The Sopranos (TV Series) Johnny Cakes (2006) User Reviews

Not the best Sopranos Episode, but One I Appreciate

[thedoctor205 · 9/10 · 24 September 2021]

"Jesus Christ, AJ, you make me want to cry"

The scene between Tony and AJ outside the precinct is probably my favorite scene in the entire series. Tony's constant struggle between the life he leads and the life he's made for his family. It's a great scene for both characters, as AJ struggles with his break from childhood into the man his parents want him to be.

Additionally, I haven't been a fan of Vito the entire series and I honestly thought his BS with Paulie in the hospital was so annoying, but he has become such an interesting, complex character. Similar to Tony and AJ, Vito is struggling with an internal battle of leading his own life with his own desires and being the person he's EXPECTED to be.

Solid episode, even if there are some drags like Tony's infidelity, the Peter Bogdanovich guest appearance, and AJ's annoying friends.

No decline in quality, but a change of focus

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 10 February 2023]

Tony deals with family and business issues, whilst Vito's friendship with Jim develops.

This is a very strong episode with some standout moments.

There are some quite powerful and well made scenes. One exchange between Tony and A. J. is not just well written, but James Gandolfini and Robert Illier both do exceptionally good work with the dialogue. Gandolfini has plenty of opportunities to shine throughout the show run, but for me this is one of Illier's best episodes having the chance to go through a range of emotions with the character.

The other scenes I love are the brilliant instances of visual storytelling by the cinematographers and editors and effective physical performance from Gandolfini, Eddie Falco, and guest star Julianna Margulies. How can the simple buttoning and unbuttoning of a shirt say so much about what's going on inside a person's head? This is filmmaking at its best.

Vito has a fair bit of screen time and his scenes with Jim are well written from a character perspective. It feels very fantasy-world that the character has fallen into this situation and if this is deliberate on the part of the writers and filmmakers, it works very well as an almost alternative universe to the environment you would normally see the character living his life. The behaviour of Jim and the community of Dartford is nicely contrasted to the world of the New Jersey mob. I don't think Joseph R. Gannascoli has the greatest range compared to other cast members, so for him to carry this plot line for so many scenes is not as compelling as it possibly could be. However, he does have some strong moments, particularly in one scene where Vito makes a quite emotional phone call home and later during a violent, fear-driven reaction to something that happens to him.

As ever the writers include various underlying themes that tie into the plot lines, such as the eroding of small businesses and the character of neighbourhoods by the expansion of corporate America.

Johnny Cakes has been a divisive episode amongst some viewers and I think it relates to the focus on certain characters such as Vito and A. J. who have not been portrayed as the most likeable in previous episodes. A. J. Is the quintessential lazy, spoiled brat who lashes out at those who try to give him everything. I know several people very similar to this character who have not had good parental role models in life (who also gave them a lot of materialistic possessions as compensation). So it all rings very true. Vito has been portrayed as an arrogant, disloyal, ambitious killer prior to the outing of his sexuality and it is hard to invest in the situation as you probably would if it was someone like Christopher, Bobbie, Silvio or Paulie, who are all incredibly entertaining.

Dialouge at its finest

[danieldraper_ · 9/10 · 28 September 2021]

In this episode, written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, we get a beautiful showcase of how glorious the dialogue of The Sopranos is.

So many parallels in this episode; all of our protagonists are facing inner conflict and change. Vito's homosexuality (which is executed flawlessly), AJ's lifestyle and attempt to murder his Uncle, and Tony with his philandering.

The small details are appreciated also. Tony and AJ's similar clothing style, the scenes with Dr. Melfi, and Tony's interaction with AJ outside the police station.

And above all, there's still time for humour.

"Did you hear? A goddamn juice place moving in here." "What Jews?"

I HAD to rewind and play that again, that was brilliant.

The difference between movies and reality

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 22 May 2008]

Throughout the series, Tony Soprano has always like to compare himself to Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone, despite having to face the fact that he will never be as great a gangster as Mario Puzo's brilliant creation. Here he finally comes to accept that truth, even if ti isn't for the reasons one might expect.

The sudden change of heart is caused by AJ's attempt to kill Junior in order to avenge Tony's shooting. Thanks to the right connections, the boy avoids prison, and in spite of his admiration for Michael Corleone's similar actions in The Godfather, Tony is forced to teach his son that movies aren't real life. Another person finding it difficult to adjust to the real world is Vito Spatafore, who manages to hit it on with a New Hampshire diner owner named Jim but is too scared of his own inclinations to successfully embark on the relationship at first. Meanwhile, back at home a furious Phil lets Tony know that if nothing is done about the scandal Vito has caused, he will have no choice but to kill the "finocchio" himself.

Just like the sixth episode of the season, Johnny Cakes doesn't rely on outbursts of primal brutality to make the drama more compelling: smart scripts, poignant character developments and the occasional TV celeb making a guest appearance (ER's Julianna Margulies in this case) will do just as fine. While Vito's inner conflict has already been depicted with honesty two episodes back, the father/son bond in the Soprano family has never been dealt with in a stronger fashion, the best effort coming from Iler, whose role has successfully evolved from the couch-occupying nitwit he was in the earliest episodes of the series. He may not be Michael Corleone, or Fredo, or Sonny, but it doesn't matter: what really counts is he's a Soprano.

Is it picking up?

