Examples of Shitty Writing in The Sopranos

[JoeBrotheChildSpitGuzzler]

The guy wasn't a made guy. He was an Elvis impersonator who knew Pussy from personal experience not from crime. Pussy later asks the guy if he can provide entertainment for a bachelor party. Dude was just a civilian who knew Pussy. Most likely he sold drugs or provided women and other party favors to various people including some connected guys.

Pussy freaked out and made up a terrible story and then panicked like a maniac and killed the guy with a hammer. This is the same Big Pussy who runs over a 711 clerk with his car and flees the scene. He had lost his mind by then. The whole point of that scene and story was that Pussy was deeply paranoid and was at the point where he would murder random civilians to maintain his lifestyle. The FBI had lost control of him as well. Pussy was under so much stress from both the FBI and the Soprano family that he was no longer acting logically. The pressure was destroying him.

They did the same thing with Christopher killing JT the writer. And Vito killing the guy getting his mail. Even Teddy S from the burger joint that Eugene kills is just some mope gambler who owes money. These guys let the pressure of the mafia drive them to insane decisions. Like Chris drinking and then murdering an associate. Vito killing a random civilian in broad daylight. Or Eugene being an FBI informant yet still doing hits in broad daylight (and also giving Tony $200K and fancy watches from his inheritance).

agree. Pussy was cracking up BAD by the time of AJ's confirmation I believe that's the episode where he's just in the bathroom sobbing. and this wasn't a man who cries. he was up against it, and forced to choose between his family and his loyalty to The Family

 

[LingerLonger]

agree. Pussy was cracking up BAD by the time of AJ's confirmation I believe that's the episode where he's just in the bathroom sobbing. and this wasn't a man who cries. he was up against it, and forced to choose between his family and his loyalty to The Family

And neither family ends up supporting him at the end. The FBI abandons him. And Tony murders him. Though after he is dead the FBI give no money to his widow nor his children yet Tony not only pays Angie money but gives her an entire business for free. The FBI just uses their informants to death (which are all based on real stories including the Adriana death).

Vito was in the donut shop when Christopher shot the guy in the foot to make another Goodfellas reference, but the donut guy called him Geno. Did no one remember that the actor had already been on the show when the Vito character showed up or something?

This is referenced on the show in the most hilarious way. When Chris is talking about how "no two people are the same...even with computers". It is a joke reference to Vito and Gino being played by the same actor. Chris being so high on coke when he delivers it always makes me laugh.

 

[Ladynyahh]

Vito was in the donut shop when Christopher shot the guy in the foot to make another Goodfellas reference, but the donut guy called him Geno. Did no one remember that the actor had already been on the show when the Vito character showed up or something?

They used the same actors for pat parisi and his twin brother, as well as Jeanie cusamano and her twin sister. Lazy casting as well as lazy writing brotherman

 

[Ladynyahh]

These are not the same people, chowlld. Hush now.

View attachment 12587

Before...and way before

 

[JoeBrotheChildSpitGuzzler]

And neither family ends up supporting him at the end. The FBI abandons him. And Tony murders him. Though after he is dead the FBI give no money to his widow nor his children yet Tony not only pays Angie money but gives her an entire business for free. The FBI just uses their informants to death (which are all based on real stories including the Adriana death).

This is referenced on the show in the most hilarious way. When Chris is talking about how "no two people are the same...even with computers". It is a joke reference to Vito and Gino being played by the same actor. Chris being so high on coke when he delivers it always makes me laugh.

pussy's story is definitely tragic like that. And Angie later is threatened by tony to know her place when she expect more than that from him

 

[LingerLonger]

pussy's story is definitely tragic like that. And Angie later is threatened by tony to know her place when she expect more than that from him

She is really threatened because she stalked Carmela in public and ambushed her to ask Tony for more money. She basically used Carmela unwittingly, the wife of the boss, to do a favor for her without doing anything in return which is a big no-no in the mafia. Even worse is that she pulled one over on Carmela, which made Tony see Carmela as weak or naive, and ruins the image he has of his wife as being flawless. So he takes his anger out on Angie by smashing up her car and acting like a lunatic in front of her. Ironically Tony giving Angie the car business would end up driving Carmela even harder to shake Tony down for money for the spec house and other investments to the tune of millions.

One thing Tony hates is when people point out the truth of his life. His wife basically only stays with him for money. Same with his kids. He eats himself to death because he is ashamed of his life (Ralph essentially dies for pointing this out). He calls Melfi a cunt for pointing out how he is asking her to be his girlfriend so he can cheat on her with his other girlfriends and how insane he must be to ask a woman out who knows how much of a philanderer he is. Tony was the perfect example of someone who buries their head in the sand and pretends everything is alright when meanwhile the FBI, other mafia clans, and even his own guys are plotting his death or incarceration.

 

[guest]

Though after he is dead the FBI give no money to his widow nor his children yet Tony not only pays Angie money but gives her an entire business for free.

Wasn't the body shop already in the Bompensiero family? Big Pussy was working there in Season 1 and his brother is working there when Phil's car is getting fixed. Phil says to him "I was away when all that shit with your brother went down" and the guy replies with "We don't like to talk about it". I thought she just started there after Tony told her she wasn't getting any more money.

 

[AntsBatteryCharge]

I didn't mind the gambling episode because that was always going on in the background and mentioned a lot, but never really focused on much before then.

I didn't like Furio and Carmela because it was boring and didn't go anywhere. I do like how they didn't stick you with that gay subplot for too long at a time, though. I miss pre-Netflix pacing.

 

[LingerLonger]

Wasn't the body shop already in the Bompensiero family? Big Pussy was working there in Season 1 and his brother is working there when Phil's car is getting fixed. Phil says to him "I was away when all that shit with your brother went down" and the guy replies with "We don't like to talk about it". I thought she just started there after Tony told her she wasn't getting any more money.

Yes but once Pussy was a rat there was no telling how damaged the business was. Does the FBI know about it being a chop shop? Is it monitored by FBI agents sitting a van? Phones bugged? Hidden mics? Smartest thing to do would be torch the entire business like they did with the stock brokerage that Christopher worked at. They entirely abandoned that scam and the building. Tony probably walked away all of his dirty business for a few years from that shop which meant that the shop was probably making pennies compared to when Pussy was alive.

By giving Angie the business it implies that Tony went to great lengths to make sure it was clean. And then he begins risking exposure and arrest himself by doing illegal business through the garage anyways. Angie basically outright says Tony moves stolen cars and repurposed airbags through her garage. At some point he told the mob associates that were running the garage to not only let Angie run it but to literally run their mafia scams by herself like a mob associate. The air bag scam was something new and Tony decided to let Angie (and Tony B) run it. By the end of the show Angie is loanshark for Tony directly and probably has mid six figures on the streets getting interest. Guess Tony felt guilty about Angie and Pussy's kids.