The Sopranos (TV Series) Moe n' Joe (2006) User Reviews

Lots of people didn't like the Vito mini-arc...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 13 February 2021]

... but I loved it. After being outed in the most conspicuous and non-ambiguous way imaginable, Vito found it necessary to leave town to avoid Phil's wrath. He arrives in small-town New Hampshire, and there he winds up luckier than he deserves to be. He finds love in the Morgan Spurlock look-alike cook "Johnny Cakes" at the local diner, and the two move in together. Vito's new love is even able to overlook Vito's obvious moral failings, such as his lies about his true occupation. Johnny Cakes hooks him up with a job, and Vito has escaped the death sentence that awaits him back home, with a pretty Norman Rockwell-ish life in his current situation and a shot at genuine happiness.

The problem is - Vito is still Vito. To him what 99% of people face every day - rising early to go to a job that is genuine hard work for average pay - is purgatory to him. He misses the all-night card games, the big city life, and the fact that making a living there just involves sitting around a construction site and making collections. Thus Vito runs out on Johnny Cakes and goes back to New Jersey, thinking he can make things right and get back into "the life". Just in case we have any doubt Vito has changed, there is a little incident on his way back home that lays our doubts to rest.

Let me explain something to you again, but differently...

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 14 February 2023]

Tony considers whether or not to help Janice and Bobby, whilst aspects of Vito's life in Dartford lose their appeal.

This is a strong reflective character episode with some standout moments.

Compared to the usual impact of an episode of 'The Sopranos' this one for me is not quite as engaging. I didn't find Tony's backstory and dilemma with Janice as interesting as his other hang ups. I think his feelings toward her are clear from previous episodes so this felt like it was going through the motions to get to his outburst with Dr Melfi. Although they are very good motions and entertainingly written and performed as always. Aida Turturro in particular is on hilariously good form.

The plot involving Vito, whether it be a total fantasy or intended to be reality, I find hit and miss for me. I like the scenes eluding to Vito's struggle with the "regularness" of life and all the underlying themes where numerous characters seem to resent real working class life. However, the love scenes involving Jim are not particularly well written. For me, a screen couple either have to go through something meaningful together or have spectacularly good chemistry before I accept they are in love, but I think these two characters are in love because the writers say so and not much else. On the other hand, the "regularness" of life could be purposely depicted as lacking any genuine excitement.

Visually it is a strong episode with some great humour, especially in the 'North By Northwest' tribute scene transition.

Vincent Curatola is excellent once again as Johnny Sac. I think he could have carried a spin off show for the character if David Chase ever had the inclination.

Real Bold Move

[alondrapineda-63413 · 9/10 · 29 September 2020]

I'm watching the Sopranos for the first time during quarantine and I'm up to the episode right after this actually but I just wanted to say how surprised I am that this show, with a fanbase of probably straight men, Italians, and people just expecting the show's normal bloody misadventures, delved headfirst into a gay storyline. I was glad to see how fresh and good Vito's actor looked after his weight loss(I wonder if he lost weight for the show or if the show wrote a story for him after seeing him thinner). This entire plot of him being outed and having to maneuver leaving his life, his family, his friends, and starting anew for a little while and face or refuse to face his truth, was so refreshing and impressed me as I hadn't given any thought to Vito's character before this. I know the other user reviews are years old, but there is nothing boring about these new layers to Vito's story. He was given new breath in losing weight, being a new man who seemed now so much more alive and seeing him having to live his life secretly, I gained much more sympathy for him whereas before I thought him skeezy for intimidating Meadow's boyfriend. I see now that he was just trying to survive. It was still skeezy but for him, so necessary though I do think Meadow's boyfriend's the type to just sweep that under the rug, no questions asked bc he himself was so scared and in general, so meek. The constant up and down opinions of him from the crew, the fact that one of the men immediately surprisingly and naturally said, You know ? I really actually don't care that he's gay, the fact that everyone was overcompensatingly furious with him, wanting him dead yet making no effort to find him and face having to hurt a man who's done nothing to them really (really only made them face their insecurity in their manhood), the fact Tony flip-flopped in his opinions bc he's actually quite open minded and swayed by Dr. Melfi's (and other women's) opinions and sayings, the fact that Tony could set the mood towards Vito, bringing up their years of history and the financial success Vito's had for them, the fact that the NY crew was on board generally for any approach Tony decided on, (these men so often seem like grown little boys with their little secret club and traditions and rules, just silly men proving to each other how manly they are) the fact that none of these men could stand when anyone else clowned Vito ?There's a conflict there: Put up a macho front and keep alive that voice of the older generation of men in the family who would not have thought twice about this or admit that the love they have for Vito is still there and look weak, look somehow less than men for sympathizing and getting with the times. (There's a theme in here and the next episode of progression, of this crew becoming old men and having old men problems) Every one of the men and women on the show really showed themselves in how they spoke of Vito, how they treated this news of his fate. It was terribly interesting and let me tell you, nerve-wracking, not knowing if when Vito was packing a gun, whether he was going to kill himself or run away. It was very interesting seeing the different attitudes everyone had, the callousness some people had, the lack of sympathy or reflection and also the hypocrisy. Vito's going to hell but none of these guys, who've killed, who've cheated, who have hurt and stolen and deal with the world in that language, none of them are sinners ? Silly. If you think the show's exploration in homophobia and machismo and denial and gay love is boring, it's because you don't wanna hear it, you don't want to relate. Who can't understand forbidden love ? Who can't understand having lies you tell yourself ? Who can't understand being threatened by some new idea because of your own insecurities in your own self ? These aren't enigmatic concepts ? This story arc was hard to get into but the usual casual violence is relateable ? Tuh !