[lvphotograph · 7 May 2006]

The Sopranos are picking-up a bit. Could have done without the "spendor in the grass" scene. I am not crazy about Vito either so it was good to see him get decked by the biker gay. The scene with AJ blowing the attempted murder of Uncle Junior was important though. AJ is really getting into the image of the tough-guy, gangster son that his lounge buddies have bestowed on him. He can't live up to it though. Tony was right when he told AJ that "you don't have it in you." When the girl that was giving him the back rub asked him what the family was going to do about Junior, AJ's reply that we don't really talk about it, he guessed he would have to do something, really seemed to turn her on. After all, at that age it is about getting laid. He can't live up to it though. Dropping the knife was so AJ. Could be AJ's downfall if he does not overdose first. My husband had an interesting theory. He thinks that everyone that was shown in the first episode opener when they were doing the song about the Egyptian souls that leave the body at death could have signified who was going to die this season. Eugene and Ray are already gone so who knows. Hopefully the season is picking up. I just wish it would have done it sooner. The exchanges between Melfi and Tony are dragging. It was good to see Elliot again. More wacking and less yakking! What is happening with Barone Sanitation? The FBI, all we know is that there is a terrorist ring in North Jersey and that they do business out of the Bing. Still to many threads left hanging. Stay tuned though, hopefully the next episodes will explode like David Chase said in the Season 6 special, "Season 6, it is a killer."

A smooth transition in characters

[snnasser · 10/10 · 21 April 2023]

This represents a very smooth transition and change of hearts in three characters. Vito's acceptance to his own reality and realization that he has been lying to himself about his sexual orientation. AJ's reaction to revenge was very much motivated by his desire to be "cool" by his friends, ended with an attempted murder and was not charged by the police due to Tony's connections and then taking a turn in his character after this event to be the most stressing situation is when his friends talk to him about his dad to the point where he gets panic attacks.

As doctor Melfi asks a very particular question saying "deep down inside you, do you blame Karm for AJ's behavior?" And the answer to that gets clearer that Tony's reputation is actually whats distressing him.

Tony's shift of character is the smoothest of all, it has been very obvious that he has been very "accepting" after being shot, he found that a little problematic to handle when it comes to his crew, so he copes with it by acting angry in many times. In this episode he has his old habits which he tries to maintain and get rid of at the same time, a very -understandably- conflicting personality. It is obvious that he wants to change, and tries somehow, but it doesn't seem to be as easy as he thought. Overall, I think this is the turning point of his character to be a more wise and stable leader of his house and his crew.

Finally, the neighborhood is changing, with big corporates moving in, which looks to be a problem and a challenge to his crew to make money off of it as they mostly relay on small businesses by keeping them "safe" .. unless they expand to more ways to earn, they will definitely have a lot of problems.

Johnny Cakes (#6.8)

[ComedyFan2010 · 8/10 · 26 March 2014]

Vito lives in the small town as a writer, he calls his wife but doesn't plant to go home yet. And he also finds a guy who he is having some sexual times on the beach. AJ goes to the club a lot and also comes to kill Junior which results in a total failure and he gets a panic attack in a club.

AJ killing Junior was a good story. I feel bad for the poor old man. But the scene was pretty good, not as good as AJ talking to Tony when he came to pick him up.

Vito is another character I feel bad for, I doubt his story will end up well, but at least he is having some good time now.

sopranos "johnny cakes"

[brendaZ · 8/10 · 8 May 2006]

very funny title "brokeback mobster" I totally agree with the article that this last season 6 is hitting the floor with a loud thud. i am so disappointed because i truly love the "soprano's". it's bad enough that David chase makes everyone wait for Chinese new year to Duane to come back on cable TV. i like so many other soprano fans are truly disgusted with time lapse. this really tells you what the people in charge and David chase think of the viewers. which of course if it were not for all of the public watching. the show would have flopped. after waiting for an eternity for Mr. chase to finally decide to come back with last episode and then to have it be so poorly written and acted. what a shame ! it is time to put this one to bed even the actors seem lack luster in their performance. What an insult to the loyal fans of the "SOPRANO'S" frankly I will be glad when it is OVER ! ! ! !

The wrath of AJ

[ctomvelu-1 · 7/10 · 10 August 2008]

AJ has revenge in mind, and drops in on Junior. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned. A commercial real estate agent makes Tony an offer he might not be able to refuse. Vito finds a potential new boyfriend in New Hampshire. And Phil is hot to trot with Vito, if he can find him. Julianna Margolies is the real estate agent looking to buy an old building Tony owns, and she has the makings of another Gloria Trillo to further mess up Tony's life. Robert Iler gets to strut his stuff a little as the man-child son of Tony. Joe Gannascolli, not the world's best actor, nevertheless gets to show off the sweeter side of Vito as he becomes infatuated with a mustachioed volunteer firefighter who looks like a reject from The Village People. I'm not sure what David Chase thought he was accomplishing, playing out in fairly graphic detail a gay "love" affair over the next few episodes. It's almost as painful as watching Christopher take the needle.

Absolute declining !

[keraghel_mehdi · 7/10 · 10 November 2020]

This season had a perfect run for the whole first 6 episodes, and then all of a Sudden it comes this surprising declining in the latest 2 episodes !

I never noticed AJ's hair I was too busy noticing his eyes

[Neptune165 · 7/10 · 22 July 2022]

That scene with AJ and Tony was so intense and so perfectly well acted. James Gandolfini will always be great actor. Funny though that you were saying about you were so happy about Tony and then he does that. I'm glad he could hold himself off and you were happy again :-) Great reaction and I'm glad you didn't show much of Vito, I definitely do not like that storyline of him. Can't wait till next week. Literally one of the best breaking of the 4th wall with Tony saying that it's just a movie. I could never figure out why the writers had AJ's friends always sticking him with the bill. I know the presumption was that he was rich, but to me.... I would never dream of sticking a mob bosses son with the bill. Not sure that makes sense. Sad episode. Seeing how distance and clueless the son is for the father. Also - I feel like the Vito sub plot is kind of overdrawn and this episode isn't' really needed. I feel like they coulda wrapped this up in a few episodes.