Just in this episode, for example, we watch him give the thumbs-up to the theft of fiber-optic cable from the construction site he's been tapped by Tony to oversee, jeopardizing a quarter-billion dollar project. He's also oblivious to the fact that his fiancé has just befriended an undercover agent. He nearly demonstrates some level of competence when he begins piecing together the odd aspects of the agent's personal life (no boyfriend, "great ass," over all the time). For a moment, we're led to believe Christopher might stumble onto a clue. Of course, he then blows it when he comes to the meathead conclusion that "she's a dike!" He then attempts to work his fiancé and the federal agent into a threesome.
All of this hugely entertaining, and certainly consistent with Christopher's character. But what's troubling is that Tony doesn't see any of it. How can this guy oversee a huge operation that includes stock fraud, construction fraud, insurance fraud, truck hijacking, gambling, drug running, and all matter of paper crimes, but not realize his nephew is a complete fuck-up?
Chase wants us to believe that Tony's blinded by his belief in family. That's why it took Tony a couple of months and a lot of therapy to draw the obvious conclusion that it was his mother and his uncle who put a hit on him - he couldn't fathom such a scenario.
But Christopher isn't blood - he's related to Tony by marriage. And Tony's had no problem recognizing and straightening out the kid's intransigence in previous seasons. I just find it a little suspect that a guy with Tony's intuition can't see that Christopher as capo - much less as don - is a calamitous train wreck waiting to happen.
All that said, again, there are still lots of kicks in this episode. Once you've stomached Meadow's faux intellectual routine, the writers have given her a delicious subplot in which she subversively taps Tony's guilt over the death of Jackie, Jr. to win her wants - in this case, a year off from college to cavort about Europe.
Meadow's the light of Tony's life. Consequently, we get to watch the spectacle of a guy who, a) obviously wants what's best for his daughter, b) knows that means she needs to keep as far away from him as possible, c) is too wrecked by guilt and feelings of hypocrisy to insist she "do the right thing," and, so, d) inevitably gives in, and allows her to do what's not the right thing, which undercuts his desire to want what's best for her. Add to that that he's devastated by the fact that what's best for the light of his life is that she be as far away from him as possible, and you have the agony of a guy being ripped in about six different directions.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Nice, Rad, I don't even have to watch it anymore.
2 - Kenan Hebert
Nice. Insightful. Good writing. Thank you.
3 - Boris Timanovsky
Just what this pathetic Sopranos addict needed:
some accessible post-game analysis to kill time
over while waiting for the next episode. Now, if
only this could become a daily column!
4 - Sabo
Ditto to Boris's post. Your commentary has helped out big time considering I was out of TV range for the first episode.
5 - Greg
Thanks for the great site. It's nice to have a place where all Sopranos addicts can come and read some insightful analysis into a this incredible show. But, I heard recently that the Sopranos might get cancelled, si this true?
6 - Brendon W
wow, season four......
can't wait for it come to Australia.............
Considering the 'Pay T.V.' channels are only showing Series One I will have a long wait...
Hope they put it out on VHS here....
Have managed to purchase one-two & three on VHS
7 - Rasin
Hello
whats this place then
um...
do you know whats going on with the sopranos?
i'm stoned at the moment so i;m not good at this time
do you belive that 1 skunk joint gets me high.
8 - James Isom
I was wondering if you could find out the song playing at furio's house party where he and carmela dance.
Thank you.....
9 - Laura
could anyone tell me the name of the song/singer in Sopranos Season 4 - Episode #4 (The Weight) - where Carmella and pony-tail dude are dancing.... what's the name of the song / singer? Thank you!
10 - MrMOB
>But Christopher isn't blood - he's related to Tony by marriage.
It has also hasn't rang true to me that Tony's plan to keep things in the "blood family" would be by using Christopher, who isn't his blood family at all. So here's an idea: perhaps Tony knows more than we do. Perhaps Chris isn't his nephew by marriage at all, but actually his son! Far-fetched, but does explain a few things.
Case for:
*Tony keeps harking on about blood, and Chris isn't officially blood by any definition.
*Tony is extraordinarily close to his nephew-by-marriage, cuts him some extraordinary slack at times, and seems blind to failings that he wouldn't with his other underlings.
*Chris has called his mother a "F#@*ing whore" on occasions; perhaps she was as he was growing up, and maybe even before she slept around. Tony would have been about 18 when Chris was conceived, I'm guessing Chris's mother is a bit older. In a similar circumstance in season 1 Uncle Junior remarks at a funeral of a very old, seemingly respectable woman how she went with him when he was a youngster.
*Perhaps the corrupt retired cop Tony tells Chris is his father's killer, also knew the real secret of Chris's paternity?
Case against:
*The pic of Chris's dad in the Navy uniform looks a heck of a lot like him (same big nose). On the other hand Chris's mother also has a pretty big nose.
*Tony and Chris's mother have exchanged so much as a single glance.
I'm guessing that at some point down the track Chris is going to find out that Adriana is grassing to the Feds and face the choice of whacking her or going into witness protection and ratting on Tony. At about this point Tony will spill the beans that they are closer than Chris ever thought.
Pretty out there perhaps, but I have just watched seasons 1-4 over the last couple of weeks and its been burbling in my head for this time.
11 - Eric Olsen
Spam aside - Rad, where've you been, bro?