Its weird that Carmela’s sister is never even shown, I only realised she had one on my 4th watch of the show when i noticed Carmela briefly mention her in a yawn and you won’t hear it moment
Tony seems to love Barbara very much and sees her life as an example of how Meadow might be able to live. Part of the family and yet outside the family.
The difference between Barbara and Meadow is that everybody's exalted expectations rest heavily on Meadow, just like the Corleone's on Michael during the first half of Godfather I: "Senator Corleone, Judge Corleone", as Vito is daydreaming. And just like Michael was sucked in, Meadow would have been in Sopranos VII. It is Barbara's blessing to keep that low profile and to fly lower than the radar works. It's a mobster movie commonplace: the acceptance of the family civilian, the silent longing for his/her life.
First Barbara actually seemed like an upper tier actor. She had depth and range just from a few lines and some facial expressions. Second Barbara seemed like a central casting tv actor.
Barbara the 1st displayed classic passive avoidance behaviors such as lassitude and a weary demeanor, remaining emotionally aloof and even somewhat sad to have to re-engage with the family toxicity, but doing so minimally as part of her daughter duties. Her one comment about slightly clownish Paulie at the family gathering showed that she was intimately aware of the entire Sopranos mobster clique and thereby knew what she'd escaped years ago. Barbara the 2nd almost seemed to enjoy being engaged with her family, which was not the way it should have been played.
Barbara serves the point of countering the narrative that Tony and Janice’s toxic personalities are hereditary. Their behaviors are strictly choices based on their own choosing.
They were clearly fucked up by their childhoods. Barbara was the only one with the strength to run away and stay away. We honestly have no idea what Barbara is like in her personal life. She might have the same issues for all we know.
I think it also is going by the timeline a subject of age and being the youngest. If we go by Saints timeline Barbara is still a teenager when Johnny Boy dies and was dying so she saw the squeaky gerbil who likely was much more softer in how he and Livia raised her. Also, Livia was probably tired and had less energy to screw with Barbara's head.
Not strictly choices. Partly choices. It's grey. There is some influence from nurture and some from nature. Plus she wasn't exposed to the same grisly shit as Tony, such as witnessing his dad cut off the butcher's finger .
@@mat5473 exactly, Johnny treated each kid a bit differently based on what they could do for him (like Janice being his reason for going to the fair, Tony living on to step into his shoes and keep his legacy in the family going, etc) Barbara seemed like she was able to get healthy resources somewhere down the line and took it. She was observant enough to know her families issues and actually not get involved which for the families way of life, meant she couldn’t be around them almost ever. It never seemed like any of the parents were ever conferenced with her either.
The character of Barbara is a great example on getting away from the toxicity of certain members of your family. Raising a healthy and happy family and getting away from all the toxicity of her family.
I don’t agree - people take this whole toxic concept way over board. There’s a difference between your sibling being a mafia killer and you being annoyed with some habits of your sibling or your family not embracing all your life choices
The first actress was stunningly attractive, almost too good looking for the family, which made a memorable contrast and a great intro for the character.
Ditto. The Casting Director did a great job of finding an actress who looks nearly identical. I just thought it was the same actress, but maybe aged a few years like @Kaylo STEEZ said.
Barbara was practically the only one who didn’t run from her problems in the series. But I did notice something about Janice in the finale episode to tack on to her becoming Livia. Her son Harpo changed his name to Hal, much like she did to her mother, “something else of mine you threw away”, the cycle continues…
Janice is also left sitting in a chair staring into nothing, her husband is dead, his children left than be around her and still all she seems content about is the sympathy she will garner and the money she’ll receive from Bobby being taken out. Tony even saying “he was my sisters husband, she has to see something from this” just repeats the same cycle and thought that Lyvia just saw her husband as a way to live comfortably and didn’t care for anything else. We also hear that Harpo/Hal is on the street begging, much like Janice faking disability instead of having a job.
Barbara is who Meadow would most likely eventually become. Tony said nothing gets by Meadow... and Barbara is the same. She immediately saw through Janice's BS about acting like the caring daughter and told her "don't worry, you'll get your cut". Barbara is a civilian... but knows all the nuances of the mob life.
I disagree somewhat. Meadow had a fault of actually siding with her father and excusing his crimes towards the end of the series. I think Barbara is more sensible and knows it’s all bad. But you bring up a good point.
@@jerryseinfeld5713 Meadow understood the assignment the same assignment Fredo didn't do when Michael told him to never take sides against the family. Meadow chastised Jackie's sister for making mob jokes about his death in front of an outsider. She then had to do it to Finn when he kept calling Johnny Sack Johnny Macaroni. She believed Finn about catching Vito and the fight at the site with Eugene and Patsy but she knows Finn isn't family or extended family.
@@keithharper1470 Well thought out reply and great examples. But, respectfully, I think your examples support @Jerry Seinfeld 's argument. Meadow chastising Jackie's sister and Finn [she broke off her engagement to him with this as the reason] is her accepting the normalcy of her criminal family. By pushing away positive people like Jackie's sister and Finn [an awesome human being] and instead marrying the son of mobster Patsi Parisi, she is LITERALLY marrying back into the mob. She is failing to escape like Barbara did.
Barbara cut herself off from the family and mob and has her own life, Meadow on the other hand is fiercely defensive of it and the series ends with her practically working for them. Even AJ ends up better in the end than her
Meadow and Carmela both are gonna have a very hard time after Tony got whacked. They both relied on Tony's ability to throw his weight around so they could get what they wanted, in the manner they were accustomed to.
for how little screen time she got Barbara meant a lot as a character, she was living proof that it was possible to leave the mafia life before entering it. so many of the characters in the show want to leave the life of the mafia but came up with their own excuses when in reality they wanted the money and power that came with it. Barbara saw from the start that the life her father lived was not something she wanted to be involved in and tony/could’ve done the same thing
Yeah theres some people who never have a chance (think guys like Paulie who would be useless in virtually any other profession other than maybe a bodyguard) but Tony shows actual intelligence and complains about his position while taking as much as he can from everyone else.
@Sith Jawa Paulie is imo the Sopranos greatest achievement. He might be the slimest and least competant but he's so funny and you still like him by the end despite everything. To me he's the constant of the show even over Tony.
