Categorie archief: Televisie

The Sopranos – 100 Greatest Moments: 70-61

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

70. Rock Bottom

Episode: The Second Coming (SE6, EP19)
Characters: A.J. and Tony

A.J. reaches an absolute low in his depression and rather than eating a Lincoln Log Sandwich, he jumps in the swimming pool with a stone tied to his leg and a plastic bag over his head. Luckily, the rope is too long and Tony comes home to rescue him. Very affecting scene. It was time Tony did something nice for somebody again and the way he comforts A.J. is genuinely touching.

69. Father and Son

Episode: Johnny Cakes (SE6, EP8)
Characters: Tony and A.J.

A.J. attempts to kill Junior as revenge for shooting his dad. But – luckily for him – he accidentally drops his knife and is halted by security. Tony manages to get him released and gives him a good talking to. Then A.J., calls him a hypocrite because Tony named the scene in The Godfather, in which Michael Corleone kills his father’s attackers, his favourite scene of all time. His own attempt to pull a Michael Corleone failed though. He is more like Fredo who also dropped his weapon when his father was gunned down.

68. Hassidm Shakedown

Episode: Denial, Anger, Acceptance (SE1, EP3)
Characters: Tony, Silvio, Paulie, Hesh and Ariel

“Ever heard of the Masada? For two years, 900 Jews held their own against 15.000 Roman soldiers. And the Romans? Where are they now?” Tony: “You’re looking at them asshole.” Great scene in which Tony eventually manages to explain the realities to the stubborn Jew Ariel whose hotel business he wants to take over. Threatening with castration (advice from Hesh) eventually does the trick. The inventiveness of these wiseguys to get what they want is really extraordinary sometimes.

67. The Bear

Episode: Two Tonys (SE5, EP1)
Characters: A.J., Carmela and Bear

An awesome metaphor: Tony has left the premises and a replacement shows up; an extremely strong and dangerous brown bear. A.J. nearly shits his pants. This is the perfect visual representation of Tony and Carmela’s separation. Great also that this episode is called ‘Two Tonys’, as in Tony – Bear / Tony – Tony Blundetto and Old Tony – Different Tony (the one that tries to seduce Melfi).

66. Way Up

Episode: Kennedy and Heidi (SE6, EP18)
Characters: Tony and Sonya Aragon

The Sopranos go psychedelic. A great place to experience a peyote trip is a casino obviously; Tony wins every hand he bets. He must be the devil himself as indicated by the slot machine. Tony survived a gunshot wound which means his luck was way up. In his mind at least. Then his luck was down again with the gambling in ‘Chasing It’, but now that he killed Christopher, his lucky streak is back again. This is basically Tony’s disturbed mind at this point. “It’s the same principle as the solar system.”

65. High Impact Collection

Episode: Where’s Johnny? (SE5, EP3)
Characters: Paulie, Gary La Manna and Jimmie

This scene is priceless. Paulie is pissed because Feech La Manna squeezed out his mother’s gardener Sal Vitro, so he takes down Feech’ nephew Gary to settle the score. The damage Paulie does to Gary is even greater than the number Feech did on Sal Vitro. He causes him to fall out of a tree and break his legs. Then he takes his cash and lawnmower as down payment. Incredible these guys…

64. The General

Episode: All Due Respect (SE5, EP13)
Characters: Tony and Paulie

Tony visits Paulie and spots the painting on the wall that he wanted burned; the painting of him and his horse Pie-O-Mie. He takes it off the wall and throws it in a dumpster outside. Then he looks again and sees himself as a general. Now he knows what he needs to do about the Tony B dilemma (see 61). Tony is back to his decisive self again.

63. Family Guy

Episode: From Where to Eternity (SE2, EP9)
Characters: Tony, A.J. and Carmela

Tony does some truly terrific parenting here. He apologizes for hurting A.J. earlier. Then he says there is no excuse for what he did, and explains carefully why he did it. Then he says he couldn’t ask for a better son. It’s truly impressive. The only minor point of criticism is bringing pizza and a six-pack of Coke, while they both have weight issues, but who cares after this? The contrast between this scene and what comes right after, the murder of Matt Bevilaqua, makes this scene even more powerful.

62. Phil’s Heritage

Episode: Stage 5 (SE6, EP14)
Characters: Phil, Butch, Patty Leotardo and kids

Phil is complaining again at his dead brother’s birthday party. He is not happy about his name, since a Leotardo is a ballet costume. He is also telling Butchie that he regrets having spent 20 years in jail for people who don’t stick to the rules any more. Then we get a look at the portraits of fallen comrades behind the bar; Carmine Lupertazzi, Billy Leotardo and Johnny Sack. Great way to end an episode that is about making choices and leaving behind something meaningful. Phil would like to do it over again, but he can’t. Now he has to decide what to do with his remaining time and by the looks of it he aint gonna do the right thing. “No more, Butchie. No more of this.”

