Continuing over a little bit from our discussion of episode 3, where one of my major interests was in how AJ could grow up "straight" in a mafia family. Here we saw Jason Barone get squeezed by the "life":he is pressured into business dealings, and ultimately savagely beaten by Paulie even though his parents had kept all the mafia knowledge from him.
It rings very true to my concerns for AJ. Does he even have a chance of having a normal life?
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Re: Similarities between Jason Barone and AJ
2probably not. to quote the boy himself: growing up soprano is "weird"
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Re: Similarities between Jason Barone and AJ
3I think there are two threats to A.J. ever living a normal life: 1) The lure of the family business; and 2) He is currently too undisciplined to hold a real job or finish college.
As with most of us, necessity is a great motivator. He would likely adapt to either world if he had no alternative.
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As with most of us, necessity is a great motivator. He would likely adapt to either world if he had no alternative.
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Re: Similarities between Jason Barone and AJ
5Even Tony told Melfi in season 2...."Full Leather Jacket" I think...that AJ would never make it. Also said he tried his entire life to protect his kids from his business but he still rubs there "noses in shit" like that time he gave Meadow her friends SUV he got from David Scatino's gambling debts....I dont think Tony protected his kids as much as Barones mom.
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Re: Similarities between Jason Barone and AJ
6AJ is going down the wrong path. I have my doubts that it will be within "the life," because he has a weak stomach. We have witnessed that. For instance, when he gets caught cheating on a test and quickly folds when he thinks they have gotten his DNA from his urine. Not only is he weak, spoiled and privileged, he's also not very smart. Meadow got Tony and Carmela's brains...AJ only got the brutish side of Tony's character. If AJ gets involved in family business, it will be short and sweet like Jackie Jr.
However, we know nothing good will come of it from the dream sequence where Tony & Carmela are having dinner with Finn's parents (Annette Bening, lol) and Finn's dad says he never thought Finn would "amount to anything" and "the die is cast." Except AJ is sitting in Finn's place.
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However, we know nothing good will come of it from the dream sequence where Tony & Carmela are having dinner with Finn's parents (Annette Bening, lol) and Finn's dad says he never thought Finn would "amount to anything" and "the die is cast." Except AJ is sitting in Finn's place.
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Re: Similarities between Jason Barone and AJ
7Maybe they were alluding to how the Sopranos struggled to keep Aj in the dark about their family business, just like the Barrones tried to keep Jason in the dark. And look what happens ... the boy is not protected, he's harmed by his lack of knowledge. That's what did Jackie Jr. in too ... his dad never taught him to "play chess".
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Re: Similarities between Jason Barone and AJ
8Thanks Mizmoon,
That is exactly what I was trying to suggest, I guess I just wasn't clear enough.
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That is exactly what I was trying to suggest, I guess I just wasn't clear enough.
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Re: Similarities between Jason Barone and AJ
9You know, it makes me think about how Tony's father "brought him in". Here's the stuff I can remember:
- Tony saw his dad kick someone's butt over an unpaid loan.
- He saw his dad chop of Mr. Satriale's pinky and he liked it. It seems like the fact that his father admired that he didn't "run like a little girl" really made him seem like "mob material" to his dad.
- He saw dad get busted, knew mom was proud of him, yet dad did BS him by saying, "They arrested the wrong guy."
- Tony was low on the respect list until he robbed Feech Lamann's (?) poker game.
- His dad never rose above Capo I believe. But he got along well enough to die of smoking rather than whacking.
- Tony was told about his dad's murders because he knew where his "cans of peaches" were buried.
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- Tony saw his dad kick someone's butt over an unpaid loan.
- He saw his dad chop of Mr. Satriale's pinky and he liked it. It seems like the fact that his father admired that he didn't "run like a little girl" really made him seem like "mob material" to his dad.
- He saw dad get busted, knew mom was proud of him, yet dad did BS him by saying, "They arrested the wrong guy."
- Tony was low on the respect list until he robbed Feech Lamann's (?) poker game.
- His dad never rose above Capo I believe. But he got along well enough to die of smoking rather than whacking.
- Tony was told about his dad's murders because he knew where his "cans of peaches" were buried.
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