The Sopranos 6x11 Reaction

vito had this coming. he was a bad person to begin with. trying to rape finn, planning to take over the gang, killing people

Matthew Kung

The "No, AN ACTUAL FUCKIN' CAKE" was a line I didn't even remember but it made me laugh my ass off lol

Gaboxxy

There's three widespread theories: 1- He's simply gay, always been. The fact that he seems to have no type of intimacy with his wife even at a purely sentimental level supports this, 2- Not necessarily gay per se but, like you said, had homosexual intercouse with men in jail, which causes him to feel shame and guilt, and reinforces the theme of him yet again compromising his beliefs. 3- Less accepted theory, definitely a long shot: he maintained a sexual relationship with Vito at some point and now that the cat's out of the bag about Vito, he fears the latter will open his mouth about what happened between them.

Gaboxxy

I suspect Phil was so eager to kill Vito because he himself had some gay experiences while spending 20 years in the can. Even if you “get a pass for that," I imagine he had some self-loathing over it.

Joseph G.

The cut from Carm appreciating the beautiful historic statues in Paris to Sil looking at the New Jersey equivalent BadaBing billboard. Perfection

windyMelon

Definitely it’s heavily implied.

Gaboxxy

Apparently it was done like this to rip off the actors. They would have been able to renegotiate their contracts for season 7.

Jack Hoff

Its alleged that Phil did 20 years in the can… could be a rumor though

Andrew

One of the best things about this show is how subtle the comedy is. Some of the funniest moments are just throwaway lines that some people don't even notice. Vito telling Tony he can get a note from his doctor to prove he's not gay is probably top 3 funniest things said on this show.

BND

looked to me like he was getting his dick sucked but I may be wrong

BND

Funny coincidence— they were talking about it being shot in Detroit, and Lola joked that the Paris scenes were also filmed in Detroit. As it happens, Detroit used to be known as "The Paris of the West".

Abacus

I dunno if people noticed but Fat Dom (the man that Sil and Carlo kill) was one of the men that beat Vito to death.

Eric Viola (Zapata)

Also hate to be multiple commenter but just want to point out to everyone again that has not watched. There are really 7 seasons of the Sopranos. Season 6A ends with the next episode,,,Kaisha. Then there was a year break and then season 6B starts with Soprano Home Movies.

Mitchell

I have seen every episode of Sopranos many times and I love it so much and how new things pop out. I am also so tuned in to your guys' excellent analysis. Something struck me in this rewatch with you two that I may be way off on, but it almost feels like Carmela is a bit jealous of Ro in this episode vis a vis the lighting of the candles. As if Ro has a freedom (and sadness, which is in and of itself a purpose, which she is lacking), that Carmela wants to dig into but Ro will not let her. I have rewatched the show a few times but on this one with you I am struck by Carmela's arc of complicity, and then accepting the complicity but once she does it starts to destroy her as it has already been destroying Tony and the others.

Mitchell

Gaboxxy

Definitely both. Carlo looked very offended from the get-go, even when it was just about Vito. On the other hand Fat Dom didn't even talk about Silvio yet the latter was the one who started the violence. I don't think it's a coincidence that for that scene they chose the two guys that were the most openly critical of Vito, they wanted to show the obvious cognitive dissonance between how they are expected to feel due to the rules of their business and what they actually feel and repress. It's the same reason when they were discussing Vito most were openly calling for his death and even making jokes off the situation, yet when the news broke out he actually died they all stood in silence.

Gaboxxy

Incredible season

Nazım Metin

Carmela sees a similar light that Tony saw in his coma-dream. This half of the final season really hones in on the ideas of change and immutability clashing. A lot of motifs of change and general exploration of it throughout the season: evolution and religious redemption spoken about in the hospital, corporations infringing on mob business (they're moving vitamin pills now lol), generational change in the family (floated since the very Tony/AJ centric episode back in season 1), Tony and Vito individually trying to change (and failing), Chris speed-running passionless marriage with a kid on the way, the polar opposite to what he had with Adriana. There might even be more that I'm missing. AJ at least has a regular job now. The immutability parts: the statues that Carmela looks at obviously, nihilism subtly rearing its head through various pieces of dialogue, Tony's continuation of deflection, the rigid mob and italian-american mob-adjacent environment, Carmela continuing to put her head in the sand and resuming her chores. Which is why dinosaurs were a great symbol earlier in the season: their bones are simultaneously a symbol of generational change through evolution and immutability through preservation (Tony and his family can't change if they preserve existing traditions, mentalities, and dynamics) and finally also linked to birds and ducks by extension.

Veya

"I loved him like a brother-in-law"

Jack Hoff

Oh, and a fascinating parallel that none of the characters know, but WE do: They praise Richie Aprile for disowning his gay son, but it was hostility towards his son POSSIBLY being gay that was what got him killed. Remember, it was Janice saying 'What would be wrong with him being gay?' that spurred Richie punching her in the face. That is in turn what got her to go grab the gun and shoot him in the chest. If Richie had just NOT been a homophobe, he would have been fine....at least until Tony had him whacked, but that would have been a few days later.

JBK405

The closet joke so on the nose lol 😂

Daniel_

Phil coming out of the closet was peak hilarity! 😂

BND

That light that appears as Carmela is leaving Paris is similar to the light Tony sees in his coma dream as Kevin Finnerty. Just food for thought. I’ve said my piece.

Edward. M

For real. She can't stand seeing her friends happier than her, just like Tony.

BND

W

Kody Pawelczyk

Poor Phil, he loved Vito like a brother in law.

Nicholas

god i hate carmella, shes just like tony, she hates other people having a good time (ro) and enjoys when somebody else is down (ginny sack, charmaine bucco)

Josip

At one point Paulie bemoans how Salvatore Luciana must be looking at the modern Mafia in shame. More commonly known by his "American" name Charles "Lucky" Luciano, he is regarded as the founder of the modern American Mafia by establishing the structure of multiple families co-sharing power. He put this in place in the early 1930s, after killing Salvatore Maranzano who had the title "Boss of all Bosses" and theoretically ruled the entire American Mafia himself. I think that Carmela's scenes in Paris are the most depressive scenes for her in the entire series, because you can see her realize just how empty her ENTIRE life is. She's got no true loved ones since her relationship with Tony is so transactional, and she barely even knows her own children. That spec house she's building is purely about financial independence from Tony, it's not as though she has a passion for architecture or always dreamed of designing a home when she was a kid. Even Ro, her best friend, keeps her at arms-length (And I don't blame Ro for that at all). She's just got nothing waiting for her at all. I frequently say in my comments that I hate to give any of them credit for their actions, but I always notice how despite agreeing with Tony's decision to kill Vito, and even saying that it's the right call, Silvio still points out that Vito WAS keeping things quiet. He's not a good enough person to object or anything like that, but at least he admits that Vito 'played by the rules' and it's just bad luck that he got found out. I particularly love how Carlo says "Sil' hit him first" when Tony finds them standing over Dom's body. Just like little children caught by their parents and playing "He started it!" they shift the blame back and forth after an unthinking burst of violence. AJ......sigh, what can we say about AJ? He desperately needs guidance and discipline, but Tony only equates "discipline" with "violence" and that won't solve anything, either. So in the end, all he has in his life is....this.

JBK405

I don’t think Carlo was upset at Fat Dom because Vito was “one of them” or some sense of loyalty. I think it had a lot more to do with the jokes heavily implying he himself was gay.

Octavio

I love Marie’s reaction after hearing the brother in law line

Octavio

Sad thing about this episode is that Phil, once again, had to compromise. He loved Vito like a brother-in-law.

penguikiss