The Sopranos, Season 6, Episode 16, "Chasing It"

Money makes the world go round. On The Sopranos Tony and his crew talk about money, and percentages, but while they enjoy the money they "earn" it seems unreal. I enjoyed watching this episode because while it came late in the series run it did deal with how Tony pays for his lifestyle.

I'm surprised they haven't used Tony's penchant for gambling as a source of drama for more episodes. While it has caused Tony's friends misery in the past, we've never seen Tony's gambling as a problem until this episode.

My only problem is with the sudden introduction of monetary problems in Tony's life. There have been jokes about Tony's yuppie lifestyle being difficult to support, but it still seemed a little forced.

Tony's money problems dovetailed nicely with the "B" storyline this episode. Vito Jr. has become a goth since his father died. Tony gambles away the money meant for Marie's relocation to Maine, and the best Tony can do for her is a "wilderness therapy" program for Vito Jr.

At this point the narrative thrust points toward a confrontation between Phil Leotardo and Tony. The only way Tony can meet his fiscal obligations is too move up the "corporate" ladder.

The Sopranos, Season 6, Episode 15, "Remember When"

Curve balls are always welcome when I watch a film or television series. Sometimes they can seem arbitrary as in the case of the true identity of Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects. Tonights episode of The Sopranos threw viewers a much more subtle curve ball, but a welcome one nonetheless.

It turns out Junior Soprano, who shot Tony in the first episode of season six was more culpable for the shooting then viewers had initially been led to believe. Junior Soprano had been playing the senile dementia card for so long I assumed it must be true.

It turns out that Junior is smart enough to run card games in the ward where he is currently incarcerated. He does seem to suffer from short term memory loss and incontinence. The doctors learn he is not taking his medicine when he loses control of his bladder during an argument.

The Junior storyline tied in nicely with the "A" storyline. The FBI are investigating an old murder and Tony thinks now would be a good time to go on a vacation with Paulie. Tony begins to notice just how big a blabbermouth Paulie can be.

They go on a fishing trip together and Paulie is nervous about his chances of returning from the trip alive. Tony looks at long and hard at an ax and a knife on the boat, but lets Paulie live.

The parallels between Paulie and Junior are pretty obvious, as both are old bachelors who never had a life outside the mafia. The look on Tony's face at the end of the episode shows that he knows Paulie is destined to become as big a headache as Uncle Junior.

The City of Brotherly Love

Lisa and I went on another road trip to Pennsylvania this weekend. This time we saw the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. I wanted to see the Philadelphia Book Festival. Christopher Buckley, author of Boomsday, and Mark Bowden, author of Guests of the Ayatollah, were scheduled to appear.

Unfortunately, Buckley's appearance was canceled because of a recent death in his family. My wife and I went to see the Philadelphia Museum of Art while before Bowden made his appearance at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

It was definitely worth the trip down to Philly to see Bowden speak. I think Blackhawk Down ranks right up there with Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels and Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.

We had dinner at the City Tavern that evening. Lisa was really impressed with the pewter mugs. My lovely wife had the veal sausages, and I decided to try the rabbit. Both dishes were excellent, and the portions were very generous. We look forward to trying the venison medallions the next time we go to the City Tavern.

We didn't have any cheese steak as planned on Sunday, but we did get to see Ben Franklin's grave. There were a lot of pennies placed on his tombstone. There were so many that a caretaker took a broom and swept them off! According to local tradition it can bring good luck if you place a penny on his tombstone. You can read more about that quaint belief here.

Update: Snarking has posted an entertaining account of our trip here and here.

Lost, Season 3, Episode 17, "Catch 22"

Set designer, soldier, sailor and now...monk. Or rather, at one time Desmond was a novitiate in a monastery. "Catch 22" had a Desmond flashback that didn't reveal anything new about the character but was still interesting. While the explanation of how Penny and Desmond met was much more satisfactory than the infamous episode devoted to Jacks tattoo, it still didn't offer much in the way of narrative momentum.

I'm not sure if I'm missing something but one of the first things Brother Campbells said was that he didn't think Desmond had what it took to observe a vow of silence for a month. It's not unlike the observation that Charles Widmore had made earlier that Desmond wasn't worthy enough to drink his whiskey let alone marry his daughter.

I'm not sure why Desmond makes such a bad first impression on these avuncular figures in his flashbacks. There is nothing in his back story to indicate a weak will, or for that matter a serious character flaw. I suppose the flashback revealing Desmond's heretofore unknown career as gay porn actor and crack cocaine aficionado will be revealed in season four.

