Thursday 21 April 2011

Sopranos, Blue Bloods,Masterchef and American Idol

Having mentioned that Game of Thrones was like Sopranos in Middle Earth, I viewed the real thing last night and after the more introspective recent episodes the series took off as Soprano’s world commenced to collapse around him.

He is called to a meet with the corrupt local detective who advises that one of Soprano’s closest firends and partners in crime, Pussy Bonpensiero, has been wired by the Federal Bureau Investigating Team. He explains that the comrade was picked up while allegedly on holiday when he was pressured into acting for the state as he faced an indefinite sentence because of his previous record. Recently the so called safe joint owned by the criminals was turned over by the Feds who knew in advance that a large stash of weapons was kept under the snooker table. Pussy was then bailed by his wife, something of a surprise at the ease in which this happened especially as he had tried to run away. The other crime partner Jimmy Altieri is only released on bail after his lawyer argues that when the property was purchased the table was already there and therefore they had no idea that weapons were stored beneath the table.

Tony is reluctant to believe that his friend has turned traitor. The programme commenced with the captains visiting one of their brothels and a girl runs in to tell the Madam that a client is having a heart attack to discover that it is Pussy saying his back is out. Later a colleague tells Tony that although Pussy went for medical attention the doctor was unable find any cause of the problems he was having. Tony discusses the situation with his pychiatrist who in general terms agrees that worries and stress can result in physical reactions. She also mentions the presure of keep secrets.

The two other close associates Pauli Walnuts and Silvio Dante also have difficulty in believing that Pussy has been turned informer and press Tony to get evidence. One mentions that they know that the Detective owes Pussy $30000 dollars gambling debts. There is then a raid on brothel while the Detective is enjoying its services. He is suspended and throws himself off a bridge to his death. We suspect that Tony was behind this. The death appears to convince him that the man was right about Pussy and tells Paulie he will deal with the matter. Paulie says that it one of the perks of being boss is that others will do the dirty work. Tony tells him to be sure that Pussy has a wire before he kills him. Paulie invites Pussy to join him in a private Turkish bath session but Pussy declines saying he has been told not experience any kind of heat (which is of course nonsense in his circumstances) but he is not forced by Paulie. After the release of Jimmy, Tony is convinced from his manner that he is traitor. In the last scene we see Tony speculating to himself about who is the traitor and what he is to do.

However little does Tony know this problem is minor is the one about to break over him. Early in the epsidoe Tony and his wife hold open hosue but his mother does not attend, as has happened in the past. His wife visits the mother to express Tony’ disappointment. The woman rejects the fruit pie Carmela had prepared for her and when she rejects this Carmel suggests that her hisband’s brother Junior who she knows visits regularly will enjoy if she does not. Livia takes offence interpreting the remark that she is having a relationship with her husband’s brother. Later she tells Junior how upset she is that Tony has sold her home and Junior is not sympathetic. She then tells Junior that Tony and the other captians have hasd meetings at the residential home together with someone from the New York syndicate. In fact the Capo’s have there when visiting their mothers and because it is a good place to meet without the Feds taking interest. Junior is incenses and indicates that he has to take action to exert his authority. Livia denies wanting to be the cause of trouble between him and her son, thus demonstrating what Carmela said to her that she is a manipulative and controlling woman who likes to wield power. She could have added, wicked, to the point of evil. There is also a scene in which one of Junior, junior criminals tells his woman that he is anticipating promotion within the organisation and that Tony Soprano is on the way down and out. He is either Mikey Palmice or Chucky Signore told by Junior to arrange the death of Tony. So much for honour among thieves!

I decided against going to the cricket on the Thursday although listened to the Sussex led radio broadcast on the Internet. I did go for an early swim returning for the anticipated arrival of four oft he first five already published Fire and Ice series of Gothic novels on which the new TV series Game of Thrones is based on book one. The cricket is reported separately but alas I had to wait in until afternoon before the novels arrived. There was s dense sea mist over the coast as I drove for the swim and which had only slightly eased on the return journey. It did lift a little during the day but in late afternoon it returned and by the close of play had covered Lumley Castle.

