“Women, women, women, why wasn’t I born rich instead of handsome?” What are your thoughts about the iconic character of Ralph Cifaretto. Let me know down below! 👇🏻
What’s great about Ralph throughout the series is your thinking just kill him, hurry up and kill him and then when it finally happens it’s like, wait! You killed him!?!?!?
@@austinmc12its a plagiarism of a woman once saying to the British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, “Mr Churchill, you’re drunk” he replies “ Yes Madam, and you are ugly, but at least I shall be sober tomorrow “
What's funny is that Ralph is basically all the others mobsters with no filter, he had to remind them of themselves. Silvio roughs up Traci Tony beats Georgie and hates authority Paulie plays telephone and gets petty Ralph just takes it to far
To be fair silvio wasn't a prick about it. What he did was business related and business related only. What ralph did was sadistic, he got off on it. He didn't beat a pregnant woman to death or so horrifying things about her unborn kid and didn't take too kindly to ralph thinking it was funny when he was roughing up traci
The character of Ralph Cifaretto was really well cast. He created a more simple dilemma to Tony compared to the other antagonists throughout the series, ultimately forcing Tony to choose peace of mind over the money Ralph earned. I think this show stands the test of time better than all others from TV's golden era because of the casting.
I feel like during their argument, Tony was about to let it go since Ralph vehemently denied killing Pie-O-My, but then he had to go and say, "you eat beef and sausage by the car load..." And that sent Tony over the edge. Tony knew he was gonna get a nice cut of that insurance money on the horse and stable, but Ralph just couldn't keep his mouth shut and insulted Tony's weight.
Ralph was warned about making weight jokes. People rarely point out this aspect of his story. The horse is mostly irrelevant to the situation’s eventual outcome.
I find that detail to be a perfect staple example of these built up, escalating conflicts between two characters that reach hostility, but are surprisingly defused peacefully, even if only for a moment. But the other shoe always drops and one of them has to push things just an inch too far and any hope for peaceful resolution flies right out the window. Richie's death, Benny burning Artie's hand, etc.
It wasn’t just because it was a comment about Tony’s weight. Tony has a subconscious traumatic history with meat. The flashback with his mother cutting the meat that his dad got from Satriales, fainting when eating the gabagool, and when BBQing. Ralph mentioning Tony eating beef and sausage triggered that trauma response.
@@selfdoThis. I never even remotely loved the character. I actually think he was the worst one out of all of them. (As in, most evil). The only thing I can say for him is that he _could_ be funny at times. A character you hate to love would apply more to Richie for example. Or Tony himself.
Ralph making fun of Vito's brother as he lie unconscious in a hospital bed after getting brained by a golf club was when I knew he would eventually get murdered by Tony
Little known fact, Ralph actually survived the kitchen fight, joined the witness protection program, and took on the name Teddy. Then he died or whatever in Memento, this was a poorly planned joke
He then changed his hair and face with plastic surgery and money then he names himself Luigi and joins the New York Family "The Leone's" and owned a strip club but later his boss was killed by some associate
I think Tony Really Hated Ralph because on top of everything he did He was also the Guy most likely to remind Tony of His Hypocrisy and throw His own Behavior in his Face. Nobody else really did that as often as Ralph did. I mean Silvio Checked Tony when it was needed but was a lot more Classy and Respectful about it. It was also part of His Job.
@@robertbusek30 Yeah, he sorta did. He pointed out how Tony doesn’t care where the money Ralph kicks up to him comes from, hinting at people getting hurt. He also points out that Tony eats tons of beef and pork sausage, but now suddenly cares about an animal.
The scene in which Ralph beats the woman to death was so savage, that it bothers me to even think about more than two decades later. I only wish Ralph had suffered a more horrific and painful death.
My first rewatch went on hiatus for over a year after that episode. Up until then you know these men are misogynists, but Sil’s remark (‘That too’) and the crew’s reaction to Tony punching Ralph- as if Tracey’s death isn’t a valid excuse- conveys the sickening extent of it. Come to think of it, that was probably one Chase’s goals of the episode, aside from the conflict and character development. And yet Ralph remains one of my favourite characters. That phone call to Paulie’s mother is the funniest scene in the whole series.
Ralph was an odd duck, with his bedroom shenanigans and all. I think he viewed his entire life as a role play, or a character in a movie (or HBO TV series) which is why he could be such a sadist. Which is how he became a top earner. It was almost fiction to him until things got real when he almost lost his son
Do you call "burning down the stables" (that's after his son) a fiction too? Because it happened. Cost many people their livelyhoods, and the lives of several animals. - Ralph is larger than life, because he's the peak example of ALL characters in the show. I think it's the first character most people would hate, whereas people can actually relate to Tony (...and he's a sociopath).
@@mappingshaman5280 When Janice saw how Bobby wept for his wife when she died, She realized that guys like Ralph and Richie could never love her like that. Plus Bobby was the only Gangster without a Gumar.. One sister got far away from the mob family ties and the other dove in Head first after many failed attempts to escape the jersey mob. Great Observation on Your part..
@@benndickerson4568 Johnny Sack didn't have a GOOMAR either. He actually LIKED the ample features of his wife, Ginny, and unkind remarks about her weight were a "beserk button" to him. In some ways, the man was actually selfless, which is entirely out of character for a mobster. Janice simply wanted to wear the pants in the family; Bobby was not a strong-willed man, although when she overstepped her bounds with respect to Bobby's kids, he had to put his foot down.
