The Sopranos 2x12 Reaction
Added 2024-11-07 22:00:31 +0000 UTCa contender for best episode of the show so far
Comments
junior always 'thinks' lol why do you think tony comes to him for advice very often on mob related issues. Say what you will about the guy but junior knows the mob, he's the one who made connects back in Italy, Which in turn brought in furio
Bishop
2025-01-02 21:33:50 +0000 UTCA few thoughts: “Knights In White Satin” was a song by The Moody Blues from the ’60’s. By now it’s clear to everyone that the music selections in the series are not random. You may already know that Steven Van Zandt, who plays Silvio, was a member of the E Street Band from Asbury Park, New Jersey. At some point, I forget when, we’ll hear from Bruce Springsteen, himself. Nancy Marchand, who plays Livia, was a terrific actress, but for my money one of the best written supporting characters ever was Mickey Donovan, played by John Voight. The series, “Ray Donovan”, doesn’t quite reach the heights of “The Sopranos” or “The Wire”, but it comes very close and explores similar themes.
Thomas Fahey
2024-12-10 23:05:09 +0000 UTCJanice' tattoo is the Rolling Stones tongue logo.
Skate Eight
2024-11-19 16:46:17 +0000 UTCI love you Lola !
MichaelChiklisCares
2024-11-14 23:49:45 +0000 UTCSo true, it falling on deaf ears can hurt but a lot of times it just seems that way because someone can't find the right words to comfort you. But be vulnerable with Livia and all you'll be getting back is venomous vitriol 😂 And it will be used against you, now and in the future.
Robert Leeson
2024-11-10 06:20:16 +0000 UTCBeing vunerable or openly talking about mental health still falls on many deaf ears :( Livia is something else though, she makes people feel even worse for it. That line "I wasn't always perfect but at least I tried the best I could" is such a pitiful line, you kind of feel sorry for her then realise she's indirectly blaming everyone around her lol
Ben G
2024-11-09 22:46:03 +0000 UTCDamn, great catch! Makes that scene just that bit more eerie. Livia, the master at emasculating made men 😂
Robert Leeson
2024-11-09 15:20:14 +0000 UTCTotal chaos the entire episode, the demise of one of the best villains of the show with Ritchie. Probably both Janice and Irinas best episodes and Livia slowly descends from upstairs to steal the show 😂 I'm sure a bunch of people explained Livia is based on David Chases mom. Melfi mentioned early on that she probably has BPD. I have BPD myself but I think even though she does exhibit a lot of those traits esp when left untreated, I personally think her character is some mixture of NPD and ASPD as well, like untreated BPD can be bad but she is pure evil at this point. I spent years in therapy trying to untangle from this but would joke with my psychologist often about how Livia is like the perfect mixture of both my parents. Funniest character in the show but she absolutely terrifies me.
Robert Leeson
2024-11-09 15:00:17 +0000 UTCSomebody brought up that possibility in another Sopranos forum very recently, and now that I think about it, I think that may have been what he was thinking. "I'm in no fucking mood" is a very weird thing to say if you genuinely think you are at risk of getting shot. It made me think of that line very differently.
Marcus Cato
2024-11-08 16:54:05 +0000 UTCI love the scene where Janice actually believes Tony gave Richie a dignified burial. It speaks so much to her naivety but also her emotional manipulation, the fact she can even fawn sympathy after killing him. Such a great character played by a very talented actress.
Aidan
2024-11-08 11:03:46 +0000 UTCThey're already the biggest Carmela fans which makes me so excited for future storylines.
IanJ
2024-11-08 10:52:03 +0000 UTC“NO NEED MY DUDE”😂😂😂 amazing
Zach D
2024-11-08 09:56:30 +0000 UTCTony was Janice's knight in white 'satin' armour (well, cotton) cleaning up her floor lol. Also I found it very funny how Janice was standing in her wedding dress and they were like 'oh my god Carmela is so pretty' 😅
Mark M
2024-11-08 09:22:18 +0000 UTCTony defending Janice (of all people, in his mind at this time) makes you realize how awful and toxic their upbringing was.
