Sopranos Episode 3: Rocking the Boat
Post-hospitalization, it’s obvious that Tony is peering ever deeper into his own mortality and not enjoying the view. He’s visibly shaken by the future (the Feds are hovering, old bodies are resurfacing) and refuses to look back at either good or bad memories, and as last night’s episode liberally peppered references to his early relationships with his father and Uncle Junior (who kept up his own inexorable waltz between past and present, invoking life lessons from his immigrant dad and confusing his fellow patient and new protégé with a young Tony), his adolescent hero worship of Paulie, his first hit, the birth of Meadow, all of it exacerbated by the warm glow of vitality emanating from two black and white photos, Tony attempted to block it out with his pre shot-in-the-gut faves- excessive eating, drinking and whoring. Throughout the hour Tony’s feeling towards Paulie seesawed between simple admiration for his old school ways (his brazenness with the hijackers, his gifting of the expensive coffee machine, his special relationship with Daddy Soprano, capped off by Beansie’s more than apt summation to Tony: “You’re all he’s got. You, the guys, and his image.”), and outright exasperation over Paulie’s chippy, non-stop, encyclopedic reminiscing and vainglorious ways, “Remember-when is the lowest form of conversation.” The story arc curved and suspended splendidly during the boat trip, as the seas ominously and rhythmically rocked the boat, as the spectral presence of Big Pussy loomed harder-than-concrete, and as Tony and Paulie’s emotions veered from shared fellowship to paranoia to murderous contemplation.
Red Sox and Yankees: Having A Wild Weekend
While far too many members of Red Sox nation are basking smugly while munching down their daily Dunkin Donuts sinker after the continually-come-from-behind- 4 HR game-highlighted-3-game-sweep why don’t the rest of eternal realists skip past yet another Pyrrhic April victory while remembering the mostly sad September Sox-Yankee history and do a quick gut check. Yes, the pitching was stellar, yes, (for once) the offense was clutch, and yes, the defense a bit more than adequate, and there were many good signs (successful bunts, Tek hitting again, the emergence of Okie, the continuation of solid starting pitching, Papelbunny’s energizer act, Tito’s chess moves) but the Yankees were undeniably a hurting team, with a sub par Johnny D, no Sox-killer Posada, rookie arms and third string catchers, no Matsui, Mussina, Pavano or Wang. The games were tight, nail-biters, the weekend play was indeed exhilarating, 2 outta 3 in New Yawk next week would be blissful, but take it easy boys and gurls, it ain’t even May…
3 comments:
That scene between Paulie and Tony in the rocking boat was undeniable. The writing was spot on. Paulie, no dummy to the ways of Tony, laid back like Ali deflecting each accusation with his own version of the rope a dope.
Even though it looks like summer in Sopranoland, the feel is definitely autumn. The colors are so alive that they're bound to fade and die any day.
Junior and the asian nut kid was a great vingette. The buttons as currency ("Here kid have a taste. You earned it"), the candy bars, the betrayals, the One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest black orderlies. Junior may not recover from the beating the kid gave him. It looks like he'll have his own version of drooling hell to contend with.
...and while I watched this, the Red Sox hit four friggin home runs in a row....gadzooks.
Me say me no likee show steleo-typee asian-amelikan ovel-achievah likee they do with Junior's clazee flend who go barristic and go kung-foo fighting at end rast week episorde. Seeclet asian man say he no likee no how.
Other than that, however, the episode was flawless.
Say Mikey,
If violations of Asian steretypes are more to your liking, then you must have LOVED the Virginia Tech whackfest.
Imagine ... an Asian NOT making it at a tech school.
Now a DRIVING school, I could understand.
Charlie
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