The Sopranos: What Was Junior's Problem?

[@bazjr86]

Junior setting up card games in the mental home was comedy gold 😂

[@whatutalkinboutwillis6122]

Some of the best scenes in the series right up there with Christopher’s intervention

[@Justen1980]

Checkers, the thinking man's game..

[@CerretaniOutdoorsLLC]

Wait he killed the Fuckin dawg?

[@yaqubebased1961]

The special executive game

[@ryanfitzpatrick9736]

@@CerretaniOutdoorsLLCthe dog must’ve been looking for warmth, haha

[@PJ-po6xy]

It's crazy that Dominic Chianese is outliving most the cast and is still alive

[@aluminumsalmongames6277]

And doing great work still. He was great in Boardwalk Empire.

[@HeavyOrdnance]

When I was a kid, he was an old man. Now that I’m an old man, he’s still old. What’s with that?

[@penskepc2374]

​@@HeavyOrdnance you're not going to kill him are you?

[@Sandux930]

holy shit i didnt expect that. Even the actor who plays chrissy is graying now

[@brandondrake14]

​@@HeavyOrdnanceExactly! I'm in the same boat! Thank you!

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

Junior’s problem is that he went 🎵south of the border, where the tuna fish play🎵

[@skeleton1765]

He’s in the muff, sorry. I meant rough.

[@Teddyisoffline]

haa

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

🤣🤣🤣 Hey, that's enough... _"Bobbi's a sweet, SWEET girl!"_

[@tomz5704]

I didn't know he was into sushi to be honest

[@darknes2742]

He's whistling to the wheat field 🌬️🌾🌾🌾

[@nsaad3048]

I always found Junior as one of the characters the audience could learn from. Never let your ego get beyond what you're willing to work for. Junior was obsessed with superficiality.

[@LaMorenitaDivina]

Agree. He had an arc, and it was edifying. Not just “mob guy not that smart, pretty violent, ends up dead.”

[@michaelluciano1980]

Well said

[@VIPERJ27]

Bro junior killed Chris father cuz he laughed at him when junior busted his leg falling down the church stairs 💀 happened in saint of Newark

[@GuidoLuzzi]

yeah and i'm playing shortstop for the mets

[@tf3217]

​@@GuidoLuzziwhat does that mean?

[@Teddyisoffline]

he's problem was that tony never had the makings of a varsity athlete

[@herschelwright4663]

What is it with you and this obsession with this varsity crap? The other day you said.😂

[@yaqubebased1961]

Small hands, that's his problem

[@SHIT2TITS]

It's very undermining

[@EddieZ33HR]

@@SHIT2TITS😂😂 “ALRIGHT THATS IT!!!! WERE LEAVINNN”

[@JohnIadanza-cy9dx]

No But he Had other qualities

[@no-barkthechosenone2436]

“Believe me, there’s plenty I’d like to forget” Tragic line, great way to end the video

[@rzasha]

One thing that gets overlooked, almost all of Junior's crew was loyal to him till the end. Not just the old timer like Murph, Beppy, Tommy and Bobby Sr, but even the younger guys like Chuckie Signore and the Parisis brothers stayed with him through the years. Mikey Palmice and Bobby Jr practically worshiped Junior. The only one to ditch him was Gigi. That's saying something these days...

[@dnice213]

Gigi died taking a shit ☝🏼

[@keabonhall2436]

loyal to the end? Bobby Sr. got quality time with his father figure, but rarely was he visited by anyone that wasn’t from his time, talking about the good ol’ days

[@DioBrandoWRYYYYYY]

Junior is a cautionary tale about holding on to things for too long and never reflecting on if they're still important or not. Like Junior was never meant to be a leader, but he could have been a great right hand man like Syl, but instead he ruined things for himself by being petty.

[@thomasstone3480]

i mean. junior outlived sil lol there's a lot of ways to get fucked when you're in the mafia

[@leroloralarlora]

yeah. junior's cunning and strategical thinking when he's not engulfed in his own insecurities goes unnoticed "old man profaci knew how to split his enemies"

[@yaqubebased1961]

Word. Junior was the best consiglieri Tony had, no offense to Sil.

[@stingerjohnny9951]

It’s a lesson we all need to learn but so few ever do. Sometimes you just gotta let shit go.

[@Ezio999Auditore]

OOOOOOOH!

