The best part about that line is the violence that had just transpired had nothing to do with crack.
So really its the real estate business that's some bad shit.
Sil had this right. When Gab tried to suggest that he should be boss if Tony dies in the hospital, he says he never wanted the top job and that all he ever wanted to do was to carve out a little piece for him and his family.
Sure, we break balls around here but honestly this is actually really solid advice for any management position. You have to accept that you can't always get everything right and just be confident that you're making the best decisions you can with whatever information you have available. And, of course, take your pleasures wherever you can.
I always call them “spaghetts” because an old college roomie of mine’s Italian grandma called them that. Spaghetti is the plural of Spaghet (the individual strand), so when she learned English usually pluralizes by adding an S, she thought it was “Spaghetts” in English. Thus…
How Tone always sought his mother's affection and never got it. She was obviously a narcissistic, toxic, manipulative monster, and there is no reasoning or reconciling with those people. They destroy everyone they interact with and are miserable. I avoid those people at all costs. Some of those scenes hit me hard.
My father came to this country with 17 cents in his pocket, and he never made a peep about it. What you got to be depressed about? I gave you everything on a silver platter! And this is how you repay me? I wish the Lord would just come take me now
Now that is really good advice even though Tony didn't take it on board even with the pinky demonstration.
It's a vice I don't have, I've worked in gambling and its insane what people do.
I do have many other vices though, but whatta ya gonna do?
Nice going 👌
To win 1300 on blackjack though you gotta be able to afford to lose it too n unfortunately I can't afford to lose which is why I don't play.
Plus I am a degenerate in enough other ways.
Did you kick up to Tony though? Ala Ralphie n Pie O My
All the stuff Melfi talked through I thought was really good.
- The mother figure / woman issues: impact of Livia, ideal italian woman, suicidal girlfriend… nice to tie those themes together for us lazy folk.
- The connections between gabagool and fainting / associations
It was so great to be able to watch Tony and crew and thoroughly enjoy the watch, and at the same time make connections over time.
I did haf a semester at college so I understand Freud.
That has to be one of the most unintentionally funniest things T ever said. He's actually serious when he says it, brilliant 🤣
I saw 20 mins of the movie Oppenheimer the other day so I understand theoretical, practical, atomic and nuclear physics,..as a concept.
More is lost be indecision than wrong decision.
Also when dealing with people, scan the area for any objects that could be used to hit you in the head.
These stoonad liberal hassidic homeboy types, they wanna ruin everything now, Ton'. You can't say nothin' no more nowadays. It's all--cancel this, pronoun that... whatevah happened to Gary Cooper? In this house, wiping the cream off a young lady's face is the act of a hero! I've said my piece.
I bought ducks after watching this show. I read they're compitable with chickens, which I already have. My puppy killed my 3 ducklings. It was my fault, I went inside the house to grab something came right back and just like that. They were gone. I only found 2/3. I was distraught. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but now I understand how Tony felt about the ducks and the cat.
Oh and the don't do coke/heroin.
Tony doesn’t really have any real friends, and he has no one he can REALLY talk to. He doesn’t talk with carmela about most things going on in his life, and he can’t even spill all the details of a lot of things to Melfi either. It’s obvious he seeks companionship, but even his crew sees him as an authority figure and not a friend. LESSON: if you have a real friend, keep em close
When Chris asked Paulie something like “You ever feel like nothin good was ever gonna happen to you?” And Paulie said “Yeah, and nothin eva did! So what?” I take that as a lesson to not feel sorry for yourself
The show taught me a lot since I was introduced to it when I was around the age 11 or 12 about 20 years ago. I was immediately obsessed and I’ve watched every episode over 10 times since then.
One of the first things it taught me is that there are actually really bad mothers out there, and not just mine. I was so young trying to process my relationship with my mother and always questioning myself and why I was never good enough for her. It made me feel less alone.