She's thematically important. Tony often claims that it was natural for him to become a criminal due to him being Italian, but the vast majority of Italians never became mobsters. It was his choice. And whilst him and Janice are monsters, their sister, Barbara, is a perfectly fine person. Tony and Janice could've become decent people, but they didn't
I’d say Janice was more of a groupie to the family not apart of it. She first hung around Tony and then rekindled with Richie before marrying Bobby. She married into the family but aside from killing Richie as a result of domestic violence, she didn’t do anything major.
She represents a true Mafia family member. There are people that DONT WANT ANY parts of their family and their toxic-ness. Her character is just as real as Tony's, Paulie's, Sil's, Adriana. She is just as real.
The swap of the actress was done so well. They favor enough that any differences can be blamed on the character aging, different stages in life etc etc. The Casting Director for The Sopranos literally never missed.
She's not meant to. She's meant to be the anti-Soprano, Soprano. The different one who in any other functional family would be just like everyone else, but in such a toxic dysfunctional family, she stands out. She's the proof that it's not hereditary. She's the contrast to her siblings.
I believe you're right about Barbara's peripheral presence is deliberate. In fact, in many families, the youngest will buck the family and do their own thing. I think it's because they grow up and get to observe their other siblings and gets to have an objective view of their family dynamics. Youngest children are often left to raise themselves, or, have their older siblings act as caregivers. This independence and freedom allows the youngest to develop a unique identity and break free of family traditions and behaviours.
In a toxic family like the Sopranos the youngest is usually the scapegoat too. They are marginalized and emotionally starved - so striking out on their own is less scary that what they've already gone though in life. Basically, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain if they go away and start over. No more guilt, shame, blame or feeling helpless. They turn out to be tough, honest people.
I think you missed the mark about youngest children. Its often the middle-child or oldest child who are left to raise themselves as the youngest child garner the most attention from parents.
@@snakeoo7ca If you're responding to my comment I should have said that a narcissistic parent usually singles out a child who is the 'golden child' and one who is the 'scapegoat'. The scapegoat usually escapes from the whole family dynamic as soon as possible. They're not necessarily the youngest child. Sometimes they physically resemble the other parent or share their mannerisms. So they grow up hated by the narcissist.
@@kateg7298 Sure *sometimes* there are outliers but *most of the time* it is the youngest who are the golden child, as the parents see it as a "fresh start" for their previous failings
@@snakeoo7ca I agree. I just happened to be the scapegoat because my mother only had another child because my Dad wanted a boy. And oops, I'm a girl. Double unwanted. It happens :)
They all could have escaped. New Jersey doesn't have barbed wire around it, you can get in your car, drive away and never call your "family" ever again. There's no law saying you have to talk to your toxic relatives. They are where they are through their own choices.
The challenge is to escape at the right moment, because you enter gradually, step by step. First you are the errand boy, then you keep your mouth shut etc. until (Chris in 1/1:) your first murder, your loss of virginity (Bobby's trip to Canada). Leaving timely is essential, not being compromised by the recognition you receive during your noviciate.
Barbara may be the smartest character in the whole series. She could've married a gangster and lived a pretty cushy life (atleast until her husband landed in prison or worse) but instead she chose to distance herself from that life and set a respectful boundary from her clearly toxic family. She kept in touch and occasionally attended a family outing but nothing more. She took care of her own problems instead of mooching off of Tony like Janise and Carmela.
@@dewilew2137 I'm not saying a husband shouldn't provide for his wife, what I mean is that Carmela took Tony's money knowing fully well how he made that money for a living. She was just as guilty as him.
@@dewilew2137 He's right though lol Carmela was constantly confronted (The therapist she sees in s3, Meadow, Once she had to deal with finances during their separation in s4-5) with the fact that her life & her children’s lives were funded on Tony’s blood money. She never truly made an effort to do something on her own prior to the spec house. Those are just the few instances I could think of off the top of my head but It's brought up several times in the show that she's complacent.
@@FlowlikeRiv are you kidding? When she wanted a real estate license so that she could work to provide for her family in case something ever happened to tony, HE’s the one who objected to it and made her stop. You all so conveniently leave out that part because it doesn’t fit your sexist, backwards narrative about Carmela. Her main concern was ALWAYS her family, and being able to care for them if something bad happened. Instead, tony was content to have her living in a state of constant anxiety , not knowing how the hell they would survive if his very dangerous lifestyle ever caught up to him. She wanted to support herself, HE didn’t want her to, either because of how it would look, or because he wanted her to be dependent on him so she couldn’t leave. How twisted does one have to be to not see that, and to STILL see the wife as the band person in this situation?! Like I said, it says a lot about you as men.
The reason that Barbara was recast was that she was over Italy shooting another show at the time and never got the message from David Chase in regards to bringing her back. I got this from the GM Shuffle Podcast where the host Adnan Burke interviewed the first actress about her time on the show. The podcast is about football but they make a ton of Sopranos references is the reason. They also speculated that she was not brought up more in the series because Chase liked working with the original actress and decided not to continue having the character involved in the story because of that.
@@chadinmich1what’s likeable about her is that she holds her pain with dignity and respects everyone and treats them fairly. She has an intelligence and honor about her.
Great insight! Sometimes what speaks with the most volume is what isn’t said at all and Barbara is a clear example of the inherent toxicity found in that family and how simply being away from it can better your own odds at success.
@@alexmarele Yup, but as Kino aptly pointed out, she did so in what we could call "Bad Faith". She self-disowned that aspect of herself and attempted to shape this wholly new identity without hashing out all the trauma in her past which in the end sat there and festered and became the fertilizer for the weeds of malcontent we see her snarled in at the end of the show. Whereas Barbara (we can infer) created distance from her family either by going to college or simply moving without seeking to cauterize the connections, which means she had to come to terms with her father and brothers "thing" while not giving Lydia the extra card of "Oh you abandoned your family!" like she did with Janice. And lets be fair, it isn't as though being the well-liked baby-sister of a mob boss doesn't come with perks (the game tickets) but she's smart enough to stay as much in the periphery as possible but come through when needed (watching over Uncle Junior).
