This is the episode where 'The Sopranos' became complex and the characters' true colours were made apparent: Livia's black poison cloud has obviously infected her son's morbid mindset as Melfi discovers; Carmela uses not just Tony but other people like Charmagne; Junior is an easily-influenced power-hungry bastard; Meadow and her friend Hunter want to score some speed; Chris, on the other hand, seems to have a caring side when he gets them some in fear of Meadow being 'raped, robbed and left in the street by some Jefferson Avenue moulinyans' (you'll eat those words one day, Chrissy).
Battles-within-the-sexes seem to be one flavour in this particular slice of North Jersey mob-life, with oestrogen representatives Carmela and her posh ladyfriends v Charmagne; and in the testosterone-fuelled ring Tony, Paulie and Sil v the Hasidic Jews. This is as much a cultural war as anything, with recently-turned upper working-class Charmagne at first being seduced by 'the life' Carmela lives when given the grand tour of her abode in preparation for catering the silent auction night. A possible friendship between them is made impossible when Carmela summons waitress Charmagne with the same gesture she uses for her Polish housemaid. Meanwhile at Satriales, our Roman Catholic males are trying to pry a consentful divorce out of the Hassidic Jewish Shlomo, an unwanted son-in-law to Hittel Teittleman, a friend of Silvio's. Their cultural differences are explicitly referred to when Ariel muses of the Masada, of how the few hundred Jews fended off a legion of Roman soldiers. "And the Romans, where are they now?" he asks. "You're looking at 'em asshole," is Tony's blunt reply.
Whereas Charmagne uses the bitching tactics of telling Carmela of the affair she and Tony once had to get what she wants (an equally-hurt Carmela), Tony and the boys eventually opt to threaten Shlomo with castration to get what they want (a divorce which will net them a share of Teittleman's hotel profits). This male/female contrast of power-plays will be consistent throughout the series in Carmela's lady's luncheons and Tony's sit-downs.
Of course, an overlying subject matter of the episode is the familiar psychological concept (and the episodes title): the three stages of denial, anger, and acceptance. This paradigm encapsulates Tony's plot strand, as he at first denies that his Cancer-stricken friend Jackie will die as he will "scare the Cancer away"; becomes frustrated when Melfi implies that it seems unlikely; finally he accepts that Jackie will be gone soon and tries to enjoy a moment of solace with his wife and daughter, failing in the typically cynical way of the show. It also compares how Tony and Carmela use people as Tony is first accused of being a Frankenstein (or 'golem' by Teittleman), which two people refer to him as in the episode. They wouldn't be the last.
Battles-within-the-sexes seem to be one flavour in this particular slice of North Jersey mob-life, with oestrogen representatives Carmela and her posh ladyfriends v Charmagne; and in the testosterone-fuelled ring Tony, Paulie and Sil v the Hasidic Jews. This is as much a cultural war as anything, with recently-turned upper working-class Charmagne at first being seduced by 'the life' Carmela lives when given the grand tour of her abode in preparation for catering the silent auction night. A possible friendship between them is made impossible when Carmela summons waitress Charmagne with the same gesture she uses for her Polish housemaid. Meanwhile at Satriales, our Roman Catholic males are trying to pry a consentful divorce out of the Hassidic Jewish Shlomo, an unwanted son-in-law to Hittel Teittleman, a friend of Silvio's. Their cultural differences are explicitly referred to when Ariel muses of the Masada, of how the few hundred Jews fended off a legion of Roman soldiers. "And the Romans, where are they now?" he asks. "You're looking at 'em asshole," is Tony's blunt reply.
Whereas Charmagne uses the bitching tactics of telling Carmela of the affair she and Tony once had to get what she wants (an equally-hurt Carmela), Tony and the boys eventually opt to threaten Shlomo with castration to get what they want (a divorce which will net them a share of Teittleman's hotel profits). This male/female contrast of power-plays will be consistent throughout the series in Carmela's lady's luncheons and Tony's sit-downs.
Of course, an overlying subject matter of the episode is the familiar psychological concept (and the episodes title): the three stages of denial, anger, and acceptance. This paradigm encapsulates Tony's plot strand, as he at first denies that his Cancer-stricken friend Jackie will die as he will "scare the Cancer away"; becomes frustrated when Melfi implies that it seems unlikely; finally he accepts that Jackie will be gone soon and tries to enjoy a moment of solace with his wife and daughter, failing in the typically cynical way of the show. It also compares how Tony and Carmela use people as Tony is first accused of being a Frankenstein (or 'golem' by Teittleman), which two people refer to him as in the episode. They wouldn't be the last.