Tone and Janice

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 24 May 2008]

Janice, Janice, Janice: ever since she showed up for the first time in Season Two, she's been a huge pain in Tony's ass. Moe n' Joe takes a deeper look at the relationship between the two siblings, while at the same time setting events in line for the undoubtedly tragic ending of Season Six, Part One.

During one of his nowadays rare sessions with Dr. Melfi, Tony opens up about his childhood, explaining how Janice would bully him and the extort favors; as a teenager, he would be approached by kids who wanted to be his friends only so that they could get close enough to his sister; and more recently, she left hi in charge of their mother, with her coming back in time to profit from the old lady's death. Considering his state of mind, it's hardly surprising Tony's getting a good laugh out of Janice's current misfortunes.

Meanwhile, Vito Spatafore seems to have adjusted to life in New Hampshire, going as far as coming clean to his new lover about his identity. After a while, though, he realizes he is making a mistake and makes an even bigger one by heading back to New Jersey, where Phil's all but welcoming arms will be waiting.

Over the years, the psychoanalysis scenes have provided some good insights concerning Tony's feelings and thoughts, elements that are otherwise shown only in the famous dream sequences. And so, after recollections of his parents, we get a glimpse of what it was like to grow up with Janice, understanding the origins of all their adorable discussions in past episodes. As for the Vito section, the poignancy of previous shows is retained, especially as the outcome becomes more and more obvious. Let's just say: ouch!

Good episode...

[00Yasser · 8/10 · 23 August 2020]

I just want to say that, i liked the song at the end so much.

Moe n' Joe (#6.10)

[ComedyFan2010 · 7/10 · 27 March 2014]

Johnny Sack refuses to be an informant but agrees to admit who he was member of in order to get a a sentence of 15 years. Bobby has his eye taken out and Tony gives Janice a good deal on the house. Vito lives in the small town with his new friend but he can't deal with it as it is not the life he is used to so he goes back.

A bit more boring than usually episode. It was nice to see the scenes of Tony remembering his childhood with Janice though as it once again helps us to understand his character more.

Meadow is really getting on my nerves, I am just glad she is not on screen too long

Wait Phil did 20 years?

[Neptune165 · 7/10 · 24 July 2022]

This episode does a good job of further demonstrating Tony's contradictory and treacherous nature. He resents Janice and Bobby but on a whim decides to do something nice for them to make himself feel better. In the process he screws over his longtime friend and business partner of 20+ years in the last business transaction they ever make. It's getting scary how close we are to the end. The scene when Vito keeps looking at his watch is actually really good and based in reality. Any true worker who has worked the field knows this. When u keep looking at the time waiting for the day to pass by or waiting for lunch it seems to never come and the day last longer, when u don't look at the time and just concentrate on your work the day will pass by quickly and be less stressful, I practice this and it does work. Just a little inside knowledge on the matter for ya. I like the joke on Phil's time in jail ! It's great to have a video everyday, I think the narration with Vito was to show how he was trying to tell himself that this work day wouldn't last forever and give himself something to look forward to because at this point Vito detested any kind of labor. He had gotten used to no shows and no works at the job site. Also I think the reason Vito didn't want the cops called is cause he was drunk lol.

Disappointing

[Polaski · 4/10 · 15 May 2006]

Since the last episode I was expecting to see some kind of further development of what would happen with the renewed drinking of Chris and a little bit of focus on what would happen to Paulie, but instead it is back to Vito. I have nothing against any sexual preferences but the truth is that Vito is a boring character. We do get a glimpse of some unprovoked violence from his part but it simply seems that his character is dead already and they are simply prolonging his life for some strange reason.

More focus on Tony and his business and the ACTUAL mob related stuff that is going on, as when Bobby is assaulted by a couple of teenagers in Newark.

I hope that this last season will improve, and I actually believe it, but this was probably the weakest episode of this season.

Weak...really weak

[silverton-37959 · 3/10 · 5 March 2024]

What a nothing episode. Face it, nobody cares about Vito. He's a nothing character, played by a non-actor. If Vito had simply run away and never be seen again, the story overall would have been greatly improved. Vito was once a small time contractor who happened to be the cousin of Richie Aprille. Suddenly, he's a made man who is getting bumped to captain when Ralph is killed.

That's a plot hole in the story line, and I doubt that many viewers ever even swallowed it. Vito and his silly love story makes no sense in the plot. I was so impatient for the whole thing to be dropped, that I came to appreciate watching this on a streaming platform rather than on DVD, because I can preview the scenes in advance and jump past all things Vito.

The scene with poor old Sal, having to ask Tony if he can drop Johnny Sac's yard from his list is a reminder of what a predatory slug Tony is. Tony is getting his yard work done free and he resents having to release Sal from doing Johnny's 3+ acres free. That kind of thing made me stop seeing Tony with any kind of sympathy. He deserves way more than what has befallen him thus far.