My estimation of Anthony Soprano as a man has plummeted.

As has my estimation of David Chase even moreso for his turning this program into a vehicle for propagandizing the worst idea in human history.

In the most recent episode, we see Tony become a richer and tonier Bobby Bacala – an overgrown child obsessed with his toys to the point of neglecting basic responsibilities from getting the air conditioner fixed to calling the building inspector to managing the business.

In the past, Tony has often faltered as a leader, but here he is at his worst. When faced with a serious crisis, he cares only about the earnings he enjoys rather than the ongoing strength of the organization. Ralphie, Richie, Jackie Junior and several others were killed for offenses that pale in comparison to Spatafore’s dereliction of duty. (NB, it isn’t just Spatafore’s perversions that cause problems, but the hiding out, running away from associates rather than meeting, ignoring calls and the like. Most jobs will fire those who run away and hide, but when you know where bodies are buried, the firing is a bit more literal.)

In the previous episode, Tony pummeled his new bodyguard to show his status as leader. In this episode he takes several steps back, from paying the bodyguard’s indemnity in a public place to waffling on a vitally important decision in such a way as to foment open rebellion.

Since the past few episodes were devoted to elevating Tony and debasing Paulie and Christopher, Tony’s over-the-top PC preachments are given an endorsement and Paulie’s rare reasonableness is trashed. Of course the college kids serve their stock function of prattling inane preachments. Perhaps whiny Finn will finally find that there’s no room anywhere that can simultaneously contain his whining and Meadow’s.

Who would have thought that Phil Leotardo would be the one effective, principled and effective leader left?

Mr. and Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request

Very good episode in all, even with tying up none of the many open questions and posing so many new ones.

First, does Tony go through with the hit on Rusty Millio, which would now serve mainly to strengthen Philly Leotardo? Does he warn Millo? Does he try to protect Johnny Sack against Phil’s machinations? Does he try to maintain neutrality or does he feel a need to continue asserting his dominance by doing something? If Neapolitan help is enlisted, will it include Furio? Will the Soprano family divide loyalties between the competing NY factions?

Second, just what sick trick is Vito up to now? Are the youngsters still alive, or were they the most urgent reason Vito needed the prominently displayed gun? Or did the kids strike a jackpot by setting up perpetual protection money from a large earner? (And why on earth – other than that it made for perhaps the most enjoyable moment in the series - would Vito have recognized the kids and pitched the lame “it was a joke” rather than either pretending to be someone else, pretending to be drugged or pitching some other practiced cover story?) Is Spatafore going on the lam for good? Or just for a while to see if there’s still a spot in the family (depending, of course, on what happens with the kids)? Maybe the witness protection program to facilitate resuming the “lifestyle” elsewhere? It’s implausible that the actor who so shrewdly pitched the surest path to prominence in contemporary media wouldn’t be given a much larger reward.

Does Finn propose? If so, does Meadow accept or does she demur out of anger at her parents' desire to see her married soon?

Does Uncle Junior sing? Does Johnny Sack flip as Phil suggests, or do circumstances prevent Johnny from facing that choice?

As promined

A few more prominent characters in The Sopranos have names that seem portentious in one way or another.

Dr. Jennifer Melfi, Tony’s psychiatrist, has a name that calls to mind the restful Amalfi coast.

DiMeo-related characters include:

Ray Curto – a character whose appearances were brief and whose life would have been brief also had his status as an informant become public and whose name is “short”.

Feech La Manna – He appeared early in season five after having been in prison for a long time. His “cover story” for public consumption is working as a baker, as befits someone with Manna in his name.

The Apriles – The time that followed the Ides of March was bloody, as are episodes that include Richie and Jackie Junior. Great strife likewise followed Jackie Senior’s death.

New Yorkers
Carmine Lupertazzi – Carmine isn’t just a proper name, it’s an adjective. Lupertazzi recalls Lupus the wolf. While there are red wolves, the common wolves generally only appear red due to the blood of their prey. The younger (“little”) Carmine is a pup whose bark is much worse than his bite - at least to date.

Johnny “Johnny Sack” Sacrimoni – Until the most recent episode, Johnny seemed to show quite a bit of sack. His last name also sounds like the sanctimony he so often displays.

Phil Leotardo – The leopard who will never change his spots. A patient but ruthless predator still intent on avenging his brother’s death at the hands of Tony Blundetto. His character is best summed up in this chat with Tony: “Have you ever had a loved one die in your arms? Well let me see how I can make that happen for you.”

Very Elementary Logic

I’m not much of a philosopher, but this is so simple that it shouldn’t be too much for anyone – no matter how feeble-minded – to follow.

The contemporary western left is taken with evolution, to the point of finding those who are less taken with evolution to be backwards, superstitious, dangerous and untrustworthy.

