How would you grade this episode on a 1-10 scale (10 being the best possible quality)

Total votes: 0

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

261
I never see any links to the articles written by Alan Sepenwall, a writer for the NJ Star Ledger. He usually reviews each show and I like him a lot.

But I'm guessing there must have been some policy established not to paste his articles here or to link to him, otherwise I'm guessing I would have seen him. But if you google him, his articles on The Sopranos are very easy to find.

I loved his article this week. He explains about the motorcyclist being run over. Remember the opening to the previous episode with the big pile of asbestos lying out in front of the big city?

How would you like to live in a big city and have that pile of asbestos pointed at your home and family, almost like a loaded gun pointed at your head? The point Mr. Sepinwall makes is that there is no rooting for Torny Soprano or any of these guys. To have a full appreciation of their nature is to think of them as drive-by gangsters who come into your neighborhood every now and then and gun down one of your neighbors. The motorcyclist is just one example of how innocent bystanders are sometimes seriously injured or killed by these guys and their enterprises. I think Sepinwall called it their collateral damage.

In other words, these guys pose a real serious harm to all of us through their money-making enterprises. They are real bad guys - despite the fact that they may possess some personal charm. And if we have any brains, we should be rooting for them all to wind up in prison or dead.

I'm just loosely referencing some of the things Mr. Sepinwall said. Much of this post is my own opinions. You really ought to go to the Star Ledger site and read his review for yourself to come to your own opinions of his reviews.

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

262
Actually, iirc, the Mafia frowns on collateral damage to civilians as it A) draws too much attention to their activities and B) is bad for business. Same reason that family members are supposed to be "off limits" in gang wars as it can turn ugly very quickly. The public turns a blind eye when fellow gang members get killed, as it's simply cleaning out the gene pool but once the violence spreads to innocent bystanders, it becomes a huge issue that can cause all sorts of problems for everyone.

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

263
Splishak wrote:I never see any links to the articles written by Alan Sepenwall, a writer for the NJ Star Ledger. He usually reviews each show and I like him a lot.

But I'm guessing there must have been some policy established not to paste his articles here or to link to him, otherwise I'm guessing I would have seen him. But if you google him, his articles on The Sopranos are very easy to find.

I loved his article this week. He explains about the motorcyclist being run over. Remember the opening to the previous episode with the big pile of asbestos lying out in front of the big city?

How would you like to live in a big city and have that pile of asbestos pointed at your home and family, almost like a loaded gun pointed at your head? The point Mr. Sepinwall makes is that there is no rooting for Torny Soprano or any of these guys. To have a full appreciation of their nature is to think of them as drive-by gangsters who come into your neighborhood every now and then and gun down one of your neighbors. The motorcyclist is just one example of how innocent bystanders are sometimes seriously injured or killed by these guys and their enterprises. I think Sepinwall called it their collateral damage.

In other words, these guys to real serious harm to all of us through their money-making enterprises. They are real bad guys - despite the fact that they may possess some personal charm. And if we have any brains, we should be rooting for them all to wind up in prison or dead.

I'm just loosely referencing some of the things Mr. Sepinwall said. Much of this post is my own opinions. You really ought to go to the Star Ledger site and read his review for yourself to come to your own opinions of his reviews.
His article is actually linked upthread somewhere. I linked to it on Monday.
"Leave the gun...take the cannoli." - Clemenza

Think Tony Died? Consider this...

Visit my Blog at Hear the Hurd

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

265
This whole episode was impending dread.

Compared to New York, New Jersey is a glorified crew. There are five families out there, and here in Jersey lies this small territory ruled by a family perched on a ledge. Think of it, always dealing, always shuffling for the best advantage between the elephants of New York and others, trying to stay alive.

All that goodwill and all those chess moves for safe positioning fell like a deck of cards due to the whim of the new boss of New York. How else can you position yourself for safety against a major competitor who wants you to punch? Every time, Phil pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and Jersey had to oblige, try to compromise, but retreat in the face of a bigger foe. Now, it's over, on one command.

