Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout
Click here for site announcements
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Content

Enjoy The Sopranos 3x3 group reaction and uncut!!

Uncut: https://thenormies.com/the-sopranos-ea/

Edited reaction is in the thumbnail above!!

Files

Previews only

"She Took Her Leg!" | The Sopranos - 3x3 Fortunate Son | Group Reaction

Janice tries to get her records back while Tony reflects on his past as The Normies react to season 3 episode 3 of The Sopranos, "Fortunate Son." BECOME A Normies Premium or No Fomo MEMBER: Get 6 WEEKS AHEAD on most shows (excluding premier shows), exclusive movies and vote on what we watch: https://www.thenormies.com/ Commenter Badges/Perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbv2OBLeYiYe7B6WgPDnLow/join THE CAROUSEL, sci-fi dystopian audio drama - https://open.spotify.com/episode/37Rw8DbAyrs1Psw3LcrSz4?si=vUahHHeuSXaQ-Xq3zyZ4vA MERCH: the-normies-shop.fourthwall.com TOKYOTREAT: Use code “THENORMIES” to receive $5 off for your first #TokyoTreat box through my link: https://team.tokyotreat.com/TheNormies ART OF TEA: Artoftea.com | Use the code NORMIES for 10% off SEND US LETTERS/GIFTS: PO Box 785 Fishers, IN 46038 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: linktr.ee/the_normies

Comments

Dante Sparda

“Fortunate Son” is one of the most psychologically rich episodes of The Sopranos, exploring trauma, inheritance, and identity. It links Tony Soprano’s adult panic attacks to a disturbing childhood memory in which he faints after seeing his mother prepare meat just after his father cuts off Satriale’s finger—a shocking fusion of sex, violence, and family. Dr. Melfi helps Tony see that this moment connected desire, blood, and aggression in his subconscious, marking the start of his lifelong anxiety. The flashback carries Freudian undertones, especially the Oedipal complex, as Tony’s psyche blurs the lines between maternal intimacy and violence Meanwhile, Christopher’s initiation as a made man reflects the emptiness of inherited power. What should be a moment of triumph instead feels hollow, exposing the Mafia as a suffocating system rather than a true family. His disillusionment mirrors Tony’s growing anxiety about legacy, particularly in his concern for A.J. When A.J. suffers a panic attack after being named team captain—a clear echo of Tony’s own condition—it coincides with Tony confronting the generational cycle of emotional repression and denial that he had to face when he was younger. A.J.’s fading ambitions, once aimed at West Point or Harvard, reveal how Tony’s dismissiveness mirrors the way Junior once belittled Tony in front of his girl cousins as Tony mentioned in season one. The episode shows how disappointment and insecurity repeat across generations, making family both inheritance and burden. Meadow’s experiences at Columbia add another layer to the episode’s exploration of legacy. Her interactions with Noah and her family force her to confront the moral tension between her privilege, culture, and her father’s criminal past. Despite her attempts to distance herself, she can’t escape her upbringing—Noah knows Tony is “mobbed up,” and she is going to dinner with friends of his family who have ties at NBC, highlighting how deeply her world is intertwined with power and corruption. This dynamic embodies the episode’s central irony: the “fortunate son” (or daughter) inherits not only comfort but also guilt and dysfunction. Throughout, recurring imagery—meat as both nourishment and violence, fainting as repressed trauma, and mob rituals as hollow performances—ties together the show’s critique of masculine power and illusionary tradition. Ultimately, “Fortunate Son” reveals that in The Sopranos, family is not just a source of strength but also the root of its deepest wounds.

PIG

Even compared to The Wire and Breaking Bad, The Sopranos has some of the best actors of any show. I think Aida Turturro (Janice) is one of them. She's so realistic and can play her character at so many levels. What an incredible cast. EDIT: Speaking of The Wire, the actor in the gambling scene with Chris is the same actor as a homicide detective that The Bunk kept interacting with.

Veya

In addition to the similarities, the differences are present as well. Junior belittled Tony in football. Tony praised AJ here and gave him praise in football. This is of course balanced out by the negative effects we see in terms of how AJ is feeling about college, even if Meadow never had these same work ethic and academic problems. The flashback and final scene of the episode also does a good job of muddling what exactly causes meat or perhaps parental pressure to be a trigger. It links Tony and AJ being praised, but Tony witnessed violent trauma and AJ didn’t (and he goes to great lengths to try and shield him from it). AJ’s case also goes against part of what Melfi says in terms of violence and sex, even if she did touch on something with the pressure of inheriting legacy. The show always did a great job with the nuances of generational cycles, better than pretty much any other show in its weight class.

