Sopranos, Season 5, Episode Ten, "Cold Cuts"

Cold Cuts
60 mins.   
From TVGuide.com:
Tony B. and Christopher reflect on some painful memories during a trip to the country; Carmela plans another party with Tony; Tony baits Janice after she takes an anger-management class. Mike Figgis directed.

Cast: Dominic Chianese, Edie Falco, James Gandolfini, Jamie-Lynn DiScala, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Robert Iler, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Drea de Matteo, Aida Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Steven R. Schirripa, Vincent Curatola, John Ventimiglia, Robert Loggia

Content: Strong, Coarse Language, Explicit Sexual Situations, Violence
Release Year: 2004
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In most episodes of the Sopranos, James Gandolfini portrays Tony Soprano as a very flawed, yet oddly redeeming, character. You kinda root for him. The whole "sure he is a mass-murdering, self-absorbed tyrant, but he has panic attacks, mother-issues, and he loves animals,"  thing. So he can't be all that bad.
Tony was not redeemed in this episode--not for a moment, unless one can count as a slightly redeeming thing, his being a complete and utter bastard to Janice. Her new way to fix herself is really just the "same old," in another package. This season, "anger-management" is the way Janice, at the behest of Bobby('s strongly implied threat of divorce) makes another "attempt" at self-improvement--and fails.
But Tony cannot stand for anyone to be doing better than he is--and Janice doing well with the anger management was reason enough, so he had to provoke her. Same thing with Christopher, when he was trying to bully him into taking a drink.
In this episode, Tony Soprano was completely irredeemable.

Random thoughts:

Although I was rooting for him when he took a shot a going legit, more and more Tony Blundetto shows himself to be completely ruthless and utterly without any degree of empathy for others--kinda like most characters in the show, save the damaged in-a-different-way Dr. Melfi. His betrayal of the bond he and Chris had begun to renew (while excavating bodies, natch) was so cold-hearted. Makes him more interesting, and more scary.

I liked the episode in it's exposition/exploration of the relationship of Tony S, Tony B, and Christopher when they were kids and now. Not a whole lot has changed in this dynamic--the two older Tonys being very mean-spirited older "brothers" to Christopher.

I also liked the subtle humor of this episode with the "can of peaches" and "revenge is like cold-cuts".
Only three episodes left, so it should be interesting.

 

Comments

[Cyn]

Yes, dear Ade. What to do? It would seem almost certain that getting whacked is her fate.
I wonder though if ultimately the Tony clan is going go the way of John Gotti's?

[Jack]

Tony Soprano's emotional meltdown sets the stage for any of a number of outcomes. Only one thing is for certain. People are going to start getting whacked. I'm guessing one per episode from here on out. Cousin Tony is almost certainly one of them. But what about Adrainna? I would certainly miss her. Her plight has grown over the last two seasons and I'm sympathetic to her now. (I would also miss her sexy lingerie modeling scenes ;-))