Examples of Shitty Writing in The Sopranos

[Naked_Militiaman]

Not to do a Tomlinson-esque *points in all directions* bit here but there was a lot of stuff I didn’t care for in the middle of the series after the actress who played Livia unexpectedly died. From what I heard David Chase had to suddenly throw out major storylines he’d planned for years which were probably crucial to the arc he originally had in mind for Tony and other important characters.

I think the show recovered in the later seasons and that the whole series has aged really well but there was some shit in seasons 3-4 like the Jon Favreau stuff and the Imperioli-scripted episode that felt really shitty relative to the early episodes. I think Robert Loggia and Frank Vincent really brought new life to the show and weren’t just faggy “look at the famous actors we know” roles but great, realistic characters.

 

[JoeBrotheChildSpitGuzzler]

One of the best parts of The Sopranos was the way characters would randomly die in ways you never expected them to. But Gigi dying on the toilet was one of the most egregious examples of lazy writing that I can think of. They needed a way for Ralphie to get captain because Tony had no other option.

Gigi dying wasn't that bad I thought. He was basically just a place holder as the head of the crew, and wasn't important to the plot really before that. Hell even his crew members like Vito and Gene Pontecorvo weren't as prominent until Ralphie took over as far as I remember. Also it reinforced the idea that the leadership position of the Aprile crew was cursed, as everyone who took it over in the series, died untimely deaths.

and shooting the waiter: sure it was a sloppy and in most movies and tv shows they'd show someone doing that because there would later be consequences. But in real life, there's a lot of random crimes, even murders that don't get solved. the restaurant wasn't someplace local where they went all the time, they didn't know this waiter, probably paid cash and didn't use their real names, if they gave any. So even if the waiter told someone "hey those assholes beat me on the tip", it would be tough as a detective to figure out which party it was, who those people were, and which of them was the perpetrator. So even if they had a pretty good idea who did it, they wouldn't be able to make any case.

 

[AwfulManTitTankTop]

Gigi dying wasn't that bad I thought. He was basically just a place holder as the head of the crew, and wasn't important to the plot really before that. Hell even his crew members like Vito and Gene Pontecorvo weren't as prominent until Ralphie took over as far as I remember. Also it reinforced the idea that the leadership position of the Aprile crew was cursed, as everyone who took it over in the series, died untimely deaths.

That's a good point, I'd forgotten about the Aprile crew curse.

 

[Mick_Mickerson]

Christafa would have never lasted as long as he did, being a junkie and not being loyao to his capo.

The times I've read about law enforcement agents successfully infiltrating LCN or biker gangs, etc., a lot of it seems like they were promoted and accepted so quickly because the bosses were happy to have somebody competent who weren't addicts, could show up on time, etc.

 

[wbgreen]

It's not so much about not gambling, but not gambling through a bookie, which will always lead to debts. Tony's dad warned him after lil' Tony saw him maim Mr. Satriale over a gambling debt.

Tony went off the deep end in season 6 gambling sports and getting into debt with Hesh. I forget if Hesh was the bookie or just loaning him money. Either way, Tony was a pretty big jerkoff about it, excuse my language.

 

[Snake]

Not to do a Tomlinson-esque *points in all directions* bit here but there was a lot of stuff I didn’t care for in the middle of the series after the actress who played Livia unexpectedly died. From what I heard David Chase had to suddenly throw out major storylines he’d planned for years which were probably crucial to the arc he originally had in mind for Tony and other important characters.

I think the show recovered in the later seasons and that the whole series has aged really well but there was some shit in seasons 3-4 like the Jon Favreau stuff and the Imperioli-scripted episode that felt really shitty relative to the early episodes. I think Robert Loggia and Frank Vincent really brought new life to the show and weren’t just faggy “look at the famous actors we know” roles but great, realistic characters.

There's a lot to like in the later series but anything post S2 feels like it jumped the track. S2 overall is the best in the show. It was the culmination of S1 of them figuring out the characters and all their idiosyncrasies without coming off as a shittier Goodfellas.

 

[guest]

Not sure if this is a controversial opinion or not but the actor who played Jackie Jr. was dogshit. I can't suspend my disbelief when someone is that bad of an actor.

