86 Days of The Sopranos
Season 5, Episode 1: Two Tonys
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 5, Episode 1: Two Tonys. Below are my impressions. Please provide your feedback in the replies, and try to avoid any big spoilers for those that are watching this iconic series for the first time…
** The Season 5 premiere opens with some country music, Heaven Only Knows by Emmylou Harris, and scenes of fall leaves around a quiet Soprano house. There’s a paper laying in the driveway, which Meadow runs over as she pulls up to pick up A.J.
** Tony and Bobby are watching T.V. while Janice prepares Sunday dinner. There’s a news program on talking about the release of some mobsters that have been in jail for the past couple of decades including a couple of higher ups in both the N.Y. and N.J. families. Tony’s cousin, Tony Blundetto (Tony B), is one of them. He’s played by Steve Buscemi, who went on to star in an HBO mob show, Boardwalk Empire, and has already directed a couple of Sopranos episodes. Another Soprano associate, Feech La Manna, is also released, who is played by Robert Loggia. We also learn that Janice has lost her wedding ring so Bobby has clearly made a terrible decision.
** Carmela returns home to A.J. banging on the drums. He’s not being very cooperative about helping out around the house and appears to blame his mother for the breakup. A.J. goes outside to get something and a black bear just shows up. He cries for his mommy (LOL). Carmela gets two two pans and bangs them together and throws one at the bear, who eventually ambles away.
** Tony gets his goomah, Valentina, to turn the TV channel to the Prince of Tides movie. He’s intrigued by Nick Nolte’s character’s relationship with Barbra Streisand’s character, who is a therapist. Next scene we see a large bouquet of red roses and a bottle of Tide being delivered to Dr. Melfi. Tony’s note is signed, Your Prince of Tides.
** Paulie and Christopher are both retelling the Pine Barrens incident and get mad at each other’s version. They almost come to blows before Christopher walks out. Paulie says it’s finished with them.
** Tony calls Dr. Melfi. She thanks him for his “humorous” gift. Tony tells her he’s separated and wants to have dinner with her. She declines due to their prior relationship. Tony says he’s undeterred and will call back.
** The bear returns as Tony visits, but then takes off quickly without causing any damage. Tony is upset he wasn’t told about this before. Fish and game can’t take any action at this time and won’t accept any cash from Tony. Tony and Carmela end up fighting about money. He paid 5K for A.J.’s drum set but won’t pay for his tutor or a new coffee maker. Tony says if certain people see Furio in Italy, he’s dead.
** We meet Feech for the first time. He’s cooking for Junior and Bobby. He says the biggest change for him from when he first entered prison is broads shaving their bushes. LOL Tony shows up and Feech says he wants to get back in the game. Tony is good with it as long as he doesn’t step on anybody’s toes.
** Christopher gets money from Adriana because he has to always pay for dinner being the lowest-ranking made guy. They’re both frustrated by it. Christopher gets Paulie to get the check at dinner that night. Next day Paulie pulls up and tells Christopher he owes him $860.
** Tony sends Benny and Little Paulie over to the house to sit in the backyard on bear watch. Benny gets Tony’s AK-47 out. We see he’s got a grenade in his weapon cabinet too.
** Tony plays golf and has lunch with the N.Y. family. Carmine is not feeling well and collapses with a stroke. Johnny Sack calls Carmine Jr., who says he’s on the way. He also brings up the near hit on Carmine the previous year to Tony while they're sitting in the hospital waiting room. Tony: “What do you want, an apology, a Whitman’s sampler, what?” LOL
** Dr. Melfi has an erotic dream about Tony, who shows up at her office the next day for a supposed appointment. Tony says the real reason he’s there is to ask her out on a date again. Tony says he wants them to be completely honest with each other but Dr. Melfi thinks this is just his subconscious wanting to get back into therapy because of what’s happened with his marriage. Tony closes in and kisses her. She says don’t do that but is clearly turned on. Tony backs away “out of respect for this office.” He says there’s two Tony Sopranos and you’ve never seen the other one: “That’s the one I want to show you.”
** Dr. Melfi sees her therapist. She says she found Tony the alpha male sexy at first but saw all the ugly year after year.
** Tony meets with Christopher about leaving Paulie the check. Tony tells him he’ll pay until he’s told he doesn’t have to pay anymore. That night they’re all out at a restaurant and Paulie makes sure they run up a big tab and taunts Christopher when the $1,184 checks shows up. They get in a shouting match outside in the parking lot. The waiter comes out asking about the $16 tip just before they come to blows. He calls them both assholes and Christopher hits him with a brick in the back of the head. The waiter collapses and starts convulsing before Paulie finishes him off with his handgun.
** The next day they talk on the phone and decide to bury the hatchet. They both apologize and decide to split the tab.
** Tony shows up at Dr. Melfi’s office late one night and offers her tickets to Bermuda “that a friend couldn’t use.” Dr. Melfi says she’s not going to go out with him and to respect her decision. Tony persists and demands a better explanation. She says she didn’t judge his behavior in therapy but couldn’t be silent in a personal relationship; their values are very different. Tony keeps pushing: “My values, like what?” Dr. Melfi: “You’re not a truthful person and not respecting of women. You’re not respectful of people. You take what you want from them by force or the threat of force.” Tony gets pissed, yells, “**** you” in her face and then walks out and calls her a “****ing c*nt” as he closes the door behind him.
** Tony goes to his former house and finds Benny on the phone with his girlfriend and his AK-47 lying on the table. He gives Benny the night off, grabs the AK and heads outside. He declines an offer of coffee from Carmela and we fade to black to Heaven Only Knows by Emmylou Harris with Tony smoking a cigar and holding his AK-47.