David Chase is a pretty disciplined story teller and I don’t think he wastes anything. I think you’re exactly right that the infrequency with which we see Barbara is exactly the point of her character. She is the only of the Soprano adult children to draw healthy boundaries and get away from her family’s dysfunction. From the Soprano family perspective, we don’t see her much: she figuratively and literally escaped the drama of The Sopranos. Her character provides another layer of realism to the show. From a psychological standpoint, the adult children of Johnny Boy and Livia fill a lot of the roles of siblings from a dysfunctional family. Janice is the black sheep who acts out and defies the family. Tony is the “family hero” who (in the warped definition of the Soprano family) tries to live up to all the expectations of his family and be the one who makes everything right. It also caused him to deny his own personal aspirations and become bitter and self-destructive. Barbara is the “quiet child” who withdraws and, in this case, was able to recognize the destructive dynamic of her family and get out. It’s not a coincidence she lives an hour away and we see evidence of her boundaries- as noted, her husband refused to even consider taking in Livia and she only spends time with her birth family in limited, well-defined events: Sunday dinner, birthdays and holidays. She’s not a pushover, Barbara bluntly tells Janice that she knows Janice only came back for an inheritance. Overall, she adds a level of realism to the show as the “healthy” child who has to keep her distance and she underscores how dysfunctional both Soprano families are.
I am so thankful that there are people on youtube raising important questions on important matters like this. I completely forgot Barbara existed and the commentary was phenomenal. Awesome work.
It's interesting, Tony has no resentment towards her, and I think she was supposed to be that child that escaped from her toxic family, and started a whole new life for herself.
@@gustavoalmanza2673 Ditto. That's how I read it. She was his cute cuddly baby sister. Tony repeatedly shows empathy ONLY to innocent "creatures" like Pie-O-My, the swimming pool ducks and... Barbara.
@@mjohnson5030 Don't forget Meadow. Sure, he yelled at her several times, but I think it was clear Meadow was a few people Tony unconditionally cared about. When a made man from NY crew harassed her when she was on a date with her boyfriend. Tony promptly drove there all the way from NJ, alone, just to beat the guy up.
I mean it makes sense, Janice stayed around and Tony hated the fact she always went for his associates. She also returned for money usually. Even with Jackie Jr you see that for all his faults Tony seemed to appreciate when someone didn't want a part of mob life
Anyone with toxic family members can completely understand Barbara. Also, great subject choice! There are already a million videos on Chris and the rest of the main characters (still looking forward to your take, of course!)
you should keep making videos about characters like barbara. there are so many others that are mainly obscure but always purposeful, and a lot of them get small stories like gene. there’s already plenty of videos about christopher and junior out there.
Barbra was one of my favorite characters in the show despite how little she was shown. It was good just seeing a normal person in the show that’s away from the drama but there for the family
You're right. You have to get out of the permanent orbit and create your own existence. I guess Barbara also realized how toxic her family was to her. Maybe she got some therapy too.
I'm fascinated as to how you manage to analyse these characters and episodes yet steer clearly away from looking obsessed. Thanks again for another wonderful insight and spot on too. 😉🙏
Barbara's whole styling (hair, clothes, makeup, jewelry) is different from the other characters, it's more WASP-y. It seemed obvious to me she had her own very separate and more normal life, whether or not this was an active choice on her part. I like that it was left unanswered if she thought about this and consciously chose it, or life naturally lead her away from her family of origin and this is where she ended up. There's at least one other relative of these people who is only around at funerals or special events. I thought Rosalie Aprile only had the son Jackie Jr., but she had a daughter in the same age range named Kelly. That daughter was also never around, I think she's only introduced to the audience at a funeral. I assumed she was just off doing her own thing , probably living a more normal life.
Good job. I’ve watched the series 10-15 times since 2005 and it’s the greatest show ever. No contest. And I’ve had the same exact questions and thoughts about Barbara. Kudos!
I wish that they had kept the original actress who played Barbara. When she played her, she was a character I actually wanted to see more of. I love her first scene with Janice where she’s sticking up for Tony and seeing through all her sister’s BS.
Never understood her purpose but watching this video really sheds light on her character and how it makes sense for her to be included on the show. Thanks for the video.
Barbara is a well thought out character, clearly displays the separation of life choices between the 3 Sopranos children as they became adults. It's because of the lack of character development and deliberate placing of her as almost a background character that creates intrigue and makes the viewer curious even more about her... she is Tony's sister after all, such a strong family position yet we know next to nothing about her in comparison to Tony's other sister. She indeed did have the makings of a varsity shinebox.
I love the character! Sometimes withholding information is enough to make the viewer that much more interested. Your analysis is excellent. Barbara is both real and symbolic, representing a different (and obviously much healthier) road in life.
I think she's meant to be purposely not there much to show how she limits her time around these people who leave so much damage in their wake without being fully out of the picture. It's essentially the visual definition of the boundaries she's set between herself and them. I think we see her a lot as a background character too because she's important to adding depth to events where she's not actively involved in the scenes. So it adds some layers of realism without heavily over doing it. Subtle nods here and there.
Barbara was an important character because it provided authenticity. I have a few friends that are the children, nieces and nephews of mobsters and many of them act just like Barbara. There’s a sense of sadness but they also occasionally enjoy the small perks like concert tickets.
The entire point of Barbara is to essentially be anonymous and show what kind of life Tony and even Janice could have had outside of that lifestyle. She has a happy stable home and she doesnt let her families baggage contribute to her life. I also think that the fact she was the youngest plays a significant roll that she was "the baby" and that her parents likely softened up by the time she was of age to really be effected by that lifestyle.
Thanks for doing an episode on Barbara. I think Tony and Janice served as a buffer for her as she wasn’t on the front lines with Livia like they were. One of the greatest aspects of the show is the dysfunctional family dynamics that are universal for children with emotionally abusive parents. It seems like at least one child stays close to home and at least one gets the hell out of dodge. This is true in my own family and after watching The Sopranos, it didn’t make me feel so bad about it.
She reminds me of an older Meadow. Meadow dealt with her family problems in a similar way by keeping distance (school in NY) but still pops up for all the major family events.
May I just say this is quality content. Props and Thanks for that. I have not watched the Sopranos in a while, but devoured the show at the time. A few more of these and you will make me dust off my DVDs.
I always thought Barbara held a grudge on her siblings for leaving her alone with their parents, and that was the tipping point for where she detached from them as an adult. In the beginning she seemed like a shrewd character, careful and calculating in her own way, I thought we would eventually see more of her moral code questioned, but we never did.
