Tony and Meadow tour different colleges whilst Carmela has a visit from Father Phil.
This is a much lauded episode and I find it difficult to disagree with any of the critical acclaim or positive reviews.
It has two very strong stories that intersect each other with perfect timing. Tony and Meadow on the road trip is not just an excellent, suspenseful piece of visual storytelling, but contains some of the best character development and dialogue for both characters. How much he loves his family is portrayed by the occasional show of vulnerability, but we also see how committed he is to the violent, destructive world of the Mafia.
Some at HBO had reservations about Tony's actions in this episode for fear of the audience being turned off. However, it is testament to the cleverness of the writing and likability of James Gandolfini when playing a murderous crime boss. Jamie-Lynn Sigler holds the stage well with her screen father.
Mrs Soprano and Father Phil's stormy night in contains powerful character moments for the former, plus some interesting observations on the latter. The scenes feel both cosy and deeply uncomfortable at the same time, whilst exploring her beliefs and hypocrisy.
Edie Falco gives the most complete performance in the episode, going through a phenomenal range of emotions. You feel her sadness, anger, frustration and she even makes you laugh. Her final exchange with Gandolfini when they finally share the screen is a classic scene.
Visually it has strong cinematography with great symbolism and is brilliantly edited.
I must confess this is about my fifth watch of 'College' and it is just as good as when I first saw it in 1999. I consider it one of my favourite episodes of television.
This is a much lauded episode and I find it difficult to disagree with any of the critical acclaim or positive reviews.
It has two very strong stories that intersect each other with perfect timing. Tony and Meadow on the road trip is not just an excellent, suspenseful piece of visual storytelling, but contains some of the best character development and dialogue for both characters. How much he loves his family is portrayed by the occasional show of vulnerability, but we also see how committed he is to the violent, destructive world of the Mafia.
Some at HBO had reservations about Tony's actions in this episode for fear of the audience being turned off. However, it is testament to the cleverness of the writing and likability of James Gandolfini when playing a murderous crime boss. Jamie-Lynn Sigler holds the stage well with her screen father.
Mrs Soprano and Father Phil's stormy night in contains powerful character moments for the former, plus some interesting observations on the latter. The scenes feel both cosy and deeply uncomfortable at the same time, whilst exploring her beliefs and hypocrisy.
Edie Falco gives the most complete performance in the episode, going through a phenomenal range of emotions. You feel her sadness, anger, frustration and she even makes you laugh. Her final exchange with Gandolfini when they finally share the screen is a classic scene.
Visually it has strong cinematography with great symbolism and is brilliantly edited.
I must confess this is about my fifth watch of 'College' and it is just as good as when I first saw it in 1999. I consider it one of my favourite episodes of television.