The Sopranos - Tony is unprepared

"Therapy has potential for noncriminals. For criminals, it becomes one more criminal operation. "
"I bet you have that psychologist wrapped around your finger." - Coach Molinaro
Season 5 Episode 11 "The Test Dream"
FB: / thesopranoscrazy

[@billay360]

"how ya doin', Coach Molinaro?" he sounds and looks just like a nervous kid when he says that. the body language is so on point.

[@drkarats6147]

IRISH LAD Wow! Great lowdown! 👌🏼

[@lekkymont9325]

Right. First he's about to shoot his coach then he's trying to impress him.

[@GDDX_jibster]

If u watch saints of newark, his son acts just like that which is a remarkable detail whether intentional or not

[@mattgaldikas1511]

Reminds me of my old wrestling coach. Coach Redman I haven’t thought of him in 20 years until now

[@ZennyReacts]

Superb acting. Simply superb.

[@ewblacksheep]

I've always thought the coach wasn't raking Tony over the coals here, but rather expressing his deep disapointment in a sarcastic and scathing way. Tony's coach here represents the truth that he knows but has spent seasons of the show repressing or dismissing. He eas an actually intelligent, hard-working, and gifted individual with immense potential. But he feels he's wasted that potential going into the mafia. So the whole show he rationalizes that he was never good enough or that the mob life was inevitable for him, but in reality his penchant for mob life was less because he had a knack for it rather than the fact that he was much more competent and smarter than everyone else. Just listen to his conversations with others. Bobby mixes up the hunchback of Notre Dame with the quarterback, and When Junior didn't understand Tony's metaphor with Octavian spreading around his wealth he had to resort to the joke about cows fucking. Tony woke up one day 40-something years old wondering what the fuck happened, and avoids at all possible thinking about his bad choices and deludes himself that he never had any potential. But at the same time he hates it when people like Junior say he never had the makings of a varsity athlete because he's insecure about it, and while he deludes himself, that doesn't mean he still doesn't desperately wish it isn't true that he was a talented kid with a great future because he turned out wih a life that's so different. And it's the decision he made to enter a life a crime that daily sabotages his marriage, a relationship with his kids, kills his own best friends, makes him paranoid, and stresses his body and mind to the point of physical collapse. Because he regrets the decision he made to give up a life he'll never know for a life of daily hell. The show's not only about a tragic life of a mobster: it's about a guy who made the wrong choice and lives with the consequences every day for the rest of his life, until that decision takes his life in the end.

[@phillyeaglesphan]

#facts Smartest show ever made for TV.

[@joeraptor1]

Good analysis. The coach was correct about Tony. Had he challenged his intelligence into "legal" avenues, he would have likely been very successful in spheres like sports, business, politics etc. Now, as he ages, those demons are haunting him.

[@jayteegamble]

Tony's hands are shaking with anger at the line "I told you many times you were special. You had smarts, personality, leadership ability: all the prerequisite needed to lead young men onto the field of sport"

[@queensmickey]

You should be a goddamn screenwriter that was brilliant

[@meonkrishnanan5920]

100,000/10 Hope to encounter more posts made by you on the internet

[@daltreywaters]

"you'll never shut me up" A consciousness is a powerful thing

[@Fab-tx9hz]

The demons of the past always repeat it

[@Ravior666]

*conscience

[@tucko11]

Apparently Tony wasn’t prepared

[@thrace_bot1012]

conscience

[@tommytong2280]

arguably the definitive scene in the sopranos when it comes to Tony's psyche

[@r3d830]

100% Anyone who doesn't understand why, doesn't get the show.

[@algerierz]

Those dreams were the best and most realistic I have seen in TV or movies

[@johnson7166]

I always thought the same thing. The dream in the 'Test dream' episode was so perfectly modeled after real dreams. I've yet to see anyone do a better job of it than The Sopranos.

[@n.b.8616]

The way the bullets just melt in his hands. The dreams on The Sopranos are spot on

[@SouthJerseySam]

Yeah, most dreams aren't as basic as other shows make it out to be. Hell, most of my dreams are fucking weird...

[@onlythequestion]

The bullets are chocolate. When Tony wakes from this dream, he immediately goes for a chocolate bar (Toblerone) from the mini fridge. Chris asks to have it (an addicts's favorite). What does it all mean? Who knows.

[@JavMacHer]

same here, apparently David Chase praises Twin Peaks - I have to check it out

[@RafaHenryBorges]

"The whole life that could have been but wasn't" (Manuel Bandeira). Tony had the smarts, the personality, the charisma, but he lacked discipline. He fell into the life by following in his dad's footsteps and listening to troublemakers instead of carving his own path. Like the series often hints at - Vito not being able to cope with a "normal" day's work, Christopher at the gas station seeing a father with a bunch of kids, a negging wife, and a shitty car - some of these mobsters stay mobsters because, to them, that's the path of least resistance. The consequence? A guilty conscience (call it "Coach Molinaro") that haunts them for the rest of their lives, which they try to drown out by indulging in a multitude of vices and violent outbursts.

[@bg6012]

I agree with at least 20% of your comment which is at least 80% more than your average comment.