[@VicenteAlonso-ht8ui]

The thing is Tony and Junior are very similar: men with insecurities, and not too cruel, in an enviroment of merciless predators. Unlike Johny Boy who aparently was a perfect adjusted psycopath. And Corrado raised Tony almost as much as his own father

[@antonioreconquistador]

"Man is driven in total by his insecurities" i think was something Hesh said in early s1. I could understand insecurity about your perception in that sort of business, about maintaining a clean sense of confidence and strength, that you're not easy to be rolled over on. I think his biggest problem was that he never really had a family or friends left to speak of, and thus, he constantly suspected Tony, someone he wished would be an extension of his willpower, of either weakness, or trying to fuck him over. Everyone else seemed to want something out of him and his mind withered with that.

[@mrsharkles]

Not too cruel

[@carlmadsen5734]

I'd argue his uncle was more influential on him then his father

[@yannick245]

You think that Tony fuckin' Soprano isn't a complete psychopath/sociopath? It's called antisocial personality disorder (ASPD or APD) today: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder?wprov=sfla1 The show is very clear about it. And in season 6, Tony's cloves were off! They even make it clear to the audience, by Melfie making a research and drop him as a patient. Tony is a textbook example!

[@Sernival]

​@@yannick245Tony wasn't for most of the show, that's why mob life bothered him and noticeably desensitized him over time. Johnny Boy had spells according to Hesh, so I think only Junior was comfortably adjusted, at least during his time on the show.

[@ncapone87]

Dominic Chianese's performance as Corrado was one of the best in the show

[@cambodianbreastmilk2980]

I agree. Him and James really became their characters.

[@yesdude3914]

His personality, his jokes, and the way it was delivered are so authentic...In season 3 or 4, theres a scene where Carrado gets angry at the nurse/home carer when he's on house arrest, because she doesn't offer Tony anything to drink...She replies, "I'm a nurse, not a housemaid", so Carrdo replies with, "well did you offer him an aspirin??!?" and then walks away and mumbles "cunt" under his breath so lightly that you barely hear it😂 it's my favourite Carrado moment because it sounds so authentic, it's just those little moments in their characters and personality which makes this show the greatest of all time

[@ncapone87]

@@yesdude3914 my favorite is later on in the show "you can make a hand turkey!" "For Christmas? Fuckin idiot"

[@anadiaz2993]

Great actor indeed

[@MasterMote]

His acting was great, but also, i think the writers just understood the character perfectly, they knew exactly what they wanted him to be.. Anyway hes also my fav, with Tony ofcourse.

[@miajenn]

Tony in the beginning: “Someday soon, you're gonna have families of your own and if you're lucky, you'll remember the little moments like this, that were good.” Junior at the very end: "We used to play catch" 🥺

[@Sean12248]

It didn't help that Junior was under house arrest and had health issues. That's a major factor of why he was the way he was. If he'd been in the club or pork store he could have solved problems easier and not relied on people like Tony as much.

[@tomz5704]

He had his own hangout locations before being under house arrest, it didn't make a difference

[@DaveSCameron]

He needed Tony Silo to come to his rescue! 😂

[@richardg8651]

What's a pork store ?

[@lean.2366]

Always with the scenarios!

[@lean.2366]

​@@richardg8651ask the pork store killer

[@danielrichwine2268]

The fact that as a grown man and as the oldest member of the family he still called Junior tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the character

[@Adamortega_]

Do you think that was intentional?

[@danielrichwine2268]

@@Adamortega_ yes

[@Danny15877]

​@danielrichwine2268 you're reading too far into it 💀 the oldest of a family is often "Junior" and it's because they're named after the father. He's Corrado Junior.

[@danielrichwine2268]

@@Danny15877 it is certainly within character for him to be called junior because of the culture he comes from. But the fact that he is called junior which is a kid's nickname speaks worlds to how everyone thought of him. This was a deliberate choice on the part of the writers, who were certainly on top of their game when writing the series.

[@dandavis8300]

@@danielrichwine2268 --Carmine Persico, the boss of the Columbo family was called Junior. He liked that better than his other nickname, "The Snake". Nobody was dissing him...

[@Max-mi1tz]

Rip James Gandolfini. He would have been 62 today! RIP TO THE LEGEND

[@k.aliazad4388]

🥳🎉

[@TheVanillatech]

Small hands, that one.

[@terry4137]

@@TheVanillatechsmall hands make for big balls!

[@GojoGunning]

Man dude died so young

[@isaacoglan]

Junior has the saddest ending to me. Left alone with no one and nothing to show for his whole life.

