It was pretty intense and "violent" a scene. Made you feel for her.
Divinginto the Sopranos.
- Thread starter Trekker4747
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Yeah, that's one of those scenes where each time I watch it I'm hoping for a different outcome, that maybe the impossible will happen and Melfi will manage to prevent it this time. It's one of those raw, dehumanising moments that really hits you. Of all the messed up stuff which happens in this show, that scene is the hardest for me to swallow. It's even worse than Paulie losing his wings.
The whole Melfi rape thing pretty much heralded the end of the character's usefulness. You run out of things to do with a character besides being a sounding board for your lead, so what do you do? You have her raped. There. Instant drama.
The show tried developing her life in the first season - to little effect - and then made the second season arc for her about whether or not she'd go back to Tony (adding Bogdanovich as her sounding board to put her in a reverse position for her Tony scenes being about the best twist they did there). By the third season, where can you go with Melfi?
I'm not saying it isn't sudden and brutal, but it just struck me at the time that they'd really run out of stuff to do with Melfi. I think there is still some material ahead where she's useful but I'd mostly stand by that assessment.
Now there is a scene that I found pretty unapologetically devastating though, and I think everyone knows what it is...
The show tried developing her life in the first season - to little effect - and then made the second season arc for her about whether or not she'd go back to Tony (adding Bogdanovich as her sounding board to put her in a reverse position for her Tony scenes being about the best twist they did there). By the third season, where can you go with Melfi?
I'm not saying it isn't sudden and brutal, but it just struck me at the time that they'd really run out of stuff to do with Melfi. I think there is still some material ahead where she's useful but I'd mostly stand by that assessment.
Now there is a scene that I found pretty unapologetically devastating though, and I think everyone knows what it is...
It was also the high point of her arc, and great drama - not because she was raped, but because of her making the decision whether or not to throw her rapist to the dogs, i.e. to Tony...
I think that half of me was screaming for her to tell him, and the other for her not to tell him.
There wasn't much for her to do afterwards because the dilemma of her character was resolved. Although I still think the scene in season 5 premiere was great.
It was well handled, I'll definitely agree with that. The final moment is one of the best closing bits in any Sopranos episode.
Ok, 
I loved the episode with Paulie and Chris chasing some Russian guy in a snowed-over forest. They huddle up in an abadnoned van and start eating ketchup/relish packets from a fast-food bag!
I loved the episode with Paulie and Chris chasing some Russian guy in a snowed-over forest. They huddle up in an abadnoned van and start eating ketchup/relish packets from a fast-food bag! 
Tell me which scene you're referring to in spoiler font because there are so many brutal scenes I can't figure out which one you're talking about.
"Pine Barrens" (Christopher and Paulie freaking out over the Russian) is one of those instant classic episodes of the Sopranos and definitely one of the high points of the run for me. It's just a pile of misjudgements and stupid decisions resulting in a prepsoterously ridiculous but hilarious situation.
That better?
I thoght in context it was pretty obvious, but:
Tracee. Season three. "University". Ralphie. Hoo-er.
One of the few episodes I have trouble rewatching. Harrowing.
I was waiting for Trekker to see "Pine Barrens" as I didn't want to ruin it. That's one of those episodes that stand above the rest and, again, as much as you may realize that these are bad men (trying not to be too spoilery, but both characters have moments in coming seasons where you remember they are not exactly choir boys), you are rooting for them.
Oh, that was harrowing indeed.
It's one of those episodes that make season 3 perhaps the strongest season of the show, IMO...And this episode gets a great follow-up in a later season (I won't spoil anything)... but you have to pay attention, the connection is made is a quite subtle way.
The beating of Tracee, yeah, was pretty brutal. I can't wait until Poor-man's Steve Buscemi gets his.
