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The Sopranos | Why You're Wrong About Tony Blundetto
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มิ.ย. 2024
- Tony Blundetto is a major character on The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's maternal cousin who served 16 years in prison on hijacking charges before being released in 2004 and trying to go legitimate and starting a career as a massage therapist, but finds himself returning back to his life of crime, leading him into a spiral of destruction that damages the Soprano family's business relationship with the Lupertazzi family. Eventually, Tony B is taken out by Tony Soprano. He is portrayed by Steve Buscemi.
In today's video, I want to make the controversial argument that Tony Blundetto is actually a poorly written and poorly acted character. In fact, from the main cast of The Sopranos, Tony B is the worst character in the show.
“That notorious child killer” line had me rolling
Just a kid
@@drue_tube9357 Only 47
I don’t get it….
@@LukeyBoy82Phil Leotardo looking at Billy Leotardo’s picture: “47 years old….he was just a kid. Me, I’m an old man.”
It’s a running joke that Phil considered a 47 year old to be a kid.
@@StuUngarkid you never admit the existence of this thing!
You defend this animal, even after he killed my 47 year old kid brudda Billy. Frankly, I'm ashamed and embarrassed you had to do this.
What happened there?
Is that F'N necessary!!!??
he was just a kid for Christ sake, whole life ahead of him
Whatever happened there
40 50 year old kids...
Dat animal Blundetto, I can't even say his name.
You know the wine makes you emotional.
Uncle Philly!
@@adam_94It's cause he's got an empty stomach!
Say hi to don ho!!!!
@@wmen48 Uncle Philly my ass!
Unpopular opinion: I think Buscemi was perfectly casted.
Feech, Richie and Phil are nothing but rage, they don't even pretend to be relaxed.
They served time in prison, got out and went on a rampage because they felt entitled to it.
Buscemi looks exactly the way Tony B is supposed to: a seemingly well-mannered dork who is actually a killer that tries to act like the past is the past, that he wants to move on but he's mad as hell with the world and he wants everything he thinks he deserves and he wants it right now. He acts like he's over it, but every time there's a slight inconvenience he'll lose it.
Do you know who Mike Vining is?
Take a look at him, Tony B is the mob equivalent of that guy.
If he fully embraced how rotten he is right from the start, who knows what would've happened.
Carl Jung ova here
Very popular opinion. I've hardly seen people who claimed he got too much screen time or wasn't appropriately casted.
@@goodyeoman4534😂😂😂
Facts.
@@MundaneThingsBackwards I've seen a ton of people say he was a miscast.
It's ironic he doesn't look like a real mobster from Jersey because he's literally of Sicilian descent and born in Brooklyn. 100% chance someone he knows closely is mobbed up. He probably just never had the makings of a varsity Italian.
A few of the other guys were of Sicilian descent as well.
One of the palest Sicilians I ever seen
His mom is Western European. English and Dutch. He kind of looks like a north Italian.
Thumbs up for the varsity line
@basedmoonman9341 I found he looks exactly like many East Frisians look, including his big eyes and the stubby nose.
But the thing about different teints in Europeans is that darker or lighter ones can skip a generation or even distribute unevenly among siblings. You see that with Italians, Spaniards and Romanians all the time.
My uncle also looks like the Shah, but my mom looks like Carmela.
“He’s convinced me, give me my dollar back”
Lol I love that scene
🫰just for the waitresses
Pass me the world's smallest violin
Hey! Leave the dollars there!
Whenever Blundetto's not on screen, all the other characters should be asking, "Where's Blundetto?"
😂
Best comment
You know they say gangsters get busy? Well Tony B gets Bizzzz-Ayyyy!
It’s a totally outrageous paradigm
Easy there poochie
High IQ doesn't mean someone always acts hyper logically. I know plenty of smart guys who could do complex higher level math in their sleep but couldn't figure out how to microwave a frozen burrito.
Imagine in the future if there were whole generations like what you describe 🤔
I heard that on your last IQ test you scored: zeppelin.
SO true.
Lol that sounds like autism/savant syndrome
Yes, we're all human and everyone can be corrupted by emotion and circumstance
1:18 - it's worth mentioning that at that time Billy was 47 years old, just a kid....
Yeah, it's sad when they go so young like that.
@@BattleAxe1345when they go!!!
Whatever happened there..
@@tomz5704 what ever happened there WHAT EVE HAPPENED THERE
Let me tell you a couple of 3 things
one of my favorite twists in the show is actually realizing that davey was Bobby’s father. remember when tony said “but ur old man was the fuckin terminator”
I see what u did there 😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂
His mum had a taste for liquid metal.