[@RogueBoyScout]

I"m not so sure. It may look sad to us nobodies who are going to probably work til we are 70+, then enjoy some retirement. Have no fear of death every day, have family and friends be around ect. But in his Life, he got to reach old age pretty much unscathed!! Yeah, he didn't get to live in a palace, but if it were not for his dementia, one might ask would he have been at arm's length enough not to get involved in the NY-Jersey War. The fact that Paulie s most likely their Heir Apparent speak volumes into just how many of the De-Meo crew were wiped out in the 6(7) Seasons. To live to old age in the life, and FREE!! (Some might say being locked up in an institution isn't free. As someone who has tasted both Gaol and Psych wards, trust me Psych Wards are a dream come true if you don't get into a place that is "corrupted" by ineptitude and laziness on the staffs part. I guess what I am saying is. It's a sad ending. But the Saddest? I dunno, ask Bobby's kids. ( I would say ask Tony's family, but they are all going to get what they deserve. Carmela is going to be just another "Do you know who I am? Do you know who my husband WAS". The emphasis on WAS is important. Because she is going to have a real hard time not being given the royal treatment. Johhny Sack's Wife, that's her future. And as for A.J., well Prince Alfred is going to have the hardest shock of all. Waking up in the morning without having all his "Uncles" kiss his ass and make him feel special. No more VIP entrance to the Clubs. Half those kids he hang with will distance themselves from him, and the realization that in fact none liked HIM, they liked his Surname, is going to probably destroy him harder than Jackie Jr.)

[@DonOnAMeme]

I would have loved to go hang out with him in old age. I don't care what he did. He deserved someone to talk to.

[@bosunbill9059]

A guy called "Junior" with insecurity issues? Big surprises.

[@je5624]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Lexthebarbarian]

Sharp as a fucking cue ball...Unfortunately, it did not lead to promotion within the hierarchy. The scene where Tony asks if he doesn't love him is strong. Love that one.

[@genossestampede2754]

Yeah, that scene was sad. Really shows how fucked up the sopranos family is and how Tony carried that over to his own family.

[@michaelogrady7181]

So much was said with a mere quiver of the lip.

[@portugal5698]

He desperately wanted to say yes, but couldn’t out of how he lived his life, if that makes sense. He was so used to emotions being hidden in that life or “shielded,” that he carried that in to his personal life and only realized it by the time it was too late.

[@HOTD108_]

I wonder if that cue was chalked?

[@robertlee4172]

Junior, loved to walk down Bloomfield avenue, and phoque 'em all.

[@enak413]

One scene that shows how really doomed Junior is ... when he sees Larry David on television and starts freakin' out wondering why he's on t.v. So funny and sad at the same time ... just like uncle June (and/or Mr. Magoo)

[@Nappa-q5x]

That was funny

[@ScapoloMichael]

Mr Six Flags

[@freebee8221]

Curb your enthusiasm is just like the sopranos, except larry david and the other jews have no balls.

[@Chris-ey3rb]

that scene has me dead so many years later still 😂

[@g.sergiusfidenas6650]

​@@ScapoloMichael"Your Honor, my client does not even remember advertising that shitty park", wouldn't had been a half argument for an insanity plea.

[@oN3xShOtxkilL]

Small hands that was junior’s problem

[@licmir3663]

Junior in the first season seems like a completely different character from later seasons. I couldn’t understand how he became a capo being so incompetent, oblivious to what all the other capos thought of him and instead listening to Livia Soprano. After the second season he became quite savvy and gave Tony great advices. It’s a pity he became a joke in the prequel film.

[@abdelrahimmohammed1814]

Nah The film nailed how insecure and petty he was

[@naswiipp]

Nepotism and seniority.

[@Phoenix_1991]

Sometimes seniority gives you things you don't deserve. This is pretty common for example in Japan where your older co-worker gets promoted for a position because of his age (and experience) even though someone younger might be more suited for the job.

[@Samuel88853]

@@Phoenix_1991 seems common in US looking at the political leadership and their advanced ages

[@Sean12248]

Yup! There should be a law, people over the age of 70 shouldn't be allowed in politics. @@Samuel88853

[@gnarfarmer]

His problem was that he had a nephew who never had the makings of a varsity athlete

[@tylercross2323]

Funny 😐

[@GamerLoff]

@@tylercross2323ahh, have a drink, lighten up a bit

[@markhasparkinsons3270]

Alright thats it. Get your coat.

[@Ilmaricinema]

​@@markhasparkinsons3270"I don't have a coat"

[@tacitus6384]

Junior really was, ultimately, a rather sad and pathetic figure when you think about him. He grew up in the shadow of his more successful brother, he never married, never had kids, a family of his own, he was single for most of his life and just seemed bitter and miserable. He sold his soul to the mafia and what for? The guy lived a material life no better than any pensioner, and any sense of power he had was immaterial as those around him didn't respect him and even used him as a lightning rod for the feds and at the end of it all his mind rotted away and he died of dementia/Alzheimer's. He lived a pretty sad and empty life and he sold his soul in exchange for power, wealth and respect yet acquired very little of it.

