelings conflict with business. If anyone has the DVD available to them, pop in Season 1 and right away you should notice the difference; this guy used to be somewhat in control. Anyone agree? Disagree?

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[stonedcrazyguy]

absolute power corrupts absolutely..i mean tony is the boss now, he should be able to take some liberties not afforded to him when he was just a capo, not to mention he is recently divorced and having a midlife crisis.

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[Vanillathunder]

I think this season is just the "deconstruction of Tony Soprano".


All things being equal, I wouldn't be surprised if Chase is merely breaking Tony down to hae him rebuilt as a completely different person... sort of the "you only know yourself if you've hit rock bottom" idea.

I think he's going to come back a better person..and Tony is an endearing character because he's a basically good man with a criminal job. If he was all crime and evil, you wouldn't like him. Circumstances are what make Tony do the things he does, not his spirit.

I don't think this series will have a noir ending because it's not a dark story.

My $.02


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[FlyOnMelfisWall]

I agree that all these things -- coke use, increasingly reckless sex life, the desperate, doomed play for Melfi, the sudden infatuation with Ade, the increasingly out of control eating, the return of panic attacks -- all these things and more are signs of an approaching nadir in Tony's ongoing existential/spiritual/midlife/love-or-whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it crisis. He has dipped in and out of this crisis periodically since the very first episode of the series, managing most of the time to operate above it. But, as Melfi points out to him in House Arrest, that's largely because he "keeps moving" in "ceaseless action", like a shark, so he can avoid confronting the moral questions that, in large part, are causing the crisis.

The "ceaseless action" includes the constant indulgence of primal urges or sheer sensual gratification, whether it takes the form of pizza/lasagna/shrimp alfredo marathons or an endless parade of pole dancers, goomars, and miscellaneous sex partners. His compulsions are becoming increasingly reckless, increasingly urgent, and increasingly ineffective to accomplish their dilatory purpose.

I know Chase is not romantic enough to fundamentally "cure" this guy, but I have to believe that at some point before the final episode of the series, Tony will for once be able to at least consciously recognize some of the spiritual and emotional holes and moral defects these behaviors are attempting to cover. That alone might help him control some of the more egregious behaviors.

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