WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.339 Welcome back to the Deep Dive, everyone. We're 00:00:02.339 --> 00:00:06.000 back at it today, and we are cracking open a 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.279 file that feels like, honestly, one part history 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:13.839 lesson, one part corporate thriller, and one 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:17.539 part complete psychological breakdown. Yeah, 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:19.460 that's a pretty accurate way to describe it. 00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:21.539 Right. We are looking at The Sopranos, specifically 00:00:21.539 --> 00:00:24.420 season one, episode six. And the title of this 00:00:24.420 --> 00:00:28.199 one is Pax Soprana. Pax Soprana. Even if you 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:31.620 don't know the show well, just hearing that title, 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:33.439 it carries some serious weight, doesn't it? It 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:35.399 really does. It sounds imperial. It sounds grand. 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:37.399 And honestly, just from the sound of it, you 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:39.920 know, we aren't talking about like a casual Sunday 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:43.020 dinner or some minor dispute over garbage routes. 00:00:43.179 --> 00:00:45.219 We are talking about the actual structure of 00:00:45.219 --> 00:00:47.030 power itself. Absolutely. Absolutely. The foundations 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:49.509 of it. Right. So before we get into the nitty 00:00:49.509 --> 00:00:51.570 gritty of the plot, and let me tell you, there 00:00:51.570 --> 00:00:53.990 is an absolute labyrinth of plot for us to unpack 00:00:53.990 --> 00:00:56.310 today. Let's start with that title. It sounds 00:00:56.310 --> 00:00:58.909 Latin because, well, it is Latin. It is. It's 00:00:58.909 --> 00:01:02.149 a direct, very intentional riff on Pax Romana 00:01:02.149 --> 00:01:04.569 or the Roman piece. Which, on the surface, you 00:01:04.569 --> 00:01:07.769 hear that and it sounds lovely. Peace. Who doesn't 00:01:07.769 --> 00:01:10.230 want peace? We all want peace. Well, yeah, sure. 00:01:10.510 --> 00:01:13.209 But and this is a big but we have to look at 00:01:13.209 --> 00:01:15.769 the historical context to understand the sheer 00:01:15.769 --> 00:01:18.069 irony that David Chase is playing with here. 00:01:18.189 --> 00:01:21.209 OK, lay it on us. So the Pax Romana was this 00:01:21.209 --> 00:01:24.569 legendary period initiated by Emperor Augustus, 00:01:24.569 --> 00:01:27.629 who was originally known as Octavian. And yes, 00:01:27.769 --> 00:01:29.870 historically speaking, it was a time of a relative 00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:32.730 lack of conflict across the empire. But I hear 00:01:32.730 --> 00:01:34.959 a bud coming. But why was there no conflict? 00:01:35.060 --> 00:01:37.060 Was it because everyone just sat around and decided 00:01:37.060 --> 00:01:39.099 to be nice to each other? No, it was because 00:01:39.099 --> 00:01:41.480 of the crushing, completely unchallenged rule 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:45.219 of a single dominant power. Augustus consolidated 00:01:45.219 --> 00:01:48.280 control so effectively that any resistance just 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:51.219 became futile. Ah, so it wasn't peace through, 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:54.579 like, cooperation or mutual respect. It was peace 00:01:54.579 --> 00:01:56.760 through submission. Exactly. It was peace through 00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:58.840 dominance. The state held an absolute monopoly 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:01.640 on violence. And that is the central tension 00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:03.780 of this deep dive today. Because we're watching 00:02:03.780 --> 00:02:06.900 Tony Soprano look at his own empire, the DeMeo 00:02:06.900 --> 00:02:09.139 crime family. And he's trying to engineer his 00:02:09.139 --> 00:02:11.900 own PAC Soprano. Right. He wants that stability. 00:02:12.060 --> 00:02:14.099 He wants the cash to flow without the constant 00:02:14.099 --> 00:02:17.240 headaches. But as we look at the sources for 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:22.259 this deep dive, we see that the reality is. Well, 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:25.080 it's chaotic, it's messy, and frankly, it is 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:27.099 hanging by a thread. It's the ultimate illusion. 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:29.419 And our mission today, for everyone listening, 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:32.479 is to break down exactly how that illusion is 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:34.460 maintained. We're going to look at how power 00:02:34.460 --> 00:02:36.900 is negotiated often in these smoky back rooms 00:02:36.900 --> 00:02:39.719 with thick envelopes of cash. Yeah. We're going 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:41.659 to look at the psychological toll it takes on 00:02:41.659 --> 00:02:44.349 the people wielding that power. And of course, 00:02:44.349 --> 00:02:45.969 we're going to see why this so -called peace 00:02:45.969 --> 00:02:48.330 is doomed from the very start. And we really 00:02:48.330 --> 00:02:50.650 are jumping into a very specific landscape here. 00:02:50.729 --> 00:02:52.689 If you remember where we are in the narrative, 00:02:52.849 --> 00:02:55.889 the hierarchy has shifted entirely. Uncle Junior 00:02:55.889 --> 00:02:58.210 has just been promoted to boss. The big chair. 