[@joegibbskins]

Joeseph Lambert this is a totally normal reaction to someone saying joining the mafia is bad for you, weirdo

[@jdg2921]

Tony B too

[@TheGonzoArt]

@@jdg2921 Oh totally! My favorite shot of the episode where he fought Mr. Kim, is when we see that loose fish falls out of the fountain. A fish out of water, because that's what Tony B was when he returned to the outside world. He had the smarts to change his life, but hanging out with Tony and the guys was just setting up a ticking time bomb that exploded with his temper at Kim, Peeps, and the Leotardos.

[@johncarcano5653]

About time some one throws their hat in the ring and tries to decipher these dream scenes for us laymen. Theres a thousand comments on the other interpretations for the show, but few on the dreams. Right on

[@MackSackDaDomo]

This is so goddamn relatable. Having mental conversations with people from the past, saying and doing things you wish you could have, then it all comes crashing down when the reality sets in. You spend years going over the things they said and did when you knew them, wondering whether or not they had a point or you did. Some memories of people really never shut up.

[@killerfrank8974]

Magno-Lazarus Barbora Amen!!!!!!

[@maryannewestvirginiagirl9015]

Boy, ain't that the truth!

[@rammmin1]

Chattering mind.

[@orlonarsino6729]

@Jim Dandy How do they lie? Please tell me

[@wilsonallender6334]

I’ve been having dreams like that since I quit weed

[@wrforte]

When Tony tells his coach he should respect him because he isn't some kid anymore, I love how the coach says "no". To me, hes saying "no, you're not a kid anymore" and "no, i will never respect you" at the same time.

[@skylightrecords8547]

Yes. Tony was still just a kid because he was being coddled by the psychologist and blaming his current problems on his upbringing.

[@franciscopuentes6049]

wrforte omg yas

[@bigsmoke4380]

@Lang Hansen remember that scene where Uncle Jun and Baccala were watching football and Jr says to Bobby "Leave me the fuck alone" In my opinion, Jr was thinking about Tony, and how he COULDVE played pro ball. In that scene you see a slight smile and he shakes his head almost saying. "Tony couldve done it"

[@hansolo631]

To me it's like he's saying "no - and it's a shame, because you had potential"

[@timovangalen1589]

Also love the way he says “why”? So much disgust and disappointment packed into one line. Unbelievable performance.

[@ccie12933]

He never had the makings of... oh, forget it.

[@winokur89]

+Chris Bryant of a shinebox?

[@CapitalJ2]

+Chris Bryant Ahhh SON OF A BITCH!!!

[@BostonGhost617]

+CapitalJ2 what?!?!?

[@FirstLast-cb5qy]

+Boston ghost DID I JUST TELL YOU NOT TO SAY THAT AGAIN

[@BostonGhost617]

say what!?!?!

[@ralphdeluca552]

This is my hands-down favorite scene in the entire show. Here we see the figments of Tony's memories of his beloved Coach Molinaro, mixed with what would be the Coach's current reaction to how Tony turned out. It can be discerned from this conversation that Coach Molinaro knew that Tony came from a broken, mafia-ridden home. The Coach, knowing Tony's home life, clearly tried to distract Tony and guide Tony away from the mob, be it through football or otherwise. We then see how Tony turned out: a stressful mess that is far from happiness. The Coach, as others pointed out, serves as Tony's conscience; Tony knows he went wrong and just cannot admit it to himself. Instead of repenting to Coach Molinaro--and thus his conscience, i.e. being honest with himself--Tony attempts to use his juvenile mafioso antics, e.g. name-calling, deflecting, lying, and acting like a wise guy. When those do nothing, he reverts to the worst tool in the mafia's arsenal: murder. Of course, that does not work either: NOTHING that Tony can do as a 'big bag' mafia boss will "shut up" Coach Molinaro. It is in fact impossible for such tactics to work Tony's only happiness could only come from escaping the mob life, not by retreating deeper into it. This is also confirmed by the scene where Carmine Jr. confides in Tony about how the only way he became happy was to reject the mob ["It's not about being boss; it's about being happy"].

[@frankillyou1]

Yes that was very allegorical

[@bobbyfirmansyah8580]

At the end Carmine Jr is the wisest of them all. A pint of blood is worth more than a gallon of gold.

[@MajinMist603]

@@bobbyfirmansyah8580 honestly he was the only person to come out on top …… a few others got away in time before falling to the cycle OR the fallout of the Jersey Crew ……

[@MajinMist603]

@@bobbyfirmansyah8580 also the mob way of life basically died with Carmine Sr. . . After that it impulse and emotion to do dumb/ revenge actions ..

[@Bread_Bug]

I also realized tony’s subconscious is kinda admitting that Artie ended up better off than him lol, through the figment of the coach

[@420MariaN]

"Im in therapy now".. "Thats a damn shame"

[@classicslayer456]

@ it is when she doesn't find you attractive because she knows all your weaknesses and insecurities.

[@waragainstmyself1159]

It is a shame. Therapists are a fucking joke, no life experience, college grad nobodies trying to tell other people whats what. Im telling you, as a man, you are better off just exercising, getting your T counts higher, and naturally curing your issues. You dont need some schmuck telling you what you already know in your heart.

[@c0nman753]

@@waragainstmyself1159 Let go of your pride and ego. It seems like the hardest thing to do as a man but once you do it'll feel like a massive weight lifted off your shoulders. Life isn't about being "alpha".

[@isaac8706]

War Against Myself Yeah please don’t listen to this advice. Seek therapy and don’t let “alpha” males like this guy tell you that it’s “beta” or weak to do it. And then he’ll wonder why he’s hanging himself 15 years later when he can’t handle his emotions anymore.