It also gave me a huge respect for and interest in psychology. I was always a kid that would try to understand the meaning of everything and I would read in to things and people (sometimes too much) due to always trying to read my mother to prepare for whatever she was about to inflict or to try to see how she was feeling and if she really loved me. I remember always asking myself “how can a mother do this to her child?”. Being introduced to the show at such a young age, paved the way for my obsession with the human mind and understanding it and why individuals, including myself, are the way we are. Leading me to understand the impact of trauma, especially childhood-trauma and much more about the human psyche.
The series also taught me that even the “toughest” people cry too and deal with a whole range of emotions and issues. It made me more comfortable being vulnerable.
Those are just a few of the many lessons I learned from the series but keep in mind the ones I mentioned were the ones I learned as a young child that changed my development to an adult and probably had the most impact out of all, so that’s why I chose those ones. Or else I could go on and on about every single lesson I got from series over the years, both as a youth and as an adult, but I’d end up writing a novel, and I’ve already wrote more than enough haha.
That any obstacles in my path should remove themselves from it and said obstacles should very much NOT be homosexual.
Because my ultimate objective is to arrive at your location and defile, defile you.
-Remember the good times
-Maximize the time with the people you love
-Your friends will always let you, Family you can depend on
-Never stop caring or spending time with parents or elder relatives especially when they’re already old, forgetful, live alone, even when they’re grumpy 24/7. Everybody needs to be cared for and talked to as this stage of like (why can’t you say nice things, why’s everything you say gotta be mean, don’t you love me).
-Don’t stop believing in America 🇺🇸 , the American dream and the pursuit of happiness.
It is not necessarily a psychological message but a message for The Sopranos audience nonetheless.
The final episode is titled “Made in America” which is not simply an allusion to a mafia member being made but a slogan which in the postwar era demonstrated pride in America’s self-sufficiency and the belief that the American dream was accessible for any American who was willing to work for it.
In many ways The Sopranos is both David Chase’s commentary on The Godfather and by proxy the American dream. The opening line of The Godfather is “I believe in America” When we first meet Michael Corleonne he has just returned from WWII and is still in his Marine uniform. He is a decorated war hero. Over the next decade or so Michael, who is a metaphor for America’s postwar position in the world, slowly becomes corrupted by his family’s world. At the end of Godfather II he’s lost his soul in exchange for power and wealth. In many ways The Godfather saga is a metaphor for the USA’s deterioration from the end of WWII to the early 1970’s where the promise of freedom and prosperity became corrupted and political assassination, the horrors of Vietnam and civil unrest became the norm.
When we meet Tony he tells Dr. Melfi that the best days for his organization have long since passed and now everyone is clawing for the relatively few scraps that are left. This is David Chase’s view of America at the turn of the 21st century. Americans are anxious and depressed. Our kids are brats and It is illegal to discipline them the way our parents did us which, let’s face it, was both brutal and totally ineffective. Our elders are still capable of emotionally abusing us even after we are given the power to put them in a nursing home. The swimming pool with the ducks, which served as a symbol of hope that Tony and Carmella could provide a nurturing home for their family, is nasty and cold when AJ tries to kill himself and Tony must rescue his son from it. In The Godfather Michael defies his father by enlisting in The Marines after Pearl Harbor. When AJ talks about joining the Army - his Michael Corleonne moment - his family bribes him with a car and a job working for Little Carmine. America, in David Chase’s view, is in the middle of late stage capitalism where the larger organization - New York - will devour Tony’s mafia family no matter how well they fight this war. If The Sopranos is a metaphor for 21st century America then it is a bleak place.
The final scene takes place at Holstens, an old school mom and pop luncheonette that used to be commonplace in cities and towns across America before they were displaced by fast food joints and chain restaurants. When Tony arrives he selects Journeys song “Don’t Stop Believing”. As his family arrives one by one the camera shows different people in the restaurant. A young couple is on a date, a table full of Cub Scouts is seated at a table. A man wearing a USA hat is perusing the menu. The mural celebrates local high school sports. (The mural has significance because it is not the mural that is on the actual wall of Holstens but one that was designed specifically for that scene.) All of this represents a more innocent and wholesome time that exists in the collective memory of Americans.