Ok come on lmao
Took me a second lol
The thing is, The Sopranos is such a good show overall that it works and you look over it. The Sopranos is full of inconsistencies that you can live with if you're a true fan. A lot of things don't add up perfectly and that is indeed since they created the show as they went along. Nancy Marchand died and they had to create a whole new direction for season 2 (using bad CGI).
As Patsy said about Vito blowing the security guard: "I couldn't care less, basically"
This is like whenever someone brings up the portrayal of Silvio. Is the acting one dimensional in comparison to the other characters? I guess but he’s still one of my favourite characters and the whole shows so good I never noticed
Yea? maybe you're a flambe
“Real Fan” is a questionable term, you can point out bad writing and still enjoy the show.
Dragon Ball is a prime example with it being without a doubt the most iconic and important Anime of all time yet having the absolute worst writing of its caliber rivaled only by late stage Shippuden.
Buscemi is literally of Sicilian descent and born and Brooklyn. Terrible fucking take from cineranter and everyone else.
@@maylabrown4584it’s bad writing to cast a Sicilian born New Yorker as a mobster bc of how he looks? How does a “mobster” look. If anything it’s more realistic
In fairness Michael Franzese looks far more like a Mob Boss as an after dinner speaker now than he ever did as a Mob Boss back in the day. Old photos of him 'in the life' make him look like University Maths Student
Yep. A dork in a denim jacket much of the time. Or polo shirts and big nerdy glasses. He was pre-Med before he went Mob.
Yeah but Michael wasn’t a street guy so you’re kind of proving his point
Yeah people have a romantic notion that you need to “look” like a gangster, when in fact anybody can look like a gangster. Video is kinda dumb
@@bigroaststyrone8135 nah, you gotta consider it in the context of what expectations mob films and the Sopranos, not actual real life, had already set for how these mafia characters should be. It'd be a different story if the Sopranos had been a realistic no-frills grimey depiction of the crimelife, but it was always the opposite "fugghetaboutit" "fugazi" Donnie Brasco Bronx Tale Hollywood portrayal instead
@@earlpipe9713 was it really? Hollywood and Americana saw guys like De Niro, Pacino and Liotta as gangsters. The tall dark handsome type, not fat old schlubs and skinny kids ala the Sopranos. Buscemi looks no more out of place in the Sopranos than Joe Pesci does in Casino imo
You know, I coulda called him Ichabod Crane, but I did-dent.
Oh fuck. Did-dent is my all time favorite sopranos quote 😂
Damn that's a good comment
Tony B didnt have the makings of a varsity massage therapist
He had the markings of a fucking animal though, that Blundetto.
Jack Lalane
I think he did but not the makings of a varsity business partner
Small hands 🤣🤣
Hey Cinerantor, when you were talking about Tony B. staring at Meadow which I took to be as a platonic connection to his daughter the stare that you did show between him and Fin Detrolio was the one that needed analysis. Was he sizing him up, checking him out because he looks like Steve Perry or a little bit of both?😮
Hold on, did you say Dr Milfy? 😂😂
Where’s the lie?
And?
You know her by a different name?
It's a nickname!
Don't cream yourself
Way too many great quotes and story-lines involving Animal Blundetto for me to say he's the worst.
"You're crowding me" might be one of my top 3 lines from the show. Not because it's poignant or anything, but because it's one of the few times you genuinely know the character standing up against Tony might get away with saying it.
@@natalieardner5509it also shows his facial expression change into a way more menacing look
Wes Calwell
@@natalieardner5509when he says that it really comes across as a dangerous ex con, that's why, in principal, I disagree with Cineranter
Those are cards not candy bars, you can deal a few of those out
Did any of the guys who got out of prison act normal? They were all off.
They released these fucks from the can. Obviously, they weren't rehabilitated.
It's all that black seed they got pumped with.
@@goodyeoman4534 LOL
It was ll that grilled cheese off the radiator that they ate.
He was an NYC firefighter. His accent is as real as it gets
Exactly cine ranter is way off. The dude is literally of Italian decent and born in Brooklyn wtf
@@hkmma6543 i cut him some slack cause he ain't from round here.
Yea he was off with the accent thing
Buscemi always gave me a Don Knotts vibe.
now I can never unsee that similarity, thanks, lol😂
Was looking like an older Bill Skarsgård
Barney Google, with the go-go-googly eyes
@@ray.shoesmith Calm down, Gyp.