[@alexauclair1]

I love it because it’s so loaded. Is it a shame that therapy will make this memory loop end. Is it a shame that tony ended up in therapy. Or is it depreciation, like Oh boo hoo that’s a shame.

[@Joe-et2ti]

"because I'm successful" there's a lot of dark irony and genius the writers put into this scene

[@gulfrelay2249]

Zero Dark writers didn't put shit into this scene. this is truth.

[@gigicestone4902]

Gulf Relay which was written by writers into the script.

[@ZoniN425]

Gulf Relay what are you trying to say? Writers are bad? Acting is amazing? Why don’t you go get your shine box?

[@mosatsoni4324]

“You’re not prepared! You can’t even put bullets in the magazine. You have small hands, that’s your problem.”

[@hellriser8955]

J Burns He means that Tony is indeed successful, no irony to be seen. Of darkness, however, this scene contains a lot. Saying “I’m successful” in a dream implies he doesn’t feel so, not really. Tony is successful, but he doesn’t really feel good. He feels miserable and its hard to see your success through the lenses of misery.

[@Vishwanath924]

Tony may run North Jersey but he still aspire to get validated by one man in the world he really wants, ie., Coach Molinaro

[@elbromas8032]

That’s his little secret

[@soormahindustani5882]

Yes sir

[@DOPEdwarf]

It's pretty amazing how influential figures in early life are, like teachers. I'm 25 years old and still fantasize about telling my past teachers about my future successes. The see you constantly, act as an authority, and guide you in a very impressionable part of people's lives. They see you before the world beats you down or you take on fake personas of adulthood. One of the few who truly know who you are on the inside

[@SAvito17]

No it’s from his father. The coach represents his failure to become who could of been. That’s why he said “not surprised in therapy blaming his mother!”

[@hansolo631]

@@DOPEdwarf Odd. I could care less about any of my old teachers or coaches. I fantasize about being able to take care of my family, but beyond that, I don't really care what people think

[@jace5151]

I love how much this shows how Tony like many of us is always searching for some form of validation. I think the fact at he couldn’t just murder his coach shows that for all his bravado he can’t escape the crushing insecurities of his childhood.

[@momoneyho666]

This scene really cuts to the core.. If there's one scene that encapsulates the whole show and what its all about, this is it.

Sad. It seemed like Tony's coach actually cared about him. Probably why Tony is haunted by the memory of him.

[@hippiecheezburger5457]

he recognized the potential in Tony and Tony used it in all the wrong areas in life. Tony knew that then and he knew it now in the dream

[@stevescofield7806]

@Dave Palomba Many high school coaches care about their players, long after high school is over.

[@fatjec]

@Dave Palomba obviously, you never had the makings of a varsity athlete. That's why your coach didn't care about you

[@fatjec]

@Dave Palomba no, my post was definitely about you. You said coaches never care about their players. I have coaches that I still have friendship with for over 40 years. You don't have that. I guess you just werent memorable or good at sports.

[@fatjec]

@Dave Palomba clap your fat ass cheeks for your boyfriend.

[@jackashmore]

This is what junior meant when he said he didn’t have the makings of a varsity athlete. His problem with authority and being lazy. Not his physical body.

[@thrace_bot1012]

But Junior also said "small hands, that was his problem"

[@billyb4790]

Which plays out in the next episode when Silvio confronts Tony. “This isn’t about your cousin it’s about you don’t wanna eat shit from Johnny Sack” The dream begins with the cousin but it’s really about Tony’s underlying insecurities.

[@dranelemakol]

"I suppose you blame it on your father when you're crying to that shrink of yours." "No, on my mother." 🤣🤣🤣

[@marqueswilliams345]

Damn who knew Artie was the man back in high school

[@demoncleaner45]

bet he had a head of hair like Casey Kasem

[@Rocksteddybelmont]

most losers were back in hs

[@justins1315]

He's lucky he didn't go that route, he probably would of end up murdered by Tony also.

[@katana2k]

@@Rocksteddybelmont Artie is normal. He works a normal job running his restaurant, and he takes pride in it. He has a normal marriage with normal stresses. He doesn't have it all, and sometimes he's tempted to reach for more, but he does the best he can to get by. He's just like the rest of us.

[@aduarte8057]

@@Rocksteddybelmont You would know huh??

[@clc-gl4jn]

I think this is actually one of the most brilliant scenes in any series or movie history. There are so many hidden nuances being in a dream state like Tony was and the acting being that it was spot-on. This was a very underrated scene

[@timovangalen1589]

1:57 This line right here sums up just how pathetic these ‘made guys’ really are. Tony and the other mobsters in this show are all deeply insecure men who use guns and violence to soothe their fragile egos. The whole scene is brilliant, and I love how the only man who could emasculate Tony in his subconscious was his high school football coach.

[@matthewriley7826]

Yep, they spout nonsense of “honor”, “loyalty”, and “family” amongst themselves, but it’s just fear and greed.

[@MrChileno13]

@@matthewriley7826 They're thieves, no more no less.

[@karimmoop9560]

Depends. 100% tony

[@0v3rgr0wn]

You oughta show some respect

[@isaiahdaddys9379]

I love how he emasculates him here

[@SolidMikeP]

I will always remember the bullets melting, what a fucking scene.