She was shrew and calculating or she was actually walking on eggshells around her family as it would be easy for her to be sucked into their world. Barbara seemed to be deliberately not drawing attention to herself and very careful in her interactions with her family.
Completely agree. Barbara’s character is so much more important than meets the eye. She’s a perfect example of someone overcoming the toxicity of their family and how they were raised and making the choice to break that chain. That’s not easy to do. She’s the most powerful out of those 3 siblings by far.
Love the video!! I’d like to see something about the villains of the show. Something about Ritchie, Ralphie and Phil. All 3 of them were scumbags but they’re 3 beloved characters of the show. Maybe something on why people were always drawn in by Tony’s enemies?
It's not weird at all that you made a video about her. I really liked this video a lot and think you have a great talent for observation and dissection.
Barbara was the character I looked forward to an arc with the most when I first watched the show a few months ago I was always waiting for her big moment, and when it never came I was so confused about her purpose in the show. This video definitely helped clear that up
I had no idea the the new actress was even supposed to be their little sister. Idk how I missed it, especially in the episode where Junior shoots Tony.
Adding characters expands the “universe,” lots of shows/stories have characters we never know much about, but they add flavor to the people we do know, and open roads for possible introductions in the future.
Something I thought about - pretty much all of Tony's mistresses (not women that he just slept with on a whim, but the women he actually spent time courting and building an extramarital relationship with) seem to favor Barbara. Petite, thin, dark hair, pale. I mean, even Dr. Melfi sort of fits in some of those categories. Soft spoken, intelligent, reserved. Intimately aware of the chaos, but not a perpetrator of it.
Great video Kino, thanks. I wonder if it was a major event or a build up of the toxicity which led to her cutting ties. Kudos to her for doing so. Sometimes it's the only way. Dipping a toe in at key milestones (birthdays, funerals, when required) stops her from getting "pulled back in" !
Barbara was one of the very few decent characters in The Sopranos. I appreciated she was so low key in a show filled with so much drama. Also forgot she was the setup for the “varsity athlete” joke.
Always felt that it was too bad Barbara didn't live even further away, and maybe when AJ started having trouble, she had volunteered to take him in realizing that he needed a away out of that life.
Barbara is a great example of how setting healthy boundaries with a toxic family will have positive effects on your life
Yup.. just cuz their ur family doesnt mean you have to have them in your daily life or your life at all!
Even Tony was like “you have your own life” he was happy she in the shit.
Yes
Its weird that Carmela’s sister is never even shown, I only realised she had one on my 4th watch of the show when i noticed Carmela briefly mention her in a yawn and you won’t hear it moment
She dodged the karma.
Tony seems to love Barbara very much and sees her life as an example of how Meadow might be able to live. Part of the family and yet outside the family.
till the Sopranos Dos: Reboot where Meadow takes over the family like the one in Italy and she becomes head boss calling shots.
Meadow chose her mom's path
@@eldiariodepchan5625 blowing a mob boss ??
@@johnlenz420 u crazy
The difference between Barbara and Meadow is that everybody's exalted expectations rest heavily on Meadow, just like the Corleone's on Michael during the first half of Godfather I: "Senator Corleone, Judge Corleone", as Vito is daydreaming. And just like Michael was sucked in, Meadow would have been in Sopranos VII. It is Barbara's blessing to keep that low profile and to fly lower than the radar works. It's a mobster movie commonplace: the acceptance of the family civilian, the silent longing for his/her life.
I wanted to see more of Barbara, I compromised, I watched Janice instead.
Janice? There are men in the can who are better characters than Janice
She never had the makings of a varsity sister
There are innocent people in the can, so you are objectively correct.
Hell, even the guilty one's didn't necessarily kill anyone, unlike Janice.
Omg these are hilarious comments!
@@kai-in1xt she had the makings of junior varsity, she just schemed her way to varsity.
Dat hooowaa
First Barbara actually seemed like an upper tier actor. She had depth and range just from a few lines and some facial expressions. Second Barbara seemed like a central casting tv actor.
Sad but true.
Yes, she was almost too good looking to be a Soprano
Barbara the 1st displayed classic passive avoidance behaviors such as lassitude and a weary demeanor, remaining emotionally aloof and even somewhat sad to have to re-engage with the family toxicity, but doing so minimally as part of her daughter duties. Her one comment about slightly clownish Paulie at the family gathering showed that she was intimately aware of the entire Sopranos mobster clique and thereby knew what she'd escaped years ago. Barbara the 2nd almost seemed to enjoy being engaged with her family, which was not the way it should have been played.
I did-dent know that.
She was no actor. More like a glorified extra.
Barbara serves the point of countering the narrative that Tony and Janice’s toxic personalities are hereditary. Their behaviors are strictly choices based on their own choosing.
They were clearly fucked up by their childhoods. Barbara was the only one with the strength to run away and stay away. We honestly have no idea what Barbara is like in her personal life. She might have the same issues for all we know.
I think it also is going by the timeline a subject of age and being the youngest. If we go by Saints timeline Barbara is still a teenager when Johnny Boy dies and was dying so she saw the squeaky gerbil who likely was much more softer in how he and Livia raised her. Also, Livia was probably tired and had less energy to screw with Barbara's head.
Not strictly choices. Partly choices. It's grey. There is some influence from nurture and some from nature. Plus she wasn't exposed to the same grisly shit as Tony, such as witnessing his dad cut off the butcher's finger .
This
@@mat5473 exactly, Johnny treated each kid a bit differently based on what they could do for him (like Janice being his reason for going to the fair, Tony living on to step into his shoes and keep his legacy in the family going, etc) Barbara seemed like she was able to get healthy resources somewhere down the line and took it. She was observant enough to know her families issues and actually not get involved which for the families way of life, meant she couldn’t be around them almost ever. It never seemed like any of the parents were ever conferenced with her either.
The character of Barbara is a great example on getting away from the toxicity of certain members of your family. Raising a healthy and happy family and getting away from all the toxicity of her family.
She the prettiest for sure lol 👍
I don’t agree - people take this whole toxic concept way over board. There’s a difference between your sibling being a mafia killer and you being annoyed with some habits of your sibling or your family not embracing all your life choices
@@breadman5048 excuse me honey, but yall sound TOXIC. CANCELLEDDD mmmkaay
The writers wrote her part just right too. She doesn't hate her toxic family, she just knows what will happen if she stuck around
You said toxicity twice bruh
Barbara's first actress was fine af
I know, right? 😁😉
Hell fuckin yeah she was!