00:02:58.370 --> 00:03:00.930 He is the Emperor Augustus of New Jersey. Technically, 00:03:01.110 --> 00:03:03.930 yes. In title, he is the man. But if we look 00:03:03.930 --> 00:03:06.009 at the State of the Union, so to speak, it is 00:03:06.009 --> 00:03:08.509 incredibly fraught. Junior is in charge on paper, 00:03:08.610 --> 00:03:10.979 but the captains... The guy's actually running 00:03:10.979 --> 00:03:12.520 the streets. The one's earning the money. They 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:15.300 are deeply resentful. And that sets up our cast 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:17.759 of characters for this dive. Obviously, we have 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:19.479 the central conflict between Tony and Junior, 00:03:19.620 --> 00:03:22.400 but we also have Hesh Rabkin, who is a longtime 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:24.740 associate and friend of the family, a really 00:03:24.740 --> 00:03:26.840 fascinating figure we will dig into. Oh, Hesh 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:29.319 is crucial here. Yeah. And we have Livia, Tony's 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:31.939 mother, who is operating on a whole other level 00:03:31.939 --> 00:03:34.800 of manipulation. And we have a major debut in 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.750 this file, a character named Johnny Sack. John 00:03:37.750 --> 00:03:40.349 Sacramone, yes. This is a pivotal moment in the 00:03:40.349 --> 00:03:42.930 series because his arrival expands the world 00:03:42.930 --> 00:03:45.210 significantly, but we'll get to him in a moment. 00:03:45.349 --> 00:03:48.490 Right. And on the personal front, we really can't 00:03:48.490 --> 00:03:50.530 ignore the fact that Tony is struggling. He's 00:03:50.530 --> 00:03:53.069 on medication Prozac, and while it might be helping 00:03:53.069 --> 00:03:56.509 his mood and his panic attacks, it is creating 00:03:56.509 --> 00:03:59.030 some... let's just call them performance issues 00:03:59.030 --> 00:04:00.789 that are really messing with his head. Which 00:04:00.789 --> 00:04:03.969 ties perfectly back into the theme. He's trying 00:04:03.969 --> 00:04:06.270 to establish absolute control over the family 00:04:06.270 --> 00:04:08.189 business, but he can't even maintain control 00:04:08.189 --> 00:04:11.650 over his own body, or for that matter, his incredibly 00:04:11.650 --> 00:04:13.689 confusing feelings toward his therapist, Dr. 00:04:13.909 --> 00:04:17.149 Melfi. It's a battle on two fronts. You've got 00:04:17.149 --> 00:04:19.389 the streets on one side and the psyche on the 00:04:19.389 --> 00:04:22.610 other. Exactly. So let's get into the first major 00:04:22.610 --> 00:04:25.550 pillar of this deep dive, the politics of power. 00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:29.660 Junior is boss. He's got the crown. But almost 00:04:29.660 --> 00:04:33.079 immediately, we see him break precedent. He decides 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:35.939 to tax Hesh. And this is the inciting incident 00:04:35.939 --> 00:04:38.259 for the entire political conflict in this story. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:41.459 To understand why this is such a big deal, you 00:04:41.459 --> 00:04:43.920 have to really understand who Hesh Rabkin is. 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:46.750 Hesh has been around for a long, long time. He 00:04:46.750 --> 00:04:48.850 came up with Tony's father, Johnny Boy Soprano. 00:04:48.990 --> 00:04:50.810 He's the old guard. He's the old guard, but he's 00:04:50.810 --> 00:04:53.490 also Jewish, which means by the rules of this 00:04:53.490 --> 00:04:56.310 world, he can never be a maid guy. He can never 00:04:56.310 --> 00:04:59.410 be a captain or a boss. But because of his history 00:04:59.410 --> 00:05:01.389 and because he is just an incredible earner, 00:05:01.389 --> 00:05:04.110 I mean, we're talking music royalties, loan sharking, 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:06.790 horses. He holds this very special protected 00:05:06.790 --> 00:05:09.750 status. He's an advisor. A close friend. And 00:05:09.750 --> 00:05:11.910 historically, he has never paid a tribute or 00:05:11.910 --> 00:05:13.889 a tax to the boss. It was just understood that 00:05:13.889 --> 00:05:15.670 Hesh was exempt. He was treated like a partner, 00:05:15.750 --> 00:05:18.310 not a subordinate. Correct. But Junior, now that 00:05:18.310 --> 00:05:20.209 he actually has the title, he decides to change 00:05:20.209 --> 00:05:22.829 those rules. He tells Hesh he has to pay up. 00:05:23.009 --> 00:05:25.850 Effectively, a massive back tax. And our source 00:05:25.850 --> 00:05:27.509 material points out something very interesting 00:05:27.509 --> 00:05:29.870 here. Because this wasn't just Junior waking 00:05:29.870 --> 00:05:32.970 up on a random Tuesday and feeling greedy. Who 00:05:32.970 --> 00:05:35.589 actually planted this idea in his head? Livia 00:05:35.589 --> 00:05:38.259 Soprano. His sister -in -law. Tony's mother. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:41.180 That's right. The source explicitly notes that 00:05:41.180 --> 00:05:43.879 this move was prompted by Olivia. And that changes 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:46.899 how we view Junior's agency completely. He thinks 00:05:46.899 --> 00:05:49.079 he's being the strong emperor, you know, the 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:51.540 Augustus figure making tough executive decisions. 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:55.100 But he's actually being steered. Livia knows 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:57.220 exactly how to push his buttons. She really does. 00:05:57.459 --> 00:06:00.079 She plays right on his insecurity. She makes 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.180 him feel like he's being disrespected because 00:06:02.180 --> 00:06:05.000 Hesh isn't paying tribute. And Junior's ego simply 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:08.160 cannot handle that perceived slight. It's so 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:09.920 manipulative. She's essentially whispering the 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:12.259 king's ear, just creating chaos to see what happens. 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:16.860 So Junior demands this tax. How does Hesh react? 