right on time

 

Lorraine Bracco -- Goodfellas; The Sopranos

Lorraine Bracco played the wife of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) in Goodfellas (1990) and Dr. Jennifer Melfi, psychiatrist to whom New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano goes for counseling in The Sopranos (1997 - 2007, HBO).

"Attention to detail" is a phrase that comes up again and again in Comments from viewers under You Tube videos that feature Sopranos clips.  People say things like, "It's that kind of attention to detail that makes this show great."

The enthusiasm -- indeed, exuberance -- in those comment sections makes you happy.  

        All the violence, battering, killing:  Aahh! - it lifts the human spirit!  (Oh.  Wait a minute...)

I wouldn't be able to put up with the amount of violence there is in that show, if the show wasn't so good.  It's amazing.  If a violent scene is coming -- or if it bursts upon the screen unexpectedly because I forgot -- sometimes I put up my hand, palm toward the show and close my eyes, and remind myself, 'it's not real, it's not real, they're acting - it's ok'.  

Those people could all benefit from anger management -- there's an episode about that.  In one, Tony asks his psychiatrist out on a date (he and his wife are separated).  He is trying to act right and be nice, and polite.  He is dressed very well, every crease, all perfect.

        When she turns down the date, giving him a sensible reason, and being very kind and polite, yet firm, he tries to keep the facade of pleasantness but when he begins to talk it quickly goes into him being frustrated, then angry -- then he calls her an extremely rude and vulgar expletive.

It's such an affecting scene, because you can feel and see how he is really trying, and acting nice.  But when he doesn't get his way the interaction devolves swiftly.  It's like he just can't keep the mask on, he has to explode if he doesn't have control, and get his way.

It is scary when someone is like that.

In the episode titled, "All Due Respect" the Van Morrison song "Glad Tidings" is played -- a short outtake plays about half-way through the episode when Christopher comes out wearing sunglasses, hat, and casual clothes -- sort of a disguise.  And then later on, more of the song plays.

And we'll send you glad tidings from New York

Open up your eyes so you may see

Ask you not to read between the lines

Hope that you will come in right on time...

♫ ♫

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