[@alexalexson1849]

I think they are literally turning to shit. Hence the retching.

[@queensmickey]

@@alexalexson1849 They are turning to shit and it’s symbolic: Everything Tony touched turned to shit as a result of him taking the wrong paths in life

[@Fantasticawesomeguy]

@@queensmickeyit’s a callback to when Tony says “I’m like king Midas in reverse, everything I touch turns to shit.”

[@marco437]

bullets and magazines never work in dreams

[@camp168]

How true! I've had goons and thugs lined up many times and either it's 'click instead of bang' or the freaking trigger is like 300lbs! lol

[@123TauruZ321]

camp168 I've been beat up by big brutes, and i was frightened when it happened, but i never felt any pain. I just laid there, went to sleep, and another dream started. I've also killed people in dreams, and gotten shot too .. many times. Very weird, these dreams can get.

[@madhouseentertainment322]

Or trying to punch someone and you're barely touching them, or trying to put the car in gear but stays in neutral, or trying to press the breaks but will not work, or calling 911 and you can't find the 9, or calling and its too busy lol

[@cocainelsdxtc]

my machine gun works all the time when a horde of zombies are coming at me

[@akirak1871]

marco437 I've had guns not work in dreams... Then again, I've also had them work just fine. But still, it's weird that everyone seems to have a dream about a malfunctioning gun at some point in their lives.

[@addisonsmith7569]

I love when the coach says “no”. It’s ambiguous and you’re not sure if he’s agreeing about Tony not being a kid anymore, or if he’s saying no to giving Tony respect

[@timovangalen1589]

You could also read it as him lamenting the man that he’s become.

[@charleyscalies3207]

Happy to add my two cents. Other than Tony's father, Coach Molinaro was the only person Tony both feared and respected. The coach represents Tony's conscience. Tony dreams of silencing his conscience but he cannot. "You'll never shut me up!"

[@Fan_Made_Videos]

This dream and the other dream where he sees the silhouette of his mother descending down the creaky staircase are the creepiest scenes from the entire series for me.

[@rubikovakocka1693]

that staircase scene..... horrifying

[@donnythompson408]

Is that the scene where Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) is trying to get him to come inside the house? That scene was creepy as hell.

[@killerfrank8974]

@@donnythompson408 Yes, that's the one.

[@jessiestoss4567]

There's two different "Livia shadowed out on the stairs " scenes. In a dream Tony has, then his NDE.

[@jessiestoss4567]

The shadow Livia was the creepiest to me.

[@WinstonHofler]

The first time I saw this episode, I expected it was directed by David Lynch. The strange sense of something being off, the shift in settings, and moments of surreal horror. However, it’s this scene that truly makes it one of the most underrated episodes ever. A brief glimpse into Tony’s early life and a person who tried to set Tony on a path to happiness. If only Tony had listened to his coach instead of Junior.

[@jackzimmy8461]

I can’t help but imagine how Lynch would’ve gone off the deep end if given these dream sequences. I love the guy’s work, but sometimes he gets so caught up in visualising the absurd that it becomes incoherent. And while that’s usually the point, it wouldn’t have worked in a character-driven show like The Sopranos. I think David Chase struck a nice balance between bizarre and meaningful. The dreams are downright unsettling but you usually know what they mean.

[@themoreyouknowfools4974]

David Lynch should watch sopranos. I’m 100 percent sure he’d like it.

[@evilkyle]

Sopranos walk with me

[@tronsnow4763]

His gym coach, the best ‘authority’ on the subject, says that he DOES have the makings of a varsity athlete (at least mentally)... His Uncle Jun convinced him that he DIDN’T have the makings of a varsity athlete... Tony listened to the wrong authoritative figure when he was a kid, and imo “those bums” that Coach Molinaro refers to is indirectly Junior/Johnny Boy, as the only other peer Molinaro mentions is Artie, who ended up legitimate....

[@Howard.Stern.]

The other bums were people like Big Pussy and Silvio and Ralph. Pussy played baseball with Tony and likely knew this coach as well. Ralph as well who dropped out of school in 11th grade. Keep in mind that Artie may have even had mafia fantasies in high school before becoming a chef in his father's business. We know that Artie desperately tries to become a mafia-like man in almost every season, trying to go into business with Tony, trying to marry Adriana, beating up Benny, he had some wild ideas in his head for sure.

[@justinbaronofsky360]

Probably football too

[@rudeandconfused]

yes

[@yanicyoda4762]

@@Howard.Stern. He's lucky he had a tigress for a wife. A shame he didnt know it

[@ZoniN425]

Good point

[@bettyspaghetti7654]

When the bullets degraded in his hand it made me think of the teeth falling out or crumbling dream. Means loss of control, insecurity, coming into a new age

[@jackevans6200]

Plus Tony's assertion of being King Midas in reverse: 'everything I touch, turns to shit'

[@freestytle93]

The only person Tony knew who was more "alpha" than him

[@AQUAPHREESH193]

Mikhail Kopanev technically jackie aprile was more alpha too loll more logical and the boss

[@MrAngusyoungistheman]

Mikhail Kopanev Actually, a lot of people were more “alpha” than Tony-Johnny Sack, Carmine Sr, Richie, Feech. T just had high intelligence and was a very skilled manipulator. He definitely presented himself as an alpha in regards to being the boss, which was something he learned very well from his father. But otherwise he was codependent mama’s boy who spent his entire life depressed and was so riddled with anxiety that he frequently passed out from it. Sluts that he banged always got him worked up emotionally and left him scarred and disappointed. Especially Svetlana, who really turned him out. That isn’t an alpha male in my book, no matter how many people he killed.