Facts
Agree with pretty much all of this. Also consider that every aspect of Tony B's character was explored in a more satisfying way with other characters:
Family member from Tony Soprano's past who he goes out if his way to protect and comes to resent? Christopher did it better.
Old mob guy who gets out of jail and has to navigate how the world has changed? Richie and Feech did it better.
Member of the Jersey crew who is used by New York to cause strife and conflict with the Sopranos? Paulie did it better.
We're left with a character that lacks a strong identity and seems more like a device to set in motion the conflicts to come in season 6
Fantastically put.
His jokes are undefeated besides the Slipper and dildo joke
Very good and unique points
Any flies on you, they’re payin’ rent. Outstanding insight.
Damn that’s a great point
My estimation of Tony Blundetto as a character just fuckin plummeted
He’s of Italian descent and born and raised in Brooklyn New York. The fucker is as legit as it would get. Just because he’s not the stereotype for typical mob movies he’s suddenly a character of bad writing. Makes no sense.
Somehow tony b wasn’t even in the many saints of Newark even though him and tony soprano were so close they were practically like brothers
Didn’t even think about this until now, and it’s the least of that movie’s problems.
The Many Saints of Newark is not cannon. It completely destroys the shows timeline and has as many pot holes as the surface of the moon.
I like Animal Blundetto as a character. He should be glad that Tony killed him, because if he went to prison for Billy's murder, the inmates would treat him as a chomo.
😂😂😂😂
You oughta know, sweetie.
@@goodyeoman4534hahahqhqh
I saw that coming !
But wasn’t he in prison already for like 15 years be for his character was introduced? Why the chomo for Billy’s murder? I legit am asking and not trolling. Did I miss something from the video?
@@bitethebook7650 He killed a 47 year old kid
Nah you're being very unfair with Blundetto. Not every character has to speak in Italian-American jargon, it's a stereotype and it's offensive! Buscemi is literally an Italian-American and doesn't speak like that irl. Also the idea that they changed Moltisanti is bs. Christopher was of the sensitive type since the beginning of the show, are you kidding? His most famous line of the regularness of life doesn't ring a bell? He was like that from the beginning to the end. Many things wrong with this video, even though I do enjoy your content.
" Youre crowding me "
You don't make fun of me. Got it?
Give me one thousand eggs.
It's a fucken nickname!
Fan theory: he’s Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs
Why couldn’t he have had a cool name, like Mr White?
The reason Season 5 was a little "off" was because it was supposed to be the last season. HBO badgered and badgered David Chase to take his pre-written, well organized five season plan and stretch it to seven. Finally HBO threw enough money at him that he agreed to do it. So he threw together Season 5 on the fly. After Season 5, Chase was so disgusted that he told HBO there would be no Season 7, and he didn't care if he took a pay cut.
BUT ...
At that point he had written Phil in and Johnny Sac into jail and had written this entire Tony B saga that created really bad blood. He had written JT Dolan into the show (which was just Terminator Gamblin Scatino Part 2), and other plot points I don't recall now. So Season 6 ran long because Chase wrote extra episodes to clean up the mess without making it obvious and ham fisted. Plus Vito's actor got his Gay Mob story put into the show, which was never in the original outline for 5 Seasons and done.
Sooo...
That's why Blundetto sucked. He and Feech and Phil and Angelo were never supposed to actually be in the show - just mentioned, but never seen.
I disagree completely. The fact that this guy is talked up as a big shot for half a season before he shows up as a goofy ass dork with bad social awareness who can't even hit a guy without getting his foot run over is perfectly in line with the show. One of the strongest thematic undercurrents in The Sopranos is the contrast between the glorified Goodfellas life they all think they lead and the mundane, goofy, shitty reality of it. Tony B exemplifies that.
It’s entirely because of Buscemi’s reputation as an actor….nobody wants to call out the character for what a disaster it was. The Feech/Blundetto arcs were ridiculous.
We know he can play a very convincing, and menacing gangster as he did in Boardwalk Empire. He just played Tony B the way they wrote it.
Michael Madsen would’ve been a great Tony B.
I really want to see that, he'd actually feel like Tony's real cousin
His last name doesn't end with a vowel
That would’ve been dope
hes not as funny
Agree !
Not gonna lie 1/4-1/3 of my Italian cousins kinda look like him 🤣 that’s a northern Italian look same as ralphie
Buscemi is Brooklyn Sicilian. So, wrong boyo.
