# The Sopranos - psychics are real. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2009, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679 "2009-06-04T10:52:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/21 "2009-06-04T17:41:29Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > 😃 That would be the _psycho_ half of _psychoreligious_. > > And I, for one, consider premonitions to be paranormal, and Tony had a shitload of premonitions in his dreams. But you could also argue that dreams are just your way of figuring out what you already know. Thus, there’s a logical basis for so called premonitions. Like, he knew all along that Big Pussy was a rat. He just didn’t want to admit it to himself. Or the dream about Gloria Trillo–he knew she was depressed/suicidal. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/22 "2009-06-04T17:51:26Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > He was season three, towards the end. Pine Barrens. He wasn’t actually magic though either. You sure? The way I remember it he left a trail of footprints in the woods that just stopped leaving virgin snow all around them and with no trees/rocks/etc that he possibly could have climbed up. Did I miss something? I watched the whole series in a marathon netflix dvd binge so I missed all the Dope speculation… but I kept waiting for the mystery of the Magic Russian to be explained by the last season and was sorely disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/23 "2009-06-04T17:55:15Z")
You guys are assuming that psychics never make correct predictions. There is your fatal flaw. It’s a problem with you, not with the show. It doesn’t matter if the psychic even on the shows terms is a charlatan who just happened to flip a coin and get the answer right, sometimes psychics are right, and when they are it can have a heavy impact on the person who believes them to be correct. I’ve noticed a trend for people to want stories to be contained within a banal realism where no one ACTUALLY believes in psychics or other religious or magical stuff. But that actually is UNREALISTIC, because in reality a lot of people put a lot of stock in that stuff. People who live violent lives are often prone to superstition. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/24 "2009-06-04T18:00:42Z")
**Marley23** Hit it on the head. Psychic phenomena in a show like the Sopranos is hardly a cheap storytelling device, it’s actually a very sophisticated story-telling device and was used quite well. Nothing in the show was ever obviously supernatural. The door is open on every event for a natural cause that is mysterious both to the character and the audience. It would’ve been cheap if they always showed the man behind the curtain for the audience. People DO have near death experiences, they DO have dreams they consider to be prophetic (sometimes acting on a dream can make it real), people DO go to psychics and get information that they can massage into the narrative of their lives and then spook themselves with. That all makes for good drama and is a good reflection on real life. Those characters would have been less real and less believable if they were not superstitious. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/25 "2009-06-04T18:02:41Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > You sure? > > The way I remember it > > he left a trail of footprints in the woods that just stopped leaving virgin snow all around them and with no trees/rocks/etc that he possibly could have climbed up. Did I miss something? I watched the whole series in a marathon netflix dvd binge so I missed all the Dope speculation… but I kept waiting for the mystery of the Magic Russian to be explained by the last season and was sorely disappointed. The way I remember it he was some kind of ex-special forces. Here’s a possible explanation. He made a trail, and then backtracked that trail by walking backwards carefully placing his feet into his footprints, and then running off in a way that doesn’t leave footprints. Who knows? It’s a mystery, a show is not obligated to reveal all of its mysteries. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/26 "2009-06-04T18:06:35Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > The way I remember it he was some kind of ex-special forces. Guy was an interior decorator. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/27 "2009-06-04T18:07:11Z")
If the entire premise of the show’s main character going to a shrink to figure out the workings of his mind is taken into account, why not have a religious rituals, superstitions, omens, premonitions and psychic predictions (right or wrong) and the way the affect human psychology and behavior figure heavily into the show? ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/28 "2009-06-04T18:15:08Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > You guys are assuming that psychics never make correct predictions. > > There is your fatal flaw. It’s a problem with you, not with the show. It doesn’t matter if the psychic even on the shows terms is a charlatan who just happened to flip a coin and get the answer right, sometimes psychics are right, and when they are it can have a heavy impact on the person who believes them to be correct. > > I’ve noticed a trend for people to want stories to be contained within a banal realism where no one ACTUALLY believes in psychics or other religious or magical stuff. But that actually is UNREALISTIC, because in reality a lot of people put a lot of stock in that stuff. > > People who live violent lives are often prone to superstition. I’m not complaining that people are superstitious. That’s obviously realistic. Yes, the psychic may have gotten lucky and made a correct prediction. But why should I think this is the case? If there is a show or movie where someone has supernatural abilities, I accept that as the reality of that world. I don’t start supposing things that have no basis in the story, to explain how the show could still correspond to non-supernatural reality. The episode actually goes out of it’s way to discard hypothesis about how the psychic could have known. (He called from a pay phone, gave a fake name.) And it hints at no other option in it’s place. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/29 "2009-06-04T18:49:34Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > Yes, the psychic may have gotten lucky and made a correct prediction. But why should I think this is the case? Like I said, it’s the Sopranos, not Buffy the Vampire Slayer. [Although now that I think about it, if I made a TV series about a Mafia boss who had to fight vampires and demons I might get very rich.] Purely supernatural events are not part of the makeup of the show. The writers were not trying to give you a concrete explanation. What’s the fun in that? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/30 "2009-06-04T19:06:51Z")