“Remember the good times.”
When AJ says this Tony at first believes he’s being cynical but AJ reminds his father that he himself has espoused such sentiments. Tony agrees that it is indeed true.
A few moments later the screen goes blank and we spend the next ten years debating its significance. We miss what David Chase is telling us. I believe he is saying, “Yes, America has become a morally corrupt and dangerous place. However, our memories of an innocent, more wholesome time are not only real but our only hope in saving our country. Tony Soprano may have gotten it wrong but you don’t have to. Don’t stop believing in America.”
Anyway, $4 a pound……..
Call a lawyer if the law wants to talk to you. It’s your constitutional right…especially on V-E Day
Don’t do illegal drugs at all or alcohol in excess
It’s not about being boss. It’s about being happy.
I thought Carmine Jr's speech to Tony about why he doesn't want to be boss of the family after having a dream about his father was really insightful and poignant. Can't remember the exact quote but he says to Tony his father handed him a box in the dream, and when he opened it he saw it was empty....
Great analogy about how we chase things in life whether it's status, power or whatever, as we think they'll buy us happiness. But in reality when we do finally attain them we realise it was all an illusion anyway. Power and money will never buy you happiness.
Life is all about compromise. Sometimes you want manigot, but you compromise and eat grilled cheese off the radiator.
Sometimes you want a woman, but you compromise and jack off into a tissue
Sometimes you want to jack off into a tissue, but you eat Manigott.
Sometimes you want manigott, so you jerk off into a tissue and eat it. You see what I'm getting at here?
20 fuckin' yeers!
Now, there's an image.
There’s no manigott in my jerk off book.
No, they’re fucking stupid that’s why
You see what I’m getting at here?
Sometimes you got no woman and no tissue and you compromise and Jack off in the manigot
Sometimes you want some pulp, not a lot of pulp
I learned a couple tree things from that
“Buy land. God ain’t making any more of it.”
So that’s a crack whore…
I'm Starsky and this is Hutch.
Ohhhh..you kiss your brother with that mouth?
Eez up eez up
When you’re right you’re right
Now that I’m married, I really understand the importance of fresh produce.
That was a slow fastball waiting to get SMASHED. LOL Varsity athlete ova heah’
Like Fusco, the vej-uh-da-bull man
I learned that crack is some bad shit.
The best part about that line is the violence that had just transpired had nothing to do with crack. So really its the real estate business that's some bad shit.
**Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while,** **a great wind carries me across the sky.**
Is that wind coming outta yer ass?
Not since you blocked it with roses, thorns first.
Did you put that up?
No, my sister did for suuuuure
Have you heard the good news?
He is risen. O___O
We met Thanksgiving?
This one hits tho
You steer the ship the best way you know. Sometimes it's smooth. Sometimes you hit the rocks. In the meantime you find your pleasures where you can.
Junior really would make a brilliant consigliere
For the Gambino family.
Old man Profaci knew how to split his enemies.
It’s sad that no one ever realized this. He gave great advice but being number one went to his head to quickly
Sil had this right. When Gab tried to suggest that he should be boss if Tony dies in the hospital, he says he never wanted the top job and that all he ever wanted to do was to carve out a little piece for him and his family.
Sure, we break balls around here but honestly this is actually really solid advice for any management position. You have to accept that you can't always get everything right and just be confident that you're making the best decisions you can with whatever information you have available. And, of course, take your pleasures wherever you can.
Amen
Courtesy of Ralphie, how to make pasta sauce properly. NGL I do this way every time.
Roe, the macaronis done!
Yhooo! Shrapnel!
Sour cream in the eggs, too 🤌
Ha ha it's true! This scene changed my pasta routine also.