[@PuddingAtheist]

I'm not so sure about Richie being more alpha than Tony. He was just a psycho who "couldn't fucking sell it," despite having "such moxxie for a guy his size." In other words, he was clearly overcompensating, and probably in the same way Tony had to. The difference being that, like you said, Tony was canny and charming. Richie was just a creep who relied on his "Manson lamps" and boyish deviousness and hyper-violence to get his way. That's why he ended up with someone as weak-willed and emotionally stunted as Janice (it certainly wasn't Richie's charm that won her over). I always saw Tony's panic attacks around Richie as that small part of his sub-consciousness that was screaming to him just how evil his "business" was. Being forced to get acquainted with a clueless motherfucker like Richie also forced Tony to look inside himself a little bit, which he obviously opted not to do.

[@haizhouz7627]

tony was an alpha male. He was someone that people wanted to follow. Deep down he knows that he could have had it differant and he knows he's causing a lot of pain doing what he does, so that's where his anxiety and depression comes from.

[@johnnyoldenjr.]

AQUAPHREESH193 Tony was really running things when Jackie aprils was acting boss.

[@bassbole]

Love this scene. There are very few people (if any) Tony would be intimated by as an authority figure but old teachers/coaches always seem to retain that power.

[@thrace_bot1012]

intimidated dude lmfao

[@Ezek86]

2:05 love the coachs responce to both statements

[@timshufflebottom828]

whats that ? a bigger dingus that the one god gave you? - that has to be the best line from the Sopranos

[@thatsnotchocolat]

@GuidoAnchovy B Whoa, take it easy bucko

[@101acidrider]

@GuidoAnchovy B what the fuck are you going to do if he doesnt grow the fuck up?

[@goodyeoman4534]

watch ya fat fuckin mouths

[@michaelkelligan7931]

A bigger dingus,aka a Frenchmans pecker! 😂😂😂

[@sv-xi6oq]

One of the most telling scenes in the series. This show’s a masterpiece.

[@botalley1595]

His character is such a POS and so loveable at the same time. What a great performer. RIP.

[@ConstantineAndreas]

I always loved this part of the Test Dream. So many people have a weird, complicated memory of a coach they had as a kid.

[@Hank..]

"I am a leader! You aughta show some respect!" he yells at the man who can't even be bothered to look at him, and is counting jerseys instead of paying his bullshit any mind. It's a powerful way of manipulating a conversation (you see Tywin in GoT do the same thing) and it makes sense for it to appear in a dream. Tony knows how to control and manipulate people, and since the coach has all the power in his dream, his coach is making use of the real life techniques Tony'd realistically know and use himself.

[@captainhelkin]

Looks like Tony wanted to be a sports coach, and is living with regret at his life choices.

[@davideferrari8214]

@@1273312 This.

[@lekkymont9325]

Nah, he was just shining him on lol

[@se78836]

This show nailed what dreams are like. The surrealism, the lack of satisfaction from never being able to 'complete' a task, the way you can never surprise anyone, the hopelessness, the hinting at what you need to do in real life etc

[@The2005rwb]

A thought: Tony's obsession with varsity athlete stuff and high school wasn't for the athletics themselves. If Tony had been a varsity athlete he would have had a good shot at making it onto a college team. Going to college would have given him the opportunity to go legitimate; he wouldn't have had to go into the mob. Maybe, deep down, Tony always wanted to be legitimate, and he sees his being unable to excel in athletics as having cost him a shot at it and eventually forcing him into the mob. He may not have had the makings of a varsity athlete, but he certainly had the makings of a varsity mobster.

[@kevindimauro3937]

That's a good thought.

[@johnnyoldenjr.]

Tony was going to be a monster regardless of what happened he grew up old school it was inevitable. He grew up with a crew and in that lifestyle

[@aguy3203]

He dropped out of college. I think the mob lifestyle suited him more.

[@blobcity3591]

@@aguy3203 he took an academic leave

[@joshschaeffer3300]

Tony was varsity football and he did go to college a semester and a half

[@darj617]

I always get goosebumps and watery eyes whenever I watch these dream sequences, something horrifying about them.

[@capnskiddies]

The writer's strike was fuckin horrifying

[@rickfruitygrimes]

I love the detail of how they edited the scene with the coach and how his cigar keeps switching between his hands, this is Tony’s memory of the coach and people never remember the whole conversation so he’s only remembering the most striking parts of the conversation, it says a lot that all Tony remember about his conversations with his coach is about how much potential he had and how he shouldn’t of hung around with his mob friends, it stuck with Tony as he knew to be true.

[@seekeroftruth101]

Pretty powerful scene. Coach was fantastic.

[@ajoseph87]

Arthur Bucco... “the worst of the bunch”

[@brandondaniels9471]

I wish Charmaine was standing in that locker room ready to stand up for Artie

[@wufongtanwufong5579]

I wish they did more with the coach, he was my favorite character

[@darth856]

It's hard to imagine Artie being the worst of the bunch. He must have changed a lot since he was a kid.

