|
Whoops - Here's the second page:
It's all about business
While Tony is dealing with a variety of issues ? including the fact that his own son A.J. is suffering from depression, a family curse handed down from his parents through Tony ? and trying to maintain his sanity, it all comes back to business.
Money and power are the drugs that sate the ambitious mobster. In Tony?s case, he is as addicted as Chris was to cocaine, heroin and alcohol. He can never get enough.
The man standing in his way is Phil. When Johnny Sack was in control of the New York family, there was at least a civility that existed between Johnny and Tony. The façade of such a relationship existed between Tony and Phil for a short time, especially after Phil suffered his heart attack. But that?s gone now.
Doc Santoro, who replaced Johnny Sack as boss, was eliminated as a candidate in a hail of bullets. Phil took over. Besides being vicious and ruthless, he has an excellent memory. He still blames Tony for the actions of his late cousin Tony B., who killed Phil?s beloved brother. Phil wants Tony dead as sure as he wants parmesan cheese on his linguini Bolognese.
But he?s smart. He?s waiting until Tony is pushed to the breaking point. That way no one can say Tony didn?t deserve it.
The way ?The Sopranos? have built up to this point, Tony and Phil are just about ready for a Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, only in the streets of Jersey.
Tony has been a shrewd boss. He is prone to outbursts of fury on occasion, but he also makes clear-headed decisions, even if it means he has to give ground to a rival. Yet the recent business with Phil, who is demanding 25 percent in the asbestos-dumping caper, is the type of thing that might prod Tony into war.
Before the crash, Christopher had urged Tony to accept Phil?s terms. If it had been Silvio offering the same opinion, Tony might have listened. But it was Chris, for whom Tony had lost more and more respect. It was not Chris the hothead, but Chris the pothead. It was a junkie giving Tony business advice. Because of that, Tony not only is likely to resist. In fact, he?ll probably do just the opposite, an inkling of which was offered in a cell phone conversation later in Sunday?s episode.
The murder of Christopher might provide Tony with some relief from the burden that an unreliable family member represented. But it?s only temporary. When the peyote haze lifts and Tony is back in New Jersey, the pressure will mount, and Tony just might find himself headed for a real crash.
|