Jared J Curtis
2024-11-08 05:23:31 +0000 UTCThis is one of the most acclaimed episodes of the show. Pretty much a culmination of the themes being threaded throughout the season until it reaches a point that all of these various trapped characters are longing for a "knight". Irina plainly says it (she also first mentions it during the college episode all the way back in the first season). For Carmela, it's the painter guy, for Pussy it manifested in the FBI, for Janice and Tony, it inverted with them both saving each other. All of them lash out in different ways when reality hits them. This twist is also a great example of the show building upon audience expectations, but secretly having an undercurrent building the entire time. This was Janice's arc the entire time, she spends the whole season trying to be more progressive only to slowly sink back into a bad version of herself (Livia 2.0 basically) and one punch from Ritchie snapped her back to the reality of her prison and as stated above she lashed out. Tony similarly got an opportunity to lash out at Livia and defend his sister at the same time.
Veya
2024-11-08 05:16:42 +0000 UTC> A great callback to the story about LIvia laughing at her husband falling down the stairs from season 1 too. From literally the second episode of the show, so super early on. Also Irina first mentions a "knight in white satin armor" all the way back in the college episode when they were on the phone. These are the type of small details that you have to remember to get more out of the show, particularly during the last two seasons.
Veya
2024-11-08 04:50:17 +0000 UTCEh this one is still one of the most acclaimed episodes and has usually ranked up pretty high in critics lists and reviews. If anything this episode is a bit unfairly remembered for it's twist when it had a lot more substance to it but it's understandable given how everyone was expecting a more traditional showdown between tony and ritchie at the time. I'd argue this episode ages a bit better than the next one, at least when it comes to certain elements.
Veya
2024-11-08 04:47:09 +0000 UTCrichie have his time now is time the mob Joker shame he born handsome instead of rich
Darlan Felix
2024-11-08 04:04:52 +0000 UTCIt’s a shame the next episode completely overshadows this one, because this should be the best episode of a season.
the chosen one
2024-11-08 03:46:00 +0000 UTCAmazing how this episode feels like a season finale, but the next episode is equally as great in my opinion. A round of applause to David Proval for playing such a chilling villain. I forgot where I heard this so take it with a grain of salt, but James Gandolfini (Tony) loved his scenes with Proval so much that he was sad to see him go. That final scene with Tony and Livia is also such a great summation of their relationship, perfectly showcased Livia taking delight in the misfortune of others. A great callback to the story about LIvia laughing at her husband falling down the stairs from season 1 too. The few times we also saw Livia smiling was during Jackie's funeral. I haven't seen anyone else in the Sopranos community brought this up, but did Richie thought Janice was trying to initiate sex with him? We know they use guns during sex, and Richie responded to her pointing a gun at him with "I'm in no mood". If so, what a darkly hilarious end to the character. Richie also broke his own rule he told Christopher about not hitting a woman until you marry her, which ends with Christopher himself cutting his body up at Satriale's. A great moment from Junior in this episode, basically redeeming himself from trying to kill Tony in the previous season. I remember Lola saying that Junior might be one of her favorites before the whole debacle with Livia, so I hope he can take that spot once again haha.
IanJ
2024-11-08 03:26:17 +0000 UTCI never hated Janice, in fact I think she fit in quite well with the rest of these characters.
BNJ
2024-11-08 02:47:33 +0000 UTCI agree. Janice is very much overhated imo. She’s awful but so is everyone else in this show, and she definitely isn’t close to Lyvia.
the chosen one
2024-11-08 02:22:38 +0000 UTCI don’t think Janice had done anything nearly as bad as the mob characters
space colon
2024-11-08 02:20:38 +0000 UTCyou too.
BNJ
2024-11-08 02:13:20 +0000 UTC“Taking care of that black hole upstairs” Janice is so well written lmao
cheech
2024-11-08 02:10:39 +0000 UTCoh, sorry, it's been a while since we had someone on here that acted like a child in the comments, and expected to have a normal discussion, you caught me off guard here, have a good night.