61. Glad Tidings from New York

Episode: All Due Respect (SE5, EP13)
Characters: Tony and Tony B.

Tony shoots his own cousin Tony Blundetto in the face to make things right with New York. It would be enough to give a normal person nightmares, but not Tony Soprano. The make-up job on Tony B’s corpse is pretty gruesome.

The Sopranos – 100 Greatest Moments: 80-71

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

80. Wired

Episode: The Blue Comet (SE6, EP20)
Characters: Silvio and Burt Gervasi

The Blue Comet, the ultimate Sopranos thrill ride, opens with the intense strangling of Burt Gervasi by Silvio for reasons unknown. Apparently, a scene was deleted in post production which involved Burt telling Silvio that he has begun cooperating with New York. Now, we find out Silvio’s motive for the murder a little later when he tells Tony that Burt was playing both sides of the fence. The kill reminds of the Luca Brasi strangling in The Godfather, that also happens at the starting point of a mob war. Fantastic way to open this pre-finale episode.

79. End of the Line

Episode: Members Only (SE6, EP1)
Characters: Eugene Pontecorvo

After being denied retirement to Florida by both Tony and the feds, Eugene chooses for the alternative; death. Now his wife and children can leave at least. Eugene first checks out a family photo album and then lets himself fall with a rope tied around his neck. His death struggle is hard to watch and seems to last forever. Disturbing for sure.

78. A Bunch of Ghouls

Episode: From Where to Eternity (SE2, EP9)
Characters: Paulie, psychic and clients

Paulie can’t sleep at night because he is alarmed by the ‘three o’clock’ message he got from hell. His girlfriend advises him to visit a ghost whisperer in New York. But what happens when a mass-murderer like Paulie visits a psychic? Exactly this; the psychic signals a bunch of ghouls around Paulie, including his first victim Charles Pagano and Mikey Palmice. “Poison Ivy, he wants to know if it still itches.” This ‘satanic black magic’ freaks out Paulie even more and he throws a chair through the room yelling; “fucking queers!” This is Paulie Walnuts at his best.

77. Fading Memories

Episode: Made in America (SE6, EP21)
Characters: Tony and Junior

Tony makes a final visit to Junior, who surprisingly enough made it to the end of the series. Their dialogue is touching. “You ran North Jersey, you and my dad.” “That’s nice”, comments Junior. If Tony doesn’t get whacked and doesn’t go to jail, he could end up like this also. With no memories and nobody that comes to visit him. It’s all about choices made.

76. Terminal

Episode: Another Toothpick (SE3, EP5)
Characters: Bobby ‘Bacala’ Baccalieri Sr., Mustang Sally and Petey

That old Bacala is the toughest hitman ever in the series. Despite his terminal lung cancer, he goes and takes out two guys and then lights a freakin’ Marlboro. He croaks afterwards, but it’s a very impressive final performance.

75. Dyslectic

Episode: Unidentified Black Males (SE5, EP9)
Characters: Soprano and Lupertazzi families

Joey Peeps, may he rest he piece. What has always been one of the main qualities of The Sopranos is the humour. Here, the Jersey mob have the headstone screwed up for the recently deceased Joey Peeps. Tony to Silvio: “Peeps? That’s a fucking nickname. The family name is Peparelli.” Classic.

74. Scene from a Marriage

Episode: College (SE1, EP5)
Characters: Tony and Carmela

This dialogue between Tony and Carmela is hilarious. She tells him Father Phil spent the night at their house while Tony was away, but nothing happened. “Oh, I bet he gave you communion”, Tony implies. “The guy spends the night here, and all he does is slip you a wafer?” Then Carmela gets back at him for his hypocrisy. “Your therapist called”, she says. “Jennifer?” Now, Tony has to make up for the fact that he lied about his shrink being a woman. “All we do is talk, Carm. Come on!” A great ending to a great episode.

73. Cunnilingus

Episode: Boca (SE1, EP9)
Characters: Uncle Junior, Tony, Silvio and Mikey Palmice

At this point, things start to go sour between Tony and Junior. The reason? Tony taking the piss out of Uncle Junior on the golf course with his little bed secret. “You guys went to a sushi bar or something? Uncle June, I thought you were a bacala man. What are you doing eating sushi?” But Uncle June has something on Tony as well; “At least I can deal with my own problems, unlike some I know.” In both these embarrassing truths, their mouths (bocas) are the problem.

