Letters to the Editor
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Rip Off
I signed up for HBO only because I wanted to watch The Sopranos. It is one of the greatest TV shows ever, but ripping the 2nd half of the last season from the 1st half to pad the schedule is just that, a rip off. They say a year or more is needed between seasons in order to produce quality shows, but that year gives us Tony dreaming he is a salesman with the wrong ID. A candidate for one of the most boring episodes of ANY show.
This 6 month wait for the rest of the season is really an insult to all loyal viewers.
HBO may still shine however if "The Wire" returns soon. I know there's a lot of fans of soap operas like "SFU" and "Big Love", but if you want a street smart, gritty crime drama check out "The Wire".
Big time novel/movie writers like Richard Price and George Pelecanos write for "The Wire", and it also has a cast of great actors.
The Wire is as smart as The Sopranos, but less soapy. The Wire is not afraid of tackling social isssues like the asinine and counterproductive "war" on drugs.
Most importantly, I've yet to see a dream sequence on "The Wire".
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What show has everybody else been watching?
Maybe its because I never watched the show until season 5 started (and of course got caught with help from Blockbuster in about a week), but I don't have any of the complaints most seem to have about this season. I thought the second episode was crap when it came, cause of course I wanted more, but after watching the second and third episodes together I thought the whole Kevin Finnerty thing was hilarious. I thought the Vito angle was funny and really didn't get how many people were angry that *gasp* there was GAY STUFF on the Sopranos! (maybe they were more upset that they weren't slim, good looking gay guys)
I've always liked the show more because of the way it portrays dysfunctional families and personalities so perfectly. The black comedy on the show is priceless. People getting killed and the misc mob stuff is maybe 4% of the show and always has been since season 2. In fact when I think about why I love season 2 so much its the godawful jacket, Christopher's guys trying to be stock brokers, Richie Abril strutting around in members only jackets and rayon, Janice going from hippie to a clone of her mom, etc. Not anybody getting whacked. And of the actual whacking from that season, I think the 3 o'clock thing with Chris/Paulie, the visit to the psychic, and old yuppie couple taking back their testimony when they find out its a mob thing, blah blah, was the entertainment. and Janice just flipping the hell out when Richie slaps her? Like, "how dare you hit ME!!??" after she's been justifying him breaking somebody in half...ho man that was perfect. And that look Tony had on his face when he walks in and sees Richie dead! C'mon people. Thats what makes the show great.
And there's been plenty of that all season. Hell, MORE of it and it has all been funny. The JFK thing made me spit milk out of my nose. The stupid, made up one liner/quotes from little Carmine, the Sicilians laughing about the crappy dollar/euro exchange..."nah...I don't think they're terrorists...one of them has a dog." Lighten up. WTF would make you kids happy anyway?
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And let me ALSO add...
What could be the most predictable, contrived ending for the season finale? A bunch of crazy shit happening. Somebody dying. Thats not what I watch the Sopranos for, thank you very much. Instead the finale was a shocker, because everything we got lured into expecting got foiled by hilarious irony, ex. Phil's heart attack, which better yet came after he went to the hospital where he was told he wasn't having a heart attack. Ending with a happy Christmas was perfect. I laughed my ass off.