Yeah, she was stunning in her very brief appearance in Goodfellas.
btw no disrespect
Whatever happenede there
The first actress was stunningly attractive, almost too good looking for the family, which made a memorable contrast and a great intro for the character.
IKR, I was like 'd*mn she adopted or what?' 😂
i actually thought she resembled livias actor in face shape
why are you so hung up on calling the fictional soprano family ugly?
@@sweeeetteeeeth they aren’t handsome people
@@Maximustard bro they aren't even related you just making fun of the actors
I've watched the entire series 3 times and I never realized she was played by 2 different actresses
me too, I just thought she had matured over the years
Just like Irina, and Christopher's mother as well 😊
Ditto. The Casting Director did a great job of finding an actress who looks nearly identical. I just thought it was the same actress, but maybe aged a few years like
@Kaylo STEEZ said.
Same lol
@@walnutsandbeastiality866 wait really??? I gotta go back now lol
Barbara was practically the only one who didn’t run from her problems in the series. But I did notice something about Janice in the finale episode to tack on to her becoming Livia. Her son Harpo changed his name to Hal, much like she did to her mother, “something else of mine you threw away”, the cycle continues…
Janice is also left sitting in a chair staring into nothing, her husband is dead, his children left than be around her and still all she seems content about is the sympathy she will garner and the money she’ll receive from Bobby being taken out. Tony even saying “he was my sisters husband, she has to see something from this” just repeats the same cycle and thought that Lyvia just saw her husband as a way to live comfortably and didn’t care for anything else. We also hear that Harpo/Hal is on the street begging, much like Janice faking disability instead of having a job.
B3 will become man of the house
they both have BPD
@@empac8631 I've seen that sitting in chair thing.
He changed it cuz Harpo is just a stupid ass name
First actress that played her was so beautiful
Yes
Barbara is who Meadow would most likely eventually become. Tony said nothing gets by Meadow... and Barbara is the same. She immediately saw through Janice's BS about acting like the caring daughter and told her "don't worry, you'll get your cut".
Barbara is a civilian... but knows all the nuances of the mob life.
I disagree somewhat. Meadow had a fault of actually siding with her father and excusing his crimes towards the end of the series. I think Barbara is more sensible and knows it’s all bad. But you bring up a good point.
@@jerryseinfeld5713 Meadow understood the assignment the same assignment Fredo didn't do when Michael told him to never take sides against the family.
Meadow chastised Jackie's sister for making mob jokes about his death in front of an outsider. She then had to do it to Finn when he kept calling Johnny Sack Johnny Macaroni. She believed Finn about catching Vito and the fight at the site with Eugene and Patsy but she knows Finn isn't family or extended family.
@@keithharper1470 Well thought out reply and great examples. But, respectfully, I think your examples support
@Jerry Seinfeld 's argument. Meadow chastising Jackie's sister and Finn [she broke off her engagement to him with this as the reason] is her accepting the normalcy of her criminal family. By pushing away positive people like Jackie's sister and Finn [an awesome human being] and instead marrying the son of mobster Patsi Parisi, she is LITERALLY marrying back into the mob. She is failing to escape like Barbara did.
Barbara cut herself off from the family and mob and has her own life, Meadow on the other hand is fiercely defensive of it and the series ends with her practically working for them. Even AJ ends up better in the end than her
Meadow and Carmela both are gonna have a very hard time after Tony got whacked. They both relied on Tony's ability to throw his weight around so they could get what they wanted, in the manner they were accustomed to.
for how little screen time she got Barbara meant a lot as a character, she was living proof that it was possible to leave the mafia life before entering it. so many of the characters in the show want to leave the life of the mafia but came up with their own excuses when in reality they wanted the money and power that came with it. Barbara saw from the start that the life her father lived was not something she wanted to be involved in and tony/could’ve done the same thing
Yeah theres some people who never have a chance (think guys like Paulie who would be useless in virtually any other profession other than maybe a bodyguard) but Tony shows actual intelligence and complains about his position while taking as much as he can from everyone else.
@Sith Jawa Paulie is imo the Sopranos greatest achievement. He might be the slimest and least competant but he's so funny and you still like him by the end despite everything. To me he's the constant of the show even over Tony.
@@geordiejones5618 Yeah, to you. To me he was never likeable. Funny but never liked him.
Not to excuse Tony or anything but he saw a lot more shit being the eldest child.
@Sith Jawa Railroad engineer.
She's thematically important. Tony often claims that it was natural for him to become a criminal due to him being Italian, but the vast majority of Italians never became mobsters. It was his choice. And whilst him and Janice are monsters, their sister, Barbara, is a perfectly fine person. Tony and Janice could've become decent people, but they didn't
Tony is the middle child who got stuck with everything, he had potential to lead a better life but didn’t know any better due to his toxic family.
Right...
(But irl... It is very difficult to escape an abusive family! It's a tragic decision for kids to 'abandon' their 'family')
I dont think he ever claimed it was because he was italian, rather that his father was in it and his family in general was engrossed in the mafia.
I’d say Janice was more of a groupie to the family not apart of it. She first hung around Tony and then rekindled with Richie before marrying Bobby. She married into the family but aside from killing Richie as a result of domestic violence, she didn’t do anything major.
She represents a true Mafia family member. There are people that DONT WANT ANY parts of their family and their toxic-ness. Her character is just as real as Tony's, Paulie's, Sil's, Adriana. She is just as real.
And this is the first time I'm hearing of her. And to think, she started the varsity meme.
Real just as she is. Is she real just she.
The swap of the actress was done so well. They favor enough that any differences can be blamed on the character aging, different stages in life etc etc. The Casting Director for The Sopranos literally never missed.
The only one that truly annoys me is Vito Jr. Other than that the transitions were pretty on point.
meanwhile sil ,pussy in season 1 have different wives 😆😆😆but OK
Jake Koenig must’ve been at the top of your fuckin class .
I think Christopher walkens wife was involved in casting the show.
Gino turning into Vito? They didn't even rearrange the bowels!
Barbara never had the makings of a Soprano character.
