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Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9

By Jeralyn, Section The Sopranos
Posted on Sun May 07, 2006 at 05:36:29 PM EST
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Tonight's Soprano's episode is "The Ride," described as:

Christopher makes a surprise announcement; Paulie pays a price for cutting costs at an Italian Street Fair; Tony embraces the "old school."

There's a big photo of Bobby on the episode page, so he probably plays a big part. I hope there's not too much of Janice, she's like fingernails on a blackboard.

I can't believe we're already on Show 9 of the new and almost last season. I'm not feeling like a lot has happened -- Other than Tony being shot, Vito sticks out in my mind as the one major development. Maybe his "embracing the old school" means he agrees to order Vito taken out. Or he hooks up with the real estate agent.

Update: I was right about Bobby and Janice but completely wrong about how Tony would "embrace the old school." The writing is on the wall, Christopher is relapsing and acting way too impulsively and Paulie is a loose cannon that continues to misfire. The ending scene with him and his "ma" was touching but hardly redeemed him. The way he broke the kid's legs in an earlier episode makes it impossible for me to have any empathy for him. Tony is clearly bored and ready to do something crazy. I still think the real estate agent is going to be back. And we're not done with inquiries into Adrianna's death. I really liked the Feast of St. Genarro scenes. It's a must for any Manhattan visitors in September. All in all, I thought it was a very good episode.

As an aside, a site dedicated to the Feast of San Gennaro recommends these restaurants in Little Italy. Angelo's , Vincent's , Paolucci's, Luna's, Caffe Napoli and Fratelli's are among those I have visted more than once. I liked them all, but Angelo's is still my favorite.

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    Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 | 7 comments (7 topical)
    Re: Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 (none / 0) (#1)
    by roxtar on Mon May 08, 2006 at 02:22:44 AM EST
    I was taken by the heavy-handed symbolism of the "autumn" references and the dead leaves framing the image of paulie and his "Ma". Somebody's gonna die, mark my words.

    Re: Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 (none / 0) (#2)
    by scribe on Mon May 08, 2006 at 07:24:24 AM EST
    TL: An interesting juxtaposition of this article (particularly the Feast) and the immigration article above. The point made in the immigration article - that Little Italy is itself "vestigial"* - and the inauthenticity of the Feast** in last night's Sopranos episode are of a piece. There's the whole point of the season, and the changing leaves - the world is changing, the old passes away, and a long winter is coming. *It's just a part of Chinatown, now, and even the Italian-Americans don't often go there anymore - if they want to go to an Italian neighborhood or get food, a lot more of them go to Arthur Ave. in the Bronx, or stay in Jersey. ** Most of the vendors and such at the Feasts are the same folks, carnies, really, who go from Feast to Feast one week after the next with the same stand selling the same carnival foods. That, and tschotschke sellers hawking knockoffs made in some Third World country, the same as one could get from a street vendor. Formerly, one would find The Ladies of The Parish doing all the work to cook and prepare the feasts; now, they are either dead or the old crones like those calling out from the crowd about the Saint missing his hat. Their daughters live in the 'burbs and have jobs, not relation to the parish. And, this is also of a piece with Patsy wondering last week what is happening to the neighborhood, after the corporate guy won't pay protection.

    Re: Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 08, 2006 at 05:37:37 PM EST
    this season is very strange. snail-paced, and way too much time devoted to the Vito storyline. someone enlighten me to connect the dots within all of the non-sequitors, im losing interest! i have many years devoted to this drama, and ill be the first one to defend all of the time and effort it takes to be a real fan, but where are we, and where are we going? is Tony going to just retire to the sofa while each character either commits suicide, pisses off New York and gets shot, or turns rat?

    Re: Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 08, 2006 at 07:08:26 PM EST
    well...i think the paltry few comments to this thread makes a strong case for my point about my Sopranos ennoui....

    Re: Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 (none / 0) (#5)
    by roger on Mon May 08, 2006 at 08:13:55 PM EST
    Some action would be nice.......

    Re: Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 (none / 0) (#6)
    by Jlvngstn on Tue May 09, 2006 at 07:03:08 AM EST
    Not a lot happening, very indulgent and what makes it worse is that the wait was almost 2 years. I think the show might have jumped the shark. I love the build ups generally, but this year I see "3 episodes left" and I am thinking, what can happen in 3 weeks????? I know a lot can happen but for the first time in many years, I watched the taped version of the show instead of the first run....

    Re: Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed May 10, 2006 at 12:25:56 AM EST
    right, as did i also watch the later broadcast at midnight ... usually the choice between a little Skull or Sopranos has me home alone at 9pm every Sunday. not this time. as to when The Sopranos jumped the shark, if i concede that it has ( i dont...yet), perhaps it was when we saw Vito in the gay bar dressed as a butch leather biker. why didnt they have him (Vito) make a move on Finn Detrolio, which would have forced Meadow to have to go to her father to ask that Vito be "dealt with". that would have cemented her acceptance of her father's living outside of the law ( she seems more and more sympathetic towards the accused, unjustly or otherwise...) and moved her further into Tony's world as a wholly "complicit" member of the Family, to use Dr. Melfi's term. and why not have had A.J. kill Uncle Junior? why the pulled punch there? havent we all been waiting for AJ to take a seat at his fathers right hand as a chip off the old underachieving block? talk about a classic tragic outcome! but no.... agghhh! three more episodes and then, what, another six months to wait for Tony to retire to Boca and live happily ever after? Deadwood returns on June 6th. selah.

    Soprano's Open Thread: Show 9 | 7 comments (7 topical)