@mappingshaman5280 Well, with all due respect, Bobby’s model train infatuation/hobby could have been his way of sublimating a deep-seated urge to “pull a train” on Janice. 😉
That’s why The Sopranos is the ultimate TV show. It balances comedy, drama, horror, and surrealism in a beautiful way. Nothing ever feels forced or too outside its wheelhouse. It transcends the crime genre.
Tony was VERY upset with him killing Tracy like that already. The horse dying was THE LAST STRAW. Tony was an asshole and a murderer also but he didn't cross certain lines such as mistreatment of animals or women being hurt for no reason. Adrianna was only killed cause she snitched. Tony didn't like how Chris was abusive with her etc. Tony was a jerk too his wife but he NEVER laid a hand on her. He acted like he was gonna a time or 2 but never did. Unfortunately Tony was still a selfish douche in the end. Ralph got what was coming too him just like Richey did.
@@j.t.thomas1859 There’s quite a few hints that Tony was avenging Tracee by killing Ralph when he did; Silvio compared her to a thoroughbred, Tony’s “she was a beautiful innocent creature, what’d she ever do to you?” could allude to both Pie-O-My and Tracee, and finally, when Tony wakes up in the Bada Bing the morning after killing Ralph, he looks at the pictures of the strippers on the mirror and Tracee is in one of them.
Ralph was a big earner and could be very funny at times as long as you weren't his target. He was a loose cannon though and just didn't have much if any respect for his fellow mobsters or other human beings. His downfall was inevitable. If he didn't earn like he did he probably would have been done away with even sooner. He definitely added a lot to the show though and he was one of the reasons why season 3 is probably my overall favorite season of the show.
@@scan8501 I agree but it seemed like they never had any close business dealings. And Ralph knew Chris was Tony's nephew so he really didn't go there. I do remember several scenes where Christopher laughed at Ralph's jokes. And Ralph seemed to be happy for Chris when he was promoted to acting capo of Pauly's crew when Pauly was incarcerated in early season 4. I don't think Ralph really cared if it didn't involve him or his earnings. Plus, Chris also liked to do drugs like Ralph. I'm guessing they probably did some coke together at some point. Lol
I actually liked Ralphie as a character. He's a godawful PoS, obviously. But as a character, he was fantastic. He was funny as hell, had his weaknesses, but he was probably the smartest of the bunch, particularly with money and business acumen, he was typically better at negotiating than others (which counts a lot in the wheeling and dealing world of the mob) and he even held his own against Tony in a fight for a bit. He was a genuine asset to the family, disgusting and vile as he was, and they were weaker for having lost him.
He also had no ambitions to take Tony’s place, he basically just wanted to stay in his lane and do it as good as possible. Like, he genuinely doesn’t seem to understand why Tony is mad half the time.
@@blazaybla22 Tony don't understand why he's angry so much, which is part of why he kept going to Dr. Melfi (that, and he kept hoping for a 'mercy fuck' ").
@@blazaybla22 Great point. I agree. And also, with Ralphie leading his crew you would never have to worry about that crew from both the earning side and from trying to overthrow the boss.
He said he was going to his goomar's house (or had just been there) in one episode while he was still with Rosalie. Not long later he and Janice are being friendly at Thanksgiving then fool around in the bathroom afterwards.
Ralph was Tony's foil. In other words, Tony was always trying to justify to himself his obvious hypocrisy. Ralph was the unabashed mirror to Tony's soul. Tony is strangling to death that image of himself he doesn't like to see.
Great analysis，I like to think when Tony yells “I get it” in the desert it’s him shedding his self pity and the last shreds of his morality, finally resolving his core hypocrisy and becoming more life Ralph
Great video. You missed two things, I think--first, Ralph's unusual sexuality; and, second, that Ralph might have been the only character in the Sopranos who was capable of dramatic change for the better, albeit as his son is near death. In Tony's dream, Ralph has a caterpillar on his head, which prompts Melfi to ask, "Has you friend recently changed?" Of course, Tony kills Ralph before he can change.
I like to think the caterpillar symbolises Ralph, Tony and the other characters that will always stay the same, pure scum bags, people do change like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly but the characters in the sopranos will never change.
I think Ralph was too much of a psychopath. At an early age he knew exactly how rotten the world truly was and rather than look past it he embraced it. It’s why he always made insensitive remarks at a bad time or do despicable things for the fun of it. He simply just loved being a sadistic fuck with no remorse.
@@Lite727I actually think it’s people like that who can genuinely change. People like Paulie who are casually cruel generally don’t change but there’s a sort of self-destructiveness to Ralph’s brand of cruelty, which ties in with his proclivity towards sexual masochism (punishing oneself). Sometimes the people who go overboard embracing the cruelty of life turn out to be the people who are struggling with the difficulty of accepting it. Of course that is just my interpretation.
When he was with Rosalie and then he left her after Jackie got killed. But when his son got hurt. Im glad they showed him actually realizing what a parent goes through when something happens to their children. Other than that he's just unruly.
I thought one of the most interesting parts of Ralphie showing up was that it showed the viewer that the DiMeo family was a lot bigger, more storied, and more complicated than what we get to see most of the time. It's just that for some reason most people seem to ignore that fact. But everything about his character and it's history shows us that.
