Things come to a head in the Sopranos Series Season 2 Episode 7

Things come to a head in The Beloved Sopranos Series 

There is so much praise that has been part of the Sopranos series but to be honest I just was not seeing it. I loved the back and forth between Tony Soprano and his shrink. His attempts to hit on her and her resistance of these attempts. I liked the conflict between the two and it's escalation. I watched keenly as she started to become more like her patient. 

I enjoyed the casual nature of the violence and the structural leadership challenges that had been set up. I was amazed at the effects of a trip to the ancestral land and the detachment of the locals. It was interesting to see the role of the aging matriarch and her amazing almost supernatural ability to manipulate and control everything around her. The children and the growth they experience season after season. 

This past episode though marks a major shift which in my view was the most insightful episode. It comes when there has been a sense of recovery from apparent disloyalty in this case the existence of a rat. Unbeknownst to the characters of the show, the threat still exists. The protagonist though is unaware. His closest friend has been entrusted with the care of his son at a key point in the young man's life. While counseling the teenager who is also going through a philosophical existential crisis, he realized how important Tony Soprano is and how treacherous his betrayal of the same is. 

In the meantime, Chris the upcoming lieutenant is also trying to develop his love for writing and acting. Both men are faced with a point of transition (one of my favourite topics or themes). Chris is asked to take a 10 minute timeout after which he could either walk away from the Sopranos or stay while P@ssy sits alone weeping desperately wire attached as he contemplates his fate. 

Comparing Waterfront and The Ozarks. Fair or not?

Waterfront and The Ozarks Compared 

Film critics and a small number of commentators seem to be drawing comparisons between The Ozarks and Waterfront. This in my view is a bit of a reach. 

Yes both are set in quite sizable water bodies and explore the complexities of family relations across the whole relatively rural communities. The two are very different. The Buckley's on one hand have had some history in crime something that they are trying to shed with their fishing business. The Buckley's are also what you could call a prominent family with assets in the local area and connections allowing them some level of privilege. The Byrds on the other hand are just regular blue collar workers who find themselves stuck in a game they had no choice to become a part of. Jason Bateman also carries his role quite well always looking lost and just managing to weave his way through his daily challenges. Holt McCallany on the other hand cuts a more imposing figure. He looks like he has rubbed shoulders with the wrong crowd...he seems seasoned and experienced in the world of crime. The Ozarks also presented a snippet of American Rural life giving us the perspectives from several families all showing different parts of America. The Snell Family, Langmore Family, Byrd Family and then the Navarro Cartel which has fangs in the US and Mexico.