72. Butcher Boys

Episode: Cold Stones (SE6, EP11)
Characters: Silvio, Carlo and Fat Dom Gamiello

Busting balls is one thing, but calling Jersey boys cocksuckers is quite another. Fat Dom Gamiello gets a taste of his own medicine after joking about Vito and Carlo sucking dick. What was he thinking? You know how explosive these guys can get. Silvio hits him from behind with a dustbuster, while Carlo stabs him repeatedly with a cooking knife. All the while Fat Dom squeals like a pig; it’s very messy. Afterwards, Silvio notes that they can’t chop him up at Satriale’s because of DNA technology. Whackings don’t get much better than this.

71. Tony Gets the Boot

Episode: The Blue Comet (SE6, EP20)
Characters: Tony and Dr. Melfi

After seven years of treatment, Dr. Melfi lets Tony go as a patient. The immediate reason is that she read a study about how sociopaths like Tony use therapy to sharpen their skills as conmen. The manner in which she dumps him doesn’t appear very professional. On the other hand, there have been countless other moments in which Tony totally deserved this treatment. She just rightfully came to the conclusion that Tony is not gonna put in any effort to change. He made his choices and she is right to rid herself of this self-pitying subject.

  

The Sopranos – 100 Greatest Moments: 90-81

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

90. ‘Make It Happen’

Episode: The Blue Comet (SE6, EP20)
Characters: Phil, Butch DeConcini and Albie Cianflone

Phil declares war on Tony’s ‘glorified crew’, motivating his decision by stating that Jersey doesn’t live by the old mob standards anymore, ignoring the fact that nobody does and the mob is all about the money. Great scene, for the dialogues but also because it makes the tension level rise sky high. You know an old school mob war is about to break loose and anybody could get hurt. All bets are off now and the adrenaline is rushing through our bodies.

89. Louisville Slugger

Episode: Second Opinion (SE3, EP7)
Characters: Tony and Angie Bonpensiero

You gotta love how Tony handles this one. The widow Angie Bonpensiero is on Tony’s payroll since Pussy went MIA (whacked), but she’s still crying money problems to Carmela. When Tony arrives to sort it out, he sees that she is driving a Cadillac. His anger management lessons go straight through the window then and there. He takes a Louisville slugger from his car and takes out his frustration on the caddy. He then tells the frightened Angie: “You see my wife, you talk about oven cleaners. Anything else you come directly to me.”

88. The Oklahoma Kid

Episode: The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti (SE1, EP8)
Characters: Christopher and Bakery Clerk

The postmodern movie references are one element in making The Sopranos a great show. The best one appears in this scene. Christopher feels depressed because of his low ranking status in the mob, so he starts acting like a cowboy. “What is it, do I look like a pussy to you?”, he asks a bakery clerk who doesn’t, in his view, shows him the proper respect. Then he shoots him in the foot to teach him a lesson. The same thing happens to Michael Imperioli (who plays Christopher) in GoodFellas. He gets shot in the foot by Joe Pesci for forgetting to serve him a drink. Therefore Christopher’s reply to the clerks; “Arghh, you shot me in the foot”, is all the more hilarious. “It happens”, he says before walking out the door. Genius! Ps: That customer whom Chris sends away is indeed Vito in a different role.

87. Old Plotters

Episode: Pilot (SE1, EP1)
Characters: Junior and Livia

This little dialogue between Junior and Livia feels like a scene from a Roman tragedy like I, Claudius in which – not accidently – the evil mother character is also named Livia. During their drive to A.J.’s birthday party, Junior feels out Livia about a possible hit on Tony. First he pisses her off a little: “Remember the long hair and the drugs? Now, it’s fags in the military”, and then he says that “something may have to be done about Tony.” She doesn’t say anything! Brilliant set-up for one of Season 1’s major plot lines.

86. Bevilaqua’s Death

Episode: From Where to Eternity (SE2, EP9)
Characters: Tony, Pussy and Matt Bevilaqua

With Christopher almost shot to death, Tony is keen on revenge. This is an opportunity for FBI-informant Pussy to prove himself. He tracks down Bevilaqua and takes Tony there to whack him. Matt is understandably scared of what is coming, so he pisses his pants. After a brief interrogation, Tony finishes him off with a shot in the head. Matt is crying for his mother before the end. Then Tony and Pussy send out a message and pump Matt’s dead body full of lead. Afterwards, they go celebrate with a steak meal.

