I loved Agent Harris. When all the other FBI agents were gleeful to play Tony the tape of Livia and Junior discussing whacking him, Harris was the only one who looked sad for him. I always thought at some point he would help Tony.
@Greg Sawatsky I never understand people who hold this opinion about murderers. Who gives a shit if a cop empathizes with a known murderer and thief? You treat them with the respect their rights entitle them to. Nothing more, nothing less. Save the empathy for your pets, friends and family. LOL
I think that Harris moving to counter-terrorism allowed him to see Tony, his upbringing, and his lifestyle in a light with a little less bias. Sure, Tony's a sociop[athic piece of shit by the end of the show, but so was his dad, so was his mom, and on and on. At the end of the day what chance did he have to be a productive member of society. I personally think that if Tony would have gone down for the gun charge and Carlo's testimony Harris could have gotten him to flip on NY
Harris acts as a stand-in for the viewer, caught up with the mob's allure and Tony's charisma in a way that puts him in a morally compromising position.
Agent Harris was a great character honestly. Truly complex, flawed and easy to empathize with why they compromised their morals (ie creating a conflict for us the viewer to decide on).
Great video. My take on Agent Harris, in addition to all the things you cover here, was that he didn’t understand the world anymore and Tony was a touchstone back to a simpler time. It echoes the Tommy Lee Jones character in No Country For Old Men. A man who confidently understood the motivations of criminals his entire life only to be confronted by a version of evil so severe it recontextualized his entire understanding of the concept.
Yeah once he started investigating terrorism I think he started to empathize with Tony more. Tony did give him that info about the terrorist bank account and he felt like he was doing the right thing by giving Tony Phil's location. Phil had also threatened a female FBI agent before which is obviously crossing the line.
I think that’s a great point. He can understand the crimes committed by the mob, because realistically they are businessmen. Most of the violence or crimes have a clear, often times business related motive ultimately, as opposed to senseless violence/terrorism
It reminds me a bit of the message of Sicario. Kate couldn't become a wolf because the evil she thought she would face was much greater. She couldn't do what needed to be done to "win" against such evil. I think Harris may have had this realization after counter-terrorism, and dealing with the mob is much less complex, and let's face it, less evil. When Harris expressed his excitement upon being notified of Phil's death, and said: "We're going to win this thing!", he realized that the line of "we" has been blurred. The same goes for "Medellín" and the CIA.
and not to be THAT guy but Harris being an FBI agent brought into an anti terrorism unit must have enlightened him to the true goings on with the CIA and their work abroad the East
I just always felt that Harris and Tony had some sort of mutual respect for each other. Both from the same world, in a way, just a different part of town.
Governments are companies in a sick and twisted sorta way, I'm sure they both knew that if they crossed eachother theyd be in for more problems than they solved, and if they were cordial with eachother they could mutually benefit businesswise.
@@EnjoySackLunch I get what you’re saying, on a personal level, I think you’re right, but professionally I think even those out there who don’t have respect for others have to, in someway, at least respect a persons ability to do their work, especially if the consequence of not doing so will impede their own. So, I’d say Tony didn’t “personally” respect anyone really, you’re right, he was a classic narcissist, but I think “professionally” he had to respect Harris and his ability to do his job, otherwise Tony would have been caught doing something.
You missed something. When Harris says “we’re gona win this thing” it’s because of it being a jersey/New York way and Harris being from jersey he’s looking at it like a football game.
Burnt out cop living vicariously through Tony. Also, the beef with Phil was personal to him, as Phil set up a female FBI agent for an assault that crossed a line
The first time I watched this series, I felt agent Harris meant the FBI was going to "win", after having set Tony up to kill Phil. Like killing 2 birds with 1 stone. But of course as I continued to watch the series again and again I realize how naive I was to think there would be any good guys in the series.