How much does Tony miss his former capo's, come and gone? As he sat there on the bed reminiscing of Bobby Baccalla, how much do you think he wished that Bobby, Syl (especially), Christopher, Raymond, Larry Baresi, Gigi, Tony B, etc? Consider how powerful New Jersey was then, to the state of affairs it is now? Christopher wasn't even scared of NY. Now, who does he have left but Paulie and Carlo?

"Ready for the rapture?"

An apparent tip-off by an FBI agent seemed to give New Jersey an advantage to pre-emptively strike against Phil, but it went horribly wrong. The episode changed from a farce with the killing of a lookalike to the end of the world when Bobby was gunned down in a toy train store. One down. Cut to Sylvio and Patsy getting ready to go on the lamb, but cut off by New York. Sylvio, out. Out of all the members of the Dimeo family, losing Sylvio Dante was a major blow. And then cut to Tony's famous Escalade, and I felt like act three was in play. But he had heard about it gratefully, and it felt like it was all crashing in. Bursting in the middle of a friendly conversation he delivered the blunt news that drove the distinction between Soprano family bad news and regular bad news. People say what they want about Janice, but her performance rang through the shock and unsettlement that I certainly felt. Things were out of control, Tony was powerless, how could AJ just stand there as a target, or Tony and Carm talk behind uncovered windows?

The end shot featured Tony Soprano staring at the door at night. He knows something is coming through, but right now he can only hear sounds and make forms in his mind.

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

266
Caliber, I was having similar thoughts during the final scene regarding those no longer with us. I never thought I would say this, but man, what I wouldn't give to see Richie and Ralphie by Tony's side right now! I think it would be a fitting--if obvious--ending to the series to see Tony standing alone, without a friend in the world and without a chance against Phil. All of the associates who have been disposed of, in one way or another, by Tony (Richie, Ralphie, Furio, Vito, Pussy, Feech, Tony B., etc. etc.) will not be there to save him.

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

267
Yeah, when you look at the remaining crew it's easy to see why Tony would be worried right now. Ralphie, Feech, and Christofuh (guys that Tony decided to get rid of when he didn't have to) would be a big help right now.

Sil being gone is a reality check that the show's over. It's hard to imagine the Soprano Family without him.

I couldn't help but feel kind of bad for Tony as he laid there at the end thinking about Bobby.

There's definitely a chance that Jersey will go down hard in the next ep., but if they do they'll go down fighting.

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

269
Krakower Thing wrote:Looking for a line clarification:

The scene in the Bing's backroom where Silvio offers a Tony a drink and informs him he got rid of Bert Gervasi begins with Tony asking Sil where he was and says something I can't decipher about someone getting injured and having to call an ambulance.

Any ideas what the line is or what Tony is talking about?
"Christa fell off her (shoes or heels)..."

Basically, Tony is asking where Sil has been and adds that he needed him because one of the strippers fell in her heels.
"Leave the gun...take the cannoli." - Clemenza

Think Tony Died? Consider this...

Visit my Blog at Hear the Hurd

Re: Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet - Grades and General Review

270
CaliberCutChops wrote: How much does Tony miss his former capo's, come and gone? As he sat there on the bed reminiscing of Bobby Baccalla, how much do you think he wished that Bobby, Syl (especially), Christopher, Raymond, Larry Baresi, Gigi, Tony B, etc? Consider how powerful New Jersey was then, to the state of affairs it is now? Christopher wasn't even scared of NY. Now, who does he have left but Paulie and Carlo?
SalmonSushi wrote:Caliber, I was having similar thoughts during the final scene regarding those no longer with us. I never thought I would say this, but man, what I wouldn't give to see Richie and Ralphie by Tony's side right now! I think it would be a fitting--if obvious--ending to the series to see Tony standing alone, without a friend in the world and without a chance against Phil. All of the associates who have been disposed of, in one way or another, by Tony (Richie, Ralphie, Furio, Vito, Pussy, Feech, Tony B., etc. etc.) will not be there to save him.
Great points, both. That's why I think Paulie might actually be the "stand up" guy he wondered about in Remember When.
"Leave the gun...take the cannoli." - Clemenza

Think Tony Died? Consider this...

Visit my Blog at Hear the Hurd

Return to “Episode 6.20: The Blue Comet”