This is also the episode where I realized what was wrong with the flashbacks. Once the initial back story has been cleared up there are only two reasons two give the characters additional flashback time. The best post back story flashbacks so far revolve around the mysteries of the island or deal with the reasons why a character might want to escape from the island. Locke, Juliet and Claire fit into the former category while Desmond and Juliet (again) fit are in the latter category.

The flashbacks call into question who is or who are the main protagonists on the show. Lost used to be an ensemble effort, but some characters are clearly becoming more important than others, if for no other reason than they are getting more screen time. This is the first episode where I asked myself why Jack is one of the central people in the narrative.

Jack might be the unacknowledged leader of the castaways on the beach, but his father issues are not as dramatically compelling as Desmond's unrequited love for Penny. Jack's father issues do not provide as compelling a rationale for getting off the island as Desmond's need to be reunited with his true love.

The Sopranos, Season 6, Episode 14, "Stage 5"

The writers of "Stage 5" put a lot of irons in the fire. There was a lot of maneuvering this week to see who would replace Johnny Sack as boss. Phil Leotardo is still nursing a grudge against Tony. However, the most interesting storyline this episode was the one revolving around Christopher and his relationship with Tony.

Cleaver, the movie that Christopher has been working on makes it debut on the silver screen in this episode. I find it interesting that if Christopher is killed by Tony, then Carmela will have played Queen Macbeth in that little tragedy. I'd never really thought of Carmela as evil until this episode. Tony was quick to laugh off any similarities between the mob boss on screen and himself, but Carmela wouldn't let the issue drop. She kept on coming back to the issue with a tenacity that was shocking.

Carmela's sins can usually be described as sins of omission, and not of commission. She doesn't play an active role in the evil around her, just a passive one. Adriana's death is alluded to in this episode, and Carmela's silence on the issue underlines her usual passivity when it comes to the criminal milieu that she lives in. However, explaining the films subtext to Tony is the first time she has become an active participant in the milieu. Carmela can't feign ignorance if something bad happens to Christopher as a result of what she says.

Tony explains Carmela's theory to Silvio and Silvio's silence speaks volumes. It's just a glance and a shrug, but I think it spells trouble for Christopher. Christopher tried to set up J.T. Dolan as the fall guy for the script, but I think he overplayed his hand. If Dolan had visited Tony without any visible cuts or bruises to his face the subterfuge had a slim chance of succeeding, but Christopher's ruse really underlines how dim the members of Tony's crew can be. If Tony dies or is incarcerated by the end of the season, his crew would fall apart in a few days.

I hadn't thought they would move the story arc into high gear this quickly. The trailer they had for next weeks episode indicates that events are going to continue to move at a fast pace for Tony Soprano and his wiseguy friends.

Rumspringa!!!

Lisa and I spent some time in the heart of Amish Country this weekend. We stayed at a nice little bed and breakfast and did quite a bit of sight seeing. The farmers market had a lot of American delicacies - shoofly pie and funnel cakes - that I was unfamiliar with. Next to the strip mall there was a model Amish farm.

We were able to experience Rumspringa first hand. Basically, it's spring break for Amish teenagers. They get all pumped up on root beer, and the boys go drag racing with their buggies up and down Main Street. The Amish girls will whip off their bonnets and raise their skirts to show off their ankles.

Update

Snarking writes:

I just checked out what Wikipedia has to say about Rumspringa; did you know there's a documentary about it? It's called Devil's Playground, it came out in 2002, and it won a few awards. Amish Gone Wild, indeed.

Snarking also wrote about our wonderful weekend together here.

Turning Your New iPod Shuffle Into A Flash Drive

In an earlier post I lamented the fact that I was unable to use my iPod shuffle as a flash drive. According to the good people at Futuremusic I can accomplish that task with this handy little adapter.

Lost, Season 3, Episode Episode 16, "One of Us"

This episode had one of those rare flashbacks that helped moved the narrative forward. Juliet's back story was revealed, and it picked up where "Not In Portland" finished. The flashbacks filled viewers in on everything that happened to Juliet since the last flashback and the first episode of the third season.

The narrative really picked up steam with the revelation of what the others had been doing on the island prior to the plane crash. Juliet was brought to the island in an attempt to save the lives of pregnant women. I found it odd that Juliet told Ben that he had cancer shortly before the plane crashed on the island. I wonder if this ties in with the magic box that Ben told Locke about and the mysterious death of Juliet's ex-husband.