Yea and two other scenes where we get an idea on how big the family is during richies home coming party at the bing there are several soldiers and associates there, also at the underground casino where Ralph turns down the drink, there too one of the guys mentions Tony showing up referring to him as “the boss” implying all those guys are with New Jersey.
Ralph is one of those characters just like Ritchie, that people love to hate. He plays the part brilliantly, so much so that when he dies, you know you're going to miss him 😂
People love to hate them because they are irredeemable pieces of excrement; massive egotistical shitheads. They also treated women like absolute shit, which is a hard thing to stand out for in a world where "misogynistic cooze hound and adulterous fucker of anything with a pulse" Tony and "abusive junkie wifebeater wearing a wifebeater" Christopher live.
He did have growth it was just too late. After his son's accident and after he says he stopped doin coke, he apologized to Rosilie and acts alot calmer.
You think Tony viewed Tracy in the same light as his daughter, Meadow?!? 🤣🤣🤣 You are 100% wrong. He viewed her as being similar to the horse that got burned up in the fire. An animal that would have made him a lot of money. Maybe he had a similar sentimental attachment to her that he did the horse. He didn't do ANYTHING to Ralph after he beat Tracy to death. But after the horse dies, he makes an ambiguous statement that suggests he is in part avenging Tracy.
@@mikel5929 okay, but that's not enough. He also gives her "fatherly advice," and I think his enraged beating to death of Ralphie was motivated by what he did to Tracy, but as he's killing him, he never mentions Tracy, but talks about Pie-Oh-My instead, because that was the catalyst that set him off. Tracy's death alone wasn't enough. He never invested in her, he was merely exploiting her poverty and dysfunctional upbringing. The horse he put money into. He values property and money over people. People are disposable. By contrast, all Coco had to do was leer at Meadow, and Tony instantly springs into action and avenges her honor. When Tony kills Ralphie, he is avenging Pie-Oh-My officially. Any emotions he feels for Tracy are strictly subconscious. He could never allow himself to feel too much empathy for her, or he wouldn't be able to exploit her. Part of the tragedy with Tracy is that she is trying to improve her situation, getting therapy, becoming more self-aware, just like Tony attempted. I think he felt something, but because of his role as predatory mob boss, it was deeply buried.
315 It's not JUST the Esplanade. Ralphie was clearly more intelligent (as in book-smart) than anyone in the crew. The Esplanade was the just the prime example.
It was a bad management mistake to kill Ralphie - yes he was a psycho, but out of everyone he was the most intelligent and capable, whatever was asked of him, he could do. He was so good at everything it got him into trouble - idle hands make the devils work - Tony needed to keep Ralph busy. Even when it came to killing the horse for insurance money, that was the correct choice, that horse wasn’t going to win anymore races and the vet bills were going to mount up - that’s a shrewd but smart business move, Tony as usual acted like a child because his littte pony got killed, acted emotionally, and killed his best guy. It just goes to show, Tony never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
Ralph was like Chris , but more brutal than Chris, and a better earner. Tony just did not like Ralph , and Ralph did not like him. Both them tolerated each other until they could not tolerated each other no more. And know what happen.
Ralph was possibly the biggest asshole in the entire show (quite an accomplishment) but also possibly the most entertaining. Joe Pantoliano was excellent casting.
Tony didn’t kill Ralphie because of Pie Oh My or Tracie, Tony killed Ralphie because Ralphie was pointing out what a hypocrite Tony was for caring about the horse despite the fact that they do way more horrible things to human beings and how Tony doesn’t care where that money comes from: The realization that Tony was no better than Ralphie (A person Tony despises) and could actually be worse than Ralphie was too much for Tony to accept.
Again - terrific theory! I never considered how much Ralph mirrored Ritchie's insane behaviour...and the fact that they both dated Janice at one point? Well thought out, man!
An important note: in the sopranos podcasts michael imperioli would state that the music played in Ralph scenes indicates he is literally the devil, and this comes from a writer himself.
Ralphie was more likeable than Richie because unlike Richie he had a sense of humor that i loved...both were assholes but Richie was really a funny guy(ray lotta voice)😂
False. It was murder. Man or women you don't get to instigate a fight with someone and then beat them to death. He was scumbag. And you are a scumbag for justifying a violent murder.
Ralphie got what Ralphie had comin.... Tracy was a whoa, true,but Ralphie was an ashole and had no right to disrespect da BING...3 million a yea...but no respect for da boss...
Only thing about Ralph was that he was just Very annoying !!! As far as being a scum bag, All the mobsters fit that bill.. Paulie Smothered an old woman to death then stole her money and soprano fans still Love Paulie.. Furio has NO PROBLEM punching a woman in the nose but people sympathize his desire for Carmela. Ralph was just in your face with his antics without any discretion which is why i believe he seemed worse than most of the other characters. Great cast, Great acting, Great writing. Sopranos was and still is a Masterpiece..!!
Ralph was so devious, duplicitous, dishonest and disloyal. As bad as Richie was you normally knew what he was thinking and where his loyalties lay. So Ralph was much more dangerous in my opinion, you never could be sure about anything with him and he was always scheming.
After Tony killed Ralph, he and Christopher get him into tub and Christopher pulls Ralph's head up to chop his neck with butcher knife and the wig Ralph wore came off, lol, lol, lol. Christopher is like wtf, Tony already knew.
