Season 6 Theme

[The Mick]

Looking back on Season 6 (or 6A if you want to call it that) one underlying theme seems to be that there's no getting out of the mob.

Consider what we saw this season:

Eugene gains financial independance, wants to break away, is prevented from doing so, and takes his own life.

Ray Curto, a co-operator, who would otherwise be able to get out and into the witness protection program dies.

Vito, for all intents and purposes DOES get out, enjoys the life his "freedom" allowed. Anonymity, being free to be who he is sexually...and yet even he can't escape it, and returns, to his death.

Even Tony and Carm who at different points this season looked as if they might have spiritual epiphanies which might have them questioning their lifestyle...and yet invariably they return to their old habits.

All this is in stark contrast to Tony who we see struggling somewhat with questions of morality.....everything that is happening around him screams there is no way out.

This message has always been there, Ade is an example, even the informant that Tony killed in Season 2(?) when he was taking Meadow around to colleges.

But the message seemed very much an undercurrent to this season, which could setup an interesting final 8 for Tony and his family.

Thoughts?

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[jimmythefish82]

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Vito, for all intents and purposes DOES get out, enjoys the life his "freedom" allowed. Anonymity, being free to be who he is sexually...and yet even he can't escape it, and returns, to his death.<hr></blockquote>

Perhaps this reinforces the fact that actually, there is a way out for all of them, but their own greed precludes them from going straight.

Edit: Christopher and Adriana had their way out too, had they chosen to go into witness protection. Sure, they may have been found eventually, but it would have given them a chance of an honest living away from the mob. Remember, it was Chris seeing the family packing into a car in the gas station, arguing amongst each other, that convinced him to betray Adriana - he wanted to stay in 'this life' for everything it gives him.

Vito is a great example of this, he could have stayed with Johnnycakes, worked an honest living in construction - but he was too greedy (and lazy) to do so. He preferred to take his chances with Tony than stick to a decent and hardworking living. So his greed, indirectly, killed him. This is not to say, of course, that what Phil did to him was justified in any way, shape or form - but Vito knew the risk he was exposing himself to by going back - emphasises how strong his greed was.

Same can be said of Tony and Carmela - they could wax lyrical about doing the right thing, being good parents, good Catholics, as much as they like - but when it comes to the crunch they are too accustomed to their affluent lifestyles to walk away.

Even Eugene - he only wanted out when he was independently wealthy. I think it's fair to say he would never have wanted to go to Florida to start afresh, make an honest living - it was his inheritance that made that a possibility (in his mind) because he would still be able to enjoy the trappings of wealth.

Ray Curto - no doubt the Feds had something solid on him which forced him to turn informant (as with big Pussy and his H dealing) - so he was ultimately also informing on Tony and everyone else for his own, selfish, greedy ends. Not money in this case, but to avoid jail. He was hardly doing it to be a model, upstanding citizen!

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p098.ezboard.com/bthechaselounge.showUserPublicProfile?gid=jimmythe fish82>jimmythefish82</A> at: 6/6/06 10:58 am

[The Mick]

Not questioning your assessment of the way each character cam about their own set of circumstances, quite the opposite.

I think it underscores my point.

All of these characters reached a point where it looked like they might get out of "the life".
Sure, they all took different paths to get there, but the point is, not one fo them made it out.

Vito especially underscores my point, he was out, but the greed, the lifestyle, living large....he couldn't let it go.

Chris was contemplating flipping until he went ot the gas station and saw his future in the family with the station wagon.

That very theme, that there is no way out, does not bode well for Tony, if you subscribe (as many people here seem to) that he is headed towards a point where he will seriously question his lifetstyle.

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