@Randall I always saw it as him saying "We're gonna win" the same way we do when our team wins a big game, but instead of calling our favorite team "them" we call it us or we; in this case the "we're meaning" New Jersey over NY
He couldn't help it but feel sympathy for Tony. Some other comment mentioned he might feel identified with the local mob after being transferred to foreign terrorism
I had the opportunity once to attend a lecture, here in the UK, by the FBI's head of terrorism. This was just after 9/11. Really fascinating; especially about how the agency had had to change. (like for example, it used to be 90% of agents had law degrees; then they moved more to recruiting ex military). But anyway we all got chatting after. The chap was telling us about his early career. He'd started out doing anti mob work. He had lots of really intriguing details. But he emphasised how it was quite a 'professional' relationship between the two sides. obviously they were antagonists; but there were rules. Like, unlike his Italian compatriots, US agents and judicial staff, never feared for their own lives or those of their families. It was all off limits. But he recounted one occasion where two agents were parked outside a mob haunt. Normally that was a boring but safe job. Often they would have hot drinks and food sent out to them. But a couple of recently made guys had let it go to their heads. They accosted the agents and took their badges. After that the FBI just took the gloves off. Raiding anywhere the mob hung out; questioning them in front of non mob associates ets. Shortly after they got a message from the bosses that matters had been made very clear to the two perps (They were made to return the badges and apologise) and could everyone go back to how it was.
@@cerberusloyalist5038 Oh indeed. It was in everyone's best interests; especially the FBI's. He was keen to stress that heir methodology at the time was to painstakingly build a forensic case and use the courts and legal system. All that 'good old fashioned police work' rather than the G-Man Tommy gun stuff of former days. One moderately amusing aside from that lecture. There were obviously a lot of counter-terrorism professionals in attendance. But I asked someone if there was anywhere I could put my coat and bag. The guy gave a resigned look and said "Just stick it on top of that pile of unattended baggage."
Apparently this is the rule with all the cartels too… I believe. I think one of the Colombian drug lords back in the 80s took out one or two DEA agents and the US did not respond kindly one bit. It’s safe to say the cartels made sure to not make that mistake again.
Always liked Agent Harris. He was the only FBI agent to treat Tony like a human being, and he was one of the only FBI guys to be treated like a human being by anyone in the mafia. I think that's why he and Tony got on so well.
I think 6:50 is a reference to the New Jersey-New York rivalry a lot of people have. Agent Harris cheers for Tony because he wants to see Jersey win the mafia war. This is akin to how sports teams are often stand-ins for cities, states, countries, etc.
This was my reading of it too. Harris worked in Jersey so they were his guys. If we ever met the FBI who were following the Lupertazzi family they some of them would almost certainly be rooting for Phil.
It might be that, but it’s also a literal real-life reference. The FBI agent who gave info to Scarpa allegedly said “we’re gonna win this thing”, referencing “we” as him and the New York mob
I know all the internet mobsters gonna hate this but agent harris is honestly one of my absolute favorite sopranos characters. Up there with vin mcKazian as no.2
Agent Harris was a friend. He respected Tony in many ways. I love how 20 years later there is a renewed interest in the show I have seen dozens of times over.
KINO!!! Agent Harris might just be my favourite FBI agent in TV history. A character with not a lot of screen time but an amazing amount of depth. It goes to show that small side characters in the Sopranos are more in depth than most shows main characters. We're gonna win this thing!! Edit: Said my favourite Agent; not the best. I have never seen X-Files so I can't comment.
I think he began to convince himself that Tony was somehow, “one of the good ones.” A better class of criminal than, say, the Lupertazis. The lesser of two evils. This was reinforced several times throughout the series. He saw and interacted with Tony’s family. At home. And saw they were basically a relatively average family who loved each other. Then when he began to work terrorism, he saw Tony and the mob as certainly better than the terrorists. Kind of what happened between the mob and the US government during WW2. Like, “we are all American here. Maybe we can put aside our differences in face of a common threat.” Then finally, in comparison to the Lupertazis and Phil. He never liked Phil and Phil tried to set up a fellow agent for a rape and beating. Constantly throughout the series he’s placed in a position to view Tony as not as bad as other people he’s after. With the exception of the terrorists, he’s probably sorely mistaken. Tony is just as bad as any of them and worse than a lot of them. But from this point of view, it begins to make sense. Not to mention it’s simply hard to view someone as the enemy when you become familiar with them.