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“Women, women, women, why wasn’t I born rich instead of handsome?”
What are your thoughts about the iconic character of Ralph Cifaretto. Let me know down below! 👇🏻
IMO one of if not the most entertaining character of the show
I don't recall the skimming. Which episode was this revealed?
You butchered this Quote… he says why was I born handsome instead of rich?
Best on the show
That's not the quote 😅
What’s great about Ralph throughout the series is your thinking just kill him, hurry up and kill him and then when it finally happens it’s like, wait! You killed him!?!?!?
You're*
@@FuriousTheGeorge you’re gay
@@FuriousTheGeorgewhooah
Aww man, he didn't get pruned like a tree by his associates with a chainsaw?!
Merriam webster over here @@FuriousTheGeorge
I love how Ralph left Rosalie during her time of need but she still showed up for him when his son was in the hospital. He never deserved that woman.
Agreed
Ralphie was hilarious when he complained about Rosalie incessantly mourning the loss of Jackie Jr.
Rosalie was a pain in the Ass as well though 😂.
And he basically caused Jackie Jr's death on top of it.
@@mementomori4591dosent he enjoy that tho?
Paulie: You're late!
Ralph: Well, tomorrow I can be on time, but you'll be stupid forever.
The best dialogue ever 😭
@@austinmc12its a plagiarism of a woman once saying to the British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, “Mr Churchill, you’re drunk” he replies “ Yes Madam, and you are ugly, but at least I shall be sober tomorrow “
Whatever you say cappy!
The Writers will be geniuses forever
Whooaaa walter cronkite over here @@llamamanism
What's funny is that Ralph is basically all the others mobsters with no filter, he had to remind them of themselves.
Silvio roughs up Traci
Tony beats Georgie and hates authority
Paulie plays telephone and gets petty
Ralph just takes it to far
To be fair silvio wasn't a prick about it. What he did was business related and business related only. What ralph did was sadistic, he got off on it. He didn't beat a pregnant woman to death or so horrifying things about her unborn kid and didn't take too kindly to ralph thinking it was funny when he was roughing up traci
@@JS-wp4gsuh, Silvio absolutely was a prick for the way he treated Traci.
@@SplendidCoffee0For real! Lesser of a prick is still a prick all the same.
it was kinda funny when he beat her and Ralph just at the window cracking up :D
He also had that thing with Janice
A: She was a hoowah
B: on your hat
Stoopid fawking reference
On a you at
Oh, you're beautiful.
Leave the Gun . Take the Cannolis!’
The character of Ralph Cifaretto was really well cast. He created a more simple dilemma to Tony compared to the other antagonists throughout the series, ultimately forcing Tony to choose peace of mind over the money Ralph earned. I think this show stands the test of time better than all others from TV's golden era because of the casting.
Yep I agree. Ralph's character spectrum was tremendously good for the storyline.
The freedom as well. Creators will be held to different standards these days
You just described tony
Yes, Ralph Cifaretto in "Sopranos" from Guido The Killer Pimp in "Risky Business" is a massive progression.
Joey Pants deserved an emmy for his performance, he owned that part.
The irony is I sat next to the guy who plays Ralph once and he was one of the kindest, purest human beings I’ve ever met.
I really enjoyed what I heard of his podcast with his daughter. I believe it's called "No Kidding, Me Too!".
JOEY PANTS!
I met him in a niteclub after Risky Business but before Sopranos. Neat guy .
@@ChatterboxFM One of my favorite actors for sure! Joe Pants rules.
@@sole__doubt I just love listening to the guy talk, there’s something so pure about him
I feel like during their argument, Tony was about to let it go since Ralph vehemently denied killing Pie-O-My, but then he had to go and say, "you eat beef and sausage by the car load..." And that sent Tony over the edge. Tony knew he was gonna get a nice cut of that insurance money on the horse and stable, but Ralph just couldn't keep his mouth shut and insulted Tony's weight.
Ralph was warned about making weight jokes. People rarely point out this aspect of his story. The horse is mostly irrelevant to the situation’s eventual outcome.
I find that detail to be a perfect staple example of these built up, escalating conflicts between two characters that reach hostility, but are surprisingly defused peacefully, even if only for a moment. But the other shoe always drops and one of them has to push things just an inch too far and any hope for peaceful resolution flies right out the window. Richie's death, Benny burning Artie's hand, etc.
It wasn’t just because it was a comment about Tony’s weight. Tony has a subconscious traumatic history with meat. The flashback with his mother cutting the meat that his dad got from Satriales, fainting when eating the gabagool, and when BBQing.
Ralph mentioning Tony eating beef and sausage triggered that trauma response.
Yeah as soon as the "BUT SO WHAT.." happened you knew it was a wrap Ralphieboy
Throughout the show Tony was very conscious of his weight,in that way he was very much like a woman.
Joe pantoliano said that Ralphie wasn’t a character you loved to hate, but a character you hated to love. And he’s right.
You would find Ralphie entertaining but not necessarily worthy of respect.
@@selfdoThis. I never even remotely loved the character. I actually think he was the worst one out of all of them. (As in, most evil). The only thing I can say for him is that he _could_ be funny at times. A character you hate to love would apply more to Richie for example. Or Tony himself.