@@mrd3016 you’re kind of a 🤡 either way coming at someone agreeing with you rather than the doofus making the video lol. My grammas from Bafia Sicily with whiter skin than him and a Afro boyo
@@mrd3016yeah but thats his father's family, he's English/Irish (cant remember) and Dutch on his mother's side.
@@mrd3016 White skin and blue eyes, classic Sicilian.
@@NotQuiteFirstblue or green eyes isn't that uncommon, but pink skin is
Michael madsen would've been perfect.
He looks like he could be related to Tony easily.
leave Mr. Blonde outta dis...
His last name doesn't end with a vowel
Uh no. He would have taken over the family immediately. And do you see Madsen giving massages?
I really hate how they did Furio! I love his character and to have him fall in love with Carmella and write him off. Really pissed me off.
The way you effortlessly blend in the sopranos memes is hilarious 😂😂😂
I agree. Felt like a guest star role and was surprised he lasted as long as he did. And the Meadow staring came off as creepy instead of mournful.
"Fuckin weirdo you ask me" literally had me pissing my pants laughing 😂
Kristafahhs mother's box, not Tony's
You're tawkin to the box heah
@@thepuffin4050 barak Obama ova heah
@@PicaPauDiablo1ohhhhh !
I think Tony B might have been a better character if he wanted to get right back into the game after getting out, but for whatever reason Tony S knocks him back, or gives him jobs that he feels are beneath him given the time he's served. Because of this he actually starts to drift away from the mob life and towards more legitimate work, using his 160 IQ and meeting a woman, even gaining a lead on his daughter. Tony watches Tony B actually achieve what he can't - happiness, and it drives him further down that sociopath hole.
Totally agree with this analysis. On top of that, I think that the main story line around Tony B was somehow similar to the one of Richie April and a bit lazy. A former team member comes back from prison, messes up and is killed at the end of the season. Looks very formatted and doesn't bring anything new to the show. The death of Adriana which is very close in time to Tony B's death in the show is much more shocking and fit much better in the story.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I see his actor in any other seriers is "mMmmMmmmMmmboy are you fat"
I see your points. However it could be argued that Blundetto is like an opposite of Tony due to his time in prison, when Tony walks besides him at the party you see that he's fat, gregarious and well dressed because he's been basking in wealth for the last 15 years or so. Blundetto next to him is skinny and emaciated looking while wearing an outdated 80's style suit jacket. I think maybe the slight awkwardness of the character was on purpose and shows the toll that prison takes on a man's life.
I think Tony B would have worked better were he never fully in, and got popped by happenstance. Then when he came out he tries to go straight but the family mess always falls on him. He ends up getting killed by Tony almost as a sacrifice. This would fix why he’s never talked about. They just really weren’t that close.
You would think Tony would set him up a cash only parlor and everyone would win. He would be like another Artie Bucco
"Well, the little guy.. he was kinda funny looking".
Oh yaah?
funny how ??
What do you expect? He was going crazy down there by the lake and needed some action…
Tony B accepts the hit job, after turning it down, because he is jealous of Tony S's family life and money. This is made evident in "Marco Polo." Surprised you missed that, as it's obvious. He took it so he COULD f over Tony S, and it did. Sometimes you seem to have the makings of a varsity film critic...but you'd never make it.
😆😅😂
What I think is crazy is once he decided to go back into the life he almost went straight to hitman work.
He failed to whack Phil because he ran out of bullets. He stopped his quest for vengeance afterward because he had been identified killing a made man and now has to lamb chop it due to the penalty for an associate like Tony B killing a soldier in the Cosa Nostra. However, how someone with a high IQ only brought a revolver with six bullets to a hit and didn't bother to conceal his face is poor writing.
It wasn’t a revolver
My personal theory was that he wanted Phill to see his face and wanted to burn his heart and make him witness his brother’s assassination. After all, Tony B’s nickname is the animal.
I feel like it works because a big part of the show is nostalgia being fake. Tony worships older figures of his life out of a sense of endearment for what he thinks they used to be instead of for what they _actually_ are. And Tony B seems a big example of that.
Tony B telling Tony S “You’re crowding me” is prob my favorite scene of his.
Really good point how Blundetto was never set up in previous seasons in any way.
They did that for Feetch, would have worked well here.
For the sake of accuracy, the television report on Junior's trial says that it's the first Soprano trial in 17 years, which introduces a way in for Tony B even if it doesn't name him specifically
You just said what everyone was thinking.
