Reply With QuoteConsidering season three of 24 just ended, it's not really that big of a spoiler :)
Season Four of The Sopranos was mostly a big waste of time.
--- Alan
Alright, between Thursday and last night I rented and watched all of season 4. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get around to it, but when I thought of it earlier this month I decided I'd wait till I had season 5, so when the last of those torrents finished up on Thursday (only took about a week to get all 13 episodes of season 5, I was pretty happy with that given the unreliable nature of bittorrent) I started watching season 4 knowing I could jump right into 5. So far I've only watched the first two episodes of season 5 today, so I'm inching through the existing Sopranos thread, watching for spoilers.
As for season 4 though, what was the general opinion? Watching it all together like that makes it kind of a blur for me to recollect well, but nothing with Ralph really worked for me. The weight remark and the fallout from that in the begining of the season was fun to watch but then it just all deflated when Johnny Sacks* catches his wife with the candy bars and wimps out. If you're going to spend a few episodes of my time building up this enjoyably unreasonable beef with him and Ralph, don't kill it by just having him come to his senses. There was some brief tension with his hit on Ralph being called off at the last second, but overall that was a letdown.
Then we have Ralph and the horse thing. The way Tony just moved in and usurped everything from the winnings to the care and basically ownership of the horse looked like it was going to start something between them, but it ultimately didn't start anything for that reason. It was Tony's anger with the fire that ultimately ended things there; Ralph showed some resentment when Tony hit him up for all that winning money the second race, but then rolled over and took it for the rest of the season. Disappointing.
And then we have Ralph's bizzare sex life being built up, then the tragedy with his son, both of which just dead ended with his death. It just seemed a waste. They started both of those arcs and then just leave them half-way and meaningless when Ralph dies. What was the point.
Elsewhere, the separation with Tony and Carmella is interesting, but while the Furio aspect was built up for most of the season, the actual separation will impact season 5 more than season 4 (I'm assuming anyway) since it didn't happen till the end.
Overall, season 4 just wasn't as fun for me as I remember the first three seasons. It could just be my memory. I watched the first two seasons in one big chunk back in 2002 and season 3 later that year, so it's been a while and I could just be more critical having just watched season 4. Another thing that's just a problem with any TV show is the way that when Ralph came into the picture, I just sort of assumed from the begining: "high profile 'guest star', he's going to be built up and killed." And I was sorta right. But what can they do? If the timing was reversed with Big Pussy and Ralph, if Ralph had been in from the begining and offed with Pussy being brought in and then killed off, I'd be complaining about Pussy's death because television shows just work like that. You can't add a new character and eventually have them die without at least some feeling of "well yeah, they were never really core cast members, they're expendable," which just reinforces the idea that the core really aren't expendable. A little more tension is removed every time that idea is reinforced.
* SPOILERS HERE FOR 24, IRONICALLY: I was going to lookup how to spell Johnny Sacks name, but then I remembered the last time I looked up a cast member's name on IMDB. I was halfway through watching season 1 of 24 on DVD when I went to look something up and saw:
Kiefer Sutherland .... Jack Bauer
Leslie Hope .... Teri Bauer (2001-2002)
Spoilers where you least expect them!
Considering season three of 24 just ended, it's not really that big of a spoiler :)
Season Four of The Sopranos was mostly a big waste of time.
--- Alan
Just being sure. You never know when someone's going to have a fit about having something ruined that most people assumed was common knowledge.
Alright, I've made it through six episodes of season five now, where Tony B. has just switched career tracks. Wish I'd watched these as they aired, you guys said some good stuff in the other Sopranos thread about the whole Carmela issue.
I know it must seem like a weird time warp to hear me asking about things you've already watched and have definitive answers to, but was anyone else wondering where that grenade went when the gun "cabinet" was opened again this episode?
Yeah, much of Season 4 bothered me as well.
There are things I really would have preferred to see focused on a bit more such as Meadow, right after leaving the restaurant at the end of Season 3. I had always expected her to do more than mope. A bit more proactive, as it were.
However, there were some great things I loved about Season 4. Paulie's talking, the odd way he relates to Tony (notably, with the picture). The Tony/Carmella stuff was great. Though I'm pissed that Furio just bolted like that. And whenever I check the IMDb, it would always say Furio Giunta (2000 - ), implying that he may not necessarily be gone. Someone did eventually fix that to show that he was removed from the show, though.
