86 Days of The Sopranos
Season 3, Episode 3: Fortunate Son
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 3, Episode 3: Fortunate Son. 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…
** We open with Christopher getting a call from Paulie telling him to get dressed up and meet somewhere. Christopher thinks this is for him to become a made man. Christopher and Adriana are already making plans to get a new loft apartment and her to quit her job.
** Paulie and Silvio pick up Christopher in a parking lot but won’t tell him where they’re going.
** They arrive and the gang’s all there. Christopher was right, this is his day. Silvio jokes that Christopher sat on one ass cheek the whole way over.
** They gather around a small table covered with a red tablecloth. Tony explains that once he gets in, he’s never getting out and family comes before everything: wife, kids, mother. Tony puts a needle to a flame, pricks Christopher’s finger, burns a card of St. Peter and places it in his hands, which he rubs together. Christopher sees (or imagines) a black crow or raven in the window (dark wings, dark words) several times before repeating after Tony: “May I burn in hell if I betray my friends.”
** They head to the afterparty, which includes strippers and plenty of booze. Paulie gives him the sports book and tells him it’s his turn to make some real money. He just owes Paulie 10 points of his take every settle-up day, with a $6,000 minimum per week. Paulie: “That could be a lot or a little, depends on how much you grow this business.”
** We meet Carmine, the head of N.Y. He already knows everything about Tony, the spells and the shrink, and doesn’t seem concerned. He says N.Y. and New Jersey have done a lot of good work together and wants to keep it that way, wants Tony to take care of himself.
** Christopher and Benny run into Jackie Jr. and Dino at a restaurant. Jackie Jr. is resentful of Christopher and the whole Tony crew, and is also dropping out of Rutgers. He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps but doesn’t appear to want to start out at the bottom.
** Tony meets with Dr. Melfi, tells her he needs results or the therapy has to end. She says they’ve got to delve deeper, focus, starting with the latest incident. Tony starts telling the story about him being a racist to Meadow’s friend, but they figure out that the panic attack really started when he took the meat out of the refrigerator.
** Christopher is struggling for the first time running Paulie’s sports book. He tells Tony it was a minor setback. Tony tells Christopher to watch after Jackie Jr.
** Christopher is short $2,000 with Paulie’s first payout, and now he’s got a couple of days to come up with that plus another $2,000.
** Jackie Jr. shows up late for a meeting with Tony wearing sunglasses inside of Artie’s restaurant. Tony says he didn’t clip his uncle, Richie, and that he was a rat. Tony tells Jackie Jr. his dad wanted him to become a doctor, didn’t want this life for him, and he doesn’t want it for A.J. either. Jackie Jr. is not down for any of it.
** We see A.J. playing freshman football. He finally gets in the game and recovers a fumble. Tony is proud, wants to take A.J. out to a special meal, but he just wants to go home and play Nintendo.
** Meadow calls, Tony answers, but she’s still giving him the cold shoulder.
** Janice really wants those records from Svetlana so she steals her prosthetic leg. That’s so Janice. Svetlana hops around cussing Janice in Russian. Tony comes over to officiate and Irina is there. She tells him she’s getting married but misses him. Tony goes to the fridge, pulls out some meat and has a flashback of seeing his dad cut off a butcher’s finger over a debt.
** Tony tells Dr. Melfi about this memory. Tony said it was a rush watching it. He flashes back to his dad telling him he ought to give him the belt for disobeying him, but he was proud because little Tony didn’t run away like a girl when it happened. He tells Tony that he had no other choice, it’s his livelihood, how he puts food on the table. Tony, of course, says the same things now. Johnny Boy tells Tony never to gamble and a man honors his debts.
** As they walk to the table for dinner, Livia and Johnny Boy start make sexual references about bone-in and juices, and start dancing seductively over the table/meat. Livia tires of it and says it’s time to eat. Johnny Boy: “Lady loves her meat.” Little Tony passes out watching his dad carve up the meat. Dr. Melfi believes they’ve made a significant breakthrough.
** A.J. is watching football with Tony, who is giving him pointers. As soon as Carmela shows up ready to take a care package to Meadow, A.J. wants to go, which offends Tony, who offers to go with all of them. Carmela puts up a stop sign, asking if he just wants to create a scene and alienate his daughter more. He decides to stay home.
** Carmela arrives and Meadow is ready to fight: “So the rest of the world should work around his retrograde, racist personality.” Carmela: “Tony comes from a place and time where he thinks he has your best interest at heart.” Meadow: “New Jersey?” LOL. Carmela turns to Noah and says he should understand growing up in a racially-mixed marriage. Meadow: “Don’t slam his family background, look what you wound up in.” Dayum. Meadow says she’s not going to stop seeing Noah.
** Janice comes home, plays dumb about Svetlana’s leg. Svetlana: “This c*nt is going to be sorry she ever ****ed with me.” LOL
** Christopher, desperate for cash to payback Paulie, goes to Jackie Jr. about a plan to stick up a benefit concert at Rutgers. Christopher and Benny stick up the concert in Scream masks, a security guard shows up and they’re out of there fast. Jackie Jr. pisses himself but is able to drive the getaway car out of there.
** Christopher pays Paulie the money he owed, says this being made isn’t working out the way he thought it would. Paulie: “Welcome to the NFL, rookie. Go home, get some sleep, tomorrow’s a new day.”
** Tony isn’t happy when he learns Jackie Jr. was part of the Rutgers stickup.
** Back at football practice, the coach praises A.J. in front of everyone, names him defensive captain. A.J. passes out. Like father, like son. We fade to black.
