The Sopranos 4x05 Reaction

The themes and ...just what can be done with a TV show in Season 6 are very ambitious. I found it very challenging. Its dark though, so very dark.

For such a seasoned mobster you would've thought Ralph would have the sense to not put out a wad of cash in front of the boss, but what do you know. As you two observed this is really the first step Tony took towards gambling. He was conditioned at a very young age to understand that if you gamble, you get your fingers chopped off. He has zero respect for "degenerate gamblers". And yet when he starts to feel the looming threat of death, he cracks and started placing bets. His fights with Carmela this season always carry the subtext that he's more likely to die prematurely than any other Americans thanks to his profession. Tony isn't evasive about this subject just because he's an irresponsible husband, but because setting up a trust for Carmela would force him to consider the scenario in which he gets shot in the back of the head. The horse, an innocent creature related to Tony and Ralph, can also be linked to Tracee, the stripper Ralph beat to death. Remember that Silvio compared her to a thoroughbred, and "horse" is also phonetically similar to "whores". We also see Tony having a great love and empathy for it, the same way he cried about Tracee in front of Melfi and Carmela. Interestingly, the horse can also be linked to Adriana, another "innocent" who owns a club called the Crazy Horse. It's no coincidence that her club is the first shot of the episode.

I’m pretty new to the sopranos community but as far as I know the seasons are pretty evenly split as far as people’s favorites. I think there are 2 that people regard as the least best (which I won’t say here) but other than that people seem to have different favorites.

Bobby choosing to do the intimidation job for Junior, thus doubling down on the mob life in a time where he could realistically pull away from things, and was even in a mindset to do so before Janice talked to him. It feels similar to back when Tony told Chris to either leave his house and go off and do whatever, or go back inside for Tony's party and be a loyal follower. I haven't thought about it til now, I wonder if Bobby views Junior in similar father figure type of way

We also love the cartoons >:(

Most people think the show just gets better as it goes on with some people having personal preferences for certain seasons, but even those people would say generally the show just gets better as it goes on. Having season 1 number one is a very hot take. Most people think it’s near the bottom if not the worst.

In a way, what the feds did to Adriana made them even worse than the gansgters they were after. As bad they were, the mobsters would never target an enemy's family, like ever, because they understood they are only civilians and are not part of the game. The feds did exactly that, they went out of their way to bully an innocent woman into testifying against her husband on charges THEY KNEW were bullshit, any semi-decent lawyer would've told her that, but they took advantage of her naivety and purposefully put her at serious risk. These people didn't care about making the streets safer, they just cared about getting their promotions whatever the cost. This show makes it a point to show people at their worst, criminal or otherwise.

Ngl Milena’s stomach growling during the reaction kinda scared me a bit since I thought it was mine lol. Ahh I don’t get these Japanese cartoons references 😎 regarding this episode.. I feel it’s very subtle when it comes to setting up some characters like Bobby, Janice and Adriana for the next episodes.. also Tony’s empathy for animals it’s always been interesting to me since those are signs of certain traits.. and I will just leave it at that. Another subject they explore this episode is blindly devotion. From Christopher with Tony to Bobby with Junior..it hasn’t been out loud said but I feel these dynamics are cause due to the lack of father figures in these characters…anyways great reaction girls <3

You are flying through these, I'm loving it. It definitely has a momentum by this point. Perhaps the horse racing is symbolic of that?

To answer question in the beginning; the next season, Season 5, is the best out of the series in my opinion. The writing and storyline in it is more intricate and consistent plus there are a couple of new characters introduced that are super well-developed that make it so good..

Junior taking the coins out of his helpers pocket is funny but also so telling. He and all the others in this business are thieves by their very nature. A few coins of pocket change won’t change or benefit Junior in any but the smallest of ways, yet he takes it because he could. Just a little moment that tells a lot, which this show is full of. The ending scene is one of my favourites in the whole show. Tony at peace in the barn, storm raging outside with the horse and the goat, and Dean Martins ‘My Rifle, My Pony, And Me’ closes the episode. We know Tony equates animals with his family via the ducks since the pilot. Tony has been spurned by Carmela for not taking care of his family via the signing of the trust. He is currently in a figurative storm, both professionally and personally, both La famiglia and family. So as Tony saves the horse and shelters from the literal storm, he finds some refuge and comfort in being able to protect and provide for Pie-O-My. It’s one of my favourite moments of Tony’s character. A little break from the pervasive nihilism that this show does so well. Lola doing everything in her power not to straight up call Adriana dumb when describing her: “she doesn’t think too much” lol

The details obviously vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but the crux of spousal privilege is that spouses cannot be COMPELLED to testify against one another. Let's say, for example, I witness my best friend committing a crime. I don't want to testify because they're my best friend. Under most legal systems in the world, I can be subpoenaed and compelled to testify. In this circumstance I am not given a choice. If I refuse to show up, or refuse to answer the questions, I am guilty of a crime myself and can be fined or jailed. I do not have the legal option of saying "no". But if it was my spouse who I saw commit the crime, I am allowed to refuse to testify. There can be no punishment for refusing to testify. I can still testify if I CHOOSE to do so. Maybe the crime was so horrible that I don't care who did it, I want it punished. Or maybe I secretly hate my spouse and am glad for any chance to get revenge. Whatever the reason, just being married doesn't protect them if I decide I want to testify. Where it gets tricky is that the government has a lot of power to force someone to testify without TECHNICALLY compelling. For example, if I am also on trial for something unrelated, they can offer to drop those charges against me in exchange for my testimony. This isn't COMPELLING my testimony because I can still say "no" if I want to, I am CHOOSING to to accept their deal. So, in the end spousal privilege does protect you from your spouse IF THEY WANT TO PROTECT YOU, but not nearly as completely as people think. The other area of spousal privilege is that, like religious or lawyer privilege, information shared between spouses is not admissible itself. That's a lot more complicated, and applies ONLY to information shared one-to-one under the auspices of married life.

Carmela, can you pLeeAse shUT tHe DoooOoooOOOOOOr

Junior staring at the cartoonist is a peak Junior moment

Even beyond the idea that animals won’t betray him and the association with innocence, tony is more emotionally unguarded here in a way he isn’t with his kids or melfi (who is the only person in the series so far that he has profusely cried in front of ). With his family he still has to project an idea of a father or husband. There’s no such pretense with animals. Nothing to impress or having to earn their love and they won’t judge him. Just a man and his horse. The is also a surprisingly cohesive episode. Marked by the idea of temporary relief all around, ranging from not eating the last meal bobby’s deceased wife made to junior worrying about image on tv as if it is pertinent to his current situation.

Tony and that horse is the only stable relationship he has. .... .... ..... ............ ................. I'll see myself out.

Still loving the thumbnails, by the way. It's fun guessing what your choice will be

Severance airs Fridays US time. Will we be changing the schedule pattern or skip this week?