[@BookshelfQBattler]

A lot of the guys I noticed did all these crimes, tookk in all this money yet never seemed to have much. Junior had a crappy little house as did Paulie.

[@Aven-Sharma1991]

Junior was interested in one woman and he lied to Tony by telling him that he couldn’t tell her how he felt, suffering in silence and then later the lady Tony talked to said he used to skulk outside her window or something. Kinda sad that the only woman her ever wanted and loved just rejected him and didn’t even give a damn about him

[@genekelly8467]

He buried the money in his back yard.@@BookshelfQBattler

[@vespiary2066]

Junior might not have had the type of respect he desired -- total obedience and reverence -- but he was generally well liked and appreciated it seems. He just never learned to appreciate the type he ended up getting and his natural role.

[@GnomallyOrcward]

@@BookshelfQBattler "Hey AJ how come your dad doesn't have Don Corleone money?"

[@craigcavaliere6744]

I'm lost on how Junior's ending was positive. He was suffering from dementia, in a state-run facility because he didn't have the money to live in the nicer facility. It wasn't a traditional prison, but a prison none-the-less.

[@robloughrey]

Because he actually got his wish, at the end, what he remembered was the good times, and he forgot the things he wanted to. Its not super positive, but its better that what Tony and many others got.

[@yokatta-f]

@@robloughrey death is better than living the rest of your "life" in a de facto prison not knowing who you are or how to wipe your butt

[@yaqubebased1961]

He's not aware. Dementia patients don't suffer nearly as much as their loved ones do on their behalf.

[@asdasdae]

@@robloughrey”remembered the good times” how did he remember the good times?? He literally forgot he was in the mob in the last episode, he didn’t remember shit.

[@boop79]

@@asdasdaehe forgot the time he felt less than

[@MadMetsFan]

Junior always struck me as a character that you would just negotiate with. He was not the mafioso who would duke it out or force the issue, but would just simply make a deal with. He was really more of a racketeer than a mobster.

[@vampiresquid]

He had several people killed, including one just for laughing at him (Dickie Moltisanti) tried to murder his own nephew. If anything, he was too much of a violent hothead to be boss.

[@MadMetsFan]

no-one said he wasn't a dangerous guy, but Jr. was taken from the Paul Castellano/Angelo Bruno mode - real-life bosses who had hundreds murdered between them, but their mentality was that of a deal-maker @@vampiresquid

[@vampiresquid]

@@MadMetsFan Sure, buddy. Whatever you say. Aside from a couple of real psychos like Ritchie, they are all constantly shown making deals. Junior was one of the more violent ones.

[@MadMetsFan]

@@vampiresquid we are talking about fictional characters you know that

[@vampiresquid]

@@MadMetsFan Uh, yeah, Eiinstein, and you started it.

[@TheDarkDesire123]

The scene where Tony tells Junior he thought the feeble minded brother his dad had was him (and not Ercole) might be one of the funniest scenes in television history

[@je5624]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@bearwooden660]

Junior's problem is that he was married to the mob. Tony and everyone else have families, but not Junior. He is treating mob like one would his wife - scheming , whispering, etc...

[@feluto7172]

That cake scene really broke my heart, his character is so insecure he destroyed almost every personal relationship

[@OldAussieAds]

She really shouldn't have blabbed though. Junior did warn her about that.

[@C00kiesAplenty]

In a society where being gay means you get beaten to death, and eating out a woman is almost considered gay, I don't think it was that out of line for him. Especially given that he specifically told her not to tell anyone, for that specific reason.

[@marioncapriotti1514]

@@C00kiesAplenty - It mystifies me that going down on a woman would be considered "gay." Isn't it pretty much the most heterosexual thing a man can do in bed? I think, rather, that the mobsters considered it too "giving" on the part of a man, because to them, sex is supposed to be about the man "taking," and dominating his partner. Truly mutual, pleasurable and equally-shared sex involves vulnerability, and the machismo of the mob mentality could not tolerate vulnerability.

[@sr_ryoadm]

She's a btch to share something than he clearly said to not share. He's a insecure? Yeah, but a strong man it's well, so it's a hard combination.

[@defragsbin]

@@OldAussieAds I think she'd already blabbed by the time he mentioned it to her, and it came back to bite her :(

[@jamieholtsclaw2305]

I loved when Junior would say 'never had the makings of a varsity athlete' and watching it take Tony's anger from 0 to 60 in a second.

[@Reprodestruxion]

The paradox of being resentful while losing your memory

[@Graywing]

Junior definitely fits the statement of "you should never make a poor man the boss".