But yeah the "Pine Barrens" episode was just awesome. There was just something about the way Chris and Pauley play off one another, esp. the way Pauley's treated Chris since he was made. But Pauley I always just see as that old guy we've all worked with who just seems a bit "off." Good at his job but just, "off." Pauley's freaking out about frostbite on his feet and everything just had me cracking up. (Other great scenes with him include his "enjoyment" of the food while visiting Italy and him seeing a Remote Viewer. )
But yeah the "Pine Barrens" episode was just awesome. There was just something about the way Chris and Pauley play off one another, esp. the way Pauley's treated Chris since he was made.
But Pauley I always just see as that old guy we've all worked with who just seems a bit "off." Good at his job but just, "off." Pauley's freaking out about frostbite on his feet and everything just had me cracking up. (Other great scenes with him include his "enjoyment" of the food while visiting Italy and him seeing a Remote Viewer. )
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Just finished The Sopranos: Season 3.
Top sum it up, much improved over the Second Season but not quite as good as the first (but few series meet or surpass their first season.) Many "classic" episodes or "must rewatch" episodes in this season. Infact this evening before watching the remaining two episodes on the disc I had to re-watch "Pine Barrens" as that episode is just classic! On may levels.
I'm finding it easier to find the road between "these are not good men who I should be rooting for" and the whole "these are my protagonists and the characters driving the franchise so I have to like them." Even in their worst moments I still see a degree or two of "good" in them, in all of them. (Except for Ralphie the Poor-Man's Steve Buschemi. He's just a fuck.)
It was neat seeing Christopher get made, and working Pussy back into the season through flashbacks and other method was also pretty cool and interesting. Also? Panic Attacks are apparently hereditary.
I still find Tony to mostly be a "good" man. He wants the best for his kids, his family and his friends. But he still has a "job" that has to be done and that job requires quite a bit of "dirty" work. (Such is life in the "waste management" game.)
I think the Tony/Melfi sessions worked better into the story this time around and it was also kind-of nice seeing Carmella getting into some sessions and some of Melfi's "jealousy" regarding Tony's brigade of misstresses. Her rape was also heart wrenching, terrifying but also well executed and well done. Though I kind of wished she had "sicked" Tony on the guy or opened up to him a bit in that regard; though she wouldn't be a "good person" if she had done something that'd likely lead right to a person's death. Also tough to watch was Ralphie beating up the young, pregnant, stripper. Made man or not I would've hit him too if I was Tony.
Also on the whole "Made" thing, being a Cappo, etc. I had no idea organized crime was so... organized! There's like a whole bureaucracy to it!
I also liked the "other side" season opener from the FBI's point-of-view of trying to bug the Soprano house though it seems that that, Adriana and Carmella's new tennis coach (who seemed to be hitting on Adriana) went nowhere. The season also lacked from not using Silvio or Adriana very much. But Junior and Bobby were fun to see from time to time. I didn't like Junior much in the first season, mostly because of the plot thread, but he's a character I've really grown to like.
Livia dies in this season and, frankly, I'm glad. I think she just brought the show down. No dis-respect to the actress who did a great job with the character but she just didn't work for me. Tony's "mother issues" when it came to her was getting to be too much and a bit absurd and seeing her and Junior talk together just made me think too much of just two nattering old people being, well, old people. I think her death (the character, that is) was a weight off the show's shoulders and let it (and the characters) grow a bit more. The episode dealing with her death (poor CGI aside) was pretty good, though.
Anyway, moving on to Season 4 now!
Top sum it up, much improved over the Second Season but not quite as good as the first (but few series meet or surpass their first season.) Many "classic" episodes or "must rewatch" episodes in this season. Infact this evening before watching the remaining two episodes on the disc I had to re-watch "Pine Barrens" as that episode is just classic!
On may levels.I'm finding it easier to find the road between "these are not good men who I should be rooting for" and the whole "these are my protagonists and the characters driving the franchise so I have to like them." Even in their worst moments I still see a degree or two of "good" in them, in all of them. (Except for Ralphie the Poor-Man's Steve Buschemi. He's just a fuck.)