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:18.939 I mean, obviously nobody likes a new tax, but 00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:21.920 in this specific world, a tax is also an insult, 00:06:22.060 --> 00:06:24.779 right? Oh, it acts as a massive stress test for 00:06:24.779 --> 00:06:27.199 the new hierarchy. Hesh is insulted, obviously. 00:06:27.500 --> 00:06:30.420 He sees Junior as petty. But more importantly, 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:33.339 this signals to everyone else in the family that 00:06:33.339 --> 00:06:36.259 Junior is insecure. He's grasping for revenue. 00:06:36.500 --> 00:06:38.899 And the other captain's guys, like Larry Boy 00:06:38.899 --> 00:06:41.939 Berese and Jimmy Altieri, they're watching this 00:06:41.939 --> 00:06:44.800 unfold like hawks. Why do they care about Hesh, 00:06:44.819 --> 00:06:47.339 though? Because they're already resentful. As 00:06:47.339 --> 00:06:50.160 the saying goes in the mob, Junior is eating 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:52.680 alone. Eating alone. That's such a vivid phrase. 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:54.819 It means he's keeping way too much of the money 00:06:54.819 --> 00:06:56.899 for himself and not spreading it down to the 00:06:56.899 --> 00:06:59.420 captains who actually earn it. In a criminal 00:06:59.420 --> 00:07:01.759 organization, the money always has to flow up. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.199 But respect and a piece of the action absolutely 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:06.879 has to flow down. If the boss takes everything, 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:10.079 the captains starve and hungry captains are dangerous 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:14.100 captains. So a successful. Pac Soprano, a successful 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:16.939 piece, requires the subordinates to be happy 00:07:16.939 --> 00:07:19.519 or at least well fed. And Junior is starving 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:22.319 them. Exactly. He is failing the very first rule 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.699 of management. Keep your key stakeholders happy. 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:27.120 So Hesh has a problem. He's being shaken down 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.600 by the boss. But he doesn't go back to Junior 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:32.660 to complain. He goes to Tony. This is the back 00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:35.019 channel. And it shows exactly where the real 00:07:35.019 --> 00:07:37.620 respect lies. Hesh knows Tony is the pragmatic 00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:39.959 one. Tony is the one who understands business, 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:43.420 not just ego. And Tony realizes immediately that 00:07:43.420 --> 00:07:46.079 this is a disaster waiting to happen. Yeah, because 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:48.779 if Hesh is taxed, Hesh might just pack up and 00:07:48.779 --> 00:07:52.139 stop earning. Or worse, the other captains might 00:07:52.139 --> 00:07:53.959 see this as a sign that Junior is completely 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.000 out of control and start a full -blown rebellion. 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:58.279 So Tony has to pull off a serious diplomatic 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:01.079 maneuver here. But he's in a bind, isn't he? 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:04.079 Because he made Junior the boss specifically 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:07.139 to avoid a war. He can't just walk into Junior's 00:08:07.139 --> 00:08:09.199 office and say, hey, stop it. You're being an 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:11.800 idiot. You can't undermine the boss openly. No, 00:08:11.899 --> 00:08:14.199 absolutely not. That would get him killed. He 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:16.100 has to guide Junior to the right decision without 00:08:16.100 --> 00:08:18.740 Junior ever realizing he's being guided. So what 00:08:18.740 --> 00:08:21.519 does he do? He calls in the cavalry. Or rather, 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:24.560 he calls in New York. And this is where we finally 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:27.920 meet Johnny Sack. Yes. John Sacrimony, Johnny 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.699 Sack. The source identifies him as the underboss 00:08:30.699 --> 00:08:33.179 of the Lupertazzi crime family. One of the five 00:08:33.179 --> 00:08:36.120 families of New York. And this is hugely significant 00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:39.059 for the scope of the story. Up until now, everything 00:08:39.059 --> 00:08:41.120 we've looked at has been largely focused on New 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:44.059 Jersey. It's a small pond. Johnny Sack represents 00:08:44.059 --> 00:08:46.879 the direct connection to the much larger, much 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:49.919 more powerful ecosystem of organized crime in 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:53.100 New York. His mere presence in the room changes 00:08:53.100 --> 00:08:55.159 the temperature completely. He carries himself 00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:57.019 differently, doesn't he? He really does. He's 00:08:57.019 --> 00:09:00.539 sharper. He's smoother. He is a corporate executive 00:09:00.539 --> 00:09:04.220 of crime. And Tony brings him in specifically 00:09:04.220 --> 00:09:06.899 to mediate this dispute. So there's a sit -down. 00:09:06.940 --> 00:09:09.059 You've got Tony, you've got Johnny Sack, and 00:09:09.059 --> 00:09:11.500 you've got Junior. And they are there to negotiate 00:09:11.500 --> 00:09:13.759 this, hashtags. And just look at the dynamic 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:17.080 of this room. Tony brings in an external mediator, 00:09:17.159 --> 00:09:19.860 Johnny, to help guide Junior to a decision without 00:09:19.860 --> 00:09:21.840 making it look like Tony is giving the orders. 