😂😂
And there it is
She's not meant to. She's meant to be the anti-Soprano, Soprano. The different one who in any other functional family would be just like everyone else, but in such a toxic dysfunctional family, she stands out. She's the proof that it's not hereditary. She's the contrast to her siblings.
AH SUNNAOFABITCH! DID I NOT JUST WATCH A 10 MINUTE VIDEO REFUTING THIS???
@@aguy3203 You don't like the way I talk? Get out of this comment thread.
I believe you're right about Barbara's peripheral presence is deliberate. In fact, in many families, the youngest will buck the family and do their own thing. I think it's because they grow up and get to observe their other siblings and gets to have an objective view of their family dynamics. Youngest children are often left to raise themselves, or, have their older siblings act as caregivers. This independence and freedom allows the youngest to develop a unique identity and break free of family traditions and behaviours.
In a toxic family like the Sopranos the youngest is usually the scapegoat too. They are marginalized and emotionally starved - so striking out on their own is less scary that what they've already gone though in life. Basically, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain if they go away and start over. No more guilt, shame, blame or feeling helpless. They turn out to be tough, honest people.
I think you missed the mark about youngest children. Its often the middle-child or oldest child who are left to raise themselves as the youngest child garner the most attention from parents.
@@snakeoo7ca If you're responding to my comment I should have said that a narcissistic parent usually singles out a child who is the 'golden child' and one who is the 'scapegoat'. The scapegoat usually escapes from the whole family dynamic as soon as possible. They're not necessarily the youngest child. Sometimes they physically resemble the other parent or share their mannerisms. So they grow up hated by the narcissist.
@@kateg7298 Sure *sometimes* there are outliers but *most of the time* it is the youngest who are the golden child, as the parents see it as a "fresh start" for their previous failings
@@snakeoo7ca I agree. I just happened to be the scapegoat because my mother only had another child because my Dad wanted a boy. And oops, I'm a girl. Double unwanted. It happens :)
She did what every other Soprano family member couldn’t, she escaped. Totally opposite of every other character
Chris had that choice once, Tony even put it in a silver platter.
They all could have escaped. New Jersey doesn't have barbed wire around it, you can get in your car, drive away and never call your "family" ever again. There's no law saying you have to talk to your toxic relatives. They are where they are through their own choices.
The challenge is to escape at the right moment, because you enter gradually, step by step. First you are the errand boy, then you keep your mouth shut etc. until (Chris in 1/1:) your first murder, your loss of virginity (Bobby's trip to Canada). Leaving timely is essential, not being compromised by the recognition you receive during your noviciate.
Barbara may be the smartest character in the whole series. She could've married a gangster and lived a pretty cushy life (atleast until her husband landed in prison or worse) but instead she chose to distance herself from that life and set a respectful boundary from her clearly toxic family. She kept in touch and occasionally attended a family outing but nothing more. She took care of her own problems instead of mooching off of Tony like Janise and Carmela.
Carmela? His wife?! Ya'll kill me with this "mooching wives" nonsense. It honestly says so much about you as men.
@@dewilew2137 I'm not saying a husband shouldn't provide for his wife, what I mean is that Carmela took Tony's money knowing fully well how he made that money for a living. She was just as guilty as him.
@@dewilew2137 He's right though lol Carmela was constantly confronted (The therapist she sees in s3, Meadow, Once she had to deal with finances during their separation in s4-5) with the fact that her life & her children’s lives were funded on Tony’s blood money. She never truly made an effort to do something on her own prior to the spec house. Those are just the few instances I could think of off the top of my head but It's brought up several times in the show that she's complacent.
@@FlowlikeRiv are you kidding? When she wanted a real estate license so that she could work to provide for her family in case something ever happened to tony, HE’s the one who objected to it and made her stop. You all so conveniently leave out that part because it doesn’t fit your sexist, backwards narrative about Carmela. Her main concern was ALWAYS her family, and being able to care for them if something bad happened. Instead, tony was content to have her living in a state of constant anxiety , not knowing how the hell they would survive if his very dangerous lifestyle ever caught up to him. She wanted to support herself, HE didn’t want her to, either because of how it would look, or because he wanted her to be dependent on him so she couldn’t leave. How twisted does one have to be to not see that, and to STILL see the wife as the band person in this situation?!
Like I said, it says a lot about you as men.
@@sebastianlajos866 see above. You’re ridiculous.
Lol the "We are a family, that means something" followed by Tony B getting blown across the porch was hilarious haha2
The reason that Barbara was recast was that she was over Italy shooting another show at the time and never got the message from David Chase in regards to bringing her back. I got this from the GM Shuffle Podcast where the host Adnan Burke interviewed the first actress about her time on the show. The podcast is about football but they make a ton of Sopranos references is the reason. They also speculated that she was not brought up more in the series because Chase liked working with the original actress and decided not to continue having the character involved in the story because of that.
I liked the original actress better.
@@chadinmich1 me too
That's too bad, the first actress was really good in the role. Wish they d id more with her.
@@chadinmich1what’s likeable about her is that she holds her pain with dignity and respects everyone and treats them fairly. She has an intelligence and honor about her.
Great insight! Sometimes what speaks with the most volume is what isn’t said at all and Barbara is a clear example of the inherent toxicity found in that family and how simply being away from it can better your own odds at success.
Wasn't Janice awat from her family too?
@@alexmarele Yup, but as Kino aptly pointed out, she did so in what we could call "Bad Faith". She self-disowned that aspect of herself and attempted to shape this wholly new identity without hashing out all the trauma in her past which in the end sat there and festered and became the fertilizer for the weeds of malcontent we see her snarled in at the end of the show. Whereas Barbara (we can infer) created distance from her family either by going to college or simply moving without seeking to cauterize the connections, which means she had to come to terms with her father and brothers "thing" while not giving Lydia the extra card of "Oh you abandoned your family!" like she did with Janice. And lets be fair, it isn't as though being the well-liked baby-sister of a mob boss doesn't come with perks (the game tickets) but she's smart enough to stay as much in the periphery as possible but come through when needed (watching over Uncle Junior).
Amen to that
I always liked Tony's younger sister Barbara. She's so pretty and seemed genuinely normal despite her family's involvement in organized crime
“It petered out.”
_“It petered out.”_
“It died on the vine.”