85. Phone Games

Episode: Whoever Did This (SE4, EP9)
Characters: Ralphie, Mrs Gualtieri, Vito and Eugene Pontecorvo

Ralphie figured it was Paulie who told the Ginny Sack joke to Johnny Sack. He calls Green Grove to get back at him. Paulie’s mum answers. Ralphie: “Hello, Mrs Gualtieri, this is detective Mike Hunt, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Police Department. We found your son in a public men’s room in Lafayette Park. I don’t know how to put this delicately; he was sucking a cub scout’s dick.” He goes on for a while and has everyone in stitches. Including the audience. Too bad Ralphie goes this episode; he is one funny motherfucker.

84. Popping Cherry

Episode: Sopranos Home Movies (SE6, EP13)
Characters: Bobby and Rene LeCours

While Carmela claims that Tony Soprano is not ‘a vindictive man’, he still sends out Bobby to commit his first murder because he kicked Tony’s ass in a fist fight a couple of days earlier. The murder scene is delivered in quite a dramatic way; Bobby is obviously upset and his victim – a young guy – is seen badly suffering. A clever detail is that the first bullet ends up in the Laundromat and is heard quaking around till the end of the scene.

83. Furious Debut

Episode: Big Girls Don’t Cry (SE2, EP5)
Characters: Tony, Furio, Dr. Melfi, Dominic and wife

Fresh from Naples, Furio is given a first assignment by Tony. He has to straighten out the owner of a bordello and his insubordinate Filipino wife. He passes the test. Within a minute, he has caused more physical damage, pain and fear than any of the other guys would have achieved. Tony is enjoying himself in the car while he listens to the anguish inside. Then Melfi calls that she wants to take him back as a patient. How appropriate.

82. Happy Times

Episode: Pilot (SE1, EP1)
Characters: Tony and Christopher

This is a beautiful early moment in the relationship between Tony and Christopher where everything is still peaches and cream. Chris is unhappy because Tony did not compliment him on solving the Triborough Towers situation (the hit on Emil Kolar). Instead of kicking his ass, Tony understands. He has gone all soft because of the therapy he has been having. “That’s how I was parented, never supported, never complimented”, Tony says. Very soon after, Tony explodes anyway after Chris starts babbling about writing Hollywood screenplays. “You gonna go Henry Hill on me now?” Then they makes nice again. “Everything is gonna be alright from here on in. What could be bad?” Well, with these highly unstable characters, quite a lot.

81. Cheese Fuck

Episode: The Happy Wanderer (SE2, EP6)
Characters: Silvio, Tony, Paulie, Christopher, Sunshine, Johnny Sack, Frank Sinatra Jr., Dr. Fried, Matt Bevilaqua, Sean Gismonte and Davey Scatino

During the high stakes ‘executive game’, things get tense when Silvio is on a losing streak. When Matt starts wiping cheese under his seat he explodes. It is hard not to laugh at the ridiculous outburst that follows; “Leave the fucking cheese there, all right? I love fuckin’ cheese at my feet! I stick motherfuckin’ provolone in my socks at night, so they smell like your sister’s crotch in the morning. Alright? Now leave the fucking cocksucking cheese where it is!” Chris had already warned Matt; “he’s a sick fuck when he gambles.” Yes, he obviously is.

The Sopranos – 100 Greatest Moments: 100-91

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

100. Free Alterations

Episode: Meadowlands (SE1, EP4)
Characters: Tony and Mikey Palmice

When Tony is really enjoying himself, it is often because of violence. But who’s complaining when he is giving Junior’s sick henchman Mikey a good whacking? Tony is a real bear and when he hits somebody, the viewer can almost feel its impact. The reason for teaching Mikey a lesson is his killing of Brendan Filone and arranging a mock execution for Christopher. T uses a staple gun to attach a parking ticket to Mikey’s suit. That’s gotta hurt. “What are you screaming about? Free alterations”, Tony laughs. “This ticket is overdue.”

99. Idiot Squat

Episode: Full Leather Jacket (SE2, EP8)
Characters: Christopher, Matt Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte

It was clear from the get go that Matt Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte were not the sharpest tools in the work shed, but this idiotic action comes shockingly unexpected even from them. They shoot down Christopher because they somehow figured this would help them move up the mob hierarchy. They don’t even manage to pull it off. Sean wears a seatbelt, so he gives Chris time to shoot back and kill him. Matt takes off, having just signed his own death warrant. The Sopranos never fails to surprise.