00:09:22.220 --> 00:09:25.549 It's master manipulation on Tony's part. He lets 00:09:25.549 --> 00:09:27.789 Johnny Sack be the voice of reason. Right, because 00:09:27.789 --> 00:09:29.850 Johnny suggests a compromise. He basically says, 00:09:29.990 --> 00:09:33.309 tax him, but tax him less. Make a point, but 00:09:33.309 --> 00:09:35.370 don't break the man. And because that advice 00:09:35.370 --> 00:09:37.970 is coming from New York, from an underboss of 00:09:37.970 --> 00:09:40.710 a much larger family, Junior can accept it without 00:09:40.710 --> 00:09:43.970 looking weak. Exactly. Junior agrees to reduce 00:09:43.970 --> 00:09:46.330 the demand. Hesch agrees to pay a smaller amount. 00:09:47.029 --> 00:09:50.450 On the surface, conflict resolved. Peace achieved. 00:09:50.909 --> 00:09:53.960 The packed Soprano holds. But here's where it's 00:09:53.960 --> 00:09:56.820 really interesting, because Tony isn't just relying 00:09:56.820 --> 00:09:59.139 on the sit down to fix everything. The source 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:01.399 material describes a shell game that Tony pulls 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:03.440 off to make this work financially behind the 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:05.700 scenes. Because remember, the other captains 00:10:05.700 --> 00:10:07.940 are still angry that Junior is keeping all the 00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:11.220 money. Right. If Hesh pays Junior even a reduced 00:10:11.220 --> 00:10:14.480 amount, Junior still gets richer and the captains, 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:16.759 Larry Boy, Jimmy and Tony himself, they get nothing. 00:10:16.860 --> 00:10:19.679 They stay angry. The resentment just festers. 00:10:19.779 --> 00:10:22.159 So Tony orchestrates this incredibly complex 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.720 flow of cash. I want to break this down for you 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:26.799 all listening, because it really shows Tony's 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:30.240 genius for this life. Step one. Junior agrees 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:33.259 to pass Hesh's tribute money down to his capos, 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:37.039 Tony, Larry, Boy, Jimmy, to appease them. Right, 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:39.159 he frames it as a benevolent gesture. Look, I'm 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:41.299 the boss, I taxed Hesh, and now I'm sharing the 00:10:41.299 --> 00:10:43.279 wealth with you loyal captains. It makes Junior 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:45.519 look generous. Okay, so the captains get paid, 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:48.559 they're happy. That solves the eating alone problem 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:52.259 we talked about. Right. Then step two, Tony receives 00:10:52.259 --> 00:10:54.600 his share of this tribute, just like the other 00:10:54.600 --> 00:10:57.100 captains. Okay, so money goes from Hesh to Junior, 00:10:57.220 --> 00:11:00.559 Junior to Tony. And then step three, Tony secretly 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:04.340 gives his share back to Hesh. That is just brilliant. 00:11:04.500 --> 00:11:07.129 Yeah. And ridiculous. It's performative economics. 00:11:07.750 --> 00:11:11.149 Think about it. Hesh pays so Junior feels respected. 00:11:11.330 --> 00:11:13.409 Junior distributes the money so the captains 00:11:13.409 --> 00:11:16.330 feel fed. But Tony takes his own cut and hands 00:11:16.330 --> 00:11:18.610 it back to Hesh. So Hesh isn't out as much money 00:11:18.610 --> 00:11:22.490 overall. So Hesh pays less than he thinks. Junior 00:11:22.490 --> 00:11:25.769 gets the glory. The captains get a bonus. And 00:11:25.769 --> 00:11:28.690 Tony, Tony ends up with zero profit from the 00:11:28.690 --> 00:11:31.570 transaction. Financially, yes, he breaks even 00:11:31.570 --> 00:11:33.690 or actually loses because he's giving up his 00:11:33.690 --> 00:11:36.049 rightful cut. But politically, he earns immense 00:11:36.049 --> 00:11:38.769 capital. He maintains the illusion of Junior's 00:11:38.769 --> 00:11:41.269 authority, the pack soprano, while actually protecting 00:11:41.269 --> 00:11:42.990 his friend Hesh and keeping the captains from 00:11:42.990 --> 00:11:45.370 revolting. He essentially pays for the peace 00:11:45.370 --> 00:11:47.490 out of his own pocket. It's performance of power. 00:11:47.730 --> 00:11:49.909 He's the stage manager making sure the play keeps 00:11:49.909 --> 00:11:51.789 running so the audience doesn't storm the stage. 00:11:52.009 --> 00:11:54.629 That is the perfect analogy. Tony is working 00:11:54.629 --> 00:11:57.090 overtime to keep the stage lights on while Junior 00:11:57.090 --> 00:11:59.250 is just strutting around enjoying the applause. 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:02.299 But while Tony is managing the politics with 00:12:02.299 --> 00:12:05.100 this delicate finesse, Junior is managing his 00:12:05.100 --> 00:12:08.000 authority with something much blunter. And that 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.240 brings us to the next section of our deep dive, 00:12:10.460 --> 00:12:13.840 the violence of authority. Because if the Hesh 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:15.740 situation was all about money and diplomacy, 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:20.500 this next situation is about pure ego. Yes. This 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:22.399 centers around a character named Rusty Irish, 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:25.669 but it starts in a very mundane setting. A tailor 00:12:25.669 --> 00:12:27.690 shop. Junior's getting fitted for a suit. He's 00:12:27.690 --> 00:12:29.889 feeling good. He's the boss. The song playing 00:12:29.889 --> 00:12:32.490 in the background is When the Boy in Your Arms 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:35.649 by Connie Francis. It's a nostalgic, sweet moment. 