Murder count: None in episode, 18 in series
What were your impressions of Fortunate Son…
Season 3, Episode 3: Fortunate Son
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 3, Episode 3: Fortunate Son. 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…
** We open with Christopher getting a call from Paulie telling him to get dressed up and meet somewhere. Christopher thinks this is for him to become a made man. Christopher and Adriana are already making plans to get a new loft apartment and her to quit her job.
** Paulie and Silvio pick up Christopher in a parking lot but won’t tell him where they’re going.
** They arrive and the gang’s all there. Christopher was right, this is his day. Silvio jokes that Christopher sat on one ass cheek the whole way over.
** They gather around a small table covered with a red tablecloth. Tony explains that once he gets in, he’s never getting out and family comes before everything: wife, kids, mother. Tony puts a needle to a flame, pricks Christopher’s finger, burns a card of St. Peter and places it in his hands, which he rubs together. Christopher sees (or imagines) a black crow or raven in the window (dark wings, dark words) several times before repeating after Tony: “May I burn in hell if I betray my friends.”
** They head to the afterparty, which includes strippers and plenty of booze. Paulie gives him the sports book and tells him it’s his turn to make some real money. He just owes Paulie 10 points of his take every settle-up day, with a $6,000 minimum per week. Paulie: “That could be a lot or a little, depends on how much you grow this business.”
** We meet Carmine, the head of N.Y. He already knows everything about Tony, the spells and the shrink, and doesn’t seem concerned. He says N.Y. and New Jersey have done a lot of good work together and wants to keep it that way, wants Tony to take care of himself.
** Christopher and Benny run into Jackie Jr. and Dino at a restaurant. Jackie Jr. is resentful of Christopher and the whole Tony crew, and is also dropping out of Rutgers. He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps but doesn’t appear to want to start out at the bottom.
** Tony meets with Dr. Melfi, tells her he needs results or the therapy has to end. She says they’ve got to delve deeper, focus, starting with the latest incident. Tony starts telling the story about him being a racist to Meadow’s friend, but they figure out that the panic attack really started when he took the meat out of the refrigerator.
** Christopher is struggling for the first time running Paulie’s sports book. He tells Tony it was a minor setback. Tony tells Christopher to watch after Jackie Jr.
** Christopher is short $2,000 with Paulie’s first payout, and now he’s got a couple of days to come up with that plus another $2,000.
** Jackie Jr. shows up late for a meeting with Tony wearing sunglasses inside of Artie’s restaurant. Tony says he didn’t clip his uncle, Richie, and that he was a rat. Tony tells Jackie Jr. his dad wanted him to become a doctor, didn’t want this life for him, and he doesn’t want it for A.J. either. Jackie Jr. is not down for any of it.
** We see A.J. playing freshman football. He finally gets in the game and recovers a fumble. Tony is proud, wants to take A.J. out to a special meal, but he just wants to go home and play Nintendo.
** Meadow calls, Tony answers, but she’s still giving him the cold shoulder.
** Janice really wants those records from Svetlana so she steals her prosthetic leg. That’s so Janice. Svetlana hops around cussing Janice in Russian. Tony comes over to officiate and Irina is there. She tells him she’s getting married but misses him. Tony goes to the fridge, pulls out some meat and has a flashback of seeing his dad cut off a butcher’s finger over a debt.
** Tony tells Dr. Melfi about this memory. Tony said it was a rush watching it. He flashes back to his dad telling him he ought to give him the belt for disobeying him, but he was proud because little Tony didn’t run away like a girl when it happened. He tells Tony that he had no other choice, it’s his livelihood, how he puts food on the table. Tony, of course, says the same things now. Johnny Boy tells Tony never to gamble and a man honors his debts.
** As they walk to the table for dinner, Livia and Johnny Boy start make sexual references about bone-in and juices, and start dancing seductively over the table/meat. Livia tires of it and says it’s time to eat. Johnny Boy: “Lady loves her meat.” Little Tony passes out watching his dad carve up the meat. Dr. Melfi believes they’ve made a significant breakthrough.
** A.J. is watching football with Tony, who is giving him pointers. As soon as Carmela shows up ready to take a care package to Meadow, A.J. wants to go, which offends Tony, who offers to go with all of them. Carmela puts up a stop sign, asking if he just wants to create a scene and alienate his daughter more. He decides to stay home.
** Carmela arrives and Meadow is ready to fight: “So the rest of the world should work around his retrograde, racist personality.” Carmela: “Tony comes from a place and time where he thinks he has your best interest at heart.” Meadow: “New Jersey?” LOL. Carmela turns to Noah and says he should understand growing up in a racially-mixed marriage. Meadow: “Don’t slam his family background, look what you wound up in.” Dayum. Meadow says she’s not going to stop seeing Noah.
** Janice comes home, plays dumb about Svetlana’s leg. Svetlana: “This c*nt is going to be sorry she ever ****ed with me.” LOL
** Christopher, desperate for cash to payback Paulie, goes to Jackie Jr. about a plan to stick up a benefit concert at Rutgers. Christopher and Benny stick up the concert in Scream masks, a security guard shows up and they’re out of there fast. Jackie Jr. pisses himself but is able to drive the getaway car out of there.
** Christopher pays Paulie the money he owed, says this being made isn’t working out the way he thought it would. Paulie: “Welcome to the NFL, rookie. Go home, get some sleep, tomorrow’s a new day.”
** Tony isn’t happy when he learns Jackie Jr. was part of the Rutgers stickup.
** Back at football practice, the coach praises A.J. in front of everyone, names him defensive captain. A.J. passes out. Like father, like son. We fade to black.
Murder count: None in episode, 18 in series
What were your impressions of Fortunate Son…
