Re: small gems

51
I want to note two small examples of the writing, directing, acting genius on this show.
1. The kitchen scene when Rosalie Aprile looks at AJ and bursts into tears for Jackie Jr. Of course AJ reminds her of her son, he is another Jackie Jr. in the making.
2. Fr. Intintolla's jealousy was clear but his line about Abelard and Heloise, "I forget what happens but it ends badly" was the icing on the cake in two respects: Fr. I, a priest, implies that becoming a monk is a bad ending, and also, Abelard's castration reflects/reminds Fr. I of his own symbolic emasculation...IMHO

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Re: small gems

53
I thought it was an ok episode...not as good as others this season, but not bad either. I am surprised to read that some of you feel that Carm got what she deserved with Wegler. I think Carm wants to move on with her life, but it's difficult after being married to Tony for 20 some years. I think Wegler is gay and hasn't come to terms with it. Therefore, he lashes out at women. I don't think Carm deserved that at all.

Regarding Tony B...I don't think Tony S. had anything to do with him returning to the family. I think it was just the pressure of civilian life and "once a crook, always a crook" mentality. Finding the bag of money was far-fetched, but him beating Kim was unbelievable. I think he just snapped from the pressure. I was suspicious when Kim wanted to go into business with Tony B. I thought he might be setting him up in a massage palor with illegal activities, especially when his beautiful daughter showed up. I figured she would work the "special massage" room. :-)

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Re: small gems

54
Interesting title-- "Sentimental Education" is a Flaubert novel, but obviously NOT Madame Bovary. Wegler kept hoping and hoping that Carmela would read Madame Bovary, and identify with it. But he's got the wrong Flaubert novel, their situation is more Sentimental Education than Bovary.

Carm, Wegler, and Blundetto all get an education in this one.



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moth78 (was 2.5/5)

56
<blockquote>Quote:<hr> just couldn't understand Kim! Like literally - I couldn't tell what he was saying. Took every ounce of my concentration to decipher. Won't have time to watch the ep again... can someone please post their take on exactly what happened - why the hell did Tony beat him?<hr></blockquote>

I had a very difficult time understanding him too, moth. But I've watched several times, and that helped.

IMO, the beat down was totally and completely just Tony B freaking out and sabotaging his chance at legit success out of some vague combination of physical discomfort, overwork/lack of rest, pressure brought on by continued association with his mob cronies, anger at himself for having gambled away the 12K, and disbelief in his own capacity to ultimately change. Kim didn't do or say anything to provoke him. Quite the opposite, in fact. He twice ignored Tony B's increasingly hostile, ridiculing tone. His last line before getting punched was, "So partner. We open in 3 days."

Another poster offered an interesting take on the "I'm sick, I'm evil" line that Gwen was saying when Tony cut her off on the cell phone, namely that she was parroting Tony B from HIS (offscreen) laments, not that she was expressing those sentiments about herself. That really does make the most sense in view of how Tony B just lost it there all of a sudden when everything he wanted was in his grasp.


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Re: Sentimental Education ~ Review

57
Great parallels between Carmela and Tony B in this one. It makes sense that this episode had less of Tony Soprano than most, because the core conflict in both those storylines was the character trying to strike out on their own, away from T. Both Carmela and Tony B latch onto a civilian and form a similar relationship to the one with Tony S. - Carmela has an affair with Wegler, and Tony B starts a business partership/budding friendship with Kim. And ultimately both these characters ruin their new relationships because they can't extricate themselves from their mob-related roles - Carmela the mob wife starts using Wegler to circumvent the school rules and get AJ ahead, and Tony B the mob hitman assaults Kim.

Also, note Tony B's line about the headache in his jaw. Must be foreshadowing of "All Due Respect".
Taps, lights out, 2200 hours. What's missing? Give up? Television.

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