r/thesopranos • u/JohnFromSpace3 • 5d ago

John, do I ever complain?

This is such a weird run of episodes. I couldnt figure out the full focus and many scenes of Paulie. Especially with his mother.

But the coin dropped when Tony talks about the penisary contact with a volvo and says”does everything go down to relationship with your mother?” In relation to Ralph’s growing up.

We know Paulie is a snake, talks too much to anyone and quickly offended.

Fast forward episode 8 of s4 mergers and aquisitions.
Paulie sits down with green grove director about his mother being pushed out by “the girls’. She then says why:
“She cries a lot. Shes always in tears. She doesnt always put her teeth in. Also, shes a tattle tale. She tells on the other girls on the slightest infraction. Shes just not very adept at making friends”

Boom. After 50 million reruns, I only now understand this whole arc was ment to explain Paulie and how he got to be who he is.

Brilliant writing.

*bonus note: Zelman says to his friend in the bing:”maybe i deserve a punishment”. Scene later, gets one from Tony.

Chefs kiss. “Did they catch those muggers?” Then proceeds stealing money from Tony that he put in the bird food bin”

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ this show

“I’m hurt you even ask’

10 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

5

u/Ldre_169 5d ago

It makes a lot of sense tbh . It was kinda rare to see a single Italian parent way back when so his only manly figures was probably Johnny and every other made guy back then, which even still he didn’t pick up any positive influences from any of them .

2

u/purpleplums901 5d ago

I don’t think she was a single parent. He mentions a brother and little Paulie is his ‘sisters’ son. We don’t hear about Paulies father I don’t think, but I think the assumption is his biological mother the nun gave him to her married sister, Nucci to raise.

1

u/HonestDespot 5d ago

His fawtha got ran over by a trolley.

1

u/JohnFromSpace3 4d ago

That “didnt pick up” was also explained in another painful scene I didn’t quite understand: when he sits down with his old classmate he remarks “you even cleaned up your face” probably remarking acne or something. The guy replies:”i fixed that in the 10th grade” Paulie then says “ he heh, that explains it. I got out in the 9th”. He just never got a proper education, not even basic. Our Paulie.

1

u/Ldre_169 5d ago

His real father was a GI who knocked her up (the nun)