00:12:35.710 --> 00:12:38.029 It captures that old school vibe Junior just 00:12:38.029 --> 00:12:40.470 loves. He feels like a king in that moment. And 00:12:40.470 --> 00:12:42.529 then the mood just shifts entirely. The tailor 00:12:42.529 --> 00:12:44.690 starts crying. He reveals a terrible tragedy. 00:12:44.929 --> 00:12:47.070 His 14 -year -old grandson committed suicide. 00:12:47.450 --> 00:12:49.370 The boy jumped off the Great Falls Bridge in 00:12:49.370 --> 00:12:51.990 Patterson. And the reason. He had taken drugs 00:12:51.990 --> 00:12:54.899 sold to him by a dealer named Rusty Irish. Now, 00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:57.399 let's put this in context for you. Rusty Irish 00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:00.580 isn't just some random street corner kid. He 00:13:00.580 --> 00:13:04.539 is connected. Highly connected. Rusty Irish works 00:13:04.539 --> 00:13:06.960 for one of the DeMayo capos, Larry Boy Baris. 00:13:07.139 --> 00:13:09.620 In fact, our source notes he is Larry Boy's top 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:12.120 earner. He moves huge volume. He brings in a 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:15.360 lot of money for the family. So logically, in 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:18.000 the mob world, which is above all else, a business 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:22.220 as force, Rusty is a highly valuable asset. You 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:24.080 don't touch the top earners. It's bad for the 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:27.100 bottom line. Sure, business logic says you reprimand 00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:29.379 him. Maybe you tax him heavily as a punishment. 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:31.500 Maybe you give him a beating. But you keep him 00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:34.460 earning. You absolutely do not destroy the revenue 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:37.299 stream. But Junior, Junior doesn't operate on 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:39.820 business logic here. He operates on ego and emotion. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:42.679 He hears this sad story from his tailor and he 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:45.139 decides he needs to act. He wants to be the hero. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:47.200 He wants to exercise the power of life and death. 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:49.960 He orders a hit on Rusty Irish. It's impulsive. 00:13:50.100 --> 00:13:52.259 He hands down the sentence like an emperor giving 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:54.820 a thumbs down in the Coliseum. And the execution 00:13:54.820 --> 00:13:57.440 is brutal. We see Mikey Palmas, who is Junior's 00:13:57.440 --> 00:13:59.960 right -hand man, and just terrifying in his own 00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:02.500 right, along with Joseph Marino. They grab Rusty. 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:04.679 They take him to the exact spot where the boy 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:07.299 died, the Great Falls in Patterson, New Jersey. 00:14:07.779 --> 00:14:10.769 And they throw him off the bridge. It's poetic 00:14:10.769 --> 00:14:13.629 justice in Junior's mind, I guess. An eye for 00:14:13.629 --> 00:14:15.950 an eye. You killed the boy, now you die the exact 00:14:15.950 --> 00:14:18.490 same way. But what does this actually do to the 00:14:18.490 --> 00:14:20.950 pack, Soprano? It shatters the foundation of 00:14:20.950 --> 00:14:23.169 it completely. Think about it from the perspective 00:14:23.169 --> 00:14:25.809 of the other captains. Larry Boyd just lost his 00:14:25.809 --> 00:14:27.909 best earner simply because the boss felt bad 00:14:27.909 --> 00:14:30.850 for a tailor. It signals that the rules of business, 00:14:31.129 --> 00:14:33.429 the rules that keep everyone getting paid safely, 00:14:34.139 --> 00:14:36.659 They don't matter to Junior. If he's emotional, 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:39.500 if he's feeling sentimental, he might just kill 00:14:39.500 --> 00:14:41.580 your best guy. It creates total instability. 00:14:41.620 --> 00:14:44.860 It's the exact opposite of the Roman peace. Augustus 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.720 was ruthless, sure, but he was calculated. He 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:50.279 was predictable. This action by Junior is just 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:52.889 erratic. And again, we have to look at the shadow 00:14:52.889 --> 00:14:55.570 behind the throne here. The source material links 00:14:55.570 --> 00:14:58.309 Livia to this atmosphere of chaos. We already 00:14:58.309 --> 00:15:00.970 mentioned she prompted the tax on Hesh. But there's 00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:02.690 a cultural reference in the source regarding 00:15:02.690 --> 00:15:05.409 this rusty Irish hit that is fascinating. Livia 00:15:05.409 --> 00:15:08.370 alludes to a poem. Gunga Din, right? By Rudyard 00:15:08.370 --> 00:15:12.190 Kipling. Yes. She mentions Gunga Din, the water 00:15:12.190 --> 00:15:14.440 carrier for the British troops. You're a better 00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:17.299 man than I am, Gunga Din. It's a reference to 00:15:17.299 --> 00:15:19.519 being underappreciated, to the people who do 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:21.480 all the dirty work while others get all the glory. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:24.919 Livia has this incredible way of stoking Junior's 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:27.139 sense of grievance. She makes him feel like he 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:29.580 is the Gunga Din of the family, like he's been 00:15:29.580 --> 00:15:31.759 carrying the water for years while Tony and the 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:34.019 others just laughed at him. So when she mentions 00:15:34.019 --> 00:15:36.539 Rusty Irish, this guy who sells drugs to kids, 00:15:36.659 --> 00:15:40.019 she frames it in a way that triggers Junior's 00:15:40.019 --> 00:15:43.320 deep need to be the better man. She pushes him 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:46.460 toward these extreme displays of dominance. Exactly. 