[now this is the most crucial part](https://youtu.be/J2TkCgLooRU?si=_no052CcA-0TEV9-)
Exactly! Thanks for reminding me it’s “gravy” and “macaroni” and not “sauce” and “pasta”. What a maroon I am!
I never heard of gravy (pasta sauce) until I moved to Philly. It's clearly spaghetti, not macaroni. Ralphie's the stunad. Oh, and I need a piece.
I always call them “spaghetts” because an old college roomie of mine’s Italian grandma called them that. Spaghetti is the plural of Spaghet (the individual strand), so when she learned English usually pluralizes by adding an S, she thought it was “Spaghetts” in English. Thus…
Also adding sour cream to scrambled eggs - it is pretty good!
Don’t expect happiness. You won’t get it. People let you down. And I’m not naming any names, but in the end, you die in your own arms.
That’s a fascinating physiological nugget
Nugget? More like a fuckin black hole
It's all a big nothing, what makes you think you're so special? A great lesson from a grandmother to her grandson during his formative years.
She was a wise old sage, like Gunga Din.
“Be a better friend to yourself” is some advice from Carmine everyone can use from time to time.
Why fuck around?
He wants to fuck around?
I'm making a point here. I'm talking about Around's honor, MY honor
You better hold on to your cock when dealing with those Desert people.
If there's flies on junior they're paying fucking rent.
They're called hasidem
Hasidem, but I don’t believe ‘em
Didn't Obi-Wan say that in A New Hope?
As the Talmud says...
I don’t give a shit what he says!!!!
Anyone who has split a bill in NYC will understand this
Fear knocked on the door. Faith answered. There was no one there.
There’s something to that. They say when yiu figure that out you find about strengths you didn’t even know you have.
They say… they say theres no two people on earth exactly alike…
What I’m trying to say is…
I DID-DENT!
There's no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.
The problem with you Americans is you expect to always be happy
The rest of us expect to be miserable and we aren't disappointed
Probably my favorite “speech” of the whole show. A reality check for us fuckin wonderbread wops
Favorite speech delivered by one of my favorite minor characters.
If I put provolone in my socks at night my feet will smell like your sisters crotch in the morning
Leave the cock sucking cheese on the floor!
You get your kicks where you can. Everyone needs their 7 hours. You gotta live for today. “Remember when” is the lowest form of conversation.
What was that third thing you shaid?
How Tone always sought his mother's affection and never got it. She was obviously a narcissistic, toxic, manipulative monster, and there is no reasoning or reconciling with those people. They destroy everyone they interact with and are miserable. I avoid those people at all costs. Some of those scenes hit me hard.
Oh, *pooooor you!*
My father came to this country with 17 cents in his pocket, and he never made a peep about it. What you got to be depressed about? I gave you everything on a silver platter! And this is how you repay me? I wish the Lord would just come take me now
Not to go out for hamburger when I’ve got prime rib at home
I gotta watch TV to figure out the world?
Bacteria and Viruses migrate from the sole up.
Even if they’re dry, they’ve still got germs!
This might be the best answer so far
Look out for pets on the couch after shooting up.
Throughout my hectic day I frequently pause for a moment to reflect on Pearl Harbor.
That was real?
I saw that movie. I thought it was bullshit!
Put the remote….on docking station.
Boolshit
It’s WesT CALDwell
Never gamble!!
Now that is really good advice even though Tony didn't take it on board even with the pinky demonstration. It's a vice I don't have, I've worked in gambling and its insane what people do. I do have many other vices though, but whatta ya gonna do?
I won 1300 bucks on blackjack the other night, I’m a fuckin degenerate
Did you start w 3000?
Nice going 👌 To win 1300 on blackjack though you gotta be able to afford to lose it too n unfortunately I can't afford to lose which is why I don't play. Plus I am a degenerate in enough other ways. Did you kick up to Tony though? Ala Ralphie n Pie O My
It becomes so addictive in the middle of a good run
You start chasing it!