@@ethanwinnegrad3402 if the show continued on I feel like there would be nothing left Tony wouldn't do before he reached Junior's age given his descent throughout the series, especially but not starting at after the shooting
I think Agent Harris did miss the mob. Not in a romantic sense obviously but, in a sense to it was what he understood. He knew how the mob operated and it was close to home. On the other hand being in Pakistan trying to fight an enemy you can't see and don't really understand would be much harder. And when he got back to the States and was still expected to fight the terrorists it made sense for him to partner with organized crime. The terrorists weren't getting their weapons or money through legal means, so where is the best place to look for them? It's the people with long established ties to crime. It's a perfect trade, you give me info on my enemies and I'll give you info on yours.
I think Kino can appreciate at this point that I think McNulty and Harris have a lot in common. McNulty had a lot of respect for the corner boys because he understood where they came from. He wanted to get Stringer and Avon, but he wasn't a macho dickhead about it. He respected them as people even if he had a job to do. I think Harris is very similar, just at a higher level
McNulty had zero morals remember how lost he was when he finally got to Stringers apartment "who the fuck was i chasing" he was very much a dickhead asshole how he disrespected bunny Colvin just to show Avon his suit wearing homie betrayed him. Stay in your CAVE Watch it again
@@usdjpy8929 Or I'll grab my ckub god dammit. I said they shared similarities not that they were the same character. We also didn't follow any of Harris and know very little about who he was as a person. Dude very well could have been an alcoholic womanizing piece of shit and just hid it better
@@vibinwpsilocybin1424 ya terrible drunken impressions maybe. Ive never ever seen a drunk person who acted like they literally had down syndrome after some shots and beers regardless of how drunk they got.
4:03-4:10 actually they flip Adriana to be an informant after the undercover agent found cocaine and threatened to imprison her for 25 years, which was a false charge. The murder cover up only comes much later on in the series and leads to her murder by Silvio.
I personally think they both had a mutual respect from years of knowing each other. Tony seeing Harris as a stand up guy despite being an agent & Harris seeing Tony as a far lesser evil than the terrorists he's investigating. The US government has turned to the Mafia many times throughout the 20th century for assistance. It's well known many mobsters were recruited by the military to protect the East Coast ports & as a guides in Italy during WW2. I remember seeing a picture of Vito Genovese in an army uniform during the invasion of Sicily & Italy.
Excellent character, perfectly cast. Lots of grey with him, which is was made his storyline so intriguing to watch. Brings Donnie Brasco to mind with how things went down.
FYSA: You watch a person long enough, listen to their calls, read their text messages, follow them, and you will either hate them because there is nothing redeemable about them or what is most likely, you will develop empathy for them and their loved ones. There is an intimacy that only intelligence gathering and criminal warrants can bring. Not even their families know the suspect like you do. When this turns into sympathy you have to take professional action to distance yourself. This is what happened. He worked Tony for years. Changing assignments should have ended this; but he renewed contact for bullshit reasons. There is also a thrill in being close to deadly animals, moving amongst them, and feeding them. Sometimes people with dangerous jobs acquire dangerous hobbies.
Many years ago I ran into the actor on the street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I stopped, looked at him and said 'We're gonna win this thing'. He laughed lol
I've been studying mob history lately. It is masterful how this series wove all the classic mob stories into the plot. In WW2 the mob guarded the docks from invaders upon the request of the FBI. That's likely one of the origins of this storyline.
Carmella did say in regards to her cousin that people get sucked in to Tony's world it's something Melfi struggled with. Tony haa a charismatic personality that draws people in.
At the end of the day, Harris was an honest man of the law but also had an admiration for Tony. I think they genuinely liked each other despite being at odds.
I am glad someone finally did a proper video about Agent Harris. Sorry it took me so long to discover it. I thought Matt Servitto played him to perfection. Loved this video!