sand_fl
2024-11-08 02:05:16 +0000 UTC"Babies are like animals. They are no different than dogs. Somebody has to teach them right from wrong." What a beautiful pearl of wisdom from Livia as always lol. This line pretty much sums up her character. The fact that she sees babies as "dogs". Ooff, madonna. I love her character. She feels realistic because, as others have mentioned, Livia is based off of creator David Chase's own mother. In fact the entire show's inception came from his own real life relationship with his mother. And like you gals said, I know a character like Livia in real life, even though I come from a completely different country and culture. She's so well written. Her mannerisms, the stuff she says, it's almost exactly the same as somebody I know lol. Another interesting tidbit: On a recently released documentary about David Chase, he revealed that his mother, at later stages of her life, told him something that pretty much implied that she along with her sisters were raped/molested by their father (David Chase's grandfather). And now I realised that line from Janice in this episode that their grandpa wasn't a saint either. It makes you understand somethings, almost makes me feel sorry for Livia or people like her in real life. Of course that still doesn't excuse their behaviours, but still, it put things into perspective isn't it? People sometimes pass down their traumas to next generation (maybe willingly or unwillingly). It's unfortunate.
enchantertim
2024-11-08 01:33:32 +0000 UTCMy God you're right! Up until this point I've been under the impression that Tony is a good wholesome guy! Man, he sure had me fooled! Are you fucking kidding me with this?
BNJ
2024-11-08 01:21:47 +0000 UTCRichie’s internalized homophobia is the mark left on him by prison, even if he had beaten Tony and secured control this same thing would have happened. His self-hatred preventing him from being able to love and appreciate his talented son says everything Janice is a product of her parents the same way Tony is. When confronted with the same trauma her father use to inflict, the kind that made her run away from Jersey, she kills the person who mirrors her father’s behavior (also mirrors Tony trying to kill Livia in season 1) Love that Tony calls Janice codependent on Richie and the very next scene he’s telling Irina to stop being desperately codependent on him. He’ll happily leave her $75,000 and go whine about it to his therapist
space colon
2024-11-08 01:20:48 +0000 UTCOne of the best endings of a tv episode ever. "I just might commit suicide"... perfect.
Skate Eight
2024-11-08 01:17:28 +0000 UTCwell, not a teenager, but let's say she's 24 now. i'd say fucking a 22 year old girl who's clearly dependent and will get attached to you and then start a relationship with her... not a great idea. i'm 29 and i have 22 year old friends and they are kids, they act like kids and i see them like siblings. at this age i would NEVER start something with someone that young, so for a 40 or so year old guy... sorry but it's sketchy to me.
sand_fl
2024-11-08 01:14:12 +0000 UTCoh, for sure, she is horrible, but i'd argue that at least 80% of the characters here are horrible, but i suppose i just haven't seen the rest of the show so i don't really know how horrible she can be. at this point, and i'm currently watching along so this is how much i've seen, i wouldn's she she's even in the top 5 of the most horrible person. maybe by the end i will hate her will all my heart, only time will tell.
sand_fl
2024-11-08 01:08:21 +0000 UTCJanice is truly an awful person, but as far as I'm concerned, what she did in this episode* is a positive entry in her karmic ledger. *Not legal advice. 😂
Marcus Cato
2024-11-08 00:56:28 +0000 UTCThat Russian girl isn't a "kid", she's like 24 years old at this point so let's not act like she's a teenager.
BNJ
2024-11-08 00:43:26 +0000 UTCwell, this is one of those cases that are a clear example of the motto "i support women rights and wrongs". i know janice is a hated character and all, but at the end of the day i woulnd't say she's that much worse than other characters in this show. she's manipulative as fuck and cares shit about her family but not the worst person here i suppose. she said 'gay rights' and shot the man after getting punched once. as the daughter of a woman who's been i two marriages with domestic violence and as someone who has suffered from homofobia quite a few times, the only thing i can do in this situation is applaud her. i'm a sucker for siblings relationships so this show is really interesting for me in that matter too. i'm not used to siblings being enemies besides zuko and azula and a few other examples, so it's an interesting change. ps: carmela and paulie and fighing over my favorite character position. that last line of carmela though. just hilarious. i was pretty sure she was going to say she wanted a divorce and instead just fucked with him. she has nothing but my respect.
sand_fl
2024-11-08 00:40:16 +0000 UTCLight shining in my eyes while trying to watch something sounds awful. I wonder if that's the some reaction channels don't see in dark scenes, they got a flashlight in their face at the same time!