I enjoyed Blue Bloods more than expected and on reflection it proved to be one of the better episodes although continues to stretch overall credulity. The main subject is the death of the son of a Little Russia/Odessa crime boss at his engagement party. The father was the subject of a major crime investigation in which the Commissioner played a major part and was disappointed when the man escaped with only a four year sentence. He visits the crime boss to advise him to mourn his son but to leave capturing the culprit to the police. The man ignores this advice and the owner of the club where the party is held is tortured before being killed. The son was found in a part of the club where the CCTC camera had been switched off. The main suspect is a former teenage delinquent who expressed interest in the bride to me when at high school and who pursued the girl against her wishes at the time. He is now working for a Florist. He is blown up shortly after being questioned by the Detective son of the Commissioner and his partner. He survives. Just.

He is not murderer which turns out to be mother who had married one of the crime syndicate men as a young woman but separated/divorced. She wanted to do anything and everything preventing her daughter making the same mistake. The husband to be was very much his father’s son involved in a number of criminal activities and had been persuaded to by one of the guests at the party to accompany her to the planned location where photographs were to be taken in an attempt to prove to the daughter what he fiancĂ©e was really like. However the mother had decided that she could not risk this not working and had killed the man. The daughter is distraught. The theme of the week is therefore parents take to protect or further the interests of their children.

Fortunately for the Police Commissioner, the bomb maker is traced with evidence to convict him and he is persuaded to give evidence incriminating the gang leader because of the threat of being treated as a Terrorist and therefore being subject to the dearth penalty or a life imprisonment. The man gives up the crime boss.

There is a similar giving up in the secondary case of the episode. This involves the daughter assistant DA, She is assigned the case of a deputy Mayor or leading political figure in the Mayor’s office for corruption. He was arrested on the limited evidence of an assistant which is not regarded as strong enough to gain a conviction. The father of the Police Chief as well as the number 2 in the D.A’s office who is over stepped for the case to go the Commissioner’s daughter draw attention that the decision is a political move because the DA is standing against the Mayor for his position at the next elections. The daughter is very successful in the case by exerting pressure on an accountant and through her on the main witness to ensure that he provides hard evidence to secure the case. This result in the D.A expressing a personal interest in his assistant, taking her out for a celebratory kiss and insisting on seeing her home ending the evening with a kiss. Oh my. Grandfather makes her amends for questioning the judgement and ability of his grand daughter with a large bunch of flowers.

I enjoyed the semi final of Masterchef in which the four remaining competitors were reduced to three. The programme gave the impression that the decision would rest on the final dish prepared for the two core judges in which instance the lovely Italian lady Sara, now living in York would have been eliminated because he judges valued her dish least, especially against Jackie who pulled out all the stops and drew great praise from the judges, however she has consistently shown master chef skills and cooking for a select group of dinner guests at the Royal Society he dish was the only one which everyone adored without any criticisms and she received a standing ovation when she entered to meet them for the excitement of freezing a sorbet at their tables to the presentation and content of her pudding dish and which indeed looked delicious and worthy of would have been the commercial cost.

Finally the evening ended with the latest round of American Idol, in a season where no one is outstanding in such as Leona Lewis or the lad from South Shields in the British version. Lauren Alaina is only 16 with a southern drawl and could loose a couple of stone and i still trying to find who she is and not someone I expect will win the title, nor do I anticipate the other youngster, Scotty McCreery is 17 from North Carolina and is a natural country and Western singer with an unusually deep voice (Tennessee Ernie Ford) who has a wide following because of his youth and I who I am attitude,

One possible winner is James Durbin 22 from Santa Cruz who wore a tail effect to mark his difference at first similar to a British rock performer whose names I cannot remember. He is a great crowd pleaser and over recent weeks has shown that he is more than a one trick pony. Jacob Lusk 23 has a wide vocal range ands his performances are commanding and moving and could be regarded the one everyone else has to beat. He will command the religious and mum’s vote. Casey Abrahams 20 is a multi instrumental jazz and swing singer who also knows who he is and insists in trying to educate the pop public with good music. He is my outsider. Haley Reinhart is the only other female left in the competition with an undoubted strong voice without being the character of some of the others although she is growing in confidence and gave the performance of her life to ensure she stayed in the competition knocking Stefano Lengone who was never in my top ten and who saw himself as a lady’s man, I suspect without much success
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