I never took his line "We're going to win this thing!" As Tony is going to win. I took it as a high ranking mobster was killed and their numbers are dwindling. I never really took Harris' helping of Tony to be him siding with Tony, rather he's helping the mob kill each other from the inside. He definitely liked Tony the most out of all the mobsters, but he was happy to mess with the mob in general, he just sided with Tony because he was the most outwardly likable.
I agree to an extent but I don’t think that’s the way it was meant to be perceived. Watch the look on the other FBI agent’s face. He looks a little confused and disgusted. Then Harris realizes what he just said.
Two things shocked me in the Phil's location phone call scene. Agent Harris's full hair shirt and the other Agent. Damn son. Easily one of the most attractive people in all six seasons.
Harris seemed to have a man-crush on Tony. He reminds me of the nerd who loved and hated the jocks so much that he became a hall monitor. At least he got to talk to them when he was handing out demerits.
I saw a comment on a sopranos clip once that said Agent Harris was like a fan of the series while being in it lmfao and i think its incredibly accurate Specially taking into account his last scene where he says "were gonna win this!"
Question. How do we know Harris slept with the agent just to get info on Phil? Remember in another episode he is shown arguing with his wife on the phone. Maybe Harris just needed sex and got the info on Phil as an added benefit.
It's debatable. The fact that he calls Tony literally right afterwards while the girl was in the bathroom makes me think Tony was top of mind for him, not the girl. If he got laid, got dressed, then called Tony a little later I would say that it was just a benefit. I guess it could be argued that the writer's needed you to see the girl to show how he got the info and that's why they wrote the scene, but regardless in the canon of the show that's how it played out
@@PureKino It could have to save time. Bang the girl, get the info, call Tony. Otherwise they would have had to shoot another scene where agent Harris is somewhere else and calls Tony.
This is where Tony was smart, as opposed to Chris who showed how myopic he was, while Tony didn't trust Harris he didn't go out of his way to make an enemy out of him either since Harris treated him with respect. The FBI had a job to do, Harris treated Tony like a competitor and not necessarily an enemy, Tony recognized it, eventually afforded him the same respect and it worked out in the end.
So weird, I finished this show pretty recently and was still thinking about the dynamic between Agent Harris and Tony and then while I was watching the new season of “Barry”, I see the same actor playing a lawyer. I now get on UA-cam and this is on my recommended
I just finished my first watch through of the series, and loved his arc. I overlooked him for the most part just as an FBI agent, but you could tell in the last season he was becoming an ally to Tony.
I think its a pretty realistic portrayal of a certain type of fbi agent at that time. The FBI's approach to informants and interrogation fits how harris handled tony, up to giving tony information about leotardo that is. They build trust and treat people well. As much as the fbi and cia compete for a budget, different divisions within each of them fight for it too. Even if tonys information isnt really useful it doesnt seem like a huge leap that one fbi division might do something shady to another one to make them look bad.
Great review Kino! It reminds me of the Zellman and Maurice HUD scam where they claimed to be more idealistic at the beginning of their careers then became partners with the mob and Maurice said “The revolution was sold.”
I recall a scene where some asshole crashes his sports car in the neighbourhood, and the zip Furio goes to yell at him with Silvio, and the rest of the guys are sitting and standing in front of Satriales vibing chilling smoking their cigars. And Agent Harris comes along to introduce his new partner and starts chatting with Tony. And they’re all hanging out. Enjoying the life. I think that’s a pretty good scene indicating how much Agent Harris was part of the guys whilst also not. A friend that isn’t a friend. A meeting of minds, if you will.
I actually never got sucked in by Tony's "charisma" I always saw him as the monster he was. Season 6 forces the facade to end since he is constantly losing allies and being backed into corners. I think this is the reason I had trouble getting into the Sopranos at first since I typically like shows with relatable or more likeable characters, I found every character to be scummy and someone I disliked with very few exceptions. When I realized that's essentially the point of the show my appreciation for it went way up. Great video!
Tony always got on my nerves with his outbursts. I think it is because I see a little of myself in him. I blow up sometimes and I hate that part of myself.