[@michaelogrady7181]

This is a great analysis of a brilliantly nuanced character. Nice work choosing the scenes to support your point. Junior had many of the greatest lines in the series IMHO.

[@kgfoster14]

That "dont you love me?" From tony hits so hard. Like he knows in his heart jr does love him, but there's a difference between knowing and hearing it.

[@chumunga648]

Junior was an interesting combination of incredibly insightful and wise but at the same time, his own insecurities robbed him of any happiness he could have had he excelled in being an advisor and was an excellent judge of character but he coveted the status of being a leader and he's always undermined every chance he got. I think the shining example of Junior being his own worst enemy is when the guys busted his balls over eating out his girlfriend. that woman was the closest thing Junior got to a actual loving relationship and he threw it all away because his ego got bruise. the guys who made fun of him though? they forgot about it the next day. to them it really was just some lighthearted banter if Junior had Bobbi (alongside bobby lol) with him throughout the series, who knows what would have happened

[@RiskuBusiness]

The scene of him getting confused watching Curb Your Enthusiasm makes me laugh every time.

[@WesleyWilkins-qf2ky]

“Is this my trial?”

[@MelissaKathryn]

That was so well done!

[@brandonmcgrew4367]

0:20 idk why that joke is so funny😂😂😂

[@blooman80]

Really great delivery by ol uncle jun

[@madmaxx4793]

The fact that junior gad dickie M. Killed over joke tells you all you need to know about junior … “a man driven by his insecurities” -Hesh

[@FreeOpenTruth]

That film messes up the history of the show along with a huge number of plot holes so I don't even consider it canon.

[@ElleSimon-wi1cm]

@@FreeOpenTruth That film messed up everything. I'm the biggest Sopranos fan in the world, and I couldn't finish that.

[@Jimmy1982Playlists]

Wait, wait... which problem are we talking about here? 😉 Your video reminds me of what a _great_ character Junior is! The writing and the performance of Gandolfini result in Tony's characterization always getting the flowers (rightfully so - it's an all-time great), but the show is filled with the most amazing portraits of main and supporting characters. Jun', in particular, is a gem; right up there with portrayals of Carmela, Livia, Chris... and the performance of Chianese is brilliant! The Sopranos, Godfather II, Boardwalk Empire, Gotti, and more... he's made quite an impact on the gangster genre, in particular.

[@ianomachino6233]

Relax ✋ were not making a western here 🤌

[@michaelogrady7181]

I am a huge fan of Arthur Bucco too. A sublime performance by John Ventimiglia.

[@HOTD108_]

Listing Gotti alongside The Sopranos and The Godfather is hilarious.

[@jonsweeney4347]

Luigi syndrome. Permanent second banana.

[@rafsimmz]

Ironically fitting metaphorically and literally 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@hypnotised-clover]

​@@rafsimmzIronic how?

[@salmansengul]

Bro? never heard that one before! good one! 😂🤣

[@SamDizzo-gf7zu]

Such disrespect Kino smdh he didnt have a "problem" he was simply The Bushman of The Kalahari 🍑

[@misterwhipple2870]

If you whistle to the wheat-field, no one will listen to you.

[@paulnewhouse5126]

Sometimes on nights of the full moon you can still hear traces of Junior farting into the same couch cushion for 18 months in the mental hospital.

[@samirascarlett]

I always wonder how it feels for an older person, to act older and go through those motions that they arent necessarily feeling themselves

[@fox9769]

Junior was a respected captain. He had some of the most loyal soldiers in the series like Bobby, Mikey, Beppy, Murf, etc. He was just never suited to be the boss. He was better of being a number 2 like Silvio.

[@daviddanielsson3643]

Well, I think you come to the core of the issue in the video. In a funeral Uncle Jr breaks down and start crying. Tony takes him to his M.D. and it is speculated that it's a neurological issue, but Jr states that there is no point in life. He's under house arrest, experiencing the early signs of dementia, he says that he's got no wife, no children, nothing to live for. Which relates back to your comment about Tony and Jr and what Jr remembers of their relationship. In the end "it's all a big nothing", as Tony says before coming down with food poisoning in season 2. Uncle June is the only one smart enough, despite his worsening mental state, to realize that in the end the mob life was for nothing. Having a family, a wife, kids, grandkids is what truly matters and Jr is deprived of all that and for what? He wasn't even very succesful in the mafia; he was passed over his whole life and never given the respect he thought he deserved.

[@wilhelmhesse1348]

The reason JR ever got married I think is hinted at in Many Saints of Newark. Him having a long lasting back problem and probably being close to imponent are possible reasons which explains his preference for getting lost in the muff.