_“It died on the vine.”_
David Chase is a pretty disciplined story teller and I don’t think he wastes anything. I think you’re exactly right that the infrequency with which we see Barbara is exactly the point of her character. She is the only of the Soprano adult children to draw healthy boundaries and get away from her family’s dysfunction. From the Soprano family perspective, we don’t see her much: she figuratively and literally escaped the drama of The Sopranos.
Her character provides another layer of realism to the show. From a psychological standpoint, the adult children of Johnny Boy and Livia fill a lot of the roles of siblings from a dysfunctional family.
Janice is the black sheep who acts out and defies the family. Tony is the “family hero” who (in the warped definition of the Soprano family) tries to live up to all the expectations of his family and be the one who makes everything right. It also caused him to deny his own personal aspirations and become bitter and self-destructive.
Barbara is the “quiet child” who withdraws and, in this case, was able to recognize the destructive dynamic of her family and get out. It’s not a coincidence she lives an hour away and we see evidence of her boundaries- as noted, her husband refused to even consider taking in Livia and she only spends time with her birth family in limited, well-defined events: Sunday dinner, birthdays and holidays.
She’s not a pushover, Barbara bluntly tells Janice that she knows Janice only came back for an inheritance. Overall, she adds a level of realism to the show as the “healthy” child who has to keep her distance and she underscores how dysfunctional both Soprano families are.
Barbara had the makings of a 2nd place "Hide and go Seek" runner up. Furio holds the gold in that department.
I didnt even realize that the second actress was the sister
I wonder how many people even noticed the change on the first watch through.
Probably 90% of the males - the first Barbara was beautiful - the second, not so much
I am so thankful that there are people on youtube raising important questions on important matters like this. I completely forgot Barbara existed and the commentary was phenomenal. Awesome work.
It's interesting, Tony has no resentment towards her, and I think she was supposed to be that child that escaped from her toxic family, and started a whole new life for herself.
I take it he’d be protective of her and would probably be happy that she made it out
@@gustavoalmanza2673 Quite possible. Part of Tony is probably relieved that she got away.
@@gustavoalmanza2673 Ditto. That's how I read it. She was his cute cuddly baby sister. Tony repeatedly shows empathy ONLY to innocent "creatures" like Pie-O-My, the swimming pool ducks and... Barbara.
@@mjohnson5030 Don't forget Meadow. Sure, he yelled at her several times, but I think it was clear Meadow was a few people Tony unconditionally cared about. When a made man from NY crew harassed her when she was on a date with her boyfriend. Tony promptly drove there all the way from NJ, alone, just to beat the guy up.
I mean it makes sense, Janice stayed around and Tony hated the fact she always went for his associates. She also returned for money usually. Even with Jackie Jr you see that for all his faults Tony seemed to appreciate when someone didn't want a part of mob life
Anyone with toxic family members can completely understand Barbara. Also, great subject choice! There are already a million videos on Chris and the rest of the main characters (still looking forward to your take, of course!)
The first actress who played Barbara is so pretty
you should keep making videos about characters like barbara. there are so many others that are mainly obscure but always purposeful, and a lot of them get small stories like gene. there’s already plenty of videos about christopher and junior out there.
Videos like this are what I love about your channel, never the cliched angle, detailed, and always enjoyable.
Hey Tone, did she really even exist?
Barbra was one of my favorite characters in the show despite how little she was shown. It was good just seeing a normal person in the show that’s away from the drama but there for the family
My favorite character was the kid who ended up minus one toe because he made Chris wait for buns. Excellent character development there.
This was surprisingly poignant, concise, and effective commentary on dealing with a toxic family. Perfect for the holidays. Thank you.
You're right. You have to get out of the permanent orbit and create your own existence. I guess Barbara also realized how toxic her family was to her. Maybe she got some therapy too.
It's a good thing she never wore a hat or another Soprano podcaster would be making videos about Barb being an informant.
I'm fascinated as to how you manage to analyse these characters and episodes yet steer clearly away from looking obsessed. Thanks again for another wonderful insight and spot on too. 😉🙏
Barbara's whole styling (hair, clothes, makeup, jewelry) is different from the other characters, it's more WASP-y. It seemed obvious to me she had her own very separate and more normal life, whether or not this was an active choice on her part. I like that it was left unanswered if she thought about this and consciously chose it, or life naturally lead her away from her family of origin and this is where she ended up. There's at least one other relative of these people who is only around at funerals or special events. I thought Rosalie Aprile only had the son Jackie Jr., but she had a daughter in the same age range named Kelly. That daughter was also never around, I think she's only introduced to the audience at a funeral. I assumed she was just off doing her own thing , probably living a more normal life.
As a person with family that half wasp you’re not wrong she reminds me of my aunt.
Good job. I’ve watched the series 10-15 times since 2005 and it’s the greatest show ever. No contest. And I’ve had the same exact questions and thoughts about Barbara. Kudos!
I wish that they had kept the original actress who played Barbara. When she played her, she was a character I actually wanted to see more of. I love her first scene with Janice where she’s sticking up for Tony and seeing through all her sister’s BS.
Never understood her purpose but watching this video really sheds light on her character and how it makes sense for her to be included on the show. Thanks for the video.
Barbara is a well thought out character, clearly displays the separation of life choices between the 3 Sopranos children as they became adults. It's because of the lack of character development and deliberate placing of her as almost a background character that creates intrigue and makes the viewer curious even more about her... she is Tony's sister after all, such a strong family position yet we know next to nothing about her in comparison to Tony's other sister. She indeed did have the makings of a varsity shinebox.
I love the character! Sometimes withholding information is enough to make the viewer that much more interested. Your analysis is excellent. Barbara is both real and symbolic, representing a different (and obviously much healthier) road in life.
Actress who played the first Barbara is low key fine as hell
Why you tellin me? I got two eyes...
Hear, hear!
I'm glad you dedicated a video to Barbara. I think she should've gotten more screen time.
I think she's meant to be purposely not there much to show how she limits her time around these people who leave so much damage in their wake without being fully out of the picture. It's essentially the visual definition of the boundaries she's set between herself and them. I think we see her a lot as a background character too because she's important to adding depth to events where she's not actively involved in the scenes. So it adds some layers of realism without heavily over doing it. Subtle nods here and there.
I like that she's not seen much. She feels like the normal one. The one that got away.
Barbara was my favorite character. I wish they did more with her.