There's not a lot of charisma, but when it comes to the world around him he was pretty honest about how it wears on him and others, and what he's able to do about it. Which is arguably more valuable than charisma, within the same vein. When it came to personal business, you could tell he was often helpless to it which is also real, in a more pathetically relatable way.
@@coreyhall1150 Don't be so hard on yourself. Tony is not just a criminal, but a murderer and someone who causes so much pain and suffering for his own enrichment and satisfaction. I hope you are not like that. I have outbursts too, and there are for sure times when I can be petty. Just remember to have the strength of character to be honest with yourself about when you are in the wrong.
Harris could have been trying a different angle to take the mafia down by be friending tony since the Traditional FBI way wasn't working idk I think Harris always wanted to take both Tony and Phil Down it would have been interesting to see Harris's reaction after Tony died at the end of the series like a 3 min clip of him seeing or hearing about it
He was somebody Tony could’ve been friends with in a previous life. They have more in common than they realize and its fun watching their friendship advance.
This whole character development, the plot twists, and the dynamic between these two alone could’ve made the series. Forget the fact that the rest of it is as made as Chrissy was when he had his ceremony
When Harris says, "We're gonna win this thing!" he is referring to an office poll of who will be whacked first. At least thats what I thought, I think he mentions it to the agent that told him in that scene.
Special Agent Christopher Favo, who ran the FBI's Colombo crime-family squad, testified that his boss reacted strangely on May 20, 1992, when Favo briefed him on the mob hit of Colombo soldier Lorenzo Lampasi and a separate attack that wounded a mob family associate. “He said, 'We're gonna win this thing!
By the end Harris was so deep in, he basically mirrored Tony in a way. You could argue he’s responsible for just as many deaths as Tony, and during their last call when he was in the motel with his coworker, it was clear he had become him.
It's reverse Stockholm Syndrome. Harris has made such a demigod in his mind out of Tony , that Tony is sort of a beloved archenemy. Harris would rsather capture Tony himself then let Phil Leotardo kill Tony. The Joker says it best: "No one kills The Bat but me."
I read the book 'Black Mass' around the time Sopranos was new. David Chase probably read it as well and the relationship between Harris and Tony in later seasons pulls from that a tiny bit.
I always thought harris was setting tony up to commit the hit on phil so the crime division would have an easier time prosecuting him. “We’re gonna win this thing” like he was still apart of that team. His new partner giving him a look to say “why do you care you’re in terror now”
I think Harris was a professional. He kept business and personal separate. Early on, his assignment was to go after Tony, and he did he his job well even though he had no personal animosity. Later, when it was no longer his job to go after Tony, he was able to immediately transition to a more friendly and mutually beneficial relationship. Other mob task force agents took things so personally that if they were reassigned to collect intelligence on terrorists, they wouldn’t be able to successfully ally with Tony.
I thought that Harris sees Tony as balance and or best they could hope for, especially when they have the War on Terror shifts focus on - whilst he is useful Tony stays on the 'to do list'.
When Harris slammed his hand on the table and declared, “We’re gonna win this thing!”, he was being sarcastic. Phil’s death didn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things, as he would simply be replaced by someone else.
I’m sure there’s supposed to be other agents working on Tony’s case that aren’t Italian-American, but it is striking to me that Harris is the most sympathetic agent to Tony and the most prominent agent that isn’t Italian-American. I think that difference actually makes him more sympathetic to Tony as a person, similar to how the people most fascinated with mob fiction in the U.S. are the non-Italians
It's funny because I personally interpreted Harris' last couple scenes entirely differently. To me, Harris provided the information to Tony not to help Tony, but to ensure both Phil and Tony are killed. In the conversation with Tony in the car he tells Tony that he's asking for too much when he asks where Phil is, implying Harris knows but won't say, but he also gives spotty info on whether the hit is out on Tony. Later when he does give Tony the info, he seems conflicted and ashamed about it. But when he hears Phil has been killed he's unambiguously excited. I saw it as Harris intentionally waiting to tell Tony where Phil was until it was too late for Tony to save himself. Everything points to Tony dying at the end, the countless clues towards that being Tony's fate have been poured over for 15+ years now. Knowing that, I personally think the story is also telling us that Harris knows Tony is going to die. "We're gonna win this" to me says that the FBI is finally going to bring down not just Tony and the NJ crew, but Phil and the NY crew as well. For me it really fits into the theme of law enforcement being useless or incompetent because in the end they didn't bring down Tony because of great detective work or because they finally made a charge stick, it was because of a lone agent playing the same game the mafia was. I personally find this far more interesting than Harris really wanting to help Tony win, I just find that underdeveloped and boring if I'm being honest.