[@nickamenta12]

Just realized his coach is Horseface from The Wire

[@capnskiddies]

Nick Amenta thanks, that saved me. I was spiralling, and using Google is cheating

[@dustywaxhead]

@#TEAM TRUMP they overlap sometimes

[@andrewcogger7586]

bodie

[@TWH442]

Of course, i was trying to think what else he was in!

[@alitavakoli8857]

@#TEAM TRUMP but i am the fan of both

[@Gitfiddle]

I love the Sopranos dream sequences. Some of the best parts of the show.

[@jerry85g7]

Now look at the stress you live with.

[@JohnSBodle]

This guy hanged Tony out to dry. Imagine the reaming Chris would get.

[@user-gx8id5bl2e]

Chris didn’t even need to hear from this guy. He had Emil to keep him up at night.

[@dormiebasne3578]

@@user-gx8id5bl2e "you will have our sausages"

[@SubwayRatt]

im really surprised with the analysis from the comments here. sopranos viewers are perceptive, observant people.

[@nihilistcentraluk442]

Quality appreciates quality.

[@Agent1W]

It's a filthy show I wouldn't watch in full but I like the artistic integrity of it.

[@coasteyscoasteys4150]

@@Agent1W That's odd

[@Agent1W]

@@coasteyscoasteys4150 Thank goodness for KZbin because I wouldn't have the nerve to watch it as aired on HBO or from a CD collection.

[@scotts148]

Very allegorical

[@SubtlyAggressive]

I like the scene where he's talking to Carmela about this dream, and she alludes to the fact that it's a recurring dream. And how it also shows that he talks to her about EVERYTHING (without making her an "accomplice after the fact"). FUCKING BRILLIANT SHOW!

[@njc2107]

3:13 “I see you on T.V.” I wonder if Coach Molinaro was as upset with the ending of the series as many of the other viewers.

[@waltwhitman7545]

probably the one dude that Tony ever truly looked up to deep down. even though he brushed off the coach's caring as just him "wanting to keep me out of trouble to make it easier for him".

[@Gibbsian36]

Among many other brilliant things in this dream sequence, note how at 2:12 Coach Molinaro's single "No" means both "You're not a kid anymore" and "You haven't earned my respect".

[@nymike06]

This is a fantastic scene.

[@boxingmotoman]

" I was just shining you on that what i do with people" If you could interpret his dreams better the truth was there for him to see. Nobody ever want to look in the mirror and see how they truly are.

[@slightrebellionoffmadison]

This should have been the Many Saints of Newark - Teenage Tony having to choose between two paths and two mentors - Coach Molinaro and Dickie Moltsanti.

[@napoleonsolo5929]

It would've been way better than what we got. That movie was an insult.

[@nobshistoryengineering4421]

That movie was dogshit... this scene is worlds better than that entire movie combined

[@synthmalicious7541]

It’s also amazing too that at the beginning Tony is trying to shoot the Coach but he fails because he notices him, then at the end he gets so mad he decides to kill him, but the gun falls apart and he desperately tries to pick up the pieces while the coach is yelling at him “you’re not prepared!” Basically just telling Tony that he can’t shoot, beat, and storm away from all his problems like we’ve seen him do before, that one day he’s going to be faced with the guilt and stress over what he’s done, whether it be his consciousness telling him like the coach or him in purgatory, and admit that for most of his life he’s done wrong. It’s an obvious scene but it’s done so well.

[@Illusionistical822]

That's exactly what happens in dreams. The bullets melting...

[@JustinBobby-di9zt]

The punches just glancing off of people and doing no damage oh yeah

[@dodgeman4360]

Reminds me of the movie "Papillion" where the man is accused of having a "Wasted Life"

[@Agent1W]

"Oh! It's Papillion." --Silvio Dante, to Paulie Gualtieri

[@vincentcrowley6151]

I was kind of reminded of the Big Lebowski , "condolences, the bums lost. Do you hear me Lebowski, the bums will always lose"

[@aircanuck]

This clip ending brought to you by the guy in the Member's Only jacket.

[@kurtiskaskowski5386]

"She's got the big shinebox, because I'm successful"

[@SuperGrimupnorth]

shes got the big shiny 95 pound mole..because I'm successful

[@LiamM]

"I also told you, most likely... you'd take the easy way out"

[@vielbosheit]

"Got a house worth a million two, 2 kids, a wife -- " "Do you?" "Do I what?" "Have a wife?" "Yea! She's got the big house ----- 'cause I'm successful." #America

[@chrishouston3566]

+Ryan Ferretti what the fuck are you talking about?

[@marco437]

#GoBitchOnTwitter

[@muscleman9299]

Ryan Ferretti give me pasta

[@tolive8931]

+Ryan Ferretti He said "she's" instead of "we've got the big house...cause I'm successful".

[@AbstractEntityJ]

@EPLURiBusUNUM Well, except the whole climate change thing as a result of suburban sprawl and the auto dependency it creates.

[@spaceorbison]

says a lot that he became worthless without the gun...

[@gigicestone4902]

SpaceOrbison it's the dream telling Tony that that's all he is, a thug, a brute, no more.

[@takindumps313]

"That pissmeyer Arthur Bucco" Ha!

[@Momusinterra]

An archaic term for ant; pissant. The writers are good. pismire Also found in: Thesaurus, Wikipedia. Related to pismire: pissant pis·mire (pĭs′mīr′, pĭz′-) n. Archaic An ant.

