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Sopranos Final Season

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from: Brian Williams
to: Jeffrey Goldberg and Timothy Noah

Week 7: Coco Needs a Bridge Loan

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2007, at 11:00 AM ET

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

First, allow me to say how honored I am to be invited back for a second stint as third wheel. I don't ever want to know who bailed on you guys to afford me this opportunity. We've now done this enough to be grizzled veterans at it—I dare say we've developed a kind of narrative muscle-memory. Since you're both print guys and are thus expected to dissect all literary references in the show, my role here has become that of scattershot observer. On personality-type testing, I score off the charts in the "sensing" category—I'm keen on observations and vacuum up details without even realizing it. My wife is quick to point out the flipside of my test score: I sometimes miss broad themes and literary references, which is why we have the two of you. To wit:

A great episode for cultural references. Paulie's BOAC story comes to mind (did you note the smirk on the face of Tony, aka Wile E. Peyote, now that we know he believes that "remember when" is the "lowest form of conversation"?) as does Meadow's two-thumbs-up review of Borat. Her effusiveness, however, gives A.J. an opening to show empathy for the unfairness "to the people involved" in the film.

Elsewhere, the Sensitive Son rails about conditions in Iraqi hospitals, and even the upper-middle-class mobster trappings in his home: the media room and the coffee maker (that Paulie again). His preoccupation with the Middle East is classic Chase—a subplot that may or may not pan out. His therapist wonders if Cheevering his rage into a short story might be one way to go, but A.J. isn't having any of it. The suicide attempt has all the classic "outs" of a cry for help: The expression "enough rope" comes to mind. Every step in his attempt is reversible—the plastic bag is removable; the rope length is far from fatal in the deep end of the pool. Dr. Goldberg is right to point out the poolside tour de force from Gandolfini, who comes close to going all Johnny Fontaine ("be a man!") on his son, and winds up rocking him, switching to the more paternal "Come on, baby ... you're all right, baby."

Product placement, meantime, goes on all around us. From Baume & Mercier (since when do they make a Speidel-style flexible band ... or was that just for easy removal for easier throwing?) to Grey Gardens to Barilla pasta, from the ubiquitous Apple laptops to the umpteenth Makita reference. In our weekly book watch: A.J. goes with the Norton Anthology while Sil prefers to curl up with a dirty copy of How To Clean Practically Anything. In malaprop watch, we savored the "500-pound elephant in the room" and Carmine's beautiful "alteration" right before his warning to Tony that he was headed to the "precipice of an enormous crossroads."

Since this is all fiction and we're among friends here: Seeing Tony with a gun was ... interesting. A kind of return to his roots—the most basic tool of the trade. Yes, he's moved on, years ago, and no longer has to carry such a coarse tool as a businessman ... but as part of a primal event (with dental ramifications) it carried great weight.

Food watch: My mom used to make Lincoln Log sandwiches, so this episode had great sentimental food value for me. Too bad the steak pizzaiola didn't rouse A.J.'s appetite as much as it did his newly found anti-FDA passions. I sensed Chase wielding a rare script sledgehammer when one of the theories voiced in the back room concerning A.J.'s illness was ... environmental toxins. At that point we were all supposed to be our own directors and flashback to the wisps of asbestos coming off the pile in the Secaucus, N.J., Meadowlands. Moral ambiguity ... cognitive dissonance ... get it?

In terms of texture, there were some fine moments. Carmela's use of rascal and, the big linguistic reach of the episode, rapscallion to describe her husband of old—that was a great moment for Carm. Susan Aston (Gandolfini's vocal coach, a constant presence in the credits) continues to be one of the unsung, hidden-hand heroes of the series: The nasal-breathing aspect of Tony's character was a big part of the sit-down scene with the belligerent Phil. After Meadow spills the details of the Coco incident, Tony's jaw muscles start clenching at the kitchen table—he's lost to his own rage until a mention of Meadow's secret beau snaps his attention back to the table.

I end on a sappy note. Meadow's scene with her brother, "I'm your sister. You HAVE to talk to me ... " and "We're Italian ... you're their son ... you'll always be more important ... " had a great ring of truth to me, as did the emotional scud of the episode, A.J.'s hospitalization. Carm is despondent, lamenting, "He was our happy little boy." Then all are in tears when Tony clutches mother and daughter tight against his ample bosom. For a moment, this is all they have, and this is all they are: a family in a world of hurt. For those of us with a son and a daughter of similar age, it genuinely hurt. With two episodes to go until the hurt is over.

Brian

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from: Brian Williams
to: Jeffrey Goldberg and Timothy Noah

Week 7: Coco Needs a Bridge Loan

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2007, at 11:00 AM 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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