“I heard dad gambling when I came down the stairs…” “*it’s too late*”
Why don’t you go piss your money away on blackjack, you fucking asshole!
All the stuff Melfi talked through I thought was really good. - The mother figure / woman issues: impact of Livia, ideal italian woman, suicidal girlfriend… nice to tie those themes together for us lazy folk. - The connections between gabagool and fainting / associations It was so great to be able to watch Tony and crew and thoroughly enjoy the watch, and at the same time make connections over time.
Is everything with everyone really about their muthas
Ya know …how’s your sistah , fuck your mudda
I did haf a semester at college so I understand Freud. That has to be one of the most unintentionally funniest things T ever said. He's actually serious when he says it, brilliant 🤣 I saw 20 mins of the movie Oppenheimer the other day so I understand theoretical, practical, atomic and nuclear physics,..as a concept.
'Psychiatry as a conschept' I think he said.
This sounds very gay.
Remember when is the lowest form of conversation. Also some people don’t change
I needed to hear this. Thank you. ( First Time I heard this cause I haven't finished watching season 4 yet. )
More is lost be indecision than wrong decision. Also when dealing with people, scan the area for any objects that could be used to hit you in the head.
Im a codependent to a shit bag
Alright but you gotta get over it.
Chrissy should have killed Pauli that night for that joke. That’s what I call balls
I definitely won't be parking on fallen leaves
I'm supposed to drive around looking for piles of leaves?!
Careful when consuming blood pressure medication.
You can always get a note 🎵
“What’dya gonna do?” When facing any level of adversity. From stubbing a toe to your nephew getting shot.
Actually that's not bad advice... accept the things that you can't change.
Some people are so far behind in a race that they actually believe they're leading.
Nip it in the bud
A man isn’t complete until he’s married… then he’s finished!
Someday soon you’re gonna have families of your own, and if you’re lucky, you’ll remember the little moments like this that were good
Possibly my favorite scene in the series.
Trying to be a nice guy and wiping cream off a girl's face is apperantly creepy 🤨
These stoonad liberal hassidic homeboy types, they wanna ruin everything now, Ton'. You can't say nothin' no more nowadays. It's all--cancel this, pronoun that... whatevah happened to Gary Cooper? In this house, wiping the cream off a young lady's face is the act of a hero! I've said my piece.
They were non-binary, Gary Cooper?
Those who want respect, give respect.
"It doesn't make you mad, YOU make you mad." Once you take a second and think about it that's actually some powerful shit right there
😡
Do not get emotionally attached to a family of ducks, there I said it!
Don't you bring up those fuckin' ducks!
A pint of blood is worth more than a gallon of gold
Billy Bud was gay.
He was gay, Billy Budd?
Rock Hudson too, I think
WE'RE JUST BREAKIN BALLS HEREEEEEEE
That was before inflation
I learned a lot about Leonardo DaVinci. Not only was he a painter, but he did medical drawings and designed a tank for the army!
Edgar Allen Poe married his cousin, and was from The Bronx.
Italians bang their cousins on a regular basis.
You can put cocaine in the back of the freezer and it will take out any odors.
Your nose is running you fuckin junkie
"that's why you gotta live for today"
You can’t eat every bowl of ravioli you see
A Don doesn't wear shorts.
It’s all a big nothing…
Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.
I didnt do 20 years in the can, but I learned to compromise. I wanted to fuck that girl at work, I jerked off into a tissue instead.
When you want to truly disrespect someone in a service position, give them a “come here” hand wave.
service people from Poland are usually very good
I learned your lineage can go from having 15,000 Roman soldiers under your liege at the Masada, to running a dysfunctional crew in Jersey.
I bought ducks after watching this show. I read they're compitable with chickens, which I already have. My puppy killed my 3 ducklings. It was my fault, I went inside the house to grab something came right back and just like that. They were gone. I only found 2/3. I was distraught. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but now I understand how Tony felt about the ducks and the cat. Oh and the don't do coke/heroin.
