The Sporanos
It seems everyone and their cousin Vincent is taking a swing at how the Sopranos will end. Here is my take.
You have to understand that the whole show is really about AJ. We like to think of Tony and his crew as the big metaphor for 21st Century America, and that might have been true for a long time. But now the big metaphor bawling his eyes out in the middle of his bedroom is AJ. AJ is us, AJ is the zeitigist and whatever other German word you want to insert to mean the spirit of the times. (I get the two that start with "sch" confused.)
Tony is a brutish and thuggish man dedicated to his own survival and prosperity and his pretenses at civility are getting perilously thin. (Insert obvious allusion to 21st Century world powers). Carmela is his deluded wife, willing to construct the most ridiculous narratives to justify the fact that she stays married to Tony because she is addicted to the upper middle class perks he provides. (The pantsuits, the granite countertops, the C Class, and that shower. Don't even get me started on that shower.)* Prosperous but morally pure is our Carm. She would be shocked, shocked and angered to learn that her lifestyle is financed by mechanations hatched at the Bing (Insert allusion to citizens of 21st century world powers.) What does this union of reality and desire sire? AJ. AJ, who when not being sullen and acquisitive is impotent, weak, and at least mildly retarded. (Insert -- oh you get it by now.)
But we cannot let AJ wither on the vine, groping for his antidepressants and crying in his sleeve. No. We have to believe. AJ will make one last stand. AJ can be redeemed. AJ will try to save his father from Phil Leotardo and his goons.
And he will make a muck of it.
His heroics will be for naught. While he will try to save Tony from an assasin's bullet, Tony will step in front of him, take two to the chest and fall on top of his son sporting that patented heavy lidded stare. AJ will then suffocate under the sheer weight of Tony's voracious appetites as represented by his pendulous man breasts. The metaphor will slap us in the face like one of those singing fish from Season 5. Carmela will enter just in time to pray the rosary and appear chagrined that a life of self delusion and self aggrandizement could end so badly.
*At one point, Carmella even mentioned her Catholic dedication the family as a reason not to leave her murderous husband. I am sure Carmela believes we invaded Iraq to spread democracy.*
You have to understand that the whole show is really about AJ. We like to think of Tony and his crew as the big metaphor for 21st Century America, and that might have been true for a long time. But now the big metaphor bawling his eyes out in the middle of his bedroom is AJ. AJ is us, AJ is the zeitigist and whatever other German word you want to insert to mean the spirit of the times. (I get the two that start with "sch" confused.)
Tony is a brutish and thuggish man dedicated to his own survival and prosperity and his pretenses at civility are getting perilously thin. (Insert obvious allusion to 21st Century world powers). Carmela is his deluded wife, willing to construct the most ridiculous narratives to justify the fact that she stays married to Tony because she is addicted to the upper middle class perks he provides. (The pantsuits, the granite countertops, the C Class, and that shower. Don't even get me started on that shower.)* Prosperous but morally pure is our Carm. She would be shocked, shocked and angered to learn that her lifestyle is financed by mechanations hatched at the Bing (Insert allusion to citizens of 21st century world powers.) What does this union of reality and desire sire? AJ. AJ, who when not being sullen and acquisitive is impotent, weak, and at least mildly retarded. (Insert -- oh you get it by now.)
But we cannot let AJ wither on the vine, groping for his antidepressants and crying in his sleeve. No. We have to believe. AJ will make one last stand. AJ can be redeemed. AJ will try to save his father from Phil Leotardo and his goons.
And he will make a muck of it.
His heroics will be for naught. While he will try to save Tony from an assasin's bullet, Tony will step in front of him, take two to the chest and fall on top of his son sporting that patented heavy lidded stare. AJ will then suffocate under the sheer weight of Tony's voracious appetites as represented by his pendulous man breasts. The metaphor will slap us in the face like one of those singing fish from Season 5. Carmela will enter just in time to pray the rosary and appear chagrined that a life of self delusion and self aggrandizement could end so badly.
*At one point, Carmella even mentioned her Catholic dedication the family as a reason not to leave her murderous husband. I am sure Carmela believes we invaded Iraq to spread democracy.*
posted by Jack Reed at 2:11 PM
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