Ben talks about Jacob this episode. The biblical connections are already well documented amongst Lost fans. In the bible Jacob was the father of Benjamin and Joseph. Jacob also had a brother named Esau. I wonderful if we will see parallels between the biblical narrative and the Lost story arc?

The turn of the screw at the end was a nice touch. My lovely wife pointed out that Elizabeth Mitchell punctuated her last scene with a blank glaze that was not entirely unlike the blank gaze Ben occasionally gives the camera.

This episode came as something of a surprise. I hadn't expected the plot to move forward so quickly. There are still a lot of mysteries left to explain on the island, but the writers seem to be building towards something big for the final episode of season three.

The Sopranos, Season 6, Episode 13, "Soprano Home Movies"

The Onion has a blurb here that sums up my feelings about the twelfth episode of The Sopranos. I didn't like the episode because I thought the narrative arc had been building towards a traumatic moment for the crime family and nothing happened. They enjoyed a happy Christmas. I expected Harrison Ford to hug Tony and say, "I love you guys!"

Episode 13 was much more satisfactory. After watching this episode I didn't feel I had been jerked around as much. There is a flashback to the final episode of Season 5 when Tony dropped his gun while running away from a police raid at Johnny Sacramoni's McMansion.

This dropped gun comes back to haunt Tony in this episode. A teenage boy saw Tony drop it and retrieved the weapon. The teenager used the gun and it has since been traced back to Tony. The local district attorney filed charges against Tony which are eventually dropped. However, by the end of the episode Tony learns that this case isn't going away. The fed's have decided to include the weapons charges with their RICO case.

Tony's problems with his gun foreshadows future difficulties for Bobby. After committing his first murder, Bobby leaves behind his gun at the crime scene. Guns loom large in this episode. They advance the plot and the narrative of this episode as well as future episodes. Firearms also represent the characters inability to learn from their past mistakes.

Bobby gives Tony an AR-10 for his birthday. Tony fires off a few rounds in the forest and thanks Bobby for the gift. The AR-10 is fully automatic which according to the wikipedia article on the episode is an illegal firearm.

While Janice and Tony are reminiscing about their childhood, we learn that Tony's father discharged a firearm into Livia's beehive hairdo during a heated argument. This "loaded" anecdote is told shortly before Bobby and Tony get into a fist fight over Tony's insulting comments about Janice. It turns out words not unlike guns can be weapons that hurt people.

I wasn't sure how much I'd like the "new season" after watching the the twelfth episode. With episode thirteen however, David Chase and company have started the final narrative arc with a "bang" not unlike that of the first episode of season six.

Elvis Costello In Baltimore!!!

My beloved wife bought us tickets to the Elvis Costello concert in Baltimore! I can't wait. This will be the third time I've seen Costello, and the first time I've been to a concert with my wife. I think that was one of the nicest gifts I've ever gotten for Easter.

We went to Baltimore to have lunch at the Phillips Seafood Restaurant on the harbor front. They had a very good steamed buffet. I tried crayfish for the first time in my life. I'd read about them in novels, but I'd never eaten or seen a crayfish until today. Basically they look and taste like mini-lobsters.

The fun doesn't stop now that we're back home in Alexandria, Virginia. Tonight we'll be eating turkey chili and watching The Sopranos!

Update: Snarking provided me with a link to the venue hosting the concert.

South Park, Season 11, Episode 5, "Fantastic Easter Special"

According to wikipedia, South Park is banned in Singapore. I guess Lee Kuan Yew does not approve of singing turds. This weeks episode was a dead on parody of The Da Vinci Code. I hated the novel and it was nice to see it lampooned by people with beliefs similar to mine. I can appreciate what Amy Welborn's criticism of The Da Vinci Code, but since I'm not a Catholic I don't really have a dog in that particular fight.

The episode did point out how bizarre the secular symbols of Easter can be. There is no connection between Jesus, the Easter Bunny, and eggs. It's been years since I picked up a bible but I do know that bunnies and eggs do not figure prominently in the biblical narrative, such as it is.

And what's the connection between bunnies and eggs? It seems kind of arbitrary. Why would a bunny hop around hiding eggs? Rabbits don't lay eggs. Chickens lay eggs. Shouldn't chickens be the animals responsible for hiding the eggs?

