Apparently Phil did 20 years in the can.
Television The Sopranos
- Thread starter Solius
- Start date
I bet he took it in the can for 20 years.
Now I'm a soft fecker so I prefer to assume it all just ended at a random point in time illustrating the inherent uncertainty of Tony's way of life, but I would have thought the bolded part was the obvious implication, with Butch orchestrating things to ensure Phil is eliminated and he both wins leadership of his own family and neuters the New Jersey threat. I did just Google that idea there now and found an interesting alternative explanation that Patsy Parisi orchestrated a hit on Tony. Without rewatching anything or reading any further that has an inherent logic, with Parisi clearly having a deep unresolved grievance against Tony. Paulie seems an absolute non-starter to me, as he did seem perversely loyal in a weird way and its hard to imagine any rival family wanting him leading the New Jersey crew anyway. Similarly, it just doesn't seem congruous in any way with Furio's character to have Tony killed in front of Carmella and the family (and how would he still have the requisite local knowledge of the situation), there was never any suggestion of a relationship between the Italian boss and New York, and Hesh seems impossible to me too.
I looked for this thread because I happened to be watching 'Pine Barrens'. What an incredible piece of television. I know its somewhat anomalous in terms of both quality and structure, but it does seem illustrative of the differences between The Sopranos and The Wire, by far my two favourite TV shows ever before Game of Thrones came along to upset the equilbrium.
The Wire is just unrivalled in terms of its panoramic vision and critique of a society, but the looser plotting of The Sopranos allowed for some truly brilliant character development and an incredible amount of hilarious shit for such a serious drama. Pine Barrens was the apex really. It took me about two hours to watch it tonight between drunken piss breaks and constant rewinding as it was just so good. The Paulie/Christopher relationship was articulated brilliantly, and Christopher's hysterical laughing at the end of the gun-drawing scene seemed to summarise their relationship perfectly, with Chris somehow transcending the moment to acknowledge the absurd balance of comradery and resentment, shared allegiance and paranoia, that defined their relationship.
Also, until a Google search midway through typing this self-indulgent post, I had no idea that Tony Sirico (Paulie) appeared in Goodfellas, or that he had such a meaty criminal record
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The Wire is just unrivalled in terms of its panoramic vision and critique of a society, but the looser plotting of The Sopranos allowed for some truly brilliant character development and an incredible amount of hilarious shit for such a serious drama. Pine Barrens was the apex really. It took me about two hours to watch it tonight between drunken piss breaks and constant rewinding as it was just so good. The Paulie/Christopher relationship was articulated brilliantly, and Christopher's hysterical laughing at the end of the gun-drawing scene seemed to summarise their relationship perfectly, with Chris somehow transcending the moment to acknowledge the absurd balance of comradery and resentment, shared allegiance and paranoia, that defined their relationship.
Also, until a Google search midway through typing this self-indulgent post, I had no idea that Tony Sirico (Paulie) appeared in Goodfellas, or that he had such a meaty criminal record
.I remember pissing myself because of those lines. Interior decoratorI looked for this thread because I happened to be watching 'Pine Barrens'. What an incredible piece of television. I know its somewhat anomalous in terms of both quality and structure, but it does seem illustrative of the differences between The Sopranos and The Wire, by far my two favourite TV shows ever before Game of Thrones came along to upset the equilbrium.
The Wire is just unrivalled in terms of its panoramic vision and critique of a society, but the looser plotting of The Sopranos allowed for some truly brilliant character development and an incredible amount of hilarious shit for such a serious drama. Pine Barrens was the apex really. It took me about two hours to watch it tonight between drunken piss breaks and constant rewinding as it was just so good. The Paulie/Christopher relationship was articulated brilliantly, and Christopher's hysterical laughing at the end of the gun-drawing scene seemed to summarise their relationship perfectly, with Chris somehow transcending the moment to acknowledge the absurd balance of comradery and resentment, shared allegiance and paranoia, that defined their relationship.
