How can you not like Uncle Junior? I think he's one of the best characters in the show. I only wish he had more screen time.

Janis. Definitely. She was just so slimy. Although she did get significantly more tolerable as the series progressed.

i totally agree with you about Janice at first. I just wanted someone to clock her! She played it so well. i despised her nasty ways and threw couch pillows at the new big screen tv! When she played tricks on Bobby's grieving kids- i could've personally put out a hit on her!

Then her character did actually improve and become nicer, more human, more grownup over time, and i came to like her more. i was happy that Bobby was happier after losing his wife- even if Janice did snag him thru trickery and Carm's zitti with the layer of basil leaves! What a classic move!

i don't know if they were actually planning for her to come back in to the story, but after Nancy Marchand suddenly died, it really did leave a gaping hole and vacuum for a top leading female to counterpoint Carm-- bad girl vs. 'good' girl. -- well, as good as good gets in this family! The show wouldn't be half as good without her, and i think she's just as important as Carm next to Tony.

Yeah, I was also impressed with how much she developed. I think along with Meadow and A.J. she's the character that grew the most in the course of the series. And, I agree, as disgusting and immoral as her way of getting Bobby was, it was good to eventually see him happy again.

I also have to admit, as obnoxious as she was at times, she did have several very hilarious moments. Like when she yelled, "Get out!" as Tony was already walking out the door, and when she "broke up" the fight between Tony and Bobby after they'd already stopped fighting. Classic.

LOL! Yeah, i had forgotten about those scenes. Sometimes its those little side moments that really make the scene. i know a lot of posters have mentioned how sh'e gonna be another Livia, but i don't think so. She definitely evolved...

You gotta hate Finn!!!! Ah so whiney and annoying............. He's always being a big baby almost worse than AJ. So glad he got dumped. And he snitched on Vito!

It's a tie between Janice and Meadow's ex, "Noah the Hasidic Homeboy".

I think I should also give a shout-out to Elliot. Remember in Season 2 when Melfi asked him if it was ethical to stop seeing Tony and he chastises her for not being willing to take on tough cases? And then after she does take Tony back, he calls her immoral for seeing him? There's just no pleasing that guy.

I'm half and half on this one, but Meadows room mate at Columbia. (Caitlin?)

It's not that she was particularly bad, more the rapid deteriation and the extent of it.

In the space of one episode she went from 'Young girl enjoying school spirit in New york', to 'overwhelmed loner'.

When she first appeared, I thought she may be a good charcter. Someone to make Meadow a more light hearted character for a few episodes, but it turned into what I see as an unnecassary drama.

Very strange character to put in there, in my opinion. Especially as they barely used her, other than the occasional reference to her and Noah blaming her for not doing so well on his paper (which also begs the question that if he was such a dedicated student, why was he writing his paper the night before it was due in?).

SilvioMancini wrote:You gotta hate Finn!!!! Ah so whiney and annoying............. He's always being a big baby almost worse than AJ. So glad he got dumped. And he snitched on Vito!

oh yeah- whiney Finn- totally agree. i was hoping he would get whacked, but at least he's out. And Noah- another total loser. Maybe they put in these characters with no real promise to enhance our sympathy for Meadow coming back into the Family fold for her marital pursuits- showing us how hard it would be for her to make it in the 'normal' world with non-"Family" types.

And as for Elliot- good point Murasaki, i had forgotten about that total hypocrisy about him digging Melfi earlier on. Then he sure did use her for vicarious entertainment trying to dig up tintillating info from her about her sessions with Tony. And even when she called him on it, he couldn't acknowledge it really. i do think that a lot of these scenes were Chase's subtle stabs at the weaknesses of the whole therapy thing. i mean- i do believe therapy is very useful and important at times and to a point, but its not capable of being the total answer, and the practioners of it tend to get too full of themselves. And since the therapy theme is probably one of the most important underlying themes supporting the show, the importance of Elliot's character possibly has been overlooked. He was a key figure in Melfi's life. And as Muraskai showed us- there is alot more to Melfi that we all would like to know and understand. i do still feel sorta robbed at how she just got ripped out or ripped herself out of the show. i truly hope she comes back when they finally do a follow-up movie or whatever.