“Notorious child killer” that was gold 🤣
Im glad im not the only one who always felt Blundetto was shoehorned into the show. I think it feels especially worst when established actors like John Favreau are part of the show as themselves, but an arguably more famous actor like Buscemi is a gangster. For a character I always felt was strangely added to the show was Benny Fazio. Sure he was more natural then the animal, but I truly couldn’t understand where this guy just enters from stage left and is now some trusted associate. Outside of the meme stuff, why was Benny allowed to get leeway for breaking protocol when he was running scams from Artie’s restaurant, when we all know that in earlier seasons Tony would’ve sent someone flying through a door or a desk for doing something so obviously stupid.
"You the one that keeps bringing that up"
14:20 "I still really like Tony Blundetto..."
Haha really? Could have fooled me with this breakdown🤣🤣!
(Takes nothing away from the quality of the breakdown- another top tier, thought-provoking analysis.)
I loved Tony B! Partly because Steve Buscemi is one of my favorite actors, but I also liked the character.
It's not that weird that they wouldn't talk about him. After that much time inside he would be an after thought not a constant talking point. Life moves on without you
I see what you mean with his appearance but I thought that's why he worked, he's believable as an unassuming monster. That animal.
Am I the only one who kept saying “Shut the fuck up Donnie,” every time he was on the screen? I don’t hate him as Tony B., but that reaction is just ingrained into me now. 😂😂
Or, you’re out of your element Donnie.
What a video CR. I didnt realize how deep the rabbit hole goes in terms of Blundetto being a terrible character. This is just excellent analysis.
The only thing about Tony B that I liked and what I think should have been more focused on was his resentment towards Tony S. Otherwise he doesn’t seem like a gangster and more importantly none of his motivations are believable. The hilariously weak friendship with Angelo that led ultimately to his own death after avenging Angelo’s was awful. And to be honest Steve Buscemi seemed bored with the role.
2:44
"Hello fellow mobsters."
Lol!
Best Sopranos commentary on TH-cam. I say this as a constant rewatcher of the Sopranos since 2004.
You’re absolutely right! Madsen would’ve been so good in the role.
Mr. Pink did a good job too though.
Tony B was a depressive sort, not "Hey! Oh!" kind of mobster. His deal was rumination and regret.
Cineranter dont put pinecones in the filter. What the hell's the matter with you?
Totally agree that his character was mishandled. A rare mistake for David chase.
I love Steve Buscemi
I disagree with most of this. He only added to the show I think.
"WHEYS CHAULWHAUL - WHEYS CHAULWHAUL!! - IT'S WEST... CALDWELL"
He was out of place the moment janice said, "That's the best picture they could find of him? He was a fox!" Either she was very high or they failed in casting. That animal (I can't even say his name) should've had a better role. Blundetto just feels forced in.
Look up pics of a young Steve Buscemi. He actually wasn't bad looking
There's guys in the can better looking than my cousin
i think that line was written as a joke about the actor’s looks.
but also, the other commenter is right about steve buscemi not always looking like a wet chicken. he even played a heart throb type character in the martin scorsese short *life lessons* in 1980.
@@michaeledwards6683 wet chicken.. 😝
That intro was packed with good jokes. Well done! I have to agree, two things really stuck out to me even on my first viewing of the series. That fight with Kim that came out of nowhere is one. The other is the assassination attempt on Phil. He blows the element of surprise by shooting the wrong person, then he...leaves, I guess? Even though Phil is right there and has seen his face, he doesn't shoot Phil, he just goes home and starts packing.
Tony B related to the crew as a kid childhood friend when he got out of prison. A lot of people when they have a traumatic experiences stop maturing past that point.
The show makes a point to show that when people would die they were instantly forgotten so it isn’t surprising that Tony B would be forgotten as soon as they knew he was going to do his time quietly.
The plot angle of the old gangster getting out of jail ready to make up for lost time was covered by literally every other character that got out and they covered every age range.
No matter how many faults it's still an electrical performance.
Cineranter- "willy...whats right is right.."
Me -" no... no... you insulted him alittle bit..."
I actually totally agree with you - I always felt like the Blundetto character was “forced” for lack of a better word. It felt, to me, like Chase just said “We love Steve, he’s directed some great episodes, and we want to write him into the show. How can we do that?” And then they came up with the Blundetto character and shoehorned him into the existing plan for the plot.
