in at the end (an obsessive analysis of The Sopranos)

Val can't stop thinking about Vito and Alex doesn't care about colors anymore. They discuss the need for all characters in the show to take responsibility and how trees continue to be important symbols. Death acts as a catalyst for reflection and almost everyone shows they are a jerk in their monologues. Bells/beeps and flashes of light are analysed in context of what they mean about life and death in the entire show.

Who is Kevin Finnerty? Where are we going? Are sin, disease and death real? Val and Alex dissect the evolution of Finnerty's morality, whether or not AJ is a jerk and how essentially all characters in Sopranos world act out of self interest. 

We're back! Sorry it took longer than we thought, moving is a drag. 

Val and Alex dedicate an episode to discussing the overarching ideas throughout the entirety of season 5. Hope you like it!

We are taking a little break, Season 6 will start up at the beginning of May at our normal time.

Alex and Val (Obsessive Analysis) dive into the deeper issues of The Sopranos episode by episode immediately after watching.  New episodes come out Mondays and Thursdays at 2:30pm.  Email us at [email protected] and please rate and review!

In the season finale of season five Val and Alex talk about the specter of death looming over the episode, Junior losing Tony's respect, Tony and Carmela's isolation, and how character's use "all due respect" kind of like "I'm not a racist but..."

Val and Alex deep dive on the episode that never gets any easier. Tony is a really (increasingly) bad dude, all relationships seem to be predicated on transactions, and Matoush seems to have a really great prep school in his family!

Val and Alex dissect one of their most significant episodes of the entire series. Fantasy and reality intermingle, Tony takes the easy way out and distracts himself from what he needs to do. Where will Tony go when he dies, how are Phil and Billy brothers, and how is moving into the Park Plaza a good idea? 

Revenge is like serving cold cuts, Tony impressively becomes a worse person, and French Canadian for "I grew up without a mother" is something like "tabernac! J'ai grandi sans mère"

Val and Alex do a deep dive on characters using scapegoats to excuse behavior they feel most guilty about. Val get's obsessed with symbols related to heat - fans, the pool, sweat, and grilled cheese cooked on radiators.  They also examine the many circles that the Soprano family exists within - those that keep characters in and other groups out.  Also the bear, oh my!

Val and Alex narrate the entire history of Marco Polo and his adventures with the Khans.  Jr, Meadow, Finn, Tony B, and Tony are unhelpful and male-female relationships are put under a microscope.