Ralph making fun of Vito's brother as he lie unconscious in a hospital bed after getting brained by a golf club was when I knew he would eventually get murdered by Tony
Little known fact, Ralph actually survived the kitchen fight, joined the witness protection program, and took on the name Teddy. Then he died or whatever in Memento, this was a poorly planned joke
I thought you were gonna tell me he joined Morpheus in The Matrix
He then changed his hair and face with plastic surgery and money then he names himself Luigi and joins the New York Family "The Leone's" and owned a strip club but later his boss was killed by some associate
Yes he joined the witness protection program, but joined World Championship Wrestling
I think Tony Really Hated Ralph because on top of everything he did He was also the Guy most likely to remind Tony of His Hypocrisy and throw His own Behavior in his Face. Nobody else really did that as often as Ralph did. I mean Silvio Checked Tony when it was needed but was a lot more Classy and Respectful about it. It was also part of His Job.
Syl stuck to business and seldom got "personal" with Tony.
Didn’t Ralphie point out that Tony cared more about the horse than people?
@@robertbusek30 Yeah, he sorta did. He pointed out how Tony doesn’t care where the money Ralph kicks up to him comes from, hinting at people getting hurt. He also points out that Tony eats tons of beef and pork sausage, but now suddenly cares about an animal.
Shoulda been born rich, then nothin bad woulda happened to him.
Worked in the homes of dysfunctional “rich people”. Their messes are bigger and affect mors people.
The scene in which Ralph beats the woman to death was so savage, that it bothers me to even think about more than two decades later. I only wish Ralph had suffered a more horrific and painful death.
Yeah, that scene was a bit much.
Yeah but she was a Hoah. And besides, he was doing a lot of coke.
@@CamcolitoAnd she was a klutz.
@@abc456fAnd two, she was a hooahr.
My first rewatch went on hiatus for over a year after that episode.
Up until then you know these men are misogynists, but Sil’s remark (‘That too’) and the crew’s reaction to Tony punching Ralph- as if Tracey’s death isn’t a valid excuse- conveys the sickening extent of it. Come to think of it, that was probably one Chase’s goals of the episode, aside from the conflict and character development.
And yet Ralph remains one of my favourite characters.
That phone call to Paulie’s mother is the funniest scene in the whole series.
Ralph was an odd duck, with his bedroom shenanigans and all. I think he viewed his entire life as a role play, or a character in a movie (or HBO TV series) which is why he could be such a sadist. Which is how he became a top earner. It was almost fiction to him until things got real when he almost lost his son
I mean he basically lost his son, Justin became brain dead didn’t he?
Do you call "burning down the stables" (that's after his son) a fiction too? Because it happened.
Cost many people their livelyhoods, and the lives of several animals.
-
Ralph is larger than life, because he's the peak example of ALL characters in the show. I think it's the first character most people would hate, whereas people can actually relate to Tony (...and he's a sociopath).
@@revisit8480 “almost a fiction… to him”
I always thought it was funny that the two guys with the most deranged sexual habits both gravitated to Janice.
And then in the end she ended up with the most normal guy in the mob
@@mappingshaman5280 When Janice saw how Bobby wept for his wife when she died, She realized that guys like Ralph and Richie could never love her like that. Plus Bobby was the only Gangster without a Gumar.. One sister got far away from the mob family ties and the other dove in Head first after many failed attempts to escape the jersey mob. Great Observation on Your part..
@@benndickerson4568 Johnny Sack didn't have a GOOMAR either. He actually LIKED the ample features of his wife, Ginny, and unkind remarks about her weight were a "beserk button" to him. In some ways, the man was actually selfless, which is entirely out of character for a mobster.
Janice simply wanted to wear the pants in the family; Bobby was not a strong-willed man, although when she overstepped her bounds with respect to Bobby's kids, he had to put his foot down.
@@selfdo GOOD POINT ... i can see it from both ends and either way Janice got what she wanted for the most part..
@mappingshaman5280 Well, with all due respect, Bobby’s model train infatuation/hobby could have been his way of sublimating a deep-seated urge to “pull a train” on Janice. 😉
Ralphie picking on Paulie is some of the best comedy ever. Even if it was meant to be a drama. Ralphie prank calling Paulies Aunt never gets old.
The prank call he did was laugh out loud funny!
That’s why The Sopranos is the ultimate TV show. It balances comedy, drama, horror, and surrealism in a beautiful way. Nothing ever feels forced or too outside its wheelhouse. It transcends the crime genre.
There was a rodent discovered in the rectal passage.
Ralph was the closest thing to Joe Pesci on Soprano's
Best line of the series:
" tommorow I can be on time-but you'll be stupid forever."
I found him to be an easy to dislike sociopath, not endearing, so they nailed it if that's what they were going for.
So genius to have Tony kill him at his most sympathetic point and for the worst reason. Doesn’t let his death feel righteous justice.
Tony was VERY upset with him killing Tracy like that already. The horse dying was THE LAST STRAW. Tony was an asshole and a murderer also but he didn't cross certain lines such as mistreatment of animals or women being hurt for no reason. Adrianna was only killed cause she snitched. Tony didn't like how Chris was abusive with her etc. Tony was a jerk too his wife but he NEVER laid a hand on her. He acted like he was gonna a time or 2 but never did. Unfortunately Tony was still a selfish douche in the end. Ralph got what was coming too him just like Richey did.
