The Wisdom of the Sopranos Part 15 (Season 2: Episode 3 Toodle-F-King-Oo)

"There has to be consequences" Carmela Soprano

Manipulation of punishment is possible when you offer to give up a want and then determine it is actually a need.  You have the appearance of attempting to do the right thing but ultimately you have done nothing in restitution.

You can't truly disguise your feelings - unless you are careful it comes out in your conversational tone.

Its easy to criticize or comment when it doesn't affect you.  But, when the tables are turned you see things from a different, more direct angle, your perspective and opinions changes.

This episode introduces us to Richie Aprile.  Made Guy...Knowing how he ends up I find it terribly ironic that he tells Christopher, "Look kid, I shouldn't have to explain myself. I'm from the old-school. You wanna raise your hand, you give her your last name. Then it's none of my fuckin' business. Until then, keep your hands in your pockets. We understand each other?" (Spoiler Alert).  Which means watch what you say.  Sometimes things come back to bite (or in Richie's case shoot) you.

One last thought...I would venture to say that there has been no character on T.V. or in Film that had the ability to express so much with his eyes as Tony Soprano.  Thank you James Gandolfini.

The Wisdom of the Sopranos Part 14 (Season 2: Episode 2 Do Not Resucitate)

I am increasingly delighted as each episode unfolds. When I started this blog I wasn't sure I would have enough material.  Granted some of the wisdom gets repeated. But, each episode seems to have a wisdom theme that is wrapped around the story line.  This episode should be called loose lips sink ships.  There should be caution in what you say as it may not be received well.  Sometimes you say the wrong thing to the wrong person like when Uncle Junior tells a judge in response to if he has any objections to wearing a monitoring bracelet that it's feels like Nazi Germany.   Or, when Anthony Jr. asks Olivia Soprano why she needs a DNR because he didn't know what a DNR was.   My personal favorite is when the owner of the nursing home Olivia Soprano was living in was running his mouth around town about Soprano business and about a certain son who almost killed his mother with a fluffy pillow.  Guess where he is?  Missing, a suspect of "foul play".  (I think that guy must have not been very smart.)  Another couple of Einsteins are the two guys working at the brokerage firm for Christopher who approach Tony at a pre-arranged attack on protesters at a construction site.  Tony didn't want to be seen there but these two bumbling idiots (and in future episodes we will see what bumbling idiots they are really are) identified Tony and approached him while he was sitting in his car.

It's interesting how you can use loose lips to not sink a ship but instead to save one.  Olivia hints to Janice about where did she put the money?  Implying that Olivia has money and Janice needs to keep her alive so she can share this bit of information.  Olivia has always acted like she is a bit senile but believe me she's no dummy.  She is worried about the DNR that Anthony Jr. asked her about.

Which leads me to sometimes things are not always what they seem.  For example the Preacher who is protesting at the construction site is really on the take.  Or, Tony wanting it to appear the Uncle Junior is still the boss so the Feds will not focus on himself. 

I would be off the mark if I didn't mention the theme of parents and their children.  The on the take Preacher's dad died.  In talking to Tony he mentioned that once the parents are gone the torch is passed to the children and now they become the elders.  Truly a wise observation.