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:48.480 She is the power behind the throne, but she's 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:51.019 not using that power to build stability. She's 00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:53.419 using it to settle old scores and create friction. 00:15:53.740 --> 00:15:56.059 She wants the world to burn just a little bit 00:15:56.059 --> 00:15:57.820 because that's where she feels most comfortable. 00:15:58.100 --> 00:16:00.559 Which makes the Pax Soprana literally impossible. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:03.120 You have a figurehead boss who is deeply insecure 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:06.419 and a shadow advisor who actively loves chaos. 00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:09.539 It's a perfect recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, 00:16:09.620 --> 00:16:11.840 let's pivot to the guy who is actually trying 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:13.419 to hold it all together. Let's talk about the 00:16:13.419 --> 00:16:16.559 psychology of Tony Soprano. Because while all 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:18.820 this mob politics is happening, the hashtags, 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:22.620 the rusty hit Tony is fighting a massive war 00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:26.139 inside his own head. And his own body. We really 00:16:26.139 --> 00:16:28.179 can't overlook the physical aspect here. The 00:16:28.179 --> 00:16:30.620 source is very specific. Tony is experiencing 00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:33.019 side effects from his medication, Prozac. Right. 00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:35.720 He is finally treating his mental health. And 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:38.960 the medication is working to a degree. The panic 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:41.279 attacks are subsiding. His mood is stabilizing. 00:16:41.500 --> 00:16:44.200 But the side effect is a complete loss of libido. 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:47.000 Which, for a guy like Tony Soprano, a guy whose 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:50.120 entire identity is built on being a virile alpha 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:52.879 male, a guy who has a wife and a mistress, is 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:54.960 a catastrophe. It's not just a medical issue 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:56.480 for him. It's a full -blown identity crisis. 00:16:56.759 --> 00:16:58.840 It cuts to the absolute core of who he thinks 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:00.379 he is. thinks he is if he can't perform sexually 00:17:00.379 --> 00:17:03.620 is he still the boss is he still a man and the 00:17:03.620 --> 00:17:05.740 fallout ripples through his personal life immediately 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:10.099 his mistress Irina is discontented because well 00:17:10.099 --> 00:17:12.779 he's not performing and Carmela is discontented 00:17:12.779 --> 00:17:15.660 too it's the ultimate irony the very thing that 00:17:15.660 --> 00:17:17.660 allows him to function in business the medication 00:17:17.660 --> 00:17:21.279 is ruining his personal life he can negotiate 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:24.069 a complex peace treaty with New York He can solve 00:17:24.069 --> 00:17:26.869 the HESH puzzle, but he can't satisfy his wife 00:17:26.869 --> 00:17:29.170 or his girlfriend. And this immense frustration 00:17:29.170 --> 00:17:32.049 has to go somewhere. The human mind doesn't just 00:17:32.049 --> 00:17:34.210 sit comfortably with that kind of inadequacy. 00:17:34.609 --> 00:17:36.930 And in this part of the story, we see a classic 00:17:36.930 --> 00:17:39.049 case of psychological transference. We're talking 00:17:39.049 --> 00:17:42.089 about Dr. Melfi. Yes. The source describes a 00:17:42.089 --> 00:17:44.829 vivid dream sequence. Tony starts having erotic 00:17:44.829 --> 00:17:47.450 dreams about Dr. Melfi. The song playing in the 00:17:47.450 --> 00:17:49.769 first dream is What Time Is It? by the Jive Five. 00:17:50.069 --> 00:17:53.049 Little doo -wop romance. Very sweet. Very idealized. 00:17:53.230 --> 00:17:56.009 It creates a fantasy. Tony wakes up and convinces 00:17:56.009 --> 00:17:58.089 himself that this isn't just a side effect or 00:17:58.089 --> 00:18:00.869 a confusion of feelings. He decides he is genuinely 00:18:00.869 --> 00:18:02.630 in love with her. He thinks he's had a breakthrough. 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:05.559 Like, Doc, I figured it out. I love you. But 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:08.180 he's actually having a massive breakdown of professional 00:18:08.180 --> 00:18:11.359 boundaries. It's a defense mechanism. It is so 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.099 much easier for Tony to believe, I want this 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:15.900 woman and can't have her because of professional 00:18:15.900 --> 00:18:18.859 rules, than to believe I physically cannot function. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:23.119 Pursuing Melfi gives him a goal. It gives him 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.819 a way to assert his agency again. He actually 00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:29.509 tries to kiss her during a session. It is excruciating 00:18:29.509 --> 00:18:32.109 to watch. It's a profound violation of the therapeutic 00:18:32.109 --> 00:18:35.589 relationship. But in Tony's mind, it's the solution 00:18:35.589 --> 00:18:38.710 to his problem. If he can conquer Melfi, maybe 00:18:38.710 --> 00:18:41.029 he can reclaim his masculinity. And he does something 00:18:41.029 --> 00:18:44.269 so incredibly Tony. He tries to woo her, but 00:18:44.269 --> 00:18:46.470 he does it in the most mobster way possible. 