A psychic character on _Numbers_ played by John Glover put me permanently off that show. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/31 "2009-06-04T19:08:21Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Did you even _watch_ the show? _The Sopranos_ was loaded with psychoreligious paranormal crap happening all the time. The chief vehicle was Tony’s dreams, but other stuff happened all the time especially in the last season. Did you even READ my post? Jesus dude. OVERT.. Tony didn’t see angels. Silvio didn’t fight a lochness monster. Dreams are dreams and the dreams on the show were more psychological. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/32 "2009-06-04T19:42:54Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > Good show. But I just watched the episode “From Where to Eternity”, season 2. There is a consult with a psychic, who is given a false name, but is still able to make real psychic revalations. The guy who went there is a skeptic, but is convinced, and is haunted because of it. > > What the hell? Does this annoy anyone else as much as it annoys me? I suppose it didn’t occur to you that no actual psychic powers were involved: the psychic made some lucky guesses and the guy believed. Happens all the time in real life. You can’t have it both ways – you can’t complain that something isn’t real when it depicts something that happens in real life (though maybe outside your experience). ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/33 "2009-06-04T20:08:57Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I suppose it didn’t occur to you that no actual psychic powers were involved: the psychic made some lucky guesses and the guy believed. > > Happens all the time in real life. > > You can’t have it both ways – you can’t complain that something isn’t real when it depicts something that happens in real life (though maybe outside your experience). Does anyone remember what the psychic says to Paulie, exactly? It’s been a while. I know the ep is “From Where to Eternity.” Would be interesting to see if it’s something that he could plausibly have cold read. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/34 "2009-06-04T20:21:14Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > The way I remember it he was some kind of ex-special forces. > > Here’s a possible explanation. He made a trail, and then backtracked that trail by walking backwards carefully placing his feet into his footprints, and then running off in a way that doesn’t leave footprints. > > Who knows? It’s a mystery, a show is not obligated to reveal all of its mysteries. Or maybe they just didn’t shoot him as badly as they thought. Or his body was somewhere and they just never found it and someone else stole the car. I definitely never thought supernatural. I just figured the whole thing was an example of Paulie is incredibly stupid and managed to fuck up the most simplest cash pick up. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/35 "2009-06-04T21:01:43Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I’m not complaining that people are superstitious. That’s obviously realistic. > > Yes, the psychic may have gotten lucky and made a correct prediction. But why should I think this is the case? If there is a show or movie where someone has supernatural abilities, I accept that as the reality of that world. I don’t start supposing things that have no basis in the story, to explain how the show could still correspond to non-supernatural reality. > > The episode actually goes out of it’s way to discard hypothesis about how the psychic could have known. (He called from a pay phone, gave a fake name.) And it hints at no other option in it’s place. I thought I remembered the psychic saying something suitably vague that was roughly on the mark and Paulie filling in the blanks to justify his feelings. I just don’t remember it the way you do but it’s been a long time since I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/36 "2009-06-04T21:04:37Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Or maybe they just didn’t shoot him as badly as they thought. Or his body was somewhere and they just never found it and someone else stole the car. I definitely never thought supernatural. I just figured the whole thing was an example of Paulie is incredibly stupid and managed to fuck up the most simplest cash pick up. I always saw it as he was a badass Cossack with KGB snow wilderness survival training. One of those giant muscle bound brutes that actually has enough muscle mass to slow down a bullet for a 9mm. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/37 "2009-06-04T21:05:24Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Did you even READ my post? Jesus dude. Easy, there, big fella. “Did you even _watch_ the show?” is a joke line. It’s from _Galaxy Quest_. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/38 "2009-06-04T21:07:39Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I thought I remembered the psychic saying something suitably vague that was roughly on the mark and Paulie filling in the blanks to justify his feelings. > > I just don’t remember it the way you do but it’s been a long time since I saw it. Or that. At any rate, ghosts or magic never figured into it for me. For all the weird, vague superstitions that a lot of these guys have, the show was pretty grounded. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/39 "2009-06-04T22:39:12Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Or maybe they just didn’t shoot him as badly as they thought. Or his body was somewhere and they just never found it and someone else stole the car. I definitely never thought supernatural. I just figured the whole thing was an example of Paulie is incredibly stupid and managed to fuck up the most simplest cash pick up. It may have just been an example of lazy writing, and whoever penned that episode (was it Chase?)… [spoiler]just wanted to demonstrate Paulie’s incompetence. “So we need to show that Paulie can fuck up even a simple task, how do we do that… hrmmm… he can pick a fight with a super elite Russian spec ops soldier. Okay, okay… but then what. Oh yeah! The Russian can use his crazy spec ops training to escape without leaving footprints in the snow, brilliant!” But at the time, the fact that they were right on his trail and he wouldn’t have had time to backtrack, let alone anywhere to run to through the virgin snow that wouldn’t leave tracks, made it seem somewhat ‘magical’. Although, I suppose, t might just have been a deus ex. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679/40 "2009-06-04T22:51:25Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Guy was an interior decorator. His apartment looked like shit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sopranos-psychics-are-real/498679.md?page=3)