Monday, April 12, 2004

This entry will consist of speculative blather about The Sopranos, so you can probably skip reading this if you're not interested in that show.  I was thinking last night that The Sopranos has finally plunged into an unrelenting, horrific darkness.  No character seems capable of redemption any longer, and I firmlly believe that they are doomed, each in their own, perfectly fitting, fashion.  Every character is slowly being consumed by their flaws and misdirected desires.  I can't say that I enjoy the slow unravelling of this fictional world, but it feels absolutely real and tragic.  Our flaws typically don't kill us in a day - we are often forced to look back and chart the dissolution of this or that structure retrospectively.  For all of the violence, misogyny, cursing, and general bad behavior, this show performs (for me at least) an essentially moral function:  It causes me to look at my life, my behavior, and project consequences of my actions into the future.  But, it's also fun, and very, very funny.  My friends and I talk constantly about who will be whacked this season.  My take - I believe it absolutely necessary that a central, ongoing character die.  In previous seaons, the show's creators have set up these utterly hateful straw men (Ralphie, etc.), and then dispatched them towards the end of the season.  I just don't think that they can pull that off this time.  Someone must pay.  The show's creators are pretty clever, though - almost every character is the sworn enemy of another.  It's strange to say that I would "like" to see Christopher be forced to kill Adriana (one of the few characters for whom I feel the slightest tinge of sympathy), but I think it would be fitting.  Apparently you can place bets on this in Las Vegas - I should see if I can find some bookie's odds online!   Yes, here we go: A leading offshore gaming company for over 10 years, xxxx.com has listed New York underboss Johnny Sack as the early favorite to be the first character killed-off during the upcoming season at 3/1 odds (i.e., win $3 for every $1 bet). Little Carmine, next in line to control the New York family now that his father has died, is listed as a close second at 7/2 odds. Meanwhile, Christopher's fiancée turned FBI informant Adriana comes in at 4/1 odds and new character Feech La Manna (played by Robert Loggia) is also a candidate for early termination "No other successful television program produces the suspense of The Sopranos where main characters can be killed off at any time and fans constantly speculate who'll be next," said Simon Noble, CEO of Bxxxxx.com. "With the death of Carmine, control of the New York crew is up for grabs. As a result a power struggle between Johnny Sack and Little Carmine will almost certainly ensue, which is why we made them the favorites. If anyone gets wise to Adriana's dealings with the Feds, she could easily be the next to 'sleep with the fishes'. Although he's a new character, it's rumored that Feech will stir things up after his parole and get on Tony's bad side - something both Ralph and Richie Aprile did and both of their fates were quickly sealed." Other members of The Sopranos who have a good chance to be the first to get "whacked" or pass away during this season include: Uncle Junior, who just survived the trial of his life, at 7/1; Tony's paroled cousin Tony Blundetto (played by Steve Buscemi) at 8/1; longtime confidants Paulie Walnuts (8/1) and Silvio (10/1); and Tony's therapist Dr. Melfi at 10/1. xxxxx.com has also created individual odds for the clean and sober Christopher (15/1), newly married couple Janice and Bobby Bacala (both at 15/1) and Tony's good friend and restaurant owner Artie Bucco (18/1). Characters that have very little chance of being killed off first this season are all members of Tony's immediate family. His son AJ, daughter Meadow and separated wife Carmela all come in at 30/1 odds while the longest of the long shots to get whacked or pass away first is Tony Soprano himself, currently listed at 60/1 odds. Rhizomat does not endorse offshore betting on the Sopranos, or any other real or imagined event!  I removed the name of the website from the article above, though of course you could find it in about 10 seconds with Google, as I just did.  I love the internet. I hadn't considered Little Carmine or Johnny Sack in my calculations, because I'm not interested in that story line.  The mob element is the one that interests me the least, actually, except as it kind of externalizes and contrasts the family/social element.  I can't imagine why Dr. Melfi would get 10/1 odds here, either.  The only way this might happen is if Melfi decided to report a criminal/murderous confession of Tony's, and she's made it abundantly clear that she is far too invested in having such an interesting client.  I actually think the therapy storyline has grown a little bit tired and repetitive, it will be interesting to see what the writers do with it. So, all in all, a good, interesting season so far; clearly superior to season four.  I think the show's creators are struggling with maintaining the myriad story lines - the 'walk-throughs' with Artie, Meadow, Melfi, etc. do serve to maintain the illusion of a fully-realized world, but I feel sorry for the actors playing those roles.  The acting, by the way, has been unbelievably superb this season.  Edie Falco is a revelation each and every week - if I were an actor, I would definitely want to specialize in characters with just the slightest smidgin of self-awareness, not enough to cause the character to change their behavior, but just enough to cause them unbelievable torment and self-loathing.  Carmela is absolutely the show's most tragic figure - Adriana's case is poignant, but she's just not smart enough to really get it.  Carmela gets it just enough to squirm against it prior to collapsing back into her known, too-comfortable world.  I really like David Straithorn, too - in any other show his character (Tony Jr's. guidance counselor) would clearly by an unmitigated creep, but moral universe of the Sopranos is so skewed that I actually LIKED him for about 35 seconds.  We were watching the third episode, and I kept saying to my friends "he's a condescending poseur horndog, right?"  The fact that he is playing a high school guidance counselor might even be gilding the black, stinking lily, as it were.   He's either a dead man, or he'll turn against Carmela later in the season, and play some minor but essential part in the complete destruction of the family (in both senses of the word) that I am convinced will come in season six.  While I'm laying odds here (I'm really just writing this for the historical, time-stamped record, so I can show this to my friends at the end of the season to confirm how RIGHT I am), Adriana will be undone by her foolish lie to Tony that her "blond friend" (the FBI agent) died in an accident.  Tony, or one of his cronies, will certainly spot them together this season, mark my words.  Stupid, stupid girl.  Carmela won't fully abandon Tony, although she loathes him, until he is completely undone.  Then, her betrayal will be absolute.  That's all.  I love watching this show, and talking about it with the crowd of people that gathers at my house on Sunday evenings, but writing about all this unrelieved depravity is actually bringing me down!  Until next time, readers.  I'll write about some nice new records that I've recently acquired!  4:35:01 PM