Harris and Tony both are men who consider their work as important as their real families, maybe even more. Tony and Harris respect one another, hating their jobs but knowing they don’t want anyone else reaping the benefits of hunting terrorists/being the boss. Harris understands the mafia is a business with crime, and Tony respects Harris over time when it’s shown that it was never a personal vendetta that had them facing off, they just ended up on a different sides of the law.
Would love to see you do a video on ‘Would Tony have flipped?’ Or even, with his complicated relationship with Harris, to what extent had T already flipped?
I loved Agent Harris. When all the other FBI agents were gleeful to play Tony the tape of Livia and Junior discussing whacking him, Harris was the only one who looked sad for him. I always thought at some point he would help Tony.
@Greg Sawatsky I never understand people who hold this opinion about murderers. Who gives a shit if a cop empathizes with a known murderer and thief? You treat them with the respect their rights entitle them to. Nothing more, nothing less. Save the empathy for your pets, friends and family. LOL
I think that Harris moving to counter-terrorism allowed him to see Tony, his upbringing, and his lifestyle in a light with a little less bias. Sure, Tony's a sociop[athic piece of shit by the end of the show, but so was his dad, so was his mom, and on and on. At the end of the day what chance did he have to be a productive member of society. I personally think that if Tony would have gone down for the gun charge and Carlo's testimony Harris could have gotten him to flip on NY
@ChunkyThund3r LOOOL. The false equivalency bullshit is real. Believe what you like.
@@cavemanzach9475 I agree. After Harris saw the vils of international terrorism, Tony's evils seemed trivial in comparison.
t s bad ass
Harris acts as a stand-in for the viewer, caught up with the mob's allure and Tony's charisma in a way that puts him in a morally compromising position.
Awesome observation
Exactly.
David Chase put us the viewer in the show
Exactly, I was just going to ssy that.
Yeah he should have never worked with Tony or even treated with him respect he doesn’t deserve it
I never thought of that. Yeah you're exactly right. He was closer to Tony than the rest of us if you really want to get philosophical about it
Meadow was really his guardian angel. She saved him a lot. I forgot she took the lamp.
Her parking skills (or lack thereof) caused his doom at the end though.
@@SaulGoodman-w2x The hitman was already there? How was that what doomed him?
there was no hitman. tony had dinner with his family but tony was on his way to the pen.
Tony did not get killed. Meadow came in and had some onion rings.
what other times did she protect him?
Agent Harris was a great character honestly. Truly complex, flawed and easy to empathize with why they compromised their morals (ie creating a conflict for us the viewer to decide on).
Complex? lol
Great video. My take on Agent Harris, in addition to all the things you cover here, was that he didn’t understand the world anymore and Tony was a touchstone back to a simpler time. It echoes the Tommy Lee Jones character in No Country For Old Men. A man who confidently understood the motivations of criminals his entire life only to be confronted by a version of evil so severe it recontextualized his entire understanding of the concept.
Yeah once he started investigating terrorism I think he started to empathize with Tony more. Tony did give him that info about the terrorist bank account and he felt like he was doing the right thing by giving Tony Phil's location. Phil had also threatened a female FBI agent before which is obviously crossing the line.