It was neat seeing Christopher get made, and working Pussy back into the season through flashbacks and other method was also pretty cool and interesting. Also? Panic Attacks are apparently hereditary.
I still find Tony to mostly be a "good" man. He wants the best for his kids, his family and his friends. But he still has a "job" that has to be done and that job requires quite a bit of "dirty" work. (Such is life in the "waste management" game.)
I think the Tony/Melfi sessions worked better into the story this time around and it was also kind-of nice seeing Carmella getting into some sessions and some of Melfi's "jealousy" regarding Tony's brigade of misstresses. Her rape was also heart wrenching, terrifying but also well executed and well done. Though I kind of wished she had "sicked" Tony on the guy or opened up to him a bit in that regard; though she wouldn't be a "good person" if she had done something that'd likely lead right to a person's death. Also tough to watch was Ralphie beating up the young, pregnant, stripper. Made man or not I would've hit him too if I was Tony.
Also on the whole "Made" thing, being a Cappo, etc. I had no idea organized crime was so... organized!
There's like a whole bureaucracy to it! I also liked the "other side" season opener from the FBI's point-of-view of trying to bug the Soprano house though it seems that that, Adriana and Carmella's new tennis coach (who seemed to be hitting on Adriana) went nowhere. The season also lacked from not using Silvio or Adriana very much. But Junior and Bobby were fun to see from time to time. I didn't like Junior much in the first season, mostly because of the plot thread, but he's a character I've really grown to like.
Livia dies in this season and, frankly, I'm glad. I think she just brought the show down. No dis-respect to the actress who did a great job with the character but she just didn't work for me. Tony's "mother issues" when it came to her was getting to be too much and a bit absurd and seeing her and Junior talk together just made me think too much of just two nattering old people being, well, old people. I think her death (the character, that is) was a weight off the show's shoulders and let it (and the characters) grow a bit more. The episode dealing with her death (poor CGI aside) was pretty good, though.
Anyway, moving on to Season 4 now!
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Huh. I thought Livia was absolutely brilliant. All the more so because she seemed to be such an ordinary grandma, senile old crone one moment, and then the next you'll see exactly why she was named Livia. (Yes, David Chase was inspired by "I, Claudius".) It was so against the expectations and against stereotypes to have the biggest threat to Tony consist of his elderly mother and uncle. (Now that makes me think of "Hamlet" as well.)
He he, funny you keep calling him that since... OK, how much do you know about the show already?
Just wait... Adriana is going to have a huge storyline in the next seasons!
I know that the real Steve Buschemi does turn up in a future season. I call Ralphie that because whenever I hear his voice he sounds, to me, like Steve Buschemi and his "act" is slightly "Buschemi"-esque. His antics in "University" reminded me a bit of Steve suffering from the "space-sickness" in Armageddon.
Livia is one of my favourite characters on the show, easily. By a comfortable margin. Right up there with Carmella and Tony, to be candid.
And Silvio, well.
Maybe he quotes Godfather III! You'll never know.
Oh wait you will.
Silvio was one of those characters that was pretty fun but also I think had the least depth of the show's major mobsters. He was pretty much an excellent supporting character - I can't see a show revolving around him, but as that guy in the back with the hair and that face he's perfect.
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I liked Livia but at the same time I thought she was bringing Tony's and Junior's characters down and holding them back.
Ok, I've obviously missed something in my 32 years of life but... I didn't know there was so much "nationalism" between Italians and the rest of the country. It's something that pops up from time to time with this group of people where they whinge about how "their people" are treated by the media. (Most notably Silvio and Ralph getting upset about some "African American Protest" on Columbous Day. in the episode "Christopher.") Maybe I've just missed it and not lived in the right areas but I never knew there was so much "bigotry" concerning Italians in the country.
Well, my sister's ex-husband's family thought that we Italians weren't white but were black.
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