Erik D

According to the book Five Families by Selwyn Raab, any hesitation while being made is an instant death sentence, the assumption being that the person is an informer.

Hank Scorpio

To answer Pat's question about the meaning of the records to Janice. Money....they're worth a lot, that's literally it. Janice is the worst....I actually hate her more than Livia. Livia was at least kind of funny with how ridiculous she was, Janice just sucks....she's a worse version of Livia imo.

Bob

The wire cast is too good imo to beat. Gandolfini is the best but Micheal williams, lance reddick, wood harris, and idris elba all match gandolfini for me (maybe not idris).

phunkrsd

What's interesting going forward is that David Chase, the creator of the show, has shared that he felt that the general public was too 'comfortable' with the darker side of the mob. So, while the show continues to build on the family dynamics and having some comic relief, you'll notice it becoming darker as this season progresses and especially next seasons. To me, that steady transition into darkness, is what makes this show the greatest ever; finding yourself in the character's 'boat', somewhat ashamed of the fact that you're rooting for their success, but you still are. :)

A L

I wouldn't normally post something like this, but after watching the next episode with Blind Wave recently, I had forgotten just how brutal and potentially triggering a particular scene in the next episode could be for some people. I'm not going to be specific enough to spoil anything, but hopefully somebody can prepare them.

Conor Philbey

An interesting thing about this show which this episode reminded me of is how casually it introduces characters. I won't spoil it but some of the most important characters in the show can be introduced quite casually, as happens in this episode. That's all I will say about that. Also when comparing Janice and Tony they are both very similar. Sharing many of the same traits and faults. I would say the biggest difference between them is that Tony is more responsible, he kind of has to be in his line of work. While Janice is someone who almost seems to reject any responsibility or commitment. I think her getting engaged to a 19 and then seemingly abandoning him kind of shows that.

Veya

From our perspective it's crazy that someone would rather be in the mob than a doctor, but that's illustrating just how dangerous their cultural insulation is. Meadow serves as a foil in this sense, calling out how backwards a lot of their worldviews are. She's also serves as a wrinkle to the passed down nature of their flaws. AJ is lazy and academically mediocre, but Meadow did well growing up in the same household. And as a further deconstruction of the episode title: Janice is not a "son" but is messed up in a lot of the same ways the sons are. This is also a good episode in terms of showing that Melfi sessions aren't infallible. She hits on a good thing with passed down legacies, but AJ passing out at the end doesn't really align with the breakthrough she seems to make with Tony and his association with meat/sexuality/violence. It was the same last season where she mentions sociopathic personalities need to keep moving or they have time to think about the morality of their actions. But we saw Junior under house arrest become a smarter gangster.

Kwame James

Just a heads up Paulie can't put hands on Chris he's a made man if he had a problem with Chris he would have to have a sit down with Chris Tony and Silvio would be there to hear and resolve the problem

Kwame James

I don't think yall realized how much some record collection can sell for it's Olivia collection Tony was born in the late 50s and his dad was in the mob before Tony was born so the record collection can be very valuable

Kwame James

Just a small correction Tony girlfriend was like 24 or 25 and Tony is maybe 41 at most Tony daughter is like 18 or 19 so just based on appearance along he wouldn't do it and Janice is Tony's older sister by at least 2 or 3 years so yeah Janice is a worst person

Kwame James

Can't wait to hear their discussion for episode 4

Javi

This is an all time episode, so many memes generated from this episode alone lmfao

Gaius Frakking Baltar

Back in 2001 Mad TV did a great Sopranos parody, which touched on Tony's racism towards Meadow's college friend. The skit showed what The Sopranos would look like if it aired on Pax TV, a network dedicated to family friendly entertainment. Will Sasso does a fantastic imitation of Tony, and Debra Wilson's impression of Dr. Melfi is also really good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8FUUzmaCxc

Hank Scorpio

Also, thay boy seemed pretty childish mentally. At least Tony's gommah was way more mature. Janice is disgusting....

Hank Scorpio

Tony would definitely side with Paulie as Paulie has to pay Tony. Chris skimping out on Paulie affects Tony's bottom line.

Hank Scorpio

Yeah, I always skip THAT scene on rewatches. Once was more than enough for me.