FTA-TV The Sopranos

[revo333]

When Tony tries to find out if Jack Massarone is an FBI informant and sets out to grill him

Tony Soprano: My old man was good at vibing people out. If Massarone is up to something, I'll pick it up.

<snip>

Tony Soprano: I couldn't tell shit! What the f*** am I? A mind reader?

And when Tony gets upset because someone starts seeing his Russian ex

Then the next scene is him getting it on with the lady Ralphie is seeing.

 

[Trojan90]

I thought there was a scene where Tony takes off Chris's cleaver hat to make sure he wasn't wearing a wire.

There's definitely enough clues tied in to suggest he might have flipped but nothing conclusive to me. Probably intentional, maybe he did, maybe he di-dent.

I sometimes wonder if that sponsor (Shooter McGavin) was working him undercover, or if they got him for JT's murder.

 

[Trojan90]

Am I the only one that thinks the episode with the FBI trying to put the listening device in the lamp is one of the best ones?

Haven't seen it any greatest/top 10 episodes discussion or rankings.

It's a great season opener, awesome way to reintroduce the characters and show what they are up to in the new season (through the FBI's eyes).

For me episode 6 in season 1 sets the show in motion. All the characters are pretty well known by now, the leadership conflict is settled and suddenly the FBI is introduced in that final scene at the meeting. Love that scene with 'Paparazzi' playing and the undercover waiters, best scene in the series for me.

 

[rumply]

Don't think Chrissy flipped, he was just back on the gear, but after the accident it would have crossed Tony's mind that possibility existed, making his decision to end it all there & then easier.

 

[Jatz]

I thought there was a scene where Tony takes off Chris's cleaver hat to make sure he wasn't wearing a wire.

Wasn't Chris, Jack Masarone had a scene where that essentially occurred. Think he was even in the cleaver hat.

Tony gets back to the Bing: "I can't tell shit, what am I a ****ing mind reader?"

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Don't think Chrissy flipped, he was just back on the gear, but after the accident it would have crossed Tony's mind that possibility existed, making his decision to end it all there & then easier.

It's deliberately ambiguous. When we first meet Chris in season 1's pilot episode, he's wearing a ballcap. He pretty much goes without a hat or a cap up until the episode in which he meets his end. A ballcap is a good place to hide a wire. Tony was paranoid about being recorded.

While Chris idolised Tony, he'd also feel let down by Tony (even though arguably Tony did more for Chris than anyone else in his crew), especially after he informed Tony that Adriana had been flipped by the FBI. He never forgave Tony for that, even though he knew it was part and parcel of the game in which he was involved. Tony also had started to isolate himself from Christopher, thanks primarily due to the drug use that made Christopher less reliable than what Tony would have wanted.

I think, on balance, Chris hadn't flipped, but I don't think it really matters either way. Tony thought that Chris' increased drug use would make him vulnerable to being flipped, and regardless, it went against Tony's specific orders to Chris.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Yeah I've got The Wire neck and neck but I think Sopranos edges it (but its semantics really, they're both great).

The reasons I have Sopranos over The Wire

• Sopranos humour is fantastic, it really is a great comedy amongst everything else despite the dark subject matter. The Wire is extremely dark and has the humour as well but not to the same extent;
• This adds to The Sopranos re-watchability, you can chuck on any episode at any time and just sit back for an enjoyable 45-60 minutes;
• The lack of clarity around the ending which still has people debating it til this very day - did Tony get killed or not? (and that will never be resolved so will be discussed forever);
• The lack of weak seasons/storylines - The Wire was solid from start to finish as well but I thought season 5 didn't live up to the standard of the others - a lot of people have season 2 as weak but I think it is fantastic and is better on the second watching (after seeing the rest of the show play out
• Paulie Gultieri

It really is semantics though, the first time I watched The Wire I thought it slightly edged The Sopranos but then after rewatching Sopranos and then The Wire again I had Sopranos ahead. Either way I think they are both head and shoulders above any other show in recent memory including Breaking Bad, Mad Men and others which are put in the same category. Twin Peaks is the only other one I would have on the same level but I can see why some people wouldn't.

The Wire is a fantastic portrayal of the destruction/decay of a modern American/western city at the turn of the century.