@@j.t.thomas1859 There’s quite a few hints that Tony was avenging Tracee by killing Ralph when he did; Silvio compared her to a thoroughbred, Tony’s “she was a beautiful innocent creature, what’d she ever do to you?” could allude to both Pie-O-My and Tracee, and finally, when Tony wakes up in the Bada Bing the morning after killing Ralph, he looks at the pictures of the strippers on the mirror and Tracee is in one of them.
@@ifeelpretty5790he definitely did it for both tracee and the horse
Idk I feel like the part where he beat his young pregnant girlfriend to death sort of squashed any sympathy you were supposed to have for him
Ralph was a big earner and could be very funny at times as long as you weren't his target. He was a loose cannon though and just didn't have much if any respect for his fellow mobsters or other human beings. His downfall was inevitable. If he didn't earn like he did he probably would have been done away with even sooner. He definitely added a lot to the show though and he was one of the reasons why season 3 is probably my overall favorite season of the show.
It's what made Ralph - Ralph.
They were all loose canons though.
I feel like Chris and Ralph got on well
@@scan8501 I agree but it seemed like they never had any close business dealings. And Ralph knew Chris was Tony's nephew so he really didn't go there. I do remember several scenes where Christopher laughed at Ralph's jokes.
And Ralph seemed to be happy for Chris when he was promoted to acting capo of Pauly's crew when Pauly was incarcerated in early season 4. I don't think Ralph really cared if it didn't involve him or his earnings. Plus, Chris also liked to do drugs like Ralph. I'm guessing they probably did some coke together at some point. Lol
@@STONESGAM that’s very true, Chris had a lot of protection cuz of Tony
I actually liked Ralphie as a character. He's a godawful PoS, obviously. But as a character, he was fantastic. He was funny as hell, had his weaknesses, but he was probably the smartest of the bunch, particularly with money and business acumen, he was typically better at negotiating than others (which counts a lot in the wheeling and dealing world of the mob) and he even held his own against Tony in a fight for a bit. He was a genuine asset to the family, disgusting and vile as he was, and they were weaker for having lost him.
He also had no ambitions to take Tony’s place, he basically just wanted to stay in his lane and do it as good as possible. Like, he genuinely doesn’t seem to understand why Tony is mad half the time.
@@blazaybla22 Tony don't understand why he's angry so much, which is part of why he kept going to Dr. Melfi (that, and he kept hoping for a 'mercy fuck' ").
@@blazaybla22 Great point. I agree. And also, with Ralphie leading his crew you would never have to worry about that crew from both the earning side and from trying to overthrow the boss.
Pretty sure Ralph was dating Rosalie Aprile BEFORE he was dating Janice
He said he was going to his goomar's house (or had just been there) in one episode while he was still with Rosalie. Not long later he and Janice are being friendly at Thanksgiving then fool around in the bathroom afterwards.
Ralph was Tony's foil. In other words, Tony was always trying to justify to himself his obvious hypocrisy. Ralph was the unabashed mirror to Tony's soul. Tony is strangling to death that image of himself he doesn't like to see.
Great analysis，I like to think when Tony yells “I get it” in the desert it’s him shedding his self pity and the last shreds of his morality, finally resolving his core hypocrisy and becoming more life Ralph
Great video. You missed two things, I think--first, Ralph's unusual sexuality; and, second, that Ralph might have been the only character in the Sopranos who was capable of dramatic change for the better, albeit as his son is near death. In Tony's dream, Ralph has a caterpillar on his head, which prompts Melfi to ask, "Has you friend recently changed?" Of course, Tony kills Ralph before he can change.
I like to think the caterpillar symbolises Ralph, Tony and the other characters that will always stay the same, pure scum bags, people do change like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly but the characters in the sopranos will never change.
I think Ralph was too much of a psychopath. At an early age he knew exactly how rotten the world truly was and rather than look past it he embraced it. It’s why he always made insensitive remarks at a bad time or do despicable things for the fun of it. He simply just loved being a sadistic fuck with no remorse.
@@Lite727I actually think it’s people like that who can genuinely change. People like Paulie who are casually cruel generally don’t change but there’s a sort of self-destructiveness to Ralph’s brand of cruelty, which ties in with his proclivity towards sexual masochism (punishing oneself). Sometimes the people who go overboard embracing the cruelty of life turn out to be the people who are struggling with the difficulty of accepting it. Of course that is just my interpretation.
If he really existed, a total waste of protoplasm. Excellent character actor, the whole series was truly outstanding.
When he was with Rosalie and then he left her after Jackie got killed. But when his son got hurt. Im glad they showed him actually realizing what a parent goes through when something happens to their children. Other than that he's just unruly.
I thought one of the most interesting parts of Ralphie showing up was that it showed the viewer that the DiMeo family was a lot bigger, more storied, and more complicated than what we get to see most of the time. It's just that for some reason most people seem to ignore that fact. But everything about his character and it's history shows us that.
Yea and two other scenes where we get an idea on how big the family is during richies home coming party at the bing there are several soldiers and associates there, also at the underground casino where Ralph turns down the drink, there too one of the guys mentions Tony showing up referring to him as “the boss” implying all those guys are with New Jersey.
Joey Pants won an Emmy in 2003 for his portrayal of Ralph C.