Also, until a Google search midway through typing this self-indulgent post, I had no idea that Tony Sirico (Paulie) appeared in Goodfellas, or that he had such a meaty criminal record
I remember pissing myself because of those lines. Interior decorator
Paulie is just brilliant. This scene cracks me up every time I see it:Going back to Phil and Tony's relationship, the NY mob really looked down on the Jersey guys. In real life, they called them 'farmers' and regarded them as buffoons. It would have really rankled Phil to have to toe the line and show deference to a guy who he had so little respect for. Phil is proper old school. He's a made guy. He did his time without turning rat. He's got blood on his hands. He's the real deal. Let's not forget, also, that Tony had a non-traditional accession to the throne, kind of inheriting it 'for show' so that Junior could get the Feds off his case.
Similarly, when John was underboss, he was kind of on Tony's level. When he succeeded Carmine (eventually), there was no doubt in his mind that he was the King and Tony had to pay tribute to him. None of this "We're both bosses, we're just the same" bollocks.
Similarly, when John was underboss, he was kind of on Tony's level. When he succeeded Carmine (eventually), there was no doubt in his mind that he was the King and Tony had to pay tribute to him. None of this "We're both bosses, we're just the same" bollocks.
Yeah, cracks me up every time. 16 Czechoslovakians!I remember pissing myself because of those lines. Interior decorator
The last scene was definitely left open to interpretation, so I am not accepting for one moment that Tony was killed there. Just that the story ended.
Word to the wise - remembah Pearl Harbah.
The show is just very funny. Not just the gags and the obvious one-liners, but the little quirks throughout. For instance, I'm on the episode where AJ got high with his friends and they shaved his eyebrows off. Tony, midway through his lecture, looks really bemused and asks "what's different about you?" Not exactly gut busting jokes, but constant snigger worthy moments like that litter the show.
Another classic is Carmine in this clip:
Hahahaha
Just finished watching this for the first time. I binge watched it in about 3 weeks.
I had been nagged to watch this for years by mates, but more recently over the last year or two by @Rado_N and @Alock1 so I want to thank them both for pushing me to watch it. .
I definitely enjoyed it, and absolutely loved it in most parts, but there's a lot to take in and I will definitely have to watch it again in a year or so. It is a really clever show, and for the most part extremely well written. The dialogue is crisp and sharp and very witty, and it really does make you think an awful lot about the characters and I found myself often changing my opinion of many of them. The depth of character development is almost unsurpassed in anything I have ever seen and the way you can love them one minute and want them dead the next, then back to loving them again is outstanding. I could write forever about each character, and I loved the way that absolutely every character had flaws. Not one was perfect, and you could relate to so many of them and their problems too.
The music is class throughout, the humour is sometimes very subtle, but it's so funny in places and has many true laugh out loud moments, the violence is believable and I love the way it's actually done very tastefully for a gangster show. I loved the tributes to all the classics. There many nods to The Godfather, some to Casino, many to Goodfellas, a couple to Carlito's Way, and also a few to The Untouchables and many more. I loved the way they included real life actors playing themselves, and as with The Wire, the social commentary was 100% spot on and scary in parts. Overall the show had an exceptionally positive and modern liberal message, and it certainly spent enough time knocking the shit out of American politics and especially their foreign policy and the actions of Bush and Cheney and the Republican party.
All in all, I loved it, and rate it right up there as one of my favourite TV shows, it's not as good as The Wire imho although it is close, it just falls short, but to be fair, I rate The Wire so highly I honestly can't ever see anything topping it, but fair play to The Sopranos, its definitely right up there.
I had been nagged to watch this for years by mates, but more recently over the last year or two by @Rado_N and @Alock1 so I want to thank them both for pushing me to watch it. .