[@nicolasclermont893]

Hesh said it perfectly. "Men is driven en toto by his insecurities" and i think that is Junior 100 percent.

[@TooLooze]

Junior could never move forward in life because he was always fleeeexing.

[@talesfromthetrip]

Junior was hilarious, but very tragic.

[@davesmith7432]

“Ahh, Cmon Uncle June! I thought you were a Bacala!”

[@HellNation]

He made it to be the boss of a family looking like Mr. Magoo. That's some impressive feat

[@TheJewHunter1488]

Another Kino video? OVAAAA HEEERE

[@jeffreylebowski7459]

Great comment!

[@henryaggerate9669]

It’s fun on a rewatch to try to tell in which scenes Junior’s actually suffering from dementia vs being his usual jackass self For example the famous Sunday dinner scene, I’m convinced that’s all lucidity and he’s just fuckin with Tony, but he clearly showed some scenes immediately before when he forgot when the dinner started

[@keithharper1470]

One thing Junior was right about in his day Jackie Jr funeral would've been packed no matter what he did.

[@DavidBarton777]

Flower cars up and down the block

[@usernamefortyone]

I always thought Junior willingly posed as the boss after realizing that's how Tony set it up. As opposed to his ego it was his love for his nephew and respect for "that thing of theirs" that made him refuse that Tony is the real boss.

[@sc1338]

Maybe it was both? I kinda felt the same. Like he was protecting his nephew

[@bigmoochiegrapefan78]

i vehemently disagree

[@drlca6601]

these duelling motivations are how I've always viewed this character. One of the greatest character ever conceived for TV.@@sc1338

[@DrewbattleTheGreat]

His reputation is everything to him. If he snitched it would totally ruin his reputation which to him is worth than death

[@CashisKingtrucking]

I like these character breakdowns you've been doing.

[@MSJChem]

His biggest problem was that he didn't go down enough.

[@amyamyamy777]

That’s not what I heard.

[@MSJChem]

@@amyamyamy777 You yap worse than six barbers

[@damienbythrow2609]

He was a grown-@$$ man who was still being called "Junior" like a six-year old. That'll screw up anybody.

[@noirekuroraigami2270]

Maybe... I think it's an old ppl thing. They called my uncle Jr. til he died at 73 I didn't even know his real name til like 13

[@BM-wh5qk]

It's sad because he could have easily moved into a close role as surrogate grandfather to AJ and Meadow if had given a damn about family.

[@Samuel88853]

Whatever his flaws, he was an artiste down there

[@I_V_X]

Dementia is the worst fate anyone could ask for, I've seen it in my own close family and am seeing it in others But it is part of life and I appreciate the series for showing how ugly it can be. One day we can cure this.

[@TheGyroBarqusShow]

That "don't you love me" scene was heartbreaking

[@madmartigan1634]

I get so excited when I see a new video from you, sir. You've got a great insight into film and have breathed new life & enjoyment into my favorite TV shows.

[@lil-soda-boi]

He was in the muff, that was his problem. I mean, ROUGH

[@attackhelicopterjr4481]

What?!

[@Governing368]

It was so sad. And tony handled him rough knowing the man had esteem issues.

[@chrisxavier3147]

Dominic Chianese is a brilliant actor

[@jothanankrogh]

I always felt that Jr had a lot more going on than was portrayed in the show. His visible streams of income seemed to be the tip of the iceberg, and he didn't seem to spend money or gamble. No one had any idea of his wealth that seemed amiss at the end. Did it all go in legal fees?

[@keithharper1470]

He lived in the same house since the 60's while everyone else moved into mini-mansions notice how he really didn't get into any fed trouble until he was an old man he stayed off the radar for a very long time

[@DrewbattleTheGreat]

He could’ve lived long and happy as a capo. If he never made a move to be boss I think eventually Tony would have been indicted and junior would have had to be boss

[@StyleHimNow]

wonderful narration Pure Kino. Very engaging, insightful and informative.

[@encych5984]

I am glad you picked on that @StyleHimNow very observant the sacred and the propane :D

[@Joe-d7m6k]

Very. Allegorical.

[@chadd990]

Their relationship reminds me of when Tony killed Chris. I think Tony felt like he was meant to continue the cycle when he killed Chris, and he was looking for reasons to justify it. After all, his own mother and uncle tried to get him killed. Tony also killed his other cousin Tony, which he thought was part of doing business. Maybe Tony could identify with Junior at this point, knowing that Junior’s death plots were just business. However, as the days after Chris’ death have shown the sorrow everyone felt, Tony begins to realize that he made a mistake. Maybe Junior’s murder attempts weren’t justified, maybe the murder of his cousins Tony and Chris weren’t justified. I also have to wonder if somewhere in his mind, for the first time in his life, he asks himself if all of the other murders were justified, or just business.