The contemporary western left is also taken with absolute individual sexual license including abortion with no practical limits, completely unlimited contraception, artificial fertility, consequence-free promiscuity and the open practice of homosexual acts.

These two positions, when considered thoroughly, cannot coexist in the same population.

To an evolutionist, a primary purpose of life is to transmit genetic material to the next generation in order to facilitate the advance of the gene pool. Consequently reproduction, or serious attempts thereat, are nearly mandatory. To an evolutionary point-of-view, a conception that fails to produce a live delivery is, whatever else the sad event may be, a failed attempt at reproduction. Inducing abortion makes no sense as it deprives the gene pool of new gene combinations and mutations that may be great advances. Similarly in the evolutionary paradigm, it is a waste (of genetic material and of limited opportunities for contribution to the gene pool) for people to engage in sexual acts in which they take active measures to prevent conception.

Worse yet in an evolutionary sense is the use of extraordinary measures to produce a live birth where the parents are not capable of so doing in the usual fashion – such as fertility drugs, in vitro conception and the like. Part of the point of evolutionary theory is natural selection resulting in survival of the fittest. This is pointedly artificial survival of those who would otherwise not survive and a net weakening of the gene pool.

Promiscuity poses novel problems too. Many diseases are sexually transmitted. Some of these may not be discovered for quite some time after being acquired, but may have a negative impact on either reproductive ability, the genetic fitness of offspring or both.

If people who engage in homosexual acts carry genes that might benefit the species in the future, they steal this benefit from the future by withholding their genes from posterity.

The sexual license favored by many is (for the most part) a disconnection of sex and reproduction – something like an expansion of modes of masturbation paired with an insistence on avoiding natural and productive sexual activity. Not only does it demean the human person (which isn’t a big concern to evolutionists) but it shortchanges the species (which should be a big concern to them).

In short: don’t let your furtively masturbatory habits get in the way of conceiving the doctors we’ll need to see forty years from now.

I have been rather fond of the nomenclature, used by former Senator Simpson of Wyoming and others, for the two major political parties in the U.S. whereby we have a Stupid Party and an Evil Party.

Sadly, that's become outdated.

I propose as a new usage the Party of Diffuse Evil and the Party of Concentrated Evil.

The Fleshy Part of the Thigh

Episode 4 of The Sopranos picked up on the themes introduced earlier this season.

Tony, while making an astounding recovery, is at risk of losing another aspect of his identity – his “job” at Barone Sanitation. The Barone family can’t get out of the deal, so Tony has to negotiate with the New York family – via Philly Leotardo – for the best deal he can get. (Love the scene where Tony stands outside to talk with Philly, clutching the IV pole in one hand and a cigar in the other – but is that really a realistic spot for a sensitive conversation?)

Paulie also faces an assault on his identity and his family as he learns that his birth mother is the nun whom he had believed was his mother’s sister. It is no surprise that Paulie reacts with the self-pity that all of Tony’s captains have displayed this season and that is referenced in the anonymous note in Tony’s room.

Evangelicals made their first appearance in the show. They were in front of the hospital demonstrating on both Terri Schiavo and forcing pharmacists to sell medications that are used intentionally to kill people. They recognized Janice and got invited up to see Tony before his surgery. In addition to the pro-life images, they brought up creationism and Chuck Colson, hitting a blue-state trifecta of terror. The preacher was clearly most interested in getting a high-profile feather in his cap, but he did mention that salvation is more than just looking after one’s eternal destination, but that it had ramifications as to how we live.

Tony demurred on the question of pharmacists applying their consciences to their work, worried that it might eventually impact his ability to procure Viagra. The baby boomer ethos – whatever I want, when I want it and how I want it – wins out again.

Still in the hospital, Tony meets up with two other patients. One is a high-living rapper recovering from a few gunshots, the other is a mystical figure. John Schwinn – no relation to the bicycle company – is a scientist. The name is emphasized as is his profession, implying that he knows where we’re going and how we can get ourselves there. He gives a very oriental position stating that we’re all part of something bigger and that the opposites of “you” and “me” aren’t necessarily valid constructs. Tony gives much more credence to the undemanding secular prophet than he did to the earlier explicitly religious visitors.

Bobby gets into a conversation with a member of the rapper’s entourage and sells him on the idea that Bobby should shoot the lesser rapper so the latter will get the publicity and credibility to become successful. The kid shorts Bobby on his payment, so Bobby modifies his performance by shooting the kid in the butt rather than in the “fleshy part of the thigh” as promised.

Things come to a head when Mrs. Barone asks Tony for an assurance that nothing will happen to her son whom she loves. Tony gives her his word as Paulie stands in the hallway crying. Ultimately Tony and Philly come to an agreement on the terms of Tony’s compensation in the Barone deal. The show closes with Paulie hunting down Jimmy Barone, assaulting him and demanding ongoing protection money – displaying the awesomely destructive power of self-pity.

More of the name game to come eventually. Really.