I definitely enjoyed it, and absolutely loved it in most parts, but there's a lot to take in and I will definitely have to watch it again in a year or so. It is a really clever show, and for the most part extremely well written. The dialogue is crisp and sharp and very witty, and it really does make you think an awful lot about the characters and I found myself often changing my opinion of many of them. The depth of character development is almost unsurpassed in anything I have ever seen and the way you can love them one minute and want them dead the next, then back to loving them again is outstanding. I could write forever about each character, and I loved the way that absolutely every character had flaws. Not one was perfect, and you could relate to so many of them and their problems too.
The music is class throughout, the humour is sometimes very subtle, but it's so funny in places and has many true laugh out loud moments, the violence is believable and I love the way it's actually done very tastefully for a gangster show. I loved the tributes to all the classics. There many nods to The Godfather, some to Casino, many to Goodfellas, a couple to Carlito's Way, and also a few to The Untouchables and many more. I loved the way they included real life actors playing themselves, and as with The Wire, the social commentary was 100% spot on and scary in parts. Overall the show had an exceptionally positive and modern liberal message, and it certainly spent enough time knocking the shit out of American politics and especially their foreign policy and the actions of Bush and Cheney and the Republican party.
All in all, I loved it, and rate it right up there as one of my favourite TV shows, it's not as good as The Wire imho although it is close, it just falls short, but to be fair, I rate The Wire so highly I honestly can't ever see anything topping it, but fair play to The Sopranos, its definitely right up there.
This ending....
I think this one is better. Makes me feel bad for Phil.
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The Pine Barrens is my favourite episode by far.
I've watched the complete series 4 times now but that episode more like 10 times. Brilliant writing and acting.
I've watched the complete series 4 times now but that episode more like 10 times. Brilliant writing and acting.
These two scenes crack me up every single time.
"fecking smash his fecking face in"
"Get outta my room you sick cnut"
Perfect delivery
"fecking smash his fecking face in"
"Get outta my room you sick cnut"
Perfect delivery
"The guy was an interior decorator"
"His house looked like shit"
"His house looked like shit"
"I am reminded of Louis the whatever's finance minister, 'The' something..." - Gandolfini's face throughout that scene is perfect.
Watching it for the 2nd time at the minute and had forgotten just how great it is. As complex and ambitious as The Wire was it can't match The Sopranos as pure entrainment. To think that a line like, "I hear Ginnie Sack is having a 90lb mole removed from her ass!" Could be so funny yet so dangerous. Encapsulates the show, a tightrope between humour and violence.
It's fantastic stuff.
It's fantastic stuff.
Me too, I'm on the third season right now, going through it pretty fast. The 2nd time is a lot better since the first time I had a hard time keeping up with who all the mobsters were and what their ranks were etc, particularly all the different crews and families.
So true, how many times did "breaking balls" end up in murder, or at least a nice vicious beat-down?
This show was the best thing about being unemployed last year. I actually look back at my unemployment fondly because of this show, I binge watched it like I never binge watched anything before. It was wonderful.
Apparently Phil did 20 years in the can.
I was listening to that this morning, weird.
That is weird.
Feck off
Yeah, I know exactly who everyone is now so I can just sit back and follow the story without having to mentally catch up.
The slightest thing can lead to a hit!
The maddest thing for me is how the writers can have Tony do the worst possible things and stay likeable. He's such a complex character. I really should dislike him!
Oh I thought you were being sarky
ffs I'm going to bedOh I thought you were being sarky
That was my one post of the week where I wasn't being sarky!
When Paulie returns to his Ma' and watches TV with her, what a sweet moment! Also I love how this show portrays the mob wives, they're so funny when they get together.
Paulie and Christopher in the woods with crazy "Czechoslovakian" is the best episode ever.
Love how protective he was over her, getting that principal guy beat up. Also when he robbed and killed her friend. Great character.
He was an interior decorator!!
Also, part where Chris says to Tone that he'll end up dying of a heart attack in his 50's cause he's eating a big steak is quite sad now that we know he died of a heart attack in his 50's.