HBO2 has been showing all of the Sopranos episodes, one each week night, building up to the 6th season starting in January. I’ve rented the first two seasons on DVD, and I’ve watched since they started rerunning them this time. We’re now halfway through season 4.
It’s a great show. Sure, Tony’s constant screaming at his underlings gets a bit tiresome. Sure, Meadow’s incessant whining and angsty sighs go through me like a dentist’s drill. Sure, Adriana never gets naked. But still, great show.
However, they have several plotlines that rot on the vine immediately after the episode airs, it seems. Whatever happened to Hesh and the angry rapper? Or the Russian guy that Paulie and Christopher failed to kill? Or Tony’s beef with the Russian mobsters who slapped around his sister?
From what little I’ve read on/heard about the subject, these were intentionally left up in the air. I’m pretty sure that I’ve heard the writer (wot’s his name?) state explicitly that we would not be hearing from the Russian again.
BTW- you do know just which January the sixth season will open in, right?
I read an interview with the writer and he did unequivocally state that the Russian wouldn’t be back. The rationale, apparently, for leaving so many plotlines dangling is that since we don’t always get closure in real life, we shouldn’t expect it in The Sopranos, either.
Yes, I have noticed this also and it is very frustrating when they leave you hanging. I wished they would have shown more on the rape, like Tonys revenge and more on the Russian guy. I mean why start these things if they aren’t going to finish?
I’ll agree that the Russian mob seemingly disappeared in later seasons. The Pine Barrens Russian storyline has been complained about so much by fans that they’ve put self-refential mentions of it in later seasons. They ain’t going to resolve it.
But the storyline of the rape of Dr. Melfi was designed to advance her character…not Tony. Her decision not to tell Tony about what happened, knowing how he’d respond, has kept her above Tony’s level. That storyline was resolved, though I’ll admit Melfi “got over it” fairly quickly.
Ray Curto, one of Tony’s captains, was revealed to be an FBI informer way back in season three. Since then, there’s been very little mention of it, aside from a few teaser shots which make you think, “Ah, FINALLY they’re gonna resolve that plotline!” Except, they don’t. I wonder if they even have a plan for that one.
What I really wanna know, though, is when in hell season 5 will get released on DVD!!!
The way I understood it, although now I have no idea why I thought it was this way, was that they were going to show all 5 seasons.
Then again, I could’ve also sworn that the ad on HBO also said that they were going to show season 6 in January, and we’ve seen how wrong that is, so better be careful before listening to me.
I think the real, true reason for all the dangling plotlines is that they never really had any kind of coherent plan for where the show was heading after season 1. The same sort of thing happened with The X Files, among other shows. The writers make it up as they go along with no fixed story arc in mind.
Right before Tony and Adrienne crashed in his car he was saying that she should re-introduce him to her friend (the FBI agent!) and she says that she died. ‘Tony look out!’ I was convinced this would return to haunt her.
Steve Buscemi taking video of Carmella’s ass and Tony’s gut apparently didn’t bother anyone who subsequently saw the footage.
There’s another one but I can never do spoilers, so as demonstrated above by Loach, it’s too risky!