 

[Mick_Mickerson]

Not sure if this is a controversial opinion or not but the actor who played Jackie Jr. was dogshit. I can't suspend my disbelief when someone is that bad of an actor.

haha, i thought he was perfectly cast as a 2000s young Jersey guido

what scenes do you think he fucked up? he just plays a dunce

 

[Snake]

Not sure if this is a controversial opinion or not but the actor who played Jackie Jr. was dogshit. I can't suspend my disbelief when someone is that bad of an actor.

He almost drown in three inches of water at the penguin exhibit, child.

 

[JoeCumiawearsDIAPERS]

Which episode did Imperioli direct that nobody likes?

 

[guest]

Then in season six, he makes some bet in a casino, he loses, and the scene slows down and his expression is like... "I lost... my luck ran out..." and this ties in to the last scene of the series where he's finally killed (I think Carmela and AJ were, too) but didn't see it coming, and both Silvio and Bobby had told him things to the effect of, "it went quiet, the blood splattered on my face... but I didn't see it coming, and only heard the gunshot afterwards" and "I think when you go, you don't see it coming. It just goes black."

IIRC, he gets very unlucky in season 6. He's losing a ton of money, he has to borrow 200k from Hesh (the rent, the rent), that scene in the casino, he bets on a horse called Meadow Gold and loses.

Then he kills Chris and goes to see that hot girl in Vegas. They're all fucked up in the casino and he's playing roulette and starts winning. Then he realizes Chris is dead and he starts laughing and falls on the floor because his luck changed now that Chris is dead. So his "luck" at least appeared to come back.

 

[Mick_Mickerson]

i actually liked the premise of SoA but it ended up being a soap opera for closet cases, i did enjoy peggy's tits

I just spent way too long looking at this picture -- are those her nips? Whatever fabric that dress is, it needs to be used more often

 

[guest]

Which episode did Imperioli direct that nobody likes?

He apparently wrote 5 episodes:

• "From Where to Eternity"
• "The Telltale Moozadell"
• "Christopher" (story and teleplay)
• "Everybody Hurts"
• "Marco Polo"

I think it was Christopher because that was the dumb Columbus episode that everyone hated.

 

[Chive Turkey]

actually liked the premise of SoA but it ended up being a soap opera for closet cases, i did enjoy peggy's tits

I hung on until the episode where they have beef with survivalists or some shit, and all of the bikers charge across open ground with assault rifles while getting shelled by mortars like it's Saving Private Ryan.

A lot of these dumb shows have really retarded shark-jumping moments. I remember disinterestingly following that Hannibal show until there's an episode where he has a fucking Dragonball Z fight with another serial killer, and I had to shut it off and never bothered to watch it again.

As goofy as The Sopranos might've gotten at times, it never got as bad as some of the other horseshit you saw on tv.

 

[JoeCumiawearsDIAPERS]

He apparently wrote 5 episodes:

• "From Where to Eternity"
• "The Telltale Moozadell"
• "Christopher" (story and teleplay)
• "Everybody Hurts"
• "Marco Polo"

I think it was Christopher because that was the dumb Columbus episode that everyone hated.

The Columbus episode sucks ass.

 

[guest]

Not breaking every limb of Noel’s on the spot. As if some gang guinea would be afraid of what his daughter thought. Being only half a one I can tell you they’re basically (mostly) clear skin nigs.

Spike Lee had the right idea despite being half a wannabe black nationalist but mostly hipster fag. Tony would have choked that little faggot nearly out and any real life Meadow would have known to accept whatever beating she got.

That whole show with it’s pre woke garbage was ahead of it’s time in the worst way.

Also, Tony not banging a woman named Ade who are known to be the hottest pieces of ass on earth.

 

[Libby Son Of Loin]

The point is that his father said not to gamble....but we learn multiple times that his father was a degenerate gambler who literally gambled away entire properties like racetracks to other mafia members because he could not control himself. We also know that Johnny wanted to move to Vegas and Livia stopped him. Tony like a retard thinks that his father could have been a billionaire like Rocco Alatorre....but his father really would have been broke like David Scatino if they made the move to Vegas. Livia probably saved their family by stopping them from going to Vegas but Tony thinks his mother ruined their lives and prevented them from living like the Godfather.