00:18:46.730 --> 00:18:48.769 The car. This is such a great detail from the 00:18:48.769 --> 00:18:51.809 file. Dr. Melfi drives an aging car. It's reliable, 00:18:52.029 --> 00:18:54.599 but it's seen better days. Tony decides to fix 00:18:54.599 --> 00:18:56.839 this. But he doesn't just offer to pay for repairs 00:18:56.839 --> 00:18:58.359 like a normal person. Hey, let me send you to 00:18:58.359 --> 00:19:01.220 my mechanic. No. He has the car stolen. Imagine 00:19:01.220 --> 00:19:03.160 the sheer terror of that. You come out of your 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:05.380 office and your car is gone. You think you've 00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:07.559 been robbed. You feel totally violated. And then 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:10.460 it's returned, fixed, with a brand new starter. 00:19:10.740 --> 00:19:14.599 I stole your car to fix it. It is literal gaslighting 00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:17.140 disguised as chivalry. It's a raw display of 00:19:17.140 --> 00:19:20.390 power. He is trying to show her. that he can 00:19:20.390 --> 00:19:22.670 affect her life, that he can provide for her, 00:19:22.710 --> 00:19:25.450 even if she explicitly didn't ask for it. He 00:19:25.450 --> 00:19:27.990 is trying to force a connection, just like Junior 00:19:27.990 --> 00:19:30.309 is trying to force respect from Hesh. It's aggressive 00:19:30.309 --> 00:19:32.210 benevolence. I will do something nice for you, 00:19:32.230 --> 00:19:34.430 and you will appreciate it, and therefore we 00:19:34.430 --> 00:19:37.630 will be connected. But Melfi sees right through 00:19:37.630 --> 00:19:39.430 it. She holds the line. It's one of the very 00:19:39.430 --> 00:19:41.470 few times in the story where someone actually 00:19:41.470 --> 00:19:45.630 says no to Tony Soprano and sticks to it. And 00:19:45.630 --> 00:19:48.650 while Tony is chasing Melfi, Carmela is watching 00:19:48.650 --> 00:19:52.470 this distance grow at home. And she has a confession 00:19:52.470 --> 00:19:55.210 in this deep dive that I think is just heartbreaking. 00:19:55.589 --> 00:19:58.349 She admits to Tony that she is jealous, but the 00:19:58.349 --> 00:20:00.609 source material highlights a crucial twist here. 00:20:00.730 --> 00:20:02.950 She isn't just jealous of other women in a sexual 00:20:02.950 --> 00:20:05.670 sense. She's used to the mistresses. She tolerates 00:20:05.670 --> 00:20:07.750 the infidelity. What she's jealous of is the 00:20:07.750 --> 00:20:09.849 fact that the therapist helps him. That hits 00:20:09.849 --> 00:20:12.500 hard. She wants to be the one who heals him. 00:20:12.579 --> 00:20:15.339 She wants that emotional intimacy. She sees a 00:20:15.339 --> 00:20:18.019 total stranger in a doctor's office getting the 00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:20.680 vulnerability that she, as his wife, feels entitled 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:23.259 to. I've washed your clothes, raised your children, 00:20:23.380 --> 00:20:25.619 cooked your meals, and this woman gets to see 00:20:25.619 --> 00:20:27.980 your soul. It's a jealousy of connection, not 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:31.119 just attention. They do reconcile, though. Tony 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:33.930 senses he's losing her. He tells her, You are 00:20:33.930 --> 00:20:36.369 my life. Which he likely believes in that exact 00:20:36.369 --> 00:20:38.789 moment. He needs her. She is his foundation. 00:20:39.109 --> 00:20:40.930 And they have an anniversary dinner. And this 00:20:40.930 --> 00:20:43.109 is actually the scene where Tony meets Johnny 00:20:43.109 --> 00:20:46.410 Sack. Right. The worlds literally collide. Tony 00:20:46.410 --> 00:20:49.029 is having a romantic dinner with Carmella, trying 00:20:49.029 --> 00:20:51.650 to repair the damage to his marriage. And he 00:20:51.650 --> 00:20:53.809 has to step away to talk mob business with the 00:20:53.809 --> 00:20:56.279 underboss of New York. The music note here is 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:58.660 very important. The song playing during this 00:20:58.660 --> 00:21:02.119 dinner is Pompa by Gustavo Santolalla. It's atmospheric, 00:21:02.380 --> 00:21:04.900 a bit melancholic. It underscores the incredible 00:21:04.900 --> 00:21:07.740 fragility of this reconciliation. It doesn't 00:21:07.740 --> 00:21:09.660 sound like a triumphant love song. It sounds 00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:12.380 like a pause in a storm. Tony is patching things 00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:14.579 up with Carmela, but he's literally stepping 00:21:14.579 --> 00:21:17.160 away from the table to manage the packed soprano. 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:19.480 Which brings us to the climax of the episode. 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:23.029 The illusion shattered. We move to a huge banquet 00:21:23.029 --> 00:21:25.309 scene. It's a celebration for Junior's promotion. 00:21:25.569 --> 00:21:28.589 A coronation, if you will. The atmosphere is 00:21:28.589 --> 00:21:30.910 completely festive. Everyone is dressed up. There's 00:21:30.910 --> 00:21:34.609 food, wine, music. Junior is sitting at the head 00:21:34.609 --> 00:21:37.349 table just beaming. He thinks he's Augustus. 00:21:37.569 --> 00:21:39.809 He thinks the packed soprano has been officially 00:21:39.809 --> 00:21:42.730 achieved. The family is united. There is even 00:21:42.730 --> 00:21:44.549 a bit of real -world trivia in this scene that 00:21:44.549 --> 00:21:47.109 grounds it beautifully. Sitting to Tony's left 00:21:47.109 --> 00:21:49.990 at the table is Anthony Carozzo. Who is he? He 00:21:49.990 --> 00:21:53.089 is a real -life Gambino crime family associate. 00:21:53.289 --> 00:21:55.569 His brother was a capo. His other brother was 00:21:55.569 --> 00:21:58.309 a consigliere. Having him in the scene adds a 00:21:58.309 --> 00:22:01.109 layer of absolute authenticity, a nod to the 00:22:01.109 --> 00:22:03.250 real world these fictional characters mimic. 00:22:03.470 --> 00:22:06.450 It blurs the line between the show and the reality 00:22:06.450 --> 00:22:08.829 of the mob. So everyone is eating and drinking. 