Tony's gambling starts to affect his relationships with various other characters.
This is a difficult but very well made episode with interesting character moments.
There is one aspects of the plot that feels contrived and it's the issue of Tony's gambling problem. It comes relatively out of left field to cause problems for all around him. The writers, filmmakers and James Gandolfini do a fantastic job of showing a character self-destructing. Some aspects were set up nicely in the previous three episodes, but it feels here like he's dropped off a cliff towards rock bottom. All that said, even when character development feels slightly forced, The Sopranos does it incredibly well.
To get the most out of 'Chasing It' you need an interest in the Vito Junior subplot. It can feel like time-passing in moments, but I think it's important to see the fallout from a character's death and the impact it has on families. The writers do it with good character interactions and address issues like tough love camps.
All actors are excellent as always, especially Edie Falco, Jerry Adler, Frank Vincent, and Brandon Hannan.
Visually it's an uncomfortable watch, particularly the handheld cinematography, close up and one gross out moment. As ever though, the story is told very well by the camera.
This is a difficult but very well made episode with interesting character moments.
There is one aspects of the plot that feels contrived and it's the issue of Tony's gambling problem. It comes relatively out of left field to cause problems for all around him. The writers, filmmakers and James Gandolfini do a fantastic job of showing a character self-destructing. Some aspects were set up nicely in the previous three episodes, but it feels here like he's dropped off a cliff towards rock bottom. All that said, even when character development feels slightly forced, The Sopranos does it incredibly well.
To get the most out of 'Chasing It' you need an interest in the Vito Junior subplot. It can feel like time-passing in moments, but I think it's important to see the fallout from a character's death and the impact it has on families. The writers do it with good character interactions and address issues like tough love camps.
All actors are excellent as always, especially Edie Falco, Jerry Adler, Frank Vincent, and Brandon Hannan.
Visually it's an uncomfortable watch, particularly the handheld cinematography, close up and one gross out moment. As ever though, the story is told very well by the camera.