98. West Caldwell

Episode: Sentimental Education (SE5, EP6)
Characters: Tony Blundetto and Mr. Kim

For a while, Tony Blundetto seemed to be different from all these selfish, sociopathic animals that inhabit Soprano-land, but his old personality comes back with a vengeance in ‘Sentimental Education’. All it took was finding a bag of money and gamble for a few nights straight. Here, he snaps and kicks the shit out of his sponsor and business partner Mr. Kim. Typical story of an ex con; he tries to improve his ways, but doesn’t have what it takes. He is as crazy as the rest of the crew. His imitation of Mr. Kim is hilarious though. “Wes cal well. Wes cal well. WEST CALD-WELL.”

97. Melfi Judges

Episode: From Where to Eternity (SE2, EP9)
Characters: Tony and Dr. Melfi

Usually Dr. Melfi behaves perfectly around Tony, despite his often rude behaviour. But in this session, his rant about how poor people came from Italy only to be used as worker bees becomes too much even for her. “What do poor Italian immigrants have to do with you? And what happens every day when you get out of bed in the morning?” It may not be professional, but it had to happen sometime in the treatment of a mobster. The scene also gives us insight on how Tony feels about his sins, like murder. “We’re in a situation, where everybody involved knows the stakes. If you’re gonna accept the stakes you gotta do certain things. It’s business. We’re soldiers. We follow codes. Orders.” Indeed an effective way to justify all his actions.

96. Poor Me, Poor You

Episode: Amour Fou (SE3, EP12)
Characters: Tony and Gloria

It is quite subtle, but Gloria really is the substitute for Livia who died earlier in Season 3. “I sit back like a mute, while you screw every woman out there.” In this scene, Tony finally sees it too. “I have known you all my life. A bottomless black hole.” Subsequently Gloria tries to commit ‘suicide by mob boss’. Normally an effective technique, but Tony is too clever to let it go down like this. Great acting here by Annabella Sciorra and James Gandolfini.

95. Rude Awakening

Episode: The Happy Wanderer (SE2, EP6)
Characters: Tony and Davey Scatino

A moment that illustrates the tragedy of the gambling addiction. After the euphoria comes the hangover. Davey just had to sit in with the executive game. He had a few good rounds, but then he started losing. Big time. In the end, Davey gambled away 45 boxes of ziti (45.000 dollars). Tony, who was his friend before, now puts on his other face. “If I don’t get back every penny, I am gonna send a guy to your joint every Saturday, for five percent interest.” These are the people mobsters prey on and Davey slowly starts to realise, this bet is gonna cost him everything.

94. A Killer’s Conscious

Episode: Kennedy and Heidi (SE6, EP18)
Characters: Tony and Dr. Melfi

After Tony murdered his nephew Christopher, he feels relieved. But he can’t share his true feelings with anyone, because, well you know Christopher’s death is supposed to be due to the accident. So what does the unconscious do? In a dream, Tony comes clean to Dr. Melfi. The truth is pretty chilling when you think about it: “The biggest blunder in my career is now gone and I don’t have to be confronted by that fact no more. Let me tell you, I murdered friends before, even relatives. My cousin Tony. My best friend Puss… but this…” Then he wakes up all worried that he spoke in his sleep.

93. Dismemberment

Episode: Whoever Did This (SE4, EP9)
Characters: Tony, Christopher and Ralphie’s corpse

In ‘Whoever Did This’, we get to spend the night with two mobsters, who have to get rid of a corpse. These mobsters are Tony and Christopher and Ralphie is the corpse. Chris, who is high like a kite, has to ‘make him ready’. He discovers that Ralphie is wearing a wig. This freaks him out more than chopping off his hands with a meat cleaver does. These sociopaths…

92. Traumatic Encounter

Episode: Employee of the Month (SE3, EP4)
Characters: Jennifer Melfi and Jesus Rossi

Completely unexpected, Dr. Melfi becomes the victim of a brutal sexual assault. It’s a terrible scene to watch because it makes you feel so powerless. Up to this point, Dr. Melfi – who now briefly becomes Jennifer – had been an observer, someone who could offer some sensible comments on the pretty twisted universe all the other characters live in. Now, she becomes part of the action in the least desirable way possible. It’s a painful experience for her and the audience.

91. Setting the Trap

Episode: Long Term Parking (SE5, EP12)
Characters: Tony and Adriana

Tony makes a memorable call to Adriana. He tells her that Christopher tried to commit suicide and that he was ‘very upset about something’. But Tony is lying. He sends Silvio over to her place to take her on her last ride. The conversation ends with the iconic line; “I’ll see you up there.”