Ralph is one of those characters just like Ritchie, that people love to hate. He plays the part brilliantly, so much so that when he dies, you know you're going to miss him 😂
He was funny likeable but also the monster next moment
I mean, both were schtumpin' Tony's sister, Janice, who likewise had no boundaries and obviously bad choice in men folk.
@@selfdo I think Ralph and her relationship was forced the only reason ralph loses a point is due to that
People love to hate them because they are irredeemable pieces of excrement; massive egotistical shitheads. They also treated women like absolute shit, which is a hard thing to stand out for in a world where "misogynistic cooze hound and adulterous fucker of anything with a pulse" Tony and "abusive junkie wifebeater wearing a wifebeater" Christopher live.
I did miss Ralphie. Ritchie was too much of a prick, I never felt like I had as much emotionally invested with him.
“Hoo-wuh” always cracks me up.
Imagine getting mad at a guy for quoting Gladiator, but laughing your ass off every one of the 826,902 times Silvo impersonated Al Pacino.
Thats why that slomo scene with Tony and the Guys laughing is so brilliant. Show's whos where in the pecking order.
I laughed so hard when it’s discovered he wears a toupee only after he’s decapitated in the tub
He did have growth it was just too late. After his son's accident and after he says he stopped doin coke, he apologized to Rosilie and acts alot calmer.
The actor who played Ralph was amazing. He made you hate the character.
Ralph "I was doing a lot of coke" Cifareto
I’m not gonna lie but I rejoiced when Ralph died. I legit send a screenshot of his corpse to my group chat😂
You did-dent
These are and were legendary actors. We will never see their like again.
It was production value with insert here characters
Brilliant summary of one superbly fleshed out character. 👍
I was about to say that I liked Richie Waymore than Ralph but then I remember what Richie did to Beansie
“Paulie becomes jealous of anyone who out earns him”
Doesn’t pretty much EVERYONE out earn him tho? 😂
Except maybe Christopher
Ralph is the kind of guy that would steal your Mom’s crystal egg and then sell it back to you.
One of my favorite episodes is “whoever did this”
I cheer when Ralph gets what he deserves.
You think Tony viewed Tracy in the same light as his daughter, Meadow?!? 🤣🤣🤣 You are 100% wrong. He viewed her as being similar to the horse that got burned up in the fire. An animal that would have made him a lot of money. Maybe he had a similar sentimental attachment to her that he did the horse. He didn't do ANYTHING to Ralph after he beat Tracy to death. But after the horse dies, he makes an ambiguous statement that suggests he is in part avenging Tracy.
There’s literally scene where Tony pictures Tracy while looking at Meadow.
@@mikel5929 okay, but that's not enough. He also gives her "fatherly advice," and I think his enraged beating to death of Ralphie was motivated by what he did to Tracy, but as he's killing him, he never mentions Tracy, but talks about Pie-Oh-My instead, because that was the catalyst that set him off. Tracy's death alone wasn't enough. He never invested in her, he was merely exploiting her poverty and dysfunctional upbringing. The horse he put money into. He values property and money over people. People are disposable. By contrast, all Coco had to do was leer at Meadow, and Tony instantly springs into action and avenges her honor. When Tony kills Ralphie, he is avenging Pie-Oh-My officially. Any emotions he feels for Tracy are strictly subconscious. He could never allow himself to feel too much empathy for her, or he wouldn't be able to exploit her. Part of the tragedy with Tracy is that she is trying to improve her situation, getting therapy, becoming more self-aware, just like Tony attempted. I think he felt something, but because of his role as predatory mob boss, it was deeply buried.
Ok but it’s not “100% wrong” to say Tony saw comparisons between Tracy and Meadow
After Ralph killed Tracee, Tony hit him.
@@bluecollarlit no. It was the death of the horse Pie-oh-my. That's what he talks to Ralphie about before they fight. Tracy died before the horse.
Jackie Jr was strong, but man was he stupid. Dude should’ve just been the bouncer at the bing.
“Kid was always a dumb fuck, didn’t he almost drown in three inches of water?”
@@SopranoTheories haha the penguin exhibit if im not mistaken.
315 It's not JUST the Esplanade. Ralphie was clearly more intelligent (as in book-smart) than anyone in the crew. The Esplanade was the just the prime example.
Intelligent, but not wise. Wisdom was in short supply in that show…
Tony was obviously the best character on the show, but in my opinion Ralph was the most entertaining character
Take a shot every time he says Ralph
Ralphie is a habitual line stepper.
It was a bad management mistake to kill Ralphie - yes he was a psycho, but out of everyone he was the most intelligent and capable, whatever was asked of him, he could do. He was so good at everything it got him into trouble - idle hands make the devils work - Tony needed to keep Ralph busy.
Even when it came to killing the horse for insurance money, that was the correct choice, that horse wasn’t going to win anymore races and the vet bills were going to mount up - that’s a shrewd but smart business move, Tony as usual acted like a child because his littte pony got killed, acted emotionally, and killed his best guy.
It just goes to show, Tony never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
Exactly bro ralphie was my favorite character too damn funny and smart
Wow amazing collection!
Ralph was like Chris , but more brutal than Chris, and a better earner. Tony just did not like Ralph , and Ralph did not like him. Both them tolerated each other until they could not tolerated each other no more. And know what happen.
He was given a pass for things he should have got corrected for and killed for doing good scam...so it was twisted.
