Came of pretty flat to me. There were certainly some interesting elements. Tony feeling guilty about how AJ turned out, and finding other ways to use his physicality than hitting his kid was an interesting bit. Deepening Frank a little, showing subtly that much of his hatred of Vito is an act, or at least more motivated by his wife than he lets on, and that what he's done gives him pause (the grip of the covers while Vito was beaten, him being kept up at night). And I would totally watch a travel show where Roe (who's always hilarious) makes quips and Edie Falco subtle shows her internal emotions while looking at the sights.
But it just didn't amount to much of a whole. There's a palpable sense that Carmela could have been more, that she has a deeper understanding and appreciation for life than the other standard bearer of mob wife life like Ro have. (Reminded me of the scene where the mob wives watch Citizen Kane). I did appreciate the scene where Carmela talks about worrying so much and it all gets washed away, that after decrying AJ's "God is dead" phase she's unwittingly stumbled into some kind of existentialism (and in an appropriate city, too!). But the story felt sort of aimless. And even when it made great effort to contrast Jersey and Paris (as in Tony's trip to Italy) It lacked the clarity and intentionality of the best Sopranos episodes.
And the Vito stuff dragged on still. Tony is conflicted. We get it. His staff isn't even when they kill a New York mobster for insinuating that they are. Ultimately it's a business decision and he makes his choice. He's always going to back his choice. He's backsliding yet again from the "every day is a gift" persona that he's tried to assume and found ill-fitting, whether its capping guys he doesn't want to getting a roadie from one of the Bing girls.
You do feel bad for Vito's kids, but his attempts to talk to his kids and his wife and even Tony just aren't as interesting as they could be given the stakes and how much time we've spent on the storyline. Again, something about the dialogue and the tone of the episode just seemed off. It certainly hasn't been the strongest half season.
(But oh man, Frank coming out of the closet to confront Vito had me in stitches. What a goofy thing in a moment that seemed meant to be menacing.)
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2015-08-11T18:23:22Z
Came of pretty flat to me. There were certainly some interesting elements. Tony feeling guilty about how AJ turned out, and finding other ways to use his physicality than hitting his kid was an interesting bit. Deepening Frank a little, showing subtly that much of his hatred of Vito is an act, or at least more motivated by his wife than he lets on, and that what he's done gives him pause (the grip of the covers while Vito was beaten, him being kept up at night). And I would totally watch a travel show where Roe (who's always hilarious) makes quips and Edie Falco subtle shows her internal emotions while looking at the sights.
But it just didn't amount to much of a whole. There's a palpable sense that Carmela could have been more, that she has a deeper understanding and appreciation for life than the other standard bearer of mob wife life like Ro have. (Reminded me of the scene where the mob wives watch Citizen Kane). I did appreciate the scene where Carmela talks about worrying so much and it all gets washed away, that after decrying AJ's "God is dead" phase she's unwittingly stumbled into some kind of existentialism (and in an appropriate city, too!). But the story felt sort of aimless. And even when it made great effort to contrast Jersey and Paris (as in Tony's trip to Italy) It lacked the clarity and intentionality of the best Sopranos episodes.
And the Vito stuff dragged on still. Tony is conflicted. We get it. His staff isn't even when they kill a New York mobster for insinuating that they are. Ultimately it's a business decision and he makes his choice. He's always going to back his choice. He's backsliding yet again from the "every day is a gift" persona that he's tried to assume and found ill-fitting, whether its capping guys he doesn't want to getting a roadie from one of the Bing girls.
You do feel bad for Vito's kids, but his attempts to talk to his kids and his wife and even Tony just aren't as interesting as they could be given the stakes and how much time we've spent on the storyline. Again, something about the dialogue and the tone of the episode just seemed off. It certainly hasn't been the strongest half season.
(But oh man, Frank coming out of the closet to confront Vito had me in stitches. What a goofy thing in a moment that seemed meant to be menacing.)