For someone who has dug graves before he sure doesn't know how to use a spade...
Otherwise a fine Episode.
Great cast and great writing so far.
The professor and court sketches were solid gold.
OMG! what the fuck just happened!!?
Going into this episode, I knew that there was "a shocking surprise ending." So when Eugene Pontecorvo is revealed to be working with the FBI, I said to myself, "Eh, that's not that big of a twist." And then when he killed himself, I thought that had to be what I'd heard about and I said to myself "Eh, that's not that big of a twist." And then Uncle Junior shot Tony and I said, out loud this time, "What the fuck?"
Color me surprised. It was a hell of a moment. The show had spent much of this episode and the last couple of Season 5 to suggest that Tony's days might be numbered. Frank had a legitimate beef with Tony that didn't seem likely to be settled easily. Johnny Sack himself didn't seem too enamored with his New Jersey counterpart. Chris continued to run hot and cold on his uncle. Silvio openly talked about dissension in the ranks. Eugene himself seemed back into a corner with suggestions from more than one corner that he could bump off Tony, and even Vito talked about his possibly becoming the boss of the family.
Instead, it was a man with dementia who believed that he was taking out an intruder or Pussy Malenga or something along those lines in an almost random occurrence. That's often the way in this show -- when everything is looking to build to some expected confrontation, the unexpected, even mundane happens to throw it all into chaos. (See also: Richie Aprile.) There's a sense that David Chase and his colleagues are quite conscious of this episode as the beginning of the final season, with a number of callbacks to early episodes. Junior's obsession with Pussy Malenga (the guy he wanted to knock off at Vesuvio in the show's first episode), and ending up killing the nephew who stood in his way, is a nice little feint toward that opening entry, as is Tony's refrain of "it's a nursing home", in a flip on his usual response to discussion of the retirement community and his mental retcon of what happened with his mother and that pillow.
The episode also draws a number of contrasts between Tony and Eugene, and in a larger sense, between the Sopranos and the rest of the world. Tony and Carmela are enjoying sushi every night and buying expensive cars as apologies. Other folks are feeling the pinch. Even Eugene, who inherits 2 million, can't get away. In many ways it's an episode about the big guy and the little guy. Tony can throw his weight around, he can make choices, live lavishly, at the expense of those around and affected by him. Eugene, even with money, doesn't have power, and that means that everyone from Tony to the FBI can toss him around without his having any say in the matter.
It's also about that difference between money and freedom. When Carmela shows up to Ginny Sack's home, ostensibly for a spa day, but mostly to show off her new porsche while Ginny is having money trouble because of her husband's indictment, it's a little more of the haves rubbing their success in the noses of the have-nots. But when she tries the same with Angie Bumpensero, and Angie reveals that she bought herself a corvette instead, Carmela is taken aback, and is again reminded that her wealth does not give her the independence she once so sorely sought.
And there's also an idea of death as the great leveler, no matter how low your are on the totem pole or how high you've climbed. When Eugene hangs himself, the camera doesn't cut away to spare us his suffering. Instead, it lingers, and the audience sees Eugene kicking frantically, gasping for air, until he finally collapses after a few final twitches. It's incredibly uncomfortable to watch, but underscores the unpleasantness of his position that this is preferable to going on. But then the show pulls the same trick once more. A different show might have ended simply on Junior shooting Tony and Tony collapsing to the ground. Instead, it stays with Tony as he agonizingly pulls himself across the room, struggles and strains to dial 9-1-1, before passing out from blood loss. Tony and Eugene may be at different stations in life, but when it comes to the throes of death, the type of suffering that may be visited upon a person, Tony's money and power can't stop it anymore than Eugene can.
– Echovirus
– Viruss, viruss, irusssss...
That was epic!
"RAAAAAAAAAMPAGE!!!!!!!!!!!"
At some point in my life, I do want to view a full, unadulterated copy of "Terms of Enrampagement".
They seriously don't make 'em like this anymore. This episode one of the best pieces of media ever created. Storytelling at its finest. The next episode is fantastic as well, but this one does all of the heavy lifting. I might have other episodes as preferences or favourites simply for being closer to my heart, but House's Head is truly the best episode, quality wise, of the show. Only Broken, Three Stories, or Everybody Dies can come close. I am so thankful to have lived in a time where this masterpiece aired and I can rewatch it whenever I want. It's a perfect 10 in every sense of the concept. Thank you so much, House.
The best, most well written, acted and shot TV episode ever.
Really wish there was a "Fabulous" Trakt rating.
"That's not fair. Up until now I've been reverent as shit."
For some reason, I remembered most of the second season of Seinfeld also struggled the first time around. Here, I could not believe how engaged I was with this second season premiere. They finally get the character of George Costanza, IMO the show's single best character, absolutely right and even Kramer is captured quite nicely. Love that his entire thing this episode is about cantaloupe and his obsession for fruit. Also love that we are introduced in passing to Kramer's fruit guy, Joe, who will make an appearance in the season five premiere.
The stories really worked for me in that they felt like Seinfeld narratives. Love Elaine's story about a relationship with a guy she met through a friend slowly deteriorating and the "nothingness" about it. I thought this was very solid and I look forward to seeing whether my disposition towards the second season will change this time around.
This man is supposed to be the smartest in the group lol. Ross is so dumb :joy:
This, to me, is the funniest episode of the entire series and the height of the show's writing, plotting and execution. The "surrogate", the "mole", the suit, the Japanese investors, Gob's plan, Rita's "secret", everything just came together and paid off perfectly. I love this show.
Legend has it that Barney is still on that train.
Now THAT is how you write a final episode!
Stunning episode. The wonderfully unexpected "Get Happy" cover during the episode was absolutely fantastic and beautifully choreographed. Hugh and Lisa both have great singing voices.
I found foreman insufferable here
Beautifully crafted episode. I am falling more and more in love with the show and the characters. I hope they all get to tell their stories.
so funny, DANI ROJAS ... DANI ROJAS ... DANI ROJAS ... DANI ROJAS :D
Screw you, Michael. I really hate you, you are a very bad person really!! And you can't just justify it because of your son, so fuck you!