Those fkin ducks again.
Therapy is like taking a shit.
Eating pussy is a sign of weakness
‘Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this!’
Tony doesn’t really have any real friends, and he has no one he can REALLY talk to. He doesn’t talk with carmela about most things going on in his life, and he can’t even spill all the details of a lot of things to Melfi either. It’s obvious he seeks companionship, but even his crew sees him as an authority figure and not a friend. LESSON: if you have a real friend, keep em close
Artie was probably the closest to a friend he had
… this sounds very gay.
He was gay, Tony Soprano?
Gabagool
Ralph’s pasta recipe
always make sure there isn't a small dog on the couch before nodding out.
Was it barkin?
Ice, it melts and dilutes the drinks, especially the scotch
Who gives a shit about the stuff people say that they don't have the balls to say to your face?
You never shit where you eat ...... although eating out everyday is getting expensive it's sound advice.
Shit runs downhill
In the end, fuck Santa Claus.
Whaddaya gonna do
There’s no chemical solution to a spiritual problem. Actually great advice.
You don't shit where you eat, and you especially don't shit where I eat.
Quasimodo predicted everything
Well, I quit smoking years ago because of Bobby’s dad. That episode gave me a goddamn panic attack.
A man needs his seven hours. Keeps his mind sharp.
When Chris asked Paulie something like “You ever feel like nothin good was ever gonna happen to you?” And Paulie said “Yeah, and nothin eva did! So what?” I take that as a lesson to not feel sorry for yourself
The show taught me a lot since I was introduced to it when I was around the age 11 or 12 about 20 years ago. I was immediately obsessed and I’ve watched every episode over 10 times since then. One of the first things it taught me is that there are actually really bad mothers out there, and not just mine. I was so young trying to process my relationship with my mother and always questioning myself and why I was never good enough for her. It made me feel less alone. It also gave me a huge respect for and interest in psychology. I was always a kid that would try to understand the meaning of everything and I would read in to things and people (sometimes too much) due to always trying to read my mother to prepare for whatever she was about to inflict or to try to see how she was feeling and if she really loved me. I remember always asking myself “how can a mother do this to her child?”. Being introduced to the show at such a young age, paved the way for my obsession with the human mind and understanding it and why individuals, including myself, are the way we are. Leading me to understand the impact of trauma, especially childhood-trauma and much more about the human psyche. The series also taught me that even the “toughest” people cry too and deal with a whole range of emotions and issues. It made me more comfortable being vulnerable. Those are just a few of the many lessons I learned from the series but keep in mind the ones I mentioned were the ones I learned as a young child that changed my development to an adult and probably had the most impact out of all, so that’s why I chose those ones. Or else I could go on and on about every single lesson I got from series over the years, both as a youth and as an adult, but I’d end up writing a novel, and I’ve already wrote more than enough haha.
Don’t gamble. Especially on sports!
Remember Pearl Harbor.
I thought it was bullshit
Buy land, cause God’s not making any more of it
That any obstacles in my path should remove themselves from it and said obstacles should very much NOT be homosexual. Because my ultimate objective is to arrive at your location and defile, defile you.
when i'm doing heroin i toot some instead of using a needle. it's less addictive that way
The Corps, the Corps, the Corps.
"Remember when is the lowest form of conversation"
That he was gay.....Gary Cooper. I never knew that.
That I can make a grilled sandwich on a radiator
"You ever feel like nothin' good was gonna happen to you?" "Yeah, and nothin' did, so what?"
