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Sopranos Final Season

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from: Brian Williams
to: Jeffrey Goldberg and Timothy Noah

Week 5: God, It's Good To See Meadow Again

Updated Monday, May 7, 2007, at 2:45 PM ET

Timothy Noah chatted with readers about The Sopranos on June 7. Read the transcript here.

Dear Jeff and Tim,

What an episode. But as we say in television: More on that after this.

First, I'm compelled to defend myself against an offensive and demeaning mischaracterization in Jeff's otherwise kind introduction. I was appalled to read Jeff's description of me as a "troubled visionary." Anyone who knows me can tell you I have never been a visionary. While I indeed played a role in modern music while a teenager wearing tight-fitting khakis in California (I really did have a friend named Rhonda and badly needed her assistance), in the years since, I've devoted my life to journalism and the search for a really good sausage sandwich.

I am humbled to be present and share this space. My bona fides are these: Born and raised in New Jersey, I once attended a wedding reception at Snuffy's in North Jersey with a full capo in attendance.

An important biographical note: While living in Jersey, I was a fireman in the town where I grew up. Many of the members of my volunteer fire department were police officers by day, and many of them did home repairs to make ends meet. I never knew any of them to pay less than retail for drills, sanders, or circular saws. I still visit the state, via public roads, to see my father, and so I just wanted to make that clear.

But back to my bona fides. I later covered the Scarfo trial in Philadelphia, and had the same exposure to Gotti as most reporters in New York did in the late '80s and early '90s. My devotion to The Sopranos is total. I can quote the price of gasoline at the Sunoco station in the opening sequence, I have eaten at Pizzaland and have been to the Bing. Full disclosure: During the shooting of a feature on the show a few weeks ago, I learned stuff. No one will ever get it out of me. Even if they held me down, took my shoes off, and ... well, never mind.

So now it gets darker. Tony's annoyance is palpable, Christopher discovers that clean living in a dirty line of work is a crippling oxymoron. Paulie freelances at landscaping, and A.J. freelances in the family business.

David Chase continues to exercise his ear and his eye. He knows that no man can grill near another man without offering grilling advice. We hear enough low-flying aircraft noise to know exactly how close Christopher's house is to EWR. The Dido music (coupled with the couple playing tonsil hockey at the pizza restaurant) forces A.J. to throw in the apron. Carmela is reading Fred Barnes. We got to see John Wayne as Red Adair, we got to see Tony's post-Sept. 11 patriotism in full bloom, and while we worry that the feds have infiltrated AA, we now learn Christopher may not need the motivation of a RICO charge to spill what he knows. Nobody drops Sammy Bull's name casually. Oh, and memo to Dick Wolf: That next script you're waiting for may be a little late. Speaking of corporate alliances, is it possible HBO made a product-placement deal with NBC (Leno and Law and Order, plus NASCAR is on TV at the Bing) that I didn't know about?

By the way, for those of you on Judaica Watch: Where did "tsoris" come from during Christopher's impromptu stairwell AA after-meeting? I was rocked by it. Was I alone?

Other noteworthy moments: Carm's near-poetic use of "loved and lost ... ," which was so beautifully lost on Tony and A.J., Christopher's tip of the hat to Dunkin Donuts' centennial celebration (which many of us thought did not get the media coverage it deserved at the time), and Tony's Tom Friedman-esque distinction between Arabs ... and Arabians.

The chenille throw under which A.J. watched television (in the "fetus position") was yet another reason to erect a monument to the set designer.

For those of you on Malaprop Watch: We're into double digits. "Mellifluous box," and " ... all that it entrails" were this week joined by ostrafied.

God, it's good to see Meadow again. I say that as the father of a college freshman. The smiles exchanged by Tony and Carm, warmed by the thought of their children trading the usual barbs at the family table, mask the trouble beneath the surface.

Best,
Brian

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from: Brian Williams
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Week 5: God, It's Good To See Meadow Again

Updated Monday, May 7, 2007, at 2:45 PM ET
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Jeffrey Goldberg is a national correspondent for the Atlantic and the author of Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror. Stephen Metcalf is Slate's critic at large. He is working on a book about the 1980s. Timothy Noah is a senior writer at Slate. Brian Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News. Terence Winter is a writer and an executive producer of The Sopranos. His teleplay "Pine Barrens," written with Tim Van Patten, won the 2001 Writers Guild Award and the Edgar Award.
Slate home page cover, June 11, 2007: Still of James Gandolfini in The Sopranos by Craig Blankenhorn © HBO. All rights reserved. Still from The Sopranos of James Gandolfini on Slate's home page; still of: James Gandolfini; Edie Falco and James Gandolfini; Steven Van Zandt, James Gandolfini, and Tony Sirico; James Gandolfini and Edie Falco; and Robert Iler all by Craig Blankenhorn/courtesy HBO. All rights reserved. Entry 9: Still of Tony with a tomato, and Entry 10: Tony's dad and young Uncle June © HBO. Entry 21: Still of Tony Sirico as Paulie "Walnuts" by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 27: Still of Robert Iler and James Gandolfini by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 30: Still of James Gandolfini and Sarah Shahi by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 38: Still of Steven Van Zandt and James Gandolfini by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 40: Still of James Gandolfini and Edie Falco by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 45: Still of James Gandolfini and Steven Van Zandt by Craig Blankenhorn. Entry 48: Still of Dominic Chianese and James Gandolfini by Craig Blankenhorn.
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Remarks from the Fray Editor:

As a basic cable slum-dweller, the Fray Editor has been following the discussion of The Sopranos with admiration and envy. The passion, erudition, and insight of the show's fans—Slate's commentators and Fraysters alike—proves the case that this series is not to be missed. Below, Fray poster lucabrasi considers how the 6.5 season story arc has led the show inevitably to the present moment.

May this weekend's finale exceed your wildest expectations. My prediction? Paulie Walnuts in the Bing with a shoe buffer.—G.A.

Remarks from the Fray:

I must salute the excellent close of the mob wars arc that started way back in Season One.

Looking back from today, with Tony's Jersey crime family indeed looking like a "glorified crew" in the eyes of New York, one can see it, almost clearly:

Season One: Tony's issues were of ascension in that smallish Jersey family. Jackie Sr. was dying; Uncle Junior was the designated "front don," and yet bitter enough about Tony's power to use Livia's ambiguous directives to hit Tony. Didn't work. Junior was exiled and took on Federal heat; Tony had the others killed.

Season Two: Richie Aprile gets out of prison. A theme begins: guys out of prison resent Tony, who never served. But Richie, too, is "local Jersey trouble." His escalating conflict with Tony is going to be dealt with rather easily -- Tony wants Richie hit, but Janice delivers a dose of even MORE "local" justice.

Meanwhile, I think NYC underboss Johnny Sack turns up living in Jersey, but promising Tony "I don't want to wet my beak."

The main NYC Don is Carmine Sr, an old school guy. Tony can deal with Carmine Sr, but Sack starts getting that lean and hungry look...

Seasons Three and Four: Other issues are on the table (Jackie Jr., Tony and Carm's marriage), but Tony's adversaries are manageable: made guy Ralphie and the ever-more-ambitious and angry Sack. Ralphie is eliminated, quietly (if NYC ever finds out...). Sack wants Tony to hit Old Man Carmine; Tony pulls out at the last moment. Sack looks to be vengeful.

Season Five: The big trouble all starts here, with the release of the "Class of '84". It's like four Richie Apriles. Tony has a lotta plates to spin: an old-timer named Feech who wants it all, locally, Tony's cousin Tony B, the "Rockford Guy" (Joe Santos) who Tony B idolizes as a father, and a real hothead named Phil Leotardo.

Carmine Sr. croaks. Phil joins with Sack against Little Carmine, Tony B joins with the Rockford Guy and Rusty in backing Little Carmine's play. Tony elects to back off and see how Jersey can benefit from the ensuing bloodshed, of which there is a lot.

During all this, two little matters occur: Seeking owed cash, Tony subjects Phil Leotardo to a body-breaking car crash and beats up Phil at the accident site as a "throw-in." Tony B kills Phil's brother Billy Leotardo.

In retrospect, these last two actions were perhaps...unfortunate.

Sack and Phil kill more guys than Little Carmine's team. Little caves ("It's a stagmire.") Sack ascends to Donhood. Tony can deal with Sack (having killed Tony B as a burnt offering), and Sack will stave off the still vengeful Phil Leotardo.

But right at the end of Season Five, the Feds nab Sack. Go directly to jail.

Season 6A: Sack's in prison, but the putative boss, with Phil fronting him on the outside. Tony's shot for a few episodes. The "gay Vito issue" gives Phil new reason for putting the pressure on Tony's Jersey boys. With Sack losing power by the day, Phil contemplates his rages against Tony: getting beaten up by Tony, paying money to Tony, brother killed by the cousin of Tony, gay Vito protected by Tony. Phil has a heart attack to match Tony's gutshot. Things seem peaceful between these two wounded warriors. But this guy Butch turns up, taunting Tony.

Season 6B. Tony's luck with New York runs out, via a series of crap outs: Sack dies of cancer; Doc kills Gerry; Phil kills Doc.. Phil is "the big boss man," finally, and the worst possible New York Don Tony Soprano could face. Filled with jailhouse vengeance and itching to consolidate power, Phil pushes Tony too far (with the sexual insult of Coco towards Meadow, ultimately). Tony retaliates (curbing); Phil says "there's nothing left to talk about," and here we are.

Now, I' m not sure how much of that was plotted early on by Chase and Company, but looking back on it, you see how this final, fatal gang war was literally years in the making. Tony Soprano fended off Jersey threats (Junior, Richie), kept the peace with Carmine Sr, dangerously dueled with Sack (the longest of Tony's strategic encounters), sat out the gang war to replace Carmine Sr...and ended up on the wrong end of Phil's bloody ascension to the throne of the New York Family.

Where things are now is where they HAVE to be. Inevitability.

--lucabrasi

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