Teddy S
2024-11-08 00:09:23 +0000 UTCAfter the buildup for Richie throughout the season, positioning him as a rival that might lead to all-out war, the fact that he's killed the episode BEFORE the season finale was a sudden swerve. Everybody thought it would be a replay of the season one finale where Tony's crew had to take out several of Junior's people, only for Janice to do it herself. Like I said in the comments for the last episode, Junior has Janice pegged EXACTLY. He also reads Richie as well. They think they're playing him but for this season he's ahead of both of them. Skip said that Pussy had the biggest case of Stockholm Syndrome he'd seen since Patty Hearst. She was a wealthy heiress that was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a criminal/revolutionary/terrorist group in the 1970s. After several months in captivity she joined and began participating in their activities. After they were caught by the police she claimed she'd been tortured and forced to participate, but others said she joined of her own free will. We feel bad for Irina for much the same reason that we feel bad for Tony and Janice and the others: She didn't choose this life, circumstances forced her here. But just like that doesn't excuse the harm that Tony does, it also doesn't undo the harm that Irina does. Even if she and Tony had once had a a healthy relationship, threatening suicide is one of those lines that can't be uncrossed. Silvio was almost gentle at the end when he gave her the cash and told her to make something else of her life. Irina is 25 now (or close to it), assuming the episode takes place around when it was aired. So she's still very young, but not a literal child. Although I'm old enough now to view 25-year-olds as being "too young" for me, and I'm still a few years younger than Tony is. Tony is 40 now, edging in towards 41 in a few months.
JBK405
2024-11-08 00:06:06 +0000 UTCJanice's mouth tattoo is the old Rolling Stones logo
mrjackpotz
2024-11-07 23:48:02 +0000 UTCLighting tip that may or may not work depending on your setup. If there is a white wall off camera nearby (behind the tv) you can face a bright LED at that wall so the light wont be pointed blindingly at you but instead will create a soft indirect light that illuminates the space in a more pleasant way. A large piece of white cardboard would work too but that would just be another thing to deal with.
Antonio
2024-11-07 23:40:32 +0000 UTCI love this episode. The Sopranos handles its music so well, and often will establish a song earlier in an episode in the background or as source music, before using it as part of the score, normally over the final scene and credits. This is one of my favourite examples of this. Annie Lennox’s ‘I Saved The World Today’ has such a perfect irony in its lyrics here: ‘Hey Hey I saved the world today Everybody's happy now The bad thing's gone away And everybody's happy now The good thing's here to stay Please let it stay’
Darrach
2024-11-07 23:32:25 +0000 UTCIn Season 1 Episode 2, Melfi asks Tony if he can recall any happy memories of his mother. Tony goes quiet for a moment, before telling a story where the whole family was down at the shore, and his father fell down a set of stairs in front of everyone. He says that even his mother was laughing. This is the only moment he can recall of happiness with his mother. Now, in season 2 episode 12, the only time we see genuine laughter and joy from Livia is watching her son trip and fall down the stairs. I only caught this on my rewatch of the show and immediately got chills when he told that story, as I remembered this moment immediately. What an amazing episode and an incredible show!
Darrach
2024-11-07 23:27:38 +0000 UTCYes, David Chase did base Livia off his own mother and personal experiences with her. What that says about who she was… one can only imagine.
Darrach
2024-11-07 23:25:22 +0000 UTCThe first of many contenders, ladies. Enjoy!
Derek Suboticki
2024-11-07 23:12:31 +0000 UTCThis one shock me
Wallas
2024-11-07 23:01:40 +0000 UTCThat final line by Carmella is so good
MB
2024-11-07 22:52:47 +0000 UTCyou're not helping 😭😭😭
sand_fl
2024-11-07 22:50:55 +0000 UTCYou’re about to watch contender after contender for for best episode of the show.
the chosen one
2024-11-07 22:49:06 +0000 UTCits worth it to kick out the consumers
LM Reactions
2024-11-07 22:46:20 +0000 UTCDo it! (you won't) 😏
Isaac
2024-11-07 22:19:45 +0000 UTCwell, that's just mean. i can't watch it until i get home and that will be at least 1'30h more. maybe i'll just kick out the consumers and tell them to look for another restaurant.
sand_fl
2024-11-07 22:15:01 +0000 UTCI love that these two are enjoying the show so much. It is so good.
BobJ
2024-11-07 22:13:04 +0000 UTC"best episode of the show so far" will be a recurring theme to these reactions... salut!
snaps
2024-11-07 22:11:37 +0000 UTCWas waiting for this one. It's always been one of my favorites. Really ups the stakes for everything.
JayFi
2024-11-07 22:08:12 +0000 UTC
