The widening rift between Tony and Christopher

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Everyone is talking about the widening rift between Tony and Christopher. Most people think that one of them will die before this season ends, most likely at the hands of the other. Do you think this is inevitable? Or is there some way this can be reconciled?

I think it's too late to be reconciled. I don't see Chris having the power to whack Tony and still stay alive afterward, so I don't think he is really contemplating killing Tony. He is trying to figure out a way for him to stay alive.

Let's assume that Chris is going to die, certainly not something we are sure that will happen, but it is very possible.

Who kills him?

1) Tony or some one who is ordered to by Tony? - I think this is very unlikely. What message does that send to your other captains when you "whack" one of your own. Thinking this through further, who would Tony ask to do it? He tends to not do these things himself (except Ralph and Pussy). Paulie? - He would probably be OK with that. Sil? - he might have second thoughts, but he was pretty efficient with Ade. Bobby? - Was this first murder a shake down cruise for offing Chris? The rest of the crew are really screwups and can't be trusted - Carlo? Benny? Or would Tony ask for help form outside his family?

Someone other than Tony or someone Tony instructs? I think this is highly likely as Tony has a history of people who he wants to see dead, dying at the hands of others (Raymond, Richie, Vito)

2) New York? - They think they are hurting Tony, but they end up doing him a favor. Has a lot of potential.

3) Chris kills himself (perhaps not intentionally) by a drug overdose (next most likely)

The rest are longshots - except the last one

4) JT realizes that Chris will keep playing him and beating him up, so he surprises him.
5) Liz Laserva goes nuts and kills him
6) Chris' wife finds out about the drugs / JM / etc. and kills him in a fit of rage
7) The Vipers find him!

8) A random act from someone who has never been shown

Re: The widening rift between Tony and Christopher

2
It could be a combination of things.

Suppose it turns out that:

1) Blanca's Ex is head of The Vipers and
2) Liz Laserva's Ex (Adriana's father) is a low-level member of the NY LCN and
3) JM becomes Tony's Goomah and
4) Chris' wife tracks him down one night to a party in New York where The Vipers are giving Adriana's father his colors and JM is supplying the heroin. As soon as Chris' wife opens the door, they all realize the jig is up and they all pull out their pieces and start blasting away.

Do you think DC is capable of a big finale like this where they all blow each other away and the show ends with all of them dead?

Re: The widening rift between Tony and Christopher

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Where we are now, there is nothing to justify one going after the other out of the blue. They are not close to being in a place of such open violent intent in my opinion. Besides, I tend to think "The Sopranos" way would be a much more circuitous route with indirect, passive-aggressive moves against the other person. Just like with Bobby, he didn't whack him after getting beaten up, he made him do something he knew he didn't want to. I expect a similar dynamic with Chris: Tony biding his time for a chance to wound him emotionally instead of physically. Maybe even putting Chris in a situation that he knows will make him relapse. We do know that Chris historically has been jealous of Tony's other proteges- like Blundetto- and that Tony has (or had) intentions of leapfrogging Bobby past Chris. Perhaps Tony will find a way to rub Chris's nose in that. Maybe he'll stumble on an opportunity to give JT or Carmine all the credit for The Cleaver just to push Chris's buttons. If violence happens I imagine it'd be a spontaneous lack of self-control instead of premeditated.

As far as the cold hug at the end, Chris has historically been very quick to recognize comparisons to their own Mafia life with things in 1 or 2 (his shorthand for the Godfather movies). For example, at the Sacramoni Wedding, he botched it but knew there was something about refusing a request on your daughter's wedding day. I really think we're supposed to conclude Chris is himself thinking about the Christening scene in "1", where Michael Corleone has the father of his baby godson killed very soon after. Maybe Chris's paranoia about this will cause him to do something stupid.

One more point, I think a significant moment is John's story to Sydney Pollack's character and others about Carmine Sr. A love triangle leads to bloodshed but many years after the fact. Sydney got the point of the story, "Because he wasn't earning anymore." What will happen to the Tony-Chris-Adriana love triangle if Chris isn't earning anymore? We know he's been distracted by this movie from doing other lucrative things. What are the chances The Cleaver is going to make instead of lose money? Poor probably. If so, Tony won't be the only one losing patience with Chris. The only chance I see of the Cleaver making money is because Chase and the writers may not be able to resist a dig at pop taste and culture by making a giant piece of shit movie become a blockbuster hit. No offense to all you Cleaver fans but it does look like it sucks pretty bad.

Re: The widening rift between Tony and Christopher

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Krakower Thing wrote: The only chance I see of the Cleaver making money is because Chase and the writers may not be able to resist a dig at pop taste and culture by making a giant piece of shit movie become a blockbuster hit. No offense to all you Cleaver fans but it does look like it sucks pretty bad.
Reminding me of the first line of season 6 "no one ever went broke underestimating the tastes of the American public" - followed by Agent Harris throwing up.

Re: The widening rift between Tony and Christopher

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I think Cleaver was always intended to be a straight to video release. That way they don't bother with trying to get it in theatres, just sell the DVD and try to get it on cable and pay per view. Lower overhead and risk that way, so it's easier to make a quick buck on it.

Who were the baby's godparents at the christening? Were they Tony and Carmela? So is Tony now an actual Godfather?

Re: The widening rift between Tony and Christopher

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Cold Cuts wrote:I think Cleaver was always intended to be a straight to video release. That way they don't bother with trying to get it in theatres, just sell the DVD and try to get it on cable and pay per view. Lower overhead and risk that way, so it's easier to make a quick buck on it.

Who were the baby's godparents at the christening? Were they Tony and Carmela? So is Tony now an actual Godfather?
That's what it looks like to me.
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