The Sopranos is a fantastic portrayal of the destruction/decay of the modern American/western individual at the turn of the century.

Both fantastic and glad we have both. They complement each other tremendously.

That final scene of The Sopranos - finished it last night and had to rewatch it a couple of times. Ooof!

Necro bump.

I finally got around to starting The Wire. I'm only most of the way through season 1, so I have a fair way to go before I can fully comment on it.

I was a big fan of Homicide: Life on the Street when it first came out, and I was really happy to see all seven seasons plus the movie on SBS On Demand (the first four seasons are peak TV, and season seven seems like it comes from a different TV show, but I highly recommend it, if you like The Wire - made by the same person).

I can see the parallels between The Sopranos and The Wire, but so far, I would have The Sopranos comfortably ahead of The Wire.

 

[revo333]

I can see the parallels between The Sopranos and The Wire, but so far, I would have The Sopranos comfortably ahead of The Wire.

Out of the big 3, The Sopranos was the only one that I didn't feel like a slow burn.

The Wire and Breaking Bad took me more time to get into.

For The Wire if you don't like season 2 then I think you can just go onto Season 3 without missing much of the story.

Season 4 is one of the best seasons of a TV show I have seen so ideally you should try and make it to the end of that season.

 

[rumply]

It's deliberately ambiguous. When we first meet Chris in season 1's pilot episode, he's wearing a ballcap. He pretty much goes without a hat or a cap up until the episode in which he meets his end. A ballcap is a good place to hide a wire. Tony was paranoid about being recorded.

While Chris idolised Tony, he'd also feel let down by Tony (even though arguably Tony did more for Chris than anyone else in his crew), especially after he informed Tony that Adriana had been flipped by the FBI. He never forgave Tony for that, even though he knew it was part and parcel of the game in which he was involved. Tony also had started to isolate himself from Christopher, thanks primarily due to the drug use that made Christopher less reliable than what Tony would have wanted.

I think, on balance, Chris hadn't flipped, but I don't think it really matters either way. Tony thought that Chris' increased drug use would make him vulnerable to being flipped, and regardless, it went against Tony's specific orders to Chris.

Yep. Once he went back on the gear, the clock was ticking either way - Feds, Tony, even Paulie. Chris was done. "Flipping" the car adds to the intrigue as well.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Necro bump.

I finally got around to starting The Wire. I'm only most of the way through season 1, so I have a fair way to go before I can fully comment on it.

I was a big fan of Homicide: Life on the Street when it first came out, and I was really happy to see all seven seasons plus the movie on SBS On Demand (the first four seasons are peak TV, and season seven seems like it comes from a different TV show, but I highly recommend it, if you like The Wire - made by the same person).

I can see the parallels between The Sopranos and The Wire, but so far, I would have The Sopranos comfortably ahead of The Wire.

The Wire didn't click for me til the end of season 1. It was good til then but not great. Season 3 and 4 take it to another level as well.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Wire didn't click for me til the end of season 1. It was good til then but not great. Season 3 and 4 take it to another level as well.

I just finished season 1 of The Wire last night, so I'll get started on season 2 shortly.

 

[rumply]

The Wire season 1 didn't work for me until I watched with subtitles, had nfi what was going on otherwise...

 

[Gasometer]

The Wire season 1 didn't work for me until I watched with subtitles, had nfi what was going on otherwise...

I didn’t, and still dont, hence I never finished Season 1

But maybe you’ve given me the key

Is it streamed atm?

 

[rumply]

I didn’t, and still dont, hence I never finished Season 1

But maybe you’ve given me the key

Is it streamed atm?

Would be somewhere for sure but yeah subtitles made all the difference in my case.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I didn’t, and still dont, hence I never finished Season 1

But maybe you’ve given me the key

Is it streamed atm?

Would be on HBO Max I would presume. Subtitles were a must. I did a Sopranos rewatch with subtitles on as well and picked up on a bunch of new stuff that flew over my head the first couple of watches.

 

[revo333]

Staying at a hotel last week and there is a girls softball team called the Vipers staying as well.

I walked past a few of them with their parents wearing their uniforms near reception and I accidentally said out loud in Tonys mocking voice "We're with the Vipers'

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

Man just doing a rewatch, James Gandolfini is really the greatest TV actor

Cranston was great but I'm just in awe of Gandolfini