Perhaps this episode should be titled "Nice Face"

1
I first noticed this today while watching this episode "On Demand." The concept first made itself apparent to me when Tony and Christopher are shaking down the culprit of the wallet biopsy. They are strong arming him, but when Carm enters the room everyone puts on their Nice face and act like the paramedic was just visiting. Now that I think of it I guess Paulie and Tony also put on nice faces earlier in the episode when Paulie flips on his Aunt/Mom's, and when Tony flips on the hospital lawyer and calls her everyone's favorite C word and when he puts on his nice face for the Church guy and "Jane's Friend". Though I only recall that in my head happening and its subject to my memory, but the main carrier of this nice face theme is Jason Barone. When he comes to see Tony he is just this happy go lucky ski instructor. Then he says:

"I'm starting to feel a little intimidated"

From that line in the episode Barone becomes a whole new character. He starts seeing the other side of all the people who were putting on their nice face in front of him. Paulie is no longer that family friend, Chianetti gives him the Sonny buck line. Barone pops his own nice face cherry when his mom tells him of going to the "Boofay(buffet) table," and he breaks character and delivers a warm "Ok mom!" Every scene from then on he is closer to Tony's side of life then he is to his Mother's side. I guess this is really just more about the duality of all the characters again, but this episode takes a new character and shows his whole transformation with less than half an episode. Just shows how great these writers are at character development. I really dig this episode and suggest it for re watch to anyone not looking to go through all of last season (yeah like that is anyone here) before the b sides start up.

Return to “Episode 6.04: The Fleshy Part of the Thigh”