Slate provides some answers to my questions here but I am not entirely satisfied.

Come for the Zombies, Leave During the Car Chase

The Grindhouse. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Starring Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, and Naveen Andrews.

Grindhouse, like the seventies exploitation films that inspired it is an uneven piece of work. Planet Terror, the first half of the feature is excellent. It's a well paced, entertaining blend of action and horror. Rodriguez doesn't really bring anything new to the zombie genre, but he does have some of the best looking zombies ever seen on film. To give it that "grindhouse" flavor some of the reels were "missing" but I have no doubt they will turn up in time for the DVD release.

The Quentin Tarantino half, Death Proof, had an excellent concept - a slasher film where a car is used rather than a knife. There was too much set up and not enough pay off in terms of the action sequences. Usually when Tarantino is setting up the action the dialogue snaps and crackles but the characters in Death Proof have nothing interesting to say.

The build up to the climax of the first act is tedious, and instead of ramping things up, Tarantino slows things down in the second act and the action doesn't really start again until the final act of the film. Once the heroines of the second act turn the tables on their attacker the suspense evaporates. The outcome of the film is never in any doubt. They are all safe in their car, and it's just a matter of time before they turn the tables on Kurt Russell's "Stuntman Mike" character.

The fake trailers that were inserted between the two movies were entertaining. My wife liked the one for "Machete" that preceded Planet Terror. I liked "Thanksgiving", which came after "Planet Terror" was slightly better. You could walk out after the trailers that precede Death Proof, and it still would have been worth the price of admission to see Grindhouse.

Christopher Buckley at Politics and Prose

There were lots of sweaters in the audience at the author event Politics and Prose had scheduled. While not everyone wears a suit in DC, most people have a very urban sensibility. There was so much polar fleece on display I thought I was in North Dakota.

Buckley was at Politics and Prose to promote his new novel, Boomsday. One of the owners introduced Buckley to the audience. Apparently Buckley has been coming to Politics and Prose to do readings and signings ever since he published his first book, Steaming to Bamboola, way back in the eighties.

Buckley made some remarks about his novel and then read some passages from the book. He then fielded questions from the audience. Buckley is a very funny speaker - I asked him a question about Winnipeg and his answer brought down the house. I got my brand spanking new copy of Boomsday signed. He complimented me on my jacket and tie and mockingly chastised the other people in line for their more casual apparel.

One of the local Fox affiliates will be showing highlights from the Christopher Buckley book signing at Politics and Prose. DC residents should be able to watch it on channel five at 9 AM on Easter Sunday.

Dennis Miller interviewed Buckley on April 4. You can download the show here.

Update: Webcowgirl writes about the book signing here. The Washington Examiner has pictures and details about the book launch that was held at the Cafe Milano in Georgetown. You can check it out on page ten of the April 6 edition of The Examiner.

Lost, Season 3, Episode 15, "Left Behind"

Another Lost episode, another redundant flashback. Well I suppose it wasn't entirely a waste of time. It turns out Kate went to Sunday school and shared a Thelma and Louise moment with Sawyer's ex-girlfriend.

So much for the "B" storyline. The "A" storyline was interesting. I enjoyed Kate's little chat with John Locke. I felt it really advanced the plot and it was an unusual move to place it at the start of the episode. John Locke has crossed over and joined the others. Whatever happened in that room with the his father must have been life changing.

Juliet and Kate handcuffed together and getting all muddy: nothing wrong with that!

The smoke monster is an enigma. From what Juliet said, it sounds like the others have no control over the monster. The monster isn't very clever - it didn't try to jump over the fence to get to Juliet and Kate.

I had mixed feelings about the "C" storyline. It had a goofy, humorous quality that I liked. On the other hand, I thought it was a lame attempt to turn Sawyer into Han Solo. Not the cool Han Solo from the original Episode IV, but the really sucky Han Solo from Episode VI. The Han Solo who let Greedo shoot first.

Holloway and Garcia have a nice chemistry on screen, and if nothing else, Hurley makes Sawyer less of a whiny bitch. Sawyer comes across as a good ole boy, and Hurley helps bring out that aspect of the character.

The "A" and "C" stories make the show worth watching, but the flashbacks are becoming a real narrative drag. I liked the "C" storyline, but letting Sawyer grow risks diluting the characters charm and turning him into a sucky Han Solo clone. With Sawyer, as with Han Solo, less is more. When used as foils, they're interesting, but as heroes they are dull.