The Sopranos

I like the slow unravelling of the Scandi films - The Killing II links threads to the first series and there is the interesting political back story to both, with realistic intertwining of characters, motives (not always criminal), and a lack of hysterics and over-slick presenting. If all cop shows were the same in pacing and production values, it'd be bloody boring, so it's good that there is, generally, something for everyone, from the well-made and pretty Agatha Christies and Midsomer Murders, to The Wire and the CSI's.

The Godfather movies? They're okay, but they're easy enough to parody as the acting was well OTT in several instances. I think the reality of gangster life is more vulgar and banal - and the problem with them, for me, was the lack of depth to the characters outside of their surface lives. Surely, occasionally one of them suffered from constipation or a lousy day on the golf course? The Sopranos introduced more reality into their lives with the trivial and the domestic happenings of everyday life alongside the deals, the bumpings-off and the low level of life outside the kingdom of the home. And what was nice was to see the home play a strong backing role as well, as it does in the Scandi films. You see the type of houses or apartments they live in all playing a part on a more unconscious level than you do in only action-driven movies, where the main characters live bereft of all chores, like taking the car to the garage, arguing with the plumber, forgetting to buy baby wipes...
 
Paulie Walnuts: Amazing thing about snakes is that they reproduce spontaneously.Tony Soprano: What do you mean?Paulie Walnuts: They have both male and female sex organs. That’s why somebody you don’t trust you call a snake. How can you trust a guy who can literally go fuck themselves?Tony Soprano: Don’t you think that expression would’ve come from the Adam and Eve story? When the snake tempted Eve to bite the apple?Paulie Walnuts: Hey, snakes were fucking themselves long before Adam and Eve showed up, T.
 
There are wonderful exchanges like that throughout, which is why The Sopranos lifted the series from just-another-gangsta piece into a real drama, like Eastenders on steroids. Remember when Tony had to visit Sicily (? or was it just Italy?) on 'business', ogling the beautiful local woman who was the power broker there. He joins her on the terrace, where she's having a pedicure. When the maid begins to clear up after it, she shoos her away and carefully picks up all of the nail clippings, warning Tony, who's looking a bit bemused, that people can take away your clippings - nail or hair - and make curses with them.

You can see Tony realising that things can be done a whole lot easier than that with a nice sidearm and silencer, but at the same time worrying inside about his next trip to the barber - to pick up, or not pick up? That is the question. So much enjoyment of the series was in what was not said, but implied.
 
Hey, waddya mean, you never seen The Sopranos? Everybody seen The Sopranos! You kinda queer or summing? Jeez, I should send Paulie round ta teach you a lesson in manners. You come on here and make a ridickerlous statement like that. Just use da door on da left, okay?
 
With Krizon here. As fine as the Godfather films were, always thought they were a tad overrated (unless you like watching weddings for hours on end).

Saw every episode of Sopranos from the off. Big fan for reasons Krizon states. It actually highlights the pure mundaneness and boring hassle of that lifestyle as much as anything else (with great dark humour)

The Killing is a revelation. As fine as anything ive seen on TV. The first series was pitch perfect for god knows how many weeks and the second is looking right up to scratch. I dont know where to start with the superlatives...
 
Honest to God, my suspicions were like a game of table tennis, ping-ponging from what turned out to be the killer in the end, to him, to her, from her to him and then another - it wasn't so much suspense (although there was loads of that, too), but seeing one's thoughts unravelled by an alibi here or there, then confounded again by there perhaps not being such a good alibi after all - The Killing (No.1) was utterly engrossing, as you say, Clivex.

I have now the flat to myself as the long-term guest has departed, meaning I don't have to play the perfect host and watch hours of the X-Factor while secretly wishing to die - she was not best pleased to lose the last two acts of it when The Killing II kicked off, and sat silently with a face of stone throughout the two episodes. Tough titties, I thought, this is MY time now!
 
Edited - Please don't post links to copyrighted material.
 
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