I think that’s a great point. He can understand the crimes committed by the mob, because realistically they are businessmen. Most of the violence or crimes have a clear, often times business related motive ultimately, as opposed to senseless violence/terrorism
It reminds me a bit of the message of Sicario. Kate couldn't become a wolf because the evil she thought she would face was much greater. She couldn't do what needed to be done to "win" against such evil. I think Harris may have had this realization after counter-terrorism, and dealing with the mob is much less complex, and let's face it, less evil. When Harris expressed his excitement upon being notified of Phil's death, and said: "We're going to win this thing!", he realized that the line of "we" has been blurred. The same goes for "Medellín" and the CIA.
and not to be THAT guy
but Harris being an FBI agent brought into an anti terrorism unit must have enlightened him to the true goings on with the CIA and their work abroad the East
@@omarbahrourWell I mean yeah ones meant for mad violent cruelty to make a point the other is organized cruelty to make a dollar
I just always felt that Harris and Tony had some sort of mutual respect for each other. Both from the same world, in a way, just a different part of town.
They're both professionals.
Governments are companies in a sick and twisted sorta way, I'm sure they both knew that if they crossed eachother theyd be in for more problems than they solved, and if they were cordial with eachother they could mutually benefit businesswise.
Tony didn’t respect anyone but himself. He was using Harris just as much as Harris was using him.
@@EnjoySackLunch I get what you’re saying, on a personal level, I think you’re right, but professionally I think even those out there who don’t have respect for others have to, in someway, at least respect a persons ability to do their work, especially if the consequence of not doing so will impede their own.
So, I’d say Tony didn’t “personally” respect anyone really, you’re right, he was a classic narcissist, but I think “professionally” he had to respect Harris and his ability to do his job, otherwise Tony would have been caught doing something.
Harris definitely had Tony’s back.
😂😂
@@thallus23 hes a come from behind kinda guy...
Real come from behind kind of guy
Harris. Big justice tycoon. Greasing the due process. Who knew...? 😂
this a bit too far
You missed something. When Harris says “we’re gona win this thing” it’s because of it being a jersey/New York way and Harris being from jersey he’s looking at it like a football game.
War *
Burnt out cop living vicariously through Tony. Also, the beef with Phil was personal to him, as Phil set up a female FBI agent for an assault that crossed a line
Haven't watched in a while, what about phil with the setup
I literally do not remember Phil ever setting up any FBI agents
@@DeadManSinging1 agent Harris mentioned it to Tony at Satriales
Yes, that's what the video explains.
Assault that crossed the line, I guess is a nice of saying gangraped
The first time I watched this series, I felt agent Harris meant the FBI was going to "win", after having set Tony up to kill Phil. Like killing 2 birds with 1 stone. But of course as I continued to watch the series again and again I realize how naive I was to think there would be any good guys in the series.
@Randall I always saw it as him saying "We're gonna win" the same way we do when our team wins a big game, but instead of calling our favorite team "them" we call it us or we; in this case the "we're meaning" New Jersey over NY
Yes he literally was talking about "we" as in tonys crew.
He couldn't help it but feel sympathy for Tony. Some other comment mentioned he might feel identified with the local mob after being transferred to foreign terrorism
@@MoralesCorner your name is freeeeckin high larious
I feel like agent Harris just wanted to end the war. Probably had money on who would win New York or New Jersey. He rooted for his home team lol
I had the opportunity once to attend a lecture, here in the UK, by the FBI's head of terrorism. This was just after 9/11. Really fascinating; especially about how the agency had had to change. (like for example, it used to be 90% of agents had law degrees; then they moved more to recruiting ex military). But anyway we all got chatting after. The chap was telling us about his early career. He'd started out doing anti mob work. He had lots of really intriguing details. But he emphasised how it was quite a 'professional' relationship between the two sides. obviously they were antagonists; but there were rules. Like, unlike his Italian compatriots, US agents and judicial staff, never feared for their own lives or those of their families. It was all off limits. But he recounted one occasion where two agents were parked outside a mob haunt. Normally that was a boring but safe job. Often they would have hot drinks and food sent out to them. But a couple of recently made guys had let it go to their heads. They accosted the agents and took their badges. After that the FBI just took the gloves off. Raiding anywhere the mob hung out; questioning them in front of non mob associates ets. Shortly after they got a message from the bosses that matters had been made very clear to the two perps (They were made to return the badges and apologise) and could everyone go back to how it was.
did the FBI accept their proposal? thanks for sharing, that was fascinating.
