The son also rises

Play it: The Sopranos Ep. 6.08

This season started out so well, but after the first couple episodes, it fell quickly into the usual formulaic patterns of previous seasons. Tony faces a problem, tries to do good, ends up 'taking care of bidness.' Nobody handles it like HBO's writers, but regardless of the old rule if it ain't broke don't fix it, this is the last season we're talking about here, and something drastic better happen soon. This week: all signs were pointing to AJ taking out daddy's (unwanted) revenge on Junior, and he at least tried (pathetically) but it all felt like a non-event, w/o any repercussions (not to mention no one getting hurt, except AJ's pride.) AJ expects the respect of his father, but instead gets told to 'grow up.' AJ's character remains a riddle to me, and hopefully there will be some resolution here before the season ends. He obviously sees himself as a Michael Corleone, when in fact he's really Fredo, which won't get respect from Tony's Vito.

Speaking of a Vito, our incogVito is still slowly dealing with his sexuality. Of course he's been outted, but he's still not out internally, and it takes a sexual advance from a handle-bar mustached cook/volunteer fireman/motorcycle enthusiast (yes, it's that over-the-top) to bring it to a head. Vince (the name he's going by in NH) recoils and starts a fist-fight, which he loses miserable (Vince, it turns out, is a bottom.) This is then followed by confessional pancakes (johnny-cakes,) which is followed by a motorcyle drive out to the country for a picnic/romp by a flowing stream. What?

The music this week was very particular to the three storylines going on. Tony's storyline takes place in the 'old neighborhood' - the no longer existent First Ward in Newark's North Ward. Formerly the "Little Italy" of New Jersey, it's now primarily Puerto Rican, and the music reflects this, with the Latin songs. Meanwhile, Vito's in the gay circles of his New Hampshire exile, and we get the Lillith Fair of Shawn Colvin, Grethen Wilson and Lisbeth Scott. Finally, AJ's out clubbing, so we get Mack 10, Felix da Housecat and Husky Rescue - which we hear along with AJ's panic attack (the first of many to come?)

More Playlists:
The Sopranos Season 1
The Sopranos Season 2

Previous:
Lauren Bacall takes a fall (Ep. 6.07)
Vito is a come-from-behind kind of guy (Ep. 6.06)
Don't you know who I thought I was? (Ep. 6.04)
The righteous cut [while conscious] (Ep. 6.03)
He Marvin Gayed his own nephew! (Ep. 6.02)
Who shot Artie Shaw? (Ep. 6.01)

tags: playlist, television, soundtrack, rhapsody, sopranos, hbo, newark, first ward