Ralph was possibly the biggest asshole in the entire show (quite an accomplishment) but also possibly the most entertaining. Joe Pantoliano was excellent casting.
Tony didn’t kill Ralphie because of Pie Oh My or Tracie, Tony killed Ralphie because Ralphie was pointing out what a hypocrite Tony was for caring about the horse despite the fact that they do way more horrible things to human beings and how Tony doesn’t care where that money comes from: The realization that Tony was no better than Ralphie (A person Tony despises) and could actually be worse than Ralphie was too much for Tony to accept.
Ralph also killed the Horse . Be cause Tony slept with his Ex.
"A gerbil Ma'am"
ralph watching gladiator and hugging the TV while screeching "hes just like me fr!!!"
Ralph was one of my favorite characters. I liked that he was a loose cannon 😁😁
Ralph was the nemesis that was inserted into the 3rd season for Tony. Chase says as much in the DVD commentary. That was the theme.
If I drank every time you said Ralph I would be dead
My favorite character he makes season 3 my favorite season hands down
Paulie never told johnny that joke,he asked John on the phone in jail if he herd the joke then said never mind,
True. So from whom did John know the exact joke?
Great as always ❤😊
Nearly missed this, thank god my hearing aid was up!
Ralphie was Goodfellas Tommy, we all felt relieved after he was whacked.
What I love about Ralph and sopranos is you never really know who’s really lying 100% of the time
Ralph is honestly my favorite character in the entire series. Watching him piss everybody off by just being himself is super satisfying.
Ralph was more like your funny uncle.
You pegged the character of Ralph just like Janice pegged his butt.
To be fair, He DID ask the matrix to make him someone rich with power and no memory of the Matrix so this is what he got.
Keep em coming
Tony lost all respect for Ralph when Ralph killed the horse. Killing a human is one thing, but killing an animal, to Tony is a capital crime
Should of included the reason ralph decided to kill the horse and the metaphor the horse/Tracy was meant to be.
Again - terrific theory! I never considered how much Ralph mirrored Ritchie's insane behaviour...and the fact that they both dated Janice at one point? Well thought out, man!
Growing up in north Jersey there were so many bow and arrow accidents it was unreal.
An important note: in the sopranos podcasts michael imperioli would state that the music played in Ralph scenes indicates he is literally the devil, and this comes from a writer himself.
Also, in his social club, behind his desk there’s a New Jersey Devils sticker.
"They didn't have flat tops in Ancient Rome!" will always be one of my favorite Ralph lines.
Ralphie was more likeable than Richie because unlike Richie he had a sense of humor that i loved...both were assholes but Richie was really a funny guy(ray lotta voice)😂
Pantoliano is a A grade Actor ... Salute
“A gerbil ma’am”
The actor did a phenomenal job. There are few TV or movie characters I can say I have truly hated, Ralph was definetly top of the list.
Hands down the best character. The show just wasn't the same when Tony killed him.
wtf
Facts
As for Tracy? Equal rights, equal lefts. She shouldn’t have been putting her hands on a man. Flat out, she learned the hard way.
Exactly
False. It was murder. Man or women you don't get to instigate a fight with someone and then beat them to death. He was scumbag. And you are a scumbag for justifying a violent murder.
True but her actions didn’t warrant getting beaten to death
Ralphie got what Ralphie had comin.... Tracy was a whoa, true,but Ralphie was an ashole and had no right to disrespect da BING...3 million a yea...but no respect for da boss...
I fell from the bed laughing just from the intro!! 😂😂
Only thing about Ralph was that he was just Very annoying !!! As far as being a scum bag, All the mobsters fit that bill.. Paulie Smothered an old woman to death then stole her money and soprano fans still Love Paulie.. Furio has NO PROBLEM punching a woman in the nose but people sympathize his desire for Carmela. Ralph was just in your face with his antics without any discretion which is why i believe he seemed worse than most of the other characters. Great cast, Great acting, Great writing. Sopranos was and still is a Masterpiece..!!
Take a shot everytime “Ralph” is said
Ralph was so devious, duplicitous, dishonest and disloyal. As bad as Richie was you normally knew what he was thinking and where his loyalties lay. So Ralph was much more dangerous in my opinion, you never could be sure about anything with him and he was always scheming.
Richie Ralphie Anthony… man the crew could’ve been unstoppable but no one could lead these maniacs properly!
Don’t forget Feech!
Good write up. 👍
Ralph was too intense and crazy. He flew roo close to the sun.
Richie Aprile rules & needed an "Early Days" spin-off
He’s like 100 years old
Ralph disrespected the Bing, but, he was doing a lot of coke at the time, so Tony never should have hit him.
Excellent point - whenever anyone started to "out earn" Paulie, they died.
After Tony killed Ralph, he and Christopher get him into tub and Christopher pulls Ralph's head up to chop his neck with butcher knife and the wig Ralph wore came off, lol, lol, lol. Christopher is like wtf, Tony already knew.
Ralph was terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time, like an old school mobster, he just wasn't that old school looking.
Tracy was the epitome of what they call the 'Betty Crocker/Who-uh Dichotomy'
You made this video like that Animal Blundetto! Lol
What’s do great about Ralph is that Ralph is such a great Ralph and when Ralph does Ralph things he Ralph Ralphy Ralph
The funniest thing I've ever heard is "the Wire is better than the Sopranos". Hilarious