I've read about grown men getting shot in combat and crying out for their mothers. They cry out, "Mommy! Mommy!". I can hardly claim that I would do otherwise without ever having been tested.

I agree with the idea that we cry out for our "mommy" when in our greatest peril. But I have seen black bears many times in my garbage and compost and to be honest, they are not exactly scary. Impressively large and strong,yes, but not necessarily threatening. I felt the bear has and always been Tony or a metaphor of Tony. And AJ's fear of the bear reflects his fear of Tony...

AJ was always weak, which he definitely got from his mother's side of the family. He inherited a lot more of his innate nature from Carmela than from Tony. Under different circumstances he probably would have grown up to be like Hugh DeAngelis, a nice but unremarkable little guy. But with Tony Soprano as a father, he always held himself to an unrealistic standard of masculinity and strength, which manifested as cruelty and hypocrisy because it was impossible to live up to. This dissonance, I feel, is largely to blame for how AJ turned out. Ultimately he got the worst of both sides - Carmela's weakness, indecisiveness and complacency, combined with Tony's rage and depression, made for a turbulent brew.