[@johnny_thunder_3024]

It WAS part of the business, that's what their business was

[@chadd990]

@@johnny_thunder_3024It was a perceived part of their business, that's just how they thought it should be. What I'm suggesting is that Tony was possibly starting to realize that it didn't need to be that way, especially when it comes to family. Afterall, it wasn't even the business that killed Tony, it was the man in the jacket getting revenge for his brother/friend who died earlier in season 6. Junior ultimately didn't kill his family in cold blood. In fact, Junior didn't follow many of the same traditions, as was pointed out in this video. Junior was the only mobster we know of who would die a natural death. In the final episode, Paulie is reluctant to take up the new job that Tony offered him. His excuse was that all of the other guys who took that job are dead now. I think the final season points out all of the flaws and hypocrisies in the mob, which the show has so far tried to justify. As Tony begins to see these flaws, so do we as the viewers. So even though it was part of the business, that doesn't mean the murders were ever justified.

[@johnny_thunder_3024]

@@chadd990 well that's how one does crime, it's just that he shouldn't have gotten into that life in the first place

[@chadd990]

@@johnny_thunder_3024 Thanks for your opinion, but that's not how I choose to view the show.

[@Max-mi1tz]

"Bobby make my patrons an egg" 🤣 (Edit: Rip James Gandolfini. He would have been 62 today! RIP TO THE LEGEND)

[@ncapone87]

Tony Egg

[@hogbone7]

Larry Boy tells us in S1: he's living in the wrong century and New York knows it

[@tomz5704]

I really hate that many saints is used as canon in these videos now

[@markangelou9368]

He drove a Rincoln Continental

[@NickDDDD]

Superb analysis - spot on! Thank you. So concise! You highlighted themes/comments that I hadn't quite joined up. Thank you!

[@mursuka80]

Junior would have been perfect number 2 to Tony. Man was not made to be a boss, but in advisor role he would have been perfect.

[@Artofficial1986]

It is very frightening to imagine getting old and just not remember anything about your life.

[@Void7.4.14]

But Junior did have the ability to lead, some guys were fully behind em and willing to do whatever he asked. It was mostly just that Tony had more in common with most of the Capos and age probably played a huge part in that given that most Capos we see are closer to Tony's age than Juniors. The nature of power is very factional and personal relationships have a lot to do with how leadership and rank and file break down during a power struggle of any kind. He's not respected by some, but he is by others and much of it breaks down to age and previous relationships (those loyal from NJ to NY usually looked up to em since they were children or had relationships with Junior that went back to Johnny's era) where the younger guys and those who were close to Tony historically were more loyal to him. So really one of the main enemies to Junior was time. As allies died off or went to prison his power dwindled and as Tony's generation became more and more prominent, rose through the ranks, took over from their grandparents, parents, uncles, etc, it naturally put Tony in better position. Take this down the road some years and it could be a younger guy doing the same to T or back a few and favor could easily fall to Junior.

[@DragonZombie2000]

I would never wish dementia on my worst enemy, that was NOT a happy ending for him

[@SkyBaum]

In real life he seems like an amazing guy!

[@IrishYobbo07]

Junior was such a complex and interesting character. Grest video again Kino ❤

[@toby099]

His problem was that he had to live with the shame of having a nephew without makings of a varsity athlete.

[@danielfacciolo529]

A massive credit to Dominic. He embodies an old school Italian perfectly without leaning into the whole 'new york mobster' schtick. Reminds me of the Italian- born grandparents, aunts and uncles that i grew up around.

[@keithmichael112]

the one interesting thing about Many Saints was the revelation about Juniors uh, dysfunction, it cast the first season in a new light and it made way more sense that he was so upset that Tony was making fun of him for pleasing a woman in really the only way he ever could

[@harvest44492]

Many Saints depiction of Junior sucks, they made him act like an old man when he was supposed to be in his prime. Junior and Johnny did collections together, Junior was practically Johnnys sidekick in all of that and they never show Junior kicking ass or being physical in any way.

[@ncapone87]

I don't consider Many Saints canon

[@keithmichael112]

@@ncapone87 considering he didn't rewatch it, it's kinda like an alternate reality, an elseworlds Sopranos story

[@harvest44492]

@@keithmichael112 Sopranos: CW version

[@dirklerxstpratt2112]

@@ncapone87 Do you consider it to be Nikon?

[@Tyler-tn2kq]

If Tony was worried about 200k when he didn’t even have to kick ANY envelopes up to junior….says a lot about how weak the crew got

[@darrinelliot.]