Barbara was an important character because it provided authenticity. I have a few friends that are the children, nieces and nephews of mobsters and many of them act just like Barbara. There’s a sense of sadness but they also occasionally enjoy the small perks like concert tickets.
The entire point of Barbara is to essentially be anonymous and show what kind of life Tony and even Janice could have had outside of that lifestyle. She has a happy stable home and she doesnt let her families baggage contribute to her life. I also think that the fact she was the youngest plays a significant roll that she was "the baby" and that her parents likely softened up by the time she was of age to really be effected by that lifestyle.
Thanks for doing an episode on Barbara. I think Tony and Janice served as a buffer for her as she wasn’t on the front lines with Livia like they were. One of the greatest aspects of the show is the dysfunctional family dynamics that are universal for children with emotionally abusive parents. It seems like at least one child stays close to home and at least one gets the hell out of dodge. This is true in my own family and after watching The Sopranos, it didn’t make me feel so bad about it.
She reminds me of an older Meadow. Meadow dealt with her family problems in a similar way by keeping distance (school in NY) but still pops up for all the major family events.
and then got engaged with Patsy's son...
@@EllisBoydRedding just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in...
Thank you! Barb really is a character I wish I'd seen more of.
May I just say this is quality content. Props and Thanks for that. I have not watched the Sopranos in a while, but devoured the show at the time. A few more of these and you will make me dust off my DVDs.
I always thought Barbara held a grudge on her siblings for leaving her alone with their parents, and that was the tipping point for where she detached from them as an adult. In the beginning she seemed like a shrewd character, careful and calculating in her own way, I thought we would eventually see more of her moral code questioned, but we never did.
She was shrew and calculating or she was actually walking on eggshells around her family as it would be easy for her to be sucked into their world. Barbara seemed to be deliberately not drawing attention to herself and very careful in her interactions with her family.
@@PungiFungias she should. Tony and Janice are hot messes! and that’s putting it lightly.
so glad you talked this oft overlooked but vital aspect of the show
Barbara's sucess and bliss enhance Janice's failure and misery, also Tony's.
I think that was the purpose of her in the show.
Completely agree. Barbara’s character is so much more important than meets the eye. She’s a perfect example of someone overcoming the toxicity of their family and how they were raised and making the choice to break that chain. That’s not easy to do. She’s the most powerful out of those 3 siblings by far.
I wonder if she went through therapy at some point. It would make for an interesting counterpoint to Tony’s and Janice’s efforts in that regard.
Love the video!! I’d like to see something about the villains of the show. Something about Ritchie, Ralphie and Phil. All 3 of them were scumbags but they’re 3 beloved characters of the show. Maybe something on why people were always drawn in by Tony’s enemies?
What a treat. Another Sopranos Pure Keno episdoe.
Great video. I'm glad you're keeping the Sopranos content coming!
this is the best analysis i’ve seen you do
3:29 It's so funny how Tony says "ow" after being shot 🤣
It actually is
The timing of this video release is perfect. I literally started watching Sopranos clips like a week ago.
Barbara had all the makings of a varsity athlete.
It's not weird at all that you made a video about her. I really liked this video a lot and think you have a great talent for observation and dissection.
Love this content from Kino (5-10 minute solid analysis).
This is an excellent video- perceptive, clear, and reasonable. Well done. Thank you.
I don’t think it’s weird for you to make a video on Barbara, making videos on whatever you feel like is what TH-cams truly about.
Oddly enough, I think this is the best video you've made so far. Nicely done.
Great video and great commentary on dealing with any type of family dynamic. Thanks. I'm enjoying all your Sopranos videos 🙂
Barbara was the character I looked forward to an arc with the most when I first watched the show a few months ago I was always waiting for her big moment, and when it never came I was so confused about her purpose in the show. This video definitely helped clear that up
I had no idea the the new actress was even supposed to be their little sister. Idk how I missed it, especially in the episode where Junior shoots Tony.
She looks older and that’s what I got confused at first
Alejandro Sanchez yes, exactly. I really just thought the little sister stopped visiting lol
Your videos are really great. Especially for folks that still love rewatching the show and still want new content.
The 1st casted Barbara was so pretty imo 😮💨😮💨😮💨
Very well done, excellent analysis!
Adding characters expands the “universe,” lots of shows/stories have characters we never know much about, but they add flavor to the people we do know, and open roads for possible introductions in the future.
I totally forgot she was on the show... but i guess her main ROLE was showing how sometimes you have to distance yourself from family to survive
I love the first Barbara, she was more authentic to the character. She had a better New Jersey accent I felt.
Great video, man. Dare I say, varsity level.
Great video as always.
Keep 'em coming skip!
Something I thought about - pretty much all of Tony's mistresses (not women that he just slept with on a whim, but the women he actually spent time courting and building an extramarital relationship with) seem to favor Barbara. Petite, thin, dark hair, pale. I mean, even Dr. Melfi sort of fits in some of those categories. Soft spoken, intelligent, reserved. Intimately aware of the chaos, but not a perpetrator of it.
Great video Kino, thanks. I wonder if it was a major event or a build up of the toxicity which led to her cutting ties. Kudos to her for doing so. Sometimes it's the only way. Dipping a toe in at key milestones (birthdays, funerals, when required) stops her from getting "pulled back in" !
Very intuitive analogy. Respect.
Barbara 1 was in the scene when Tony ranting about his Mother & Green Grove “She was abusive to da staff!!!”
Fantastic video! Really well done!
Making a video about Barbara is a testament to your originality, keep up the great work!
Loved the couple appearances we saw of her
Barbara was one of the very few decent characters in The Sopranos. I appreciated she was so low key in a show filled with so much drama. Also forgot she was the setup for the “varsity athlete” joke.
This is a great video. You are the only video I've seen cover the role Barbara!
Tony knows she made a good choice. He respects her. That's what he wants for his kids.
i'm glad you made this video. food for thought. thanks for posting.
I wish they had done more with that tight end from Tulsa. He was my favorite character.
I always really liked Barbara. Every time she showed up I was always amazed how well adjusted she was
Sacleu bleu where is Barbara
10/10 comment right here
Good to see you back, this was a nice wee surprise.
Always felt that it was too bad Barbara didn't live even further away, and maybe when AJ started having trouble, she had volunteered to take him in realizing that he needed a away out of that life.
the sole person whose happiness he didn't try to destroy
4:04 she petered out. She died on the vine