Murder count: One in episode, 31 in series
What were your impressions of Two Tonys…
Season 5, Episode 1: Two Tonys
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 5, Episode 1: Two Tonys. Below are my impressions. Please provide your feedback in the replies, and try to avoid any big spoilers for those that are watching this iconic series for the first time…
** The Season 5 premiere opens with some country music, Heaven Only Knows by Emmylou Harris, and scenes of fall leaves around a quiet Soprano house. There’s a paper laying in the driveway, which Meadow runs over as she pulls up to pick up A.J.
** Tony and Bobby are watching T.V. while Janice prepares Sunday dinner. There’s a news program on talking about the release of some mobsters that have been in jail for the past couple of decades including a couple of higher ups in both the N.Y. and N.J. families. Tony’s cousin, Tony Blundetto (Tony B), is one of them. He’s played by Steve Buscemi, who went on to star in an HBO mob show, Boardwalk Empire, and has already directed a couple of Sopranos episodes. Another Soprano associate, Feech La Manna, is also released, who is played by Robert Loggia. We also learn that Janice has lost her wedding ring so Bobby has clearly made a terrible decision.
** Carmela returns home to A.J. banging on the drums. He’s not being very cooperative about helping out around the house and appears to blame his mother for the breakup. A.J. goes outside to get something and a black bear just shows up. He cries for his mommy (LOL). Carmela gets two two pans and bangs them together and throws one at the bear, who eventually ambles away.
** Tony gets his goomah, Valentina, to turn the TV channel to the Prince of Tides movie. He’s intrigued by Nick Nolte’s character’s relationship with Barbra Streisand’s character, who is a therapist. Next scene we see a large bouquet of red roses and a bottle of Tide being delivered to Dr. Melfi. Tony’s note is signed, Your Prince of Tides.
** Paulie and Christopher are both retelling the Pine Barrens incident and get mad at each other’s version. They almost come to blows before Christopher walks out. Paulie says it’s finished with them.
** Tony calls Dr. Melfi. She thanks him for his “humorous” gift. Tony tells her he’s separated and wants to have dinner with her. She declines due to their prior relationship. Tony says he’s undeterred and will call back.
** The bear returns as Tony visits, but then takes off quickly without causing any damage. Tony is upset he wasn’t told about this before. Fish and game can’t take any action at this time and won’t accept any cash from Tony. Tony and Carmela end up fighting about money. He paid 5K for A.J.’s drum set but won’t pay for his tutor or a new coffee maker. Tony says if certain people see Furio in Italy, he’s dead.
** We meet Feech for the first time. He’s cooking for Junior and Bobby. He says the biggest change for him from when he first entered prison is broads shaving their bushes. LOL Tony shows up and Feech says he wants to get back in the game. Tony is good with it as long as he doesn’t step on anybody’s toes.
** Christopher gets money from Adriana because he has to always pay for dinner being the lowest-ranking made guy. They’re both frustrated by it. Christopher gets Paulie to get the check at dinner that night. Next day Paulie pulls up and tells Christopher he owes him $860.
** Tony sends Benny and Little Paulie over to the house to sit in the backyard on bear watch. Benny gets Tony’s AK-47 out. We see he’s got a grenade in his weapon cabinet too.
** Tony plays golf and has lunch with the N.Y. family. Carmine is not feeling well and collapses with a stroke. Johnny Sack calls Carmine Jr., who says he’s on the way. He also brings up the near hit on Carmine the previous year to Tony while they're sitting in the hospital waiting room. Tony: “What do you want, an apology, a Whitman’s sampler, what?” LOL
** Dr. Melfi has an erotic dream about Tony, who shows up at her office the next day for a supposed appointment. Tony says the real reason he’s there is to ask her out on a date again. Tony says he wants them to be completely honest with each other but Dr. Melfi thinks this is just his subconscious wanting to get back into therapy because of what’s happened with his marriage. Tony closes in and kisses her. She says don’t do that but is clearly turned on. Tony backs away “out of respect for this office.” He says there’s two Tony Sopranos and you’ve never seen the other one: “That’s the one I want to show you.”
** Dr. Melfi sees her therapist. She says she found Tony the alpha male sexy at first but saw all the ugly year after year.
** Tony meets with Christopher about leaving Paulie the check. Tony tells him he’ll pay until he’s told he doesn’t have to pay anymore. That night they’re all out at a restaurant and Paulie makes sure they run up a big tab and taunts Christopher when the $1,184 checks shows up. They get in a shouting match outside in the parking lot. The waiter comes out asking about the $16 tip just before they come to blows. He calls them both assholes and Christopher hits him with a brick in the back of the head. The waiter collapses and starts convulsing before Paulie finishes him off with his handgun.
** The next day they talk on the phone and decide to bury the hatchet. They both apologize and decide to split the tab.
** Tony shows up at Dr. Melfi’s office late one night and offers her tickets to Bermuda “that a friend couldn’t use.” Dr. Melfi says she’s not going to go out with him and to respect her decision. Tony persists and demands a better explanation. She says she didn’t judge his behavior in therapy but couldn’t be silent in a personal relationship; their values are very different. Tony keeps pushing: “My values, like what?” Dr. Melfi: “You’re not a truthful person and not respecting of women. You’re not respectful of people. You take what you want from them by force or the threat of force.” Tony gets pissed, yells, “**** you” in her face and then walks out and calls her a “****ing c*nt” as he closes the door behind him.
** Tony goes to his former house and finds Benny on the phone with his girlfriend and his AK-47 lying on the table. He gives Benny the night off, grabs the AK and heads outside. He declines an offer of coffee from Carmela and we fade to black to Heaven Only Knows by Emmylou Harris with Tony smoking a cigar and holding his AK-47.
Murder count: One in episode, 31 in series
What were your impressions of Two Tonys…