Tony also gambles in a previous episode or two before the major gambling meltdown. He bets like $100K over the course of a week on literally meaningless mid-season baseball games. "Give me three dimes each on the Jays over the Cubs, Tiger over Yankees, Giants over Dodgers". And to say Tony never gambles is not paying attention on the show. Tony and his crew are constantly playing cards, shooting pool, and visiting casinos. Tony even says after Christopher dies that this is the first time he has ever been up money gambling. Meaning he was always a loser. Meadow Gold. What season is Tony not seen playing cards or going to a casino? None.

As for the rape it was supposed to show that Melfi would not stoop to Tony's level of not following the law. But in reality almost no one agrees with Melfi. She let some nigger/spic rapist walk free to rape again. And the police did literally nothing. Tony would have taken a violent rapist off of the street forever. A plus for society. A real man would have no problem with someone from the mafia whacking some mongrel rapist who attacks women. But the writers are writing from their faggy Hollywood lives so they did not understand why fans rooted for Tony to kill the rapist. Later when Coco just threatens Meadow, Tony practically kills him, and everyone rooted for him there.

Also the rape was to show that America is just violent. That Melfi is a normal office woman who just does a normal job. Yet even she is victimized by the multi-cultural society. The show even plays up that her attacker is non-white and that she is a white. With her husband being shocked that the attacker was Italian then relieved when he finds out that guy was a spic. "Rossi.....that's Italian....I thought he was Puerto Rican".

Italians aren't white

 

[guest]

The point is that his father said not to gamble....but we learn multiple times that his father was a degenerate gambler who literally gambled away entire properties like racetracks to other mafia members because he could not control himself. We also know that Johnny wanted to move to Vegas and Livia stopped him. Tony like a retard thinks that his father could have been a billionaire like Rocco Alatorre....but his father really would have been broke like David Scatino if they made the move to Vegas. Livia probably saved their family by stopping them from going to Vegas but Tony thinks his mother ruined their lives and prevented them from living like the Godfather.

Tony also gambles in a previous episode or two before the major gambling meltdown. He bets like $100K over the course of a week on literally meaningless mid-season baseball games. "Give me three dimes each on the Jays over the Cubs, Tiger over Yankees, Giants over Dodgers". And to say Tony never gambles is not paying attention on the show. Tony and his crew are constantly playing cards, shooting pool, and visiting casinos. Tony even says after Christopher dies that this is the first time he has ever been up money gambling. Meaning he was always a loser. Meadow Gold. What season is Tony not seen playing cards or going to a casino? None.

As for the rape it was supposed to show that Melfi would not stoop to Tony's level of not following the law. But in reality almost no one agrees with Melfi. She let some nigger/spic rapist walk free to rape again. And the police did literally nothing. Tony would have taken a violent rapist off of the street forever. A plus for society. A real man would have no problem with someone from the mafia whacking some mongrel rapist who attacks women. But the writers are writing from their faggy Hollywood lives so they did not understand why fans rooted for Tony to kill the rapist. Later when Coco just threatens Meadow, Tony practically kills him, and everyone rooted for him there.

Also the rape was to show that America is just violent. That Melfi is a normal office woman who just does a normal job. Yet even she is victimized by the multi-cultural society. The show even plays up that her attacker is non-white and that she is a white. With her husband being shocked that the attacker was Italian then relieved when he finds out that guy was a spic. "Rossi.....that's Italian....I thought he was Puerto Rican".

Solid analysis. Let me know beforehand whenever you’re about to use the jacuzzi.

 

[guest]

i actually liked the premise of SoA but it ended up being a soap opera for closet cases, i did enjoy peggy's tits

That’s Katey Sagal now? I might have to start beating my meat to this fat tittied bitch for three straight decades in a row.

Al in retrospect was a straight up faggola for not nailing Mrs. Bundy at least twice a night.

Then again he did have his moments [MEDIA=youtube]TbphdvV6hVA[/MEDIA]

 

[guest]

Not sure if this is a controversial opinion or not but the actor who played Jackie Jr. was dogshit. I can't suspend my disbelief when someone is that bad of an actor.

Spoken from a guy who’d most likely disrespect the pizza parlor.