Addicted to Sopranos

wckrause · wckrause's Garage

I've never had HBO, so I never had the opportunity to watch The Sopranos until its release on DVD. Now I'm addicted to the show, and its starting to effect my behavior. I'm starting to talk with a Italian/Jersey accent, and I keep feeling like I ought to "wack" somebody. My intake of pasta has gone way up! All of this from only watching the first season and a half.

Anybody else into the show? Does the quality of the show increase or decline after the first couple of years.

How do I get to Bada Bing?

Overpaid Slacker · 11-13-2003, 06:24 AM

IMHO, it declines slightly after the 2nd season and drops off a bit more after the third. I'm not buying Season 4 on DVD.
The good news is: the reports are that Chase is taking the show back into the mob emphasis in the upcoming season.

It is funny how you pick up the idiosyncracies of the characters and the setting. They do a great job making a 3-dimensional world.

JP

RickM · RickM's Garage

Tony's North Caldwell, NJ "TV" house is very close to me and the owners are good friends/neighbors of my sister inlaw. Perhaps I should make a visit and describe your behavior.

BTW, Bada-Bings is an actual Strip-joint called Satin Dolls on Route 17.
Many of the places they shoot use the real name. EG: Globe Mercedes on Bloomfield Ave in Fairfield/Caldwell.

BlueSkyJaunte · 11-13-2003, 08:16 AM

Geez, I thought I'd managed to leave the last vestiges of my New Jersey-ism behind me.

Unfortunately I recognise everything RickM is talking about (except the strip joint)

.

RickM · RickM's Garage

Why unfortunately?

BlueSkyJaunte · 11-13-2003, 09:19 AM

My life in New Jersey was, shall we say, sub-optimal. I am trying to put that behind me.

PS I really, truly am part-Sicilian and was born in NJ. In fact I was delivered by the same dr. (and in the same hospital) that delivered John Travolta.

And my mother's office-mate has close ties with the mob.

Really.

singpilot · 11-13-2003, 10:14 AM

I agree on the decline on the seasons. I think there was a small recovery in season 3. From what I have seen of Season 4, it has been sanitized too much.

Landing once a week in Teterboro, we see all the areas that are in the series. People from the west coast always ask us if "NJ is really like that."

We always answer "Oh yeah Baby!"

RickM · RickM's Garage

It is pretty realistic. I also agree on the seasons' ups-n-downs.

Sing, at least you didn't have a "NJ Turnpike only" view of NJ. Although alot of the scenes are in industrial or less than desireable areas. Most don't realize what the state has to offer.

singpilot · 12:58 PM

Rick;

So true. I always brief the passengers how when we descend from altitude, we always have a low altitude run thru western NJ (to be under the Newark and Philly arrivals). And that the beautiful countryside that we are flying over is really New Jersey.

It was a beautiful fall this year, we had a number of sunset arrivals over all the fall colors. One passenger even asked if we could turn around and do it again.... I could only imagine the reaction that would have gotten from the NY Approach controllers.

On that trip they had a guy in a Challenger that kept going slower than ordered by 20 or 30 knots. Finally, the guy admitted he was going slower because the scenery was so pretty. The NY controller then asked where he had departed from. The reply was Cleveland. The controller ordered him to climb immediatley to twelve thousand (from two thousand), and turn right, cleared direct Cleveland. The Challenger said he didn't want to go back to Cleveland, he wanted to go to Teterboro.

As only a NY accent can do, the controller then replied that when he learned to fly with the big boys he could come back to NY airspace. In the meantime, climb immediately to 12,000, turn right, cleared direct to Cleveland.

I later heard that 30 minutes later, after all of us fast guys had come thru, they let him come back in.

It's always an adventure flying into Gotham.

I arrive again tomorrow afternoon at sunset.

RickM · RickM's Garage

Heh heh, the price he paid for the fall foliage. And yes this year was unusually nice. I took the family for a ride over the border to PA and down the Deleware River to a cool town called New Hope......it was particularly warm a few weekends ago and with the top down, smell of the leaves, the vivid colors...God, it doesn't get better than that!

I've been through the Deleware Water Gap this time of the year in a single engine.....another beautiful experience.

BlueSkyJaunte · 11-13-2003, 01:22 PM

That is one thing I do miss. I used to make the drive after fall break from NJ up rte 17 to school in Ithaca, NY.

The scenery and foliage could bring tears to your eyes.

Wish I'd had the targa back then!!!

wckrause · wckrause's Garage

Sounds like a nice drive to take when disposing of a body.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

my wife is similarly addicted...we have all the seasons DVDs (at least that are out). She will sit and watch 2 or 3 episodes in a sitting.

I can watch some, but certain episodes start to get under my skin and I have to leave the room. I can't really say why...statute of limitations hasn't cleared yet...

singpilot · 04:12 PM

Remember the episode where the Caddie is stolen from the woods while Ralphie is scouting for a spot for the body in the trunk? I laughed my A@@ off thru that one.

That is exactly how it would go for me.

The DME relay would go while picking up a snack at Dunkin Donuts with a body in the car.

I'd be reaching for the spare (don't we all carry one...) in the glove box, sliding the 9MM aside to dig for the relay when the trooper pulls in and sees the gun.

singpilot · 11-13-2003, 01:58 PM

Nostatic!!!

Does the female Doctor-Client priviledge extend to the stuff you cannot talk about?

Are there Russian women in the situation?

Which part can't you watch????

Enquiring minds want to know!!!

RickM · RickM's Garage

BTW, my niece and nephew would walk over to see the filming at Tony's house and get invited to have food from the caterers when they went on break. The cast and crew are extremely nice people.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by singpilot
Nostatic!!!

Does the female Doctor-Client priviledge extend to the stuff you cannot talk about?

Yes. But I didn't say that.

Quote:

Are there Russian women in the situation?

No, but an Italian and two Latinas. And all of them have both their legs. One liked bikers and the other two...well, I've said too much.

Quote:

Which part can't you watch????
Enquiring minds want to know!!!

A lot of the second season, although parts of the 4th season involving toilets and boots hitting bags are challenging.

singpilot · 11-13-2003, 05:41 PM

I do remember you from BBR2, and you had me chuckling that day too. Looking forward to seeing you at BBR4. We might have a tougher time staying up with Ryan with all he is doing to his ride.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

I still need to hear more flying Fagan stories.

Some of my "lost years" tales are pretty funny. It's amazing how much the human body will tolerate...and how far the human brain will push it. Or is it really human? What really did happen in Glamis that Memorial Day weekend?

Damn those missing 18 minutes of tape...

singpilot · 11-13-2003, 08:17 PM

He really does look good for all he has been thru. He has gotten quieter over the years, his wife does a lot of the talking for him. He will still launch on a story, and still comes up to the cockpit for the view, but seems like he has slowed down a lot.

I usually see him at one of my boss's functions when we are in NYC. The crew are invited to a dinner concert in Manhattan next week, and will probably see him then.