Corrados biggest strength as well as biggest weakness is that he is a relic of the golden age of the mafia. His character epitomizes it. Often times when Tony couldn’t find a solution from Hesh or Silvio Junior could pull a nugget from the past that helped Tony perfectly. Those times were the father son moments that showed you Junior loved Tony. The inverse is Junior being insecure & stuck in an era where respect is the only thing that mattered to the point it hindered his own growth & happiness. Even with that weakness however it kept him alive. In a world where “sleeping with the fishes” is common Junior showed us all how he’s a survivor.

[@briandavid7849]

There are so many little moments that make me love the sopranos. So many little details that make it one of the most haunting beautiful series ive ever seen. The sopranos just has a certain sting to it that no other show will ever capture.

[@jadedemperor2820]

Junior really represents that not all people really grow up dude killed Carmela’s cousin because he made fun of him and was going whack Tony his actual blood which is even frowned upon by mobsters because he was jealous.

[@prophetbillmartin6262]

Yes!!! That why i never felt bad about Junior....Junior Killed Chris's Father (in the Many Saints of Newark) Simply because Dickie Laughed at Him...Junior was an Asshole who Was Mean to Bobby Jr.and He Dumps His Girlfriend because of His Pride and Ego... Junior Died Alone because He Treated The People Who Tried to Love him, in a very mean and nasty way.

[@sophiawilson8696]

@@prophetbillmartin6262 Yes thanks you! I thinking the same thing. The girlfriend didn't say anything to girl. She told her keep her mouth shut about the sex lives from now on.

[@standlegweak9854]

Beautifully done analysis. Very good scene selection.

[@pirobot668beta]

You never see anyone 'breaking balls' with Junior, they know he is too emotionally 'brittle'. Vain, shallow and deeply insecure, he looks for threats and insults that don't exist.

[@Aven-Sharma1991]

In the earlier seasons, Johnny Sac broke his balls albeit very lightly. When he said that if there were any flies on Junior they’d be paying fucking rent (and) that he shouldn’t expect to see the Statue of Liberty if he ever tried to tell Junior his business. Now, this is coming from a man who thought of the Sopranos as nothing but a glorified crew and I would imagine the Sopranos knew what was thought of them and when Johnny made that joke then Junior could’ve taken that as an insult coming from John

[@MikeManich]

Problem? He doesn’t have one. It’s everyone else that sucks. All jokes aside Dominic is my cousin and when he sings it always brings tears to my eyes.

[@danilitsch2502]

He really is? How old are you then?

[@geoff364]

i’m pretty sure juniors problem was dementia

[@hlf_coder6272]

Make sure you form a seal when you shut that freezer door

[@unclephillymya]

He was a goddamn hothouse flower, that's was his problem….

[@TheStoneyJackson]

My favorite Junior line is when the scene starts with him in the middle of conversation with Tony and he says “He had the Mummy before it was in theaters.” Tony is impressed by it never explains who they were talking about

[@bobby.m136]

My guess is Jackie was successful because he was genuinely loved.. Junior and Tony not so much so, especially Junior

[@NaZtRdAmUs]

"My father told me to never get old. I should have listened to him." - Corrado Soprano

[@magnanimousj]

Junior never seemed all that ambitious. He wanted to be the boss for the respect and the money, but I can't remember any instances of him working on any audacious schemes or big scores. He had the mentality of a middle manager. Its a good thing that he wasn't boss for very long, because his greed and the stagnation of the family would have ended up getting him killed by his own guys. If he had only realized this about himself and been content with his lot in life, he would have been a lot happier.

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

He didn't have the physical toughness of someone like Gotti (when he was younger anyway) nor did have the cleverness of a more clerk type mafia guy like Michael Franzese to make a lot of money. The mafia is what it is and I don't judge those who were essentially born into it. But it doesn't mean all those guys are meant to head to the top of even an illegal organization. It's probably easier in some ways than becoming the ceo of a large company, but you still need a diverse range of skills. I remember some of the lower tier NY papers making fun of made guys when the mob was still supposedly in its heyday calling them "Brokesters" they just couldn't make much out of it.

[@cookmikew]

damn such thoughtful and spot on analysis, appriciate this piece.

[@erics362]

He was into the muff and ate sushi 🍣.

[@Fict10n]

Best show ever made. Great analysis, thanks for the vid!

[@coderider3022]

He’s my fav character ! Totally selfishness but his one liners are great. The film did a good job of him despite the acting being poor.

[@dommyboysmith]

Tony's "son of a bitch!" At that varsity athlete comment will forever make me laugh