Alright...I have watched this episode for the third or maybe the fourth time. I now remember that the Dewalt ("cover-up") drill was the device employed by Tony and Brian which allowed them to talk in the basement last season. Later, Cousin Brian financially counseled the guys in helpful *investment tips* and tax evasion strategies. For his assistance, Tony rewarded him not only with the expensive watch, but also with "in-group" inclusiveness; be became one of the guys, went to the Bing, got drunk, carried on with the Bing girls, etc. Speculation emerged regarding Brian's participation and his possible resulting vulnerability.

This being said, I am still wondering if the mention of Brian's name didn't *remind* Tony of some unfinished business with or possibly a grudge against Cousin Brian. It was almost as though this sudden thought or realization triggered the anxiety reaction. Maybe I am beating a dead horse. At the same time this scene felt portentous....

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OE, I thought the trigger may actually have been the statement Tony made immediately before the thing about the drill. Specifically, regarding smuggling Tony B's sperm out of prison (and I won't mention gay overtones again <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"> ), he said, "It's the least I could do." I've linked above (in this thread) to my disucussion of this same issue in the episdoe review thread.

But summarizing, that statement resonates with a number of manifestations of guilt from Tony S re Tony B over this hijacking thing that sent Tony B to prison. So, at this point, I'm more inclined to think that was the trigger. It just took a few seconds for the physical symptoms to appear.

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub132.ezboard.com/bsopranolandf ... fisWall</A> at: 3/31/04 3:32 am

OE, I always got the impression that Tony let Brian hang around, not as a reward for his financial assistance, but to try to keep Brian closer to him than to Carmella. Brian was handling a large part of their finances. His natural allegiance would have been with Carmella, since she is his cousin. I think Tony wanted to put Brian in a vulnerable situation with strippers, hookers, casino trips etc... This way, if Tony had this to hold over him, he wouldn't be so quick to side with Carmella. Carmella even feared this. In one episode she mentioned that she had concerns, because Tony had a way of drawing people into his circle, when she was talking about setting up this living trust through Brian.

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I admit...wish to share...that I am hung up, yes fixated, on this thread. At the same time, am mindful and grateful for the responses...am feeling indulged, sated if you will.

It is now more evident to me that we are probably not intended to completely understand the exact link between the drill/Brian and Tony's subsequent stress response. Rather, we are to merely catch the scent of the possibility of a relationship between these two events.

I see more clearly that Brian's inclusion was not Tony's act of gratitude, but more the strategy for leverage at a later date. Thanks for this clarity.

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I think that Tony's memory of the time period Brian borrowed the drill may have sparked another fleeting memory of the time Brian,Tony,Furio,and the other men had gone to that casino and gotten loaded.That night Furio almost shoved Tony into the propellor of the helicopter.I know it's an indirect thought but even so,a memory like that could have put that look on Tony's face;especially if he starts thinking about what happened that night.
Maybe?


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i'm thinking: drill doesn't trigger memories of furio. drill doesn't trigger tony's panic attack. if anything, it has to do with what happened before - either the statement about tony b, or the scene right before this. not quite sure, but i think it might have been about a.j.... considering so much of the episode had to do with aj's development or lack thereof, and considering we see the same expression at the end of the show during the tony-a.j. staredown... anyway, panic attacks (if it was one) usually take a few minutes to set in and are often consciously far removed from the actual trigger.

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