Paulie is enjoyable, but most of his plot arcs seem to be comedic, often almost slapstick. It's great fun to watch, but when he's thrown back into interactions with the rest of the cast and not off killing old women or something, it's hard to reassign him the proper level of seriousness. Now I'm going to squeeze in episode seven before bed :)
This plot they just started up with Tony S's father's old girlfriend is boring me. It didn't feel like we were lacking characters or stories as it was, I would've been happier if they'd focus more on things already established than throwing another character at me to bother with. Dragging up the bit with Tony and his issues with his mom again at this point just isn't very interesting any more.
Meanwhile, Chris's rehab buddy is good stuff. In the other thread one of you guys described Chris and Paulie's discussion about killing the waiter at the begining of the season a "prototypical Sopranos moment" or something, when they talk about how "someone could have gotten hurt." I don't hear words like prototypical in conversation enough to know if that's exactly the word I'd use to describe things, but I think I saw what you meant and I think it applies even more so to this situation with Chris (though it's more than just a moment). The way he can apparently completely buy into the rehab and want to "help" this guy and completely disconnect all of that from his "business" as he beats the man and then wonders why he doesn't come back to Chris for help.
Also, I wasn't really expecting to hear Linkin Park on a Sopranos episode.
The Sopranos does have too many meandering plots like this but this little sidetrack is there to establish that Tony also has some issues with his dad, not just his mom.Originally Posted by Wholly Schmidt
Janice just decked the soccer mom. I tend to forget, but any episode surrounding her makes me wish for her death like no other characters. It's good TV I guess that I can hate her so much.
I'm not sure anyone actually likes her. She's a bitch, hands down, and is probably the most unlikeabe character in the entire show. She shoulda died a llooooonnnng time ago. Ralphie got to be the same way.. got really annoying.
--- Alan
I'm sure I'm not the only one who waits for 24 to be released on DVD before watching it.Considering season three of 24 just ended, it's not really that big of a spoiler
I thought this episode showed where Tony "broke" from his mom when he covered for his dad. She never forgave him and it shows by her behavior in the early seasons of the show.The Sopranos does have too many meandering plots like this but this little sidetrack is there to establish that Tony also has some issues with his dad, not just his mom.
I was referring to the ending spoiler to season one in relation to spoiler warnings as season three just ended. Considering season two is already on DVD... well, tough luck. I'll speak of season one whenever I feel :)
--- Alan
or that his pop put him in an untenable position with his mom. you decide.I thought this episode showed where Tony "broke" from his mom when he covered for his dad. She never forgave him and it shows by her behavior in the early seasons of the show.The Sopranos does have too many meandering plots like this but this little sidetrack is there to establish that Tony also has some issues with his dad, not just his mom.
Still, seems like they didn't need to waste that much time introducing a new (boring) character just to get that across. And now I'm two episodes farther, and haven't seen that woman again. Not that I want to, but unless she comes back for something important in the last few episodes, it just reinforces my claim that they didn't need her.or that his pop put him in an untenable position with his mom. you decide.I thought this episode showed where Tony "broke" from his mom when he covered for his dad. She never forgave him and it shows by her behavior in the early seasons of the show.The Sopranos does have too many meandering plots like this but this little sidetrack is there to establish that Tony also has some issues with his dad, not just his mom.
Not to derail the thread too much, but I work with a guy who loves 24 but he will not watch it on TV. He says he would die of anxiety waiting a week between episodes. He waits until a complete season is out on DVD and marathons them. Haha!
I believe the scene involving Tony, his Dad and his Mom at the hospital is very important for explaining what was going through *both* Tony's and his mom's head during the first few seasons and how it began.Still, seems like they didn't need to waste that much time introducing a new (boring) character just to get that across. And now I'm two episodes farther, and haven't seen that woman again. Not that I want to, but unless she comes back for something important in the last few episodes, it just reinforces my claim that they didn't need her.or that his pop put him in an untenable position with his mom. you decide.I thought this episode showed where Tony "broke" from his mom when he covered for his dad. She never forgave him and it shows by her behavior in the early seasons of the show.The Sopranos does have too many meandering plots like this but this little sidetrack is there to establish that Tony also has some issues with his dad, not just his mom.
As for the old girl, I found it interesting how she reacted to being back in the game and having a man of influence in her life. Tony's respect for his dad's past was the only thing that saved her from some harsh treatment.
Most people I know watched 24 season 1 on DVD. I would come to work and have nobody to talk to about the first season, then suddenly during season 2 everyone seemed to be watching it. Because of how they'd watched season 1 though, most of them didn't like the next two seasons as much because of the waiting.Not to derail the thread too much, but I work with a guy who loves 24 but he will not watch it on TV. He says he would die of anxiety waiting a week between episodes. He waits until a complete season is out on DVD and marathons them. Haha!
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