[@harveywallbanger3123]

*pissmire. A mire is the muddy mess a pig lays in.

[@lekkymont9325]

Artie was a little rascal

[@pianoeman]

I cant believe I don't remember this friggin scene. I don't even remember the episode. man this getting old thing is not easy.

[@jammiiee]

It seriously took me a good 30 seconds to remember what scene it was too lol

[@joedohn9727]

Ive had dreams that played out like this one. Once an alien was coming after me. And every time I tried to grab a knife to fight it, I fumbled and I couldn’t grab it. It’s crazy how realistic this scene is. This writing is on another level...

[@zweePOP]

Was so happy to see Coach Molignaro’s actor in the second season of the wire. he leaves such an impression in this one scene here

[@sinqros]

Wow this really got me , I feel what both are feeling, great acting by both..

[@rivco5008]

"The stress you live with"...Tony, all of them.

[@SmileyySmiley]

This is one of my favorite scenes out of the whole show.

[@meonkrishnanan5920]

The bullets turning into shit when he tries to put them back into the magazine is great

[@alejandroalejo6633]

The coach it's Tony. That's why he's smoking And drinking. Behind a desk, angry and screaming. It's Tony's conscience.

[@pjetrs]

its his father. Its basically his coach and his father actually. One one had he is saying some stuff like: I told you not to hang out with those guys (coach), but then suddenly his fathers voice comes through and says: yeah guys like artie. Tony is projecting his deepest childhood trauma related to his father on the one guy in highschool who believed in him as someone who could do something legit. Its an actual dream concept that Freud explained. 'you'll never shut me up' is his father, because Tony never wants to admit that his father was the reason his life is what it is, not his mothers fault. She was just mean. Melfi tried to get to the subject of his father many times, but he always steered away from it by blaming his mother

[@rickyj1250]

Coach Molinaro was my favorite character. I wish they would have done more with him

[@yousuk2muchh]

mannnn.... Tony's breathing throughout the entire series makes it feel more realistic

[@Howard.Stern.]

They added in most of the breathing in post with a different audio channel to make sure that the sound was being emphasized and heard over the other ambient noises and dialog. The breathing is like its own character essentially and is even written into the scripts.

[@matteofabrizio409]

All the dream sequences are pieces of art..

[@AndyCigars]

Tony never had the makings of a varsity athlete.

[@0pinion8ted]

Andy Cigars Small hands, that was his problem.

[@marcanta]

+Andy Cigars I knew this comment was gonna be here before I even scrolled down.

[@rcnelson]

+Aaron Bourke Varsity athletes do that all the time.

[@CapitalJ2]

+Andy Cigars Ahhh SON OF A BITCH!!!

[@BostonGhost617]

WHAT?

[@Uridien]

Ain't this the truth. No matter where you end up in life, even if it surpassed what you wanted, you still think back to HS, and when someone (Teacher or otherwise) made your life hell.

[@misterguy2329]

I don't. Do you? I do sometimes remember this one girl I really liked who just didn't want to go out with me. Was totally not into me AT ALL. But otherwise it was mostly good times. I guess I can remember a dickhead teacher or something if I dig into the memories, but not off the top of my head, and certainly not a recurring thought.

[@gigicestone4902]

Uridien 1 uh...no, most of us get over that shit, you weak fuck.

[@MerlautZone]

Righteous, I don't like thinking about high school. Some shit haunts me.

[@STMARTIN009]

High school is a chapter in life. It's up to you to turn the page or keep going back to it.

[@mumblerapper1105]

@@gigicestone4902 Homie replied to a years old comment to posture on the internet. Pusssssyy

[@marcusdolby1]

The scene with the gun falling apart and the bullets turning to goo, even the coughing, I swear I’ve had dreams just like that. No matter how hard I try to do something I just can’t. Things don’t work right or they fall apart.

[@donniek2837]

I’m obsessed with this scene well really the whole series even if I don’t know what it all means but that’s why I keep watching over and over

[@snakeplisken9755]