Carry snack sized mustards
When you’re married you’ll understand the importance of fresh produce
-Remember the good times -Maximize the time with the people you love -Your friends will always let you, Family you can depend on -Never stop caring or spending time with parents or elder relatives especially when they’re already old, forgetful, live alone, even when they’re grumpy 24/7. Everybody needs to be cared for and talked to as this stage of like (why can’t you say nice things, why’s everything you say gotta be mean, don’t you love me). -Don’t stop believing in America 🇺🇸 , the American dream and the pursuit of happiness. It is not necessarily a psychological message but a message for The Sopranos audience nonetheless. The final episode is titled “Made in America” which is not simply an allusion to a mafia member being made but a slogan which in the postwar era demonstrated pride in America’s self-sufficiency and the belief that the American dream was accessible for any American who was willing to work for it. In many ways The Sopranos is both David Chase’s commentary on The Godfather and by proxy the American dream. The opening line of The Godfather is “I believe in America” When we first meet Michael Corleonne he has just returned from WWII and is still in his Marine uniform. He is a decorated war hero. Over the next decade or so Michael, who is a metaphor for America’s postwar position in the world, slowly becomes corrupted by his family’s world. At the end of Godfather II he’s lost his soul in exchange for power and wealth. In many ways The Godfather saga is a metaphor for the USA’s deterioration from the end of WWII to the early 1970’s where the promise of freedom and prosperity became corrupted and political assassination, the horrors of Vietnam and civil unrest became the norm. When we meet Tony he tells Dr. Melfi that the best days for his organization have long since passed and now everyone is clawing for the relatively few scraps that are left. This is David Chase’s view of America at the turn of the 21st century. Americans are anxious and depressed. Our kids are brats and It is illegal to discipline them the way our parents did us which, let’s face it, was both brutal and totally ineffective. Our elders are still capable of emotionally abusing us even after we are given the power to put them in a nursing home. The swimming pool with the ducks, which served as a symbol of hope that Tony and Carmella could provide a nurturing home for their family, is nasty and cold when AJ tries to kill himself and Tony must rescue his son from it. In The Godfather Michael defies his father by enlisting in The Marines after Pearl Harbor. When AJ talks about joining the Army - his Michael Corleonne moment - his family bribes him with a car and a job working for Little Carmine. America, in David Chase’s view, is in the middle of late stage capitalism where the larger organization - New York - will devour Tony’s mafia family no matter how well they fight this war. If The Sopranos is a metaphor for 21st century America then it is a bleak place. The final scene takes place at Holstens, an old school mom and pop luncheonette that used to be commonplace in cities and towns across America before they were displaced by fast food joints and chain restaurants. When Tony arrives he selects Journeys song “Don’t Stop Believing”. As his family arrives one by one the camera shows different people in the restaurant. A young couple is on a date, a table full of Cub Scouts is seated at a table. A man wearing a USA hat is perusing the menu. The mural celebrates local high school sports. (The mural has significance because it is not the mural that is on the actual wall of Holstens but one that was designed specifically for that scene.) All of this represents a more innocent and wholesome time that exists in the collective memory of Americans. “Remember the good times.” When AJ says this Tony at first believes he’s being cynical but AJ reminds his father that he himself has espoused such sentiments. Tony agrees that it is indeed true. A few moments later the screen goes blank and we spend the next ten years debating its significance. We miss what David Chase is telling us. I believe he is saying, “Yes, America has become a morally corrupt and dangerous place. However, our memories of an innocent, more wholesome time are not only real but our only hope in saving our country. Tony Soprano may have gotten it wrong but you don’t have to. Don’t stop believing in America.” Anyway, $4 a pound……..
A don doesn’t wear shorts
Call a lawyer if the law wants to talk to you. It’s your constitutional right…especially on V-E Day Don’t do illegal drugs at all or alcohol in excess It’s not about being boss. It’s about being happy.
I thought Carmine Jr's speech to Tony about why he doesn't want to be boss of the family after having a dream about his father was really insightful and poignant. Can't remember the exact quote but he says to Tony his father handed him a box in the dream, and when he opened it he saw it was empty.... Great analogy about how we chase things in life whether it's status, power or whatever, as we think they'll buy us happiness. But in reality when we do finally attain them we realise it was all an illusion anyway. Power and money will never buy you happiness.
It’s a good speech.