Letters to the Editor
-
Sonya / Crime & Punishment
Probably reading far too much into this, but someone else mentioned Dostoyevsky and roulette, which obviously got me thinking about Crime & Punishment. And then I realized that the Las Vegas stripper was named Sonya! As in, Sonya was Raskolnikov's redeemer in C&P. If only Tony had actually shouted "I did it!" into the canyon...because Sonya was the first person to whom Raskolnikov admitted his murders. But anyhow, Sonya sort of led Raskolnikov on a spiritual journey, which perhaps could be likened to the Peyote-induced journey Tony found himself on.
-
I knew the Godfather III ending was going to be part of this thing...
I knew someone close to Tony was going to die because of his lifestyle (not a friend but a life long bond like Christopher) but I didn't expect it to occur with three episodes left.
Actually, the writers are holding to script and that's a bad thing. First, they let Tony get his ass kicked by the show's biggest wimp, now this. I hope they don't end by giving me some melodrama that he and Carmela will live happily ever after when all is said and done, but that's where this thing is headed. It's our own fault too. How can the writers really leave Sopranos on note that's truly artistic when we'd beat them over the head if they don't debase the medium they operate in.
After all, we reveled in William Hung for over a year!
Now we want the Soprano's to be a shining light of metaphyisics. It ain't gonna happen. We're going to end up with the bad guys getting killed off and Tony being rescued by some symbol of innocence, e.g., A.J. overhearing a meeting Tony has that's not a meeting, and, therefore showing up at the last minute.
Again, it's our own fault. These guys could have really pushed the boundary. They could have done something like have Carmela walk out on him in the end, but we swore off on that long ago. Think about it, she's not leaving him and that's the only justice for a Soprano. Tony should be seen as the American who refuses to grow up. A grotesque failure for reasons that have nothing to do with anything but never being able to be satisfied. His angst then becomes limitations he refuses to accept. But we instead have to have a hero so we'll be left with nothing less than his once again looking into the sunset. But this time he'll have hope.
What a bunch of bullshit!
Carmela will be by his side and accepting of all his faults, and we won't even recognize anymore all the horror and mayhem his life represents. We'll digest it like Oreo's. Bad for out health, but something so good to experience.
Tony should be isolated!
That's the hell most deserving of someone who only uses and uses and uses....unless they're complaining about not having enough!
-
It's Personal
First of all, I am still getting used to the idea that everyone can blog, so therefore everyone does. Some people really should restrain themselves.
Heather, you are not one of them. I appreciate someone to discuss the epi with; it seems I am the only one in my circle of friends still loyal to the Sopranos. Reading your opinion was almost like having a friend tell me her thoughts.
Mainly I am angry that entire seasons have gone by without the development that occured in the last two shows. Sudden death of Christopher? Overdue.
The letter-writing refering to the "murder" of Christopher? Puh-lease. It was God doing for Tony what he could not do for himself. By doing the nose-pinching, Tony could feel like he was taking a hand in Christopher's death, but not take the responsibility. He sped up the process by maybe a few minutes. That this distinction was lost on so many is disheartening.
I was interested in your belief that Tony is evil. Has anyone reminded themselves lately that the nature of having sympathy for a bad guy is that we are relating to the bad guy? The rewards of art include a piece having a variety of meanings, especially when we care to discuss them. The worst part is when we don't care.
-
okay, I'm baffled that anyone would "wonder" if Tony "actually" murdered Christofuh ... there's no way around it, it was MURDER
if Tony had done NOTHING, delaying calling 911 (if it could be proven) could be actionable possibly as "depraved indifference" ... (though many areas legally protect "innocent bystanders" from any implied responsibility to do anything at all ... see also, the teen-aged drivers in the "other" car).
"Mercy killing" is occasionally accepted as some sort of defense, but it generally DEMANDS a well-documented terminal condition and some implied or documented or witnessed testimonary consent of the "victim" ...
The law is very concerned about "convenient" and/or unlikely accidents ... as a former hospital employee (in pathology) there are quite specific reporting guidelines and many instances that legally require autopsy.
Body-dumping would not be nearly as effective as it is if our coroner/county morgues were not so swamped, underfunded and understaffed.
This not "murder", please tell me you're joking.
-
My ending
Tony's son finally goes beizerk and kills allhis frinds and the entire family.
The media blasts it for days on TV asking why and who do we blame.
-
What? No foreshadowing?
"Christopher and Tony have a very long history together, but this murder seems totally outside of any reasonable context. It is not foreshadowed, it does not play into any story line, and because it is so decontextualized, it fails to arouse any emotion except for utter contempt for Tony, which should not be new to any regular viewer."
You're kidding, right? The possibility that Tony might kill Chris has been a major element of the story since about halfway through the first season. He's come close on at least three occasions; and this season, it's been telegraphed so heavily that if nothing had come of it, every herring in the sea would have turned a deep, rich crimson. They even staged a Godfather-style christening scene, with Tony as Michael Corleone and Chris as Carlo. How much foreshadowing do you feel would have been necessary to turn the trick?
-
JedFishGould
Be disheartened no more. We're calling it a murder at least in part because it is made very clear later in the episode that, according to the doctors, Christopher had a chance of surviving his injuries had help arrived in time (I think it's Carmella who reports this information). I'm sure that information was inserted into the episode precisely to make it clear to us who was responsible for Christopher's death.
And look at Tony's face when he's doing the deed. That's no mercy killing, and it certainly ain't God. Puh-lease.