IMO, this dream segment is Chase's take on the Freudian tripartite model of personality. Tony is mostly pure Id as well as some Ego, albeit in increasingly decreasing capacity, in navigating everyday life's demands in pursuit of his various endless wants, whims, and desires. The coach on the other hand represents the Super Ego or conscience that Tony as a psychopath utterly ignores. This segment starts with a futile sneaky attempt to assassinate the coach, to silence the annoying voice and to finally get revenge on one individual who actually knew his real nature. Despite being in the shadows and having the advantage of surprise, Tony’s effort is easily deflected by the coach who doesn’t even raise his head. This could indicate that he is always with Tony and that he cannot be got rid of, thus knowing his every intention, move, and reasons behind them. It could also mean that while not obeying any conscience, remorse or guilt, true hallmarks of a psychopath, Tony is fully aware of duality of right and wrong or else this scene would be pointless since the manifestation of the coach would be redundant. Tony just wants to silence the annoying voice that neither fears nor respects him, the one grating anomaly in the great fiefdom of crime and violence he has created where everyone acknowledges his superiority. The vicious and bottomless narcissism of his predatory nature cannot bear the thought of his perceived supremacy not being fanfared. Think of it as Chase’s nihilistic take on Pinocchio and the resilient yet annoying Jiminy the Cricket which in Collodi’s more mature and darker original tale is actually killed by the wooden hoodlum but returns as a ghost in its persistence to save his soul. The major difference between Pinocchio and Tony is that the wooden boy is redeemed through many trials and hard-earned lessons and becomes the real thing. No such luck for our misfit. The above is further strengthened by Tony’s overall mocking tone while smirkingly reminding the coach that he used to ‘shine him on’ and that he does this to everyone else too. This establishes a lifelong pattern and indicates something more biological, hereditary, and sinister considering the extreme levels of dysfunction within his family of origin. The brilliance of this multi-faceted scene is further enhanced by the fact that Tony’s overall deviousness and psychopathy and his battle with the present yet ineffective Super Ego i.e. Coach Molinaro is a glimpse of things to come towards the end of the series when doc Melfi finally realises, while reading the seminal Yochelson & Samenow paper, that she has been ‘shined on’ for years, the coach actually mentions this during the dream segment, and that not only has her efforts been futile but worst still, it may have empowered Tony by making his Machiavellianism much more sophisticated, potent, and subtle. In other words, Chases is already showing the ending of Tony’s character arc where unlike Pinocchio there cannot be any redemption. Overall, the interactions between the coach and Tony are marked by the former’s indifference towards Tony’s ‘achievements’ including status and wealth and the latter’s juvenile boasting and futile demands for respect, indicating Tony's lifelong desperate quest for domination and supremacy. The attention to details is exquisite as always with the coah counting shirts and barely paying attention to Tony's ravings while the conversation is had in the boys' locker room, further highlighting the actual power imbalance between the two as well as Tony' impotence despite his blind attempts to prove otherwise. The second assassination attempts is also futile, proving imperviousness of the coach to any harm Tony may try, with the bullets melting. Interestingly enough, no mentions of the coach are made again and Tony’s decent into all manners of depravity and vile behaviour accelerates as the series speeds up towards its brilliant conclusion. Did Tony finally manage to kill the coach or was he there till the end, desperately trying to save his rotten and irredeemable soul? Like other great works of fiction, this is left to our imagination and each of us come up with our own individual answers.

[@greekmacedonianwegreeksare6035]

..What?

[@YD-uq5fi]

A sports coach who is obese and smokes cigars?

[@kyokogodai-ir6hy]

toad g Yep.

[@taxitalknyc7600]

+toad g Hello ?!?!

[@YD-uq5fi]

So you're fat too? "Before and WAAAY Before!"...

[@charlescarter4608]

They were in shape in their day

[@roygato3797]

This is America. Don't leave your burgers now. Slurpin your sodas now.

[@superklonoa9428]

I like how all the characters have specific hand gestures look at the coach with two fingers and a cigar in between, pointing and adding more detail to the conversation

[@erichaynes7502]

there will never be another Tony Soprano ever again.

[@MrMenefrego1]

Some of the memories we have slip into our dreams, and they never shut-up!

[@ReneEstrada1991]

Every man went through something like this

[@taylorsly2392]

To me, it’s pretty obvious what’s going on here: it’s Tony subconscious screaming to him how he’s wasted his potential through pursuing the mob life. Sure he might live in a McMansion with a beautiful wife and children, but he probably would been living in the exact same house if he pursued a career as a businessman, lawyer, doctor, or any other field. Not only that, but he would probably not be constantly committing infidelity, physically and mentally abusing his kids, and would have a good group of friends and colleagues that liked and respected him for who he is rather than dealing with sociopathic mobsters who only respect him out of power and could betray him at any moment. Deep down inside Tony knows this, but can’t confront it until it’s too late.

[@TheSuirad]

4:08 "You could've turned the gun into steam, the bullets into mercury." - The Comedian

[@mattpope1746]

Damn what a great scene. We learn here that for all of Tony’s money, power and material success he feels like a great failure inside because he never stood up to the demands of his family and environment and followed his own dreams for his life.

[@darthuchiha1418]

Horseface was actually telling Tony the reason why he didn't have the makings of a varsity athlete

[@googoo5825]

The line "and now look at the stress you live with" is so horrifying

[@blehman18066]

GREAT SCENE! From one of Tony's dream sequences. This is one of MANY scenes that show how great an actor James Gandolfini was...

[@paulevans6066]

"BUCCO WAS THE WORST OF THE BUNCH" hope this gets touched on in Many Saints lol

[@chalinotorbellino7537]

My dad and uncle always dressed like this , leather jackets gold watches . grown man attire , I'm Mexican , but its crazy how they remind me so much of how my pop and unc were even though they are Italian.

[@davidduranmorales550]

Because thats actually grown men attire. And being clean cut shaven. None of this barbudo bullshit the mexican culture has fucked up because these fucken followers are washed up from the fucken corridos.

[@davidduranmorales550]

@mikedoesseo 90% of hispanics/ latinos have European roots. Most mexicans, hispanics, latinos wont accept it because of their pride and ego. Most of all they lack knowledge in this stuff. The average mexican will say will my gradparents and parents are from mexico, but wont dig any deeper

[@MapleleafsMessi]

This would have been even more powerful scene if it was done in first person and seen though the eyes of Tony. Like that movie "Maniac" with Elijah woods. Dreams are always in first person.

[@ReneEstrada1991]

Hopefully the same coach is gonna be in the next remake

[@timstradley5819]

I know I’m not saying anything groundbreaking but god dam Gandolfini is incredible in this scene.