Guy did 20 years in the can and wasn't even made
He doesn’t “look” right is how you know you’ve never seen real mobsters. They don’t all look like Vito.
Sure but you could say patsy parisi doesnt look like a mobster, but he doesnt have the same feeling as buscemi.
@@jameskozy7254 This is just my opinion, after 17 years locked up that is the feeling that they, show runners, David Chase, wanted. Someone who had ties, tried to cut them, wanted the money, didn’t know how to function and got his head blown off. It’s the scene in the car with what’s her name the crazy girl, the first time you see what Patsy really is, you never got a scene like that with Blundetto and that is the idea. I mean the dudes last name, Buscemi, he is Italian to the bone.
I think it's actually more realistic that he doesn't "look" the part. I hear and get everything said here and all the criticism but still.
Patsy didnt look the part but he still felt like a mobster. Blundetto doesn't
@@jameskozy7254 I've known people that look like Howdy Doody that would cut someone's throat with a smile.
thats right Chase felt the same way about Drea. She was great
Buscemi's just a victim of being typecast.
He had brains he had balls… we could’ve used that…
No way!!! He fits in perfectly.
Omg I can't listen to these at work any more. I can't hold the laughter in... 😅
He's English.
Pretty sure this whole arc of the story is a pivot since the actor that played Tony s mother died when she did. I’m sure they had the whole story figured out with the mother alive for whole series or at least until she died just in the show. They had to create new angles and arcs to help make later seasons of the series….
The in-universe explanation that they don't talk about the guys who are in the can falls apart when you remember Feech was previously referenced in the series prior to being released.
I think him feeling “slightly off” actually added to the character and his story
I felt the same way about him and Robert Patrick when I first viewed the show. Just took their storylines a bit less seriously. Upon re-watching they work fine.
He looks like a dork.
Goes on to play an extremely believable period gangster in Boardwalk Empire.
You are so good at this! So many great lines mixed in with your own sense of humor, really enjoyed it as Sopranos fan !
I agree with you here. Buscemi definitely felt like a guest appearance and he just couldn't pull off the character even from a physical standpoint. On the other hand I thought his portrayal of Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire as kind of a crook/politician/gangster worked because he was never portrayed as the tough guy. That's not him.
Great video. Tony B’s sudden appearance reminds me of Richie Aprile not being mentioned in season one, which was a pretty big plot hole. It was understandable since it was super early in the show, but it was still a plot hole.
As Jackie’s health declined it is unrealistic that Richie would just be an afterthought considering he would have been months away from a release and he was the OLDER brother of the acting boss. I’m not saying Richie would be considered as a successor (he wouldn’t be), but when Tony was pitching his plan to the other capos the question “will Richie go along with this” would have absolutely come up. Because if they felt Richie wouldn’t be ok with the secret arrangement and might blow it up, they probably would have had to at the very least go visit him in the can to sell it, and possibly scrap the idea all together.
I completely disagree about his appearance, most people only feel this way because the media usually casts based on stereotypes instead of reality. Thats why a good chunk of the cast aren't Italian or Sicilian but have that stereotypical appearance. Same is true with many other shows and movies. But anyone that grew up around a significant number of Italians and Sicilians knows we span the human rainbow lol
Part of the plot issues, like him and his family never being mentioned, definitely seem odd but it's also just part of new characters coming in to any show later on in the run. But I agree some of the other aspects could have been set up better. But part of it is also that they shot themselves in the foot having him kill Billy and what was supposed to be a 2 season character got reduced to 1. And he definitely shoulda killed Phil.
But I think he was different because he was supposed to be different. Prison impacts everyone differently and yeah, not everyone in organized crime is exactly the same despite what we tend to see on screen more often than not.
So to me the only real issues were some of the writing choices. BUT its still better than almost anything else on TV at its weakest.
Tony B is the Reason why Season 5 is one of my favourites!! Steve Buscemi is a National Treasure !
Yo man by the first two mins you’re already killing me with the jokes
In the end… Steve just couldn’t fuckin sell it!
I like Steve Buscemi a lot, but do feel he was a better fit as Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire than as Tony B.
I completely agree. I kind of forgot but I definitely first time watching the show felt pretty much all the same things you've put forward here about Tony.B/Steve's performance.
I agree with most of this. The writers and producers clearly shoe-horned in the entire character of Tony B to accommodate a great movie star in a great TV show and they did so extremely badly. Like a winning football team whose owner signs a big star player to sell tickets and replica shirts, and tells the coach to play him in every game regardless of form or tactics.