00:22:09.109 --> 00:22:11.609 Tony's playing the loyal soldier, knowing he 00:22:11.609 --> 00:22:13.849 rigged the whole thing with the hesh money. But 00:22:13.849 --> 00:22:16.589 then the camera shifts focus. We focus on a waiter. 00:22:16.970 --> 00:22:18.910 John the waiter. He's moving around the tables, 00:22:18.930 --> 00:22:21.549 pouring wine. He looks completely harmless. Just 00:22:21.549 --> 00:22:23.130 part of the scenery. But there's something on 00:22:23.130 --> 00:22:25.849 his jacket. A button. A button camera. A spy. 00:22:26.069 --> 00:22:29.529 He is taking photos for the FBI. And the editing 00:22:29.529 --> 00:22:33.009 here is brutal. We cut straight from the warm, 00:22:33.049 --> 00:22:35.250 golden light of the banquet, the illusion of 00:22:35.250 --> 00:22:38.589 success, to the sterile, fluorescent light of 00:22:38.589 --> 00:22:41.309 an FBI office. And we see what those photos are 00:22:41.309 --> 00:22:43.660 actually for. They're being affixed to a bulletin 00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:46.440 board, a board that explicitly maps out the hierarchy 00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:48.859 of the DeMeo family. We see Junior's picture 00:22:48.859 --> 00:22:51.900 go up at the top. We see the captains, the soldiers. 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:54.880 It is a chilling reality check. While Tony and 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:57.059 Junior are playing 40 chess while they're stressing 00:22:57.059 --> 00:23:00.539 about taxes and hits and who respects who the 00:23:00.539 --> 00:23:03.220 federal government is simply watching, they are 00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:05.779 cataloging everything. It makes all the maneuvering 00:23:05.779 --> 00:23:07.880 we just spent an hour discussing feel, well, 00:23:07.980 --> 00:23:10.950 small. That's the entire point. The packed Soprano 00:23:10.950 --> 00:23:12.769 is an illusion not just because the criminals 00:23:12.769 --> 00:23:14.990 are unstable, but because the walls are literally 00:23:14.990 --> 00:23:17.289 closing in from the outside. The empire they 00:23:17.289 --> 00:23:19.349 are fighting over is already under siege. The 00:23:19.349 --> 00:23:21.329 critical reception for this episode was incredibly 00:23:21.329 --> 00:23:24.349 strong, right? Very strong. Critics have described 00:23:24.349 --> 00:23:27.839 it as fraught with discomfort. It is nearly as 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:29.819 compelling as the previous episode, College, 00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:32.519 which is often cited as a turning point. But 00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:34.319 this one creates the template for the rest of 00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:36.960 the series, the struggle for control in a world 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:39.259 that is fundamentally uncontrollable. So let's 00:23:39.259 --> 00:23:41.700 wrap this up for you guys. What are our key takeaways 00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:44.640 from Pack Soprano? First, the definition of the 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:47.240 title itself. Peace through dominance is the 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:49.519 stated goal, but in the world of the Sopranos, 00:23:49.539 --> 00:23:52.299 dominance is fragile. Junior has the title, but 00:23:52.299 --> 00:23:55.339 not the respect. Tony has the brains, but has 00:23:55.339 --> 00:23:58.160 to hide his power. It's a paradox that simply 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:01.019 cannot sustain itself. Second, the landscape 00:24:01.019 --> 00:24:03.400 has shifted. The introduction of Johnny Sack 00:24:03.400 --> 00:24:05.440 means the Jersey crew isn't an island anymore. 00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:08.279 They are part of a bigger, significantly more 00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:10.940 dangerous ecosystem in New York. The stakes just 00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:13.960 got raised. And third, the massive danger of 00:24:13.960 --> 00:24:16.880 mixing spheres. Junior mixes his personal ego 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:19.680 with business, and people die. Tony mixes his 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:21.839 therapy with romance, and his marriage nearly 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:24.500 collapses. It's all about boundaries, and nobody 00:24:24.500 --> 00:24:26.599 here is good at keeping them. And finally, that 00:24:26.599 --> 00:24:29.000 FBI board. Yeah, let's leave you with a thought 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:31.940 on that. We spent this whole deep dive analyzing 00:24:31.940 --> 00:24:35.440 Tony's cleverness. The shell game with the money, 00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:38.259 the diplomacy with Johnny Sack. He feels like 00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:40.740 a master strategist. But then you see that board. 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:43.720 The FBI already knows who everyone is. They know 00:24:43.720 --> 00:24:46.319 exactly where they fit. So here is the question 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:49.000 for you to mull over. If the FBI already has 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:52.160 the map, is the power Tony and Junior are fighting 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:55.640 for actually real? Or are they just fighting 00:24:55.640 --> 00:24:57.859 over the best seat on a sinking ship? They are 00:24:57.859 --> 00:25:00.140 playing a game that has arguably already been 00:25:00.140 --> 00:25:01.740 rigged against them. They just don't know the 00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:03.680 game is over yet. A cheerful thought to end on. 00:25:04.519 --> 00:25:07.460 But that's the reality of this world. Thank you 00:25:07.460 --> 00:25:09.640 for diving deep with us today. Always a pleasure. 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:10.720 We'll catch you on the next one.