@@cerberusloyalist5038 Oh indeed. It was in everyone's best interests; especially the FBI's. He was keen to stress that heir methodology at the time was to painstakingly build a forensic case and use the courts and legal system. All that 'good old fashioned police work' rather than the G-Man Tommy gun stuff of former days.
One moderately amusing aside from that lecture. There were obviously a lot of counter-terrorism professionals in attendance. But I asked someone if there was anywhere I could put my coat and bag. The guy gave a resigned look and said "Just stick it on top of that pile of unattended baggage."
Thanks for sharing, that's a great story
Apparently this is the rule with all the cartels too… I believe. I think one of the Colombian drug lords back in the 80s took out one or two DEA agents and the US did not respond kindly one bit. It’s safe to say the cartels made sure to not make that mistake again.
damn
Always liked Agent Harris. He was the only FBI agent to treat Tony like a human being, and he was one of the only FBI guys to be treated like a human being by anyone in the mafia. I think that's why he and Tony got on so well.
And Tony didn’t deserve to be treated like a human being. He destroyed a lot of lives….his wife too.
I think 6:50 is a reference to the New Jersey-New York rivalry a lot of people have. Agent Harris cheers for Tony because he wants to see Jersey win the mafia war. This is akin to how sports teams are often stand-ins for cities, states, countries, etc.
This was my reading of it too. Harris worked in Jersey so they were his guys. If we ever met the FBI who were following the Lupertazzi family they some of them would almost certainly be rooting for Phil.
It might be that, but it’s also a literal real-life reference. The FBI agent who gave info to Scarpa allegedly said “we’re gonna win this thing”, referencing “we” as him and the New York mob
@@fort809 it's probably a meta thing, then, since it's likely that FBI agent was thinking that very thing.
Meadow taking the lamp was priceless, especially after the whole James Bond FBI montage they had.
I know all the internet mobsters gonna hate this but agent harris is honestly one of my absolute favorite sopranos characters. Up there with vin mcKazian as no.2
I always liked when Harris would show up in an episode.
Its fine, i can say gus is my favorite BB character but it doesnt mean i really wanna run an elaborate drug empire
I think Vin McKazian should have been around for a little longer
Ooooohhhh!! Hey!! Never speak out against the internet family.
Your so right Peace. Vin McKazian was underrated. Would have loved to see another episode or three with him.
The oddest bromance in HBO history.
A little more subtle than any relationship on Oz.
Agent Harris was a friend. He respected Tony in many ways. I love how 20 years later there is a renewed interest in the show I have seen dozens of times over.
KINO!!! Agent Harris might just be my favourite FBI agent in TV history. A character with not a lot of screen time but an amazing amount of depth. It goes to show that small side characters in the Sopranos are more in depth than most shows main characters. We're gonna win this thing!!
Edit: Said my favourite Agent; not the best. I have never seen X-Files so I can't comment.
Maestro Kimpembe
Clarice Starling?
Agent Cooper for me, then Mulder/Scully. Harris is pretty cool!
@@joshuahoover6841 Agent Cooper for sure
"my favourite FBI agent in TV history." Fox Mulder: "Am I a joke to you?"
I think he began to convince himself that Tony was somehow, “one of the good ones.” A better class of criminal than, say, the Lupertazis. The lesser of two evils. This was reinforced several times throughout the series. He saw and interacted with Tony’s family. At home. And saw they were basically a relatively average family who loved each other. Then when he began to work terrorism, he saw Tony and the mob as certainly better than the terrorists. Kind of what happened between the mob and the US government during WW2. Like, “we are all American here. Maybe we can put aside our differences in face of a common threat.” Then finally, in comparison to the Lupertazis and Phil. He never liked Phil and Phil tried to set up a fellow agent for a rape and beating. Constantly throughout the series he’s placed in a position to view Tony as not as bad as other people he’s after. With the exception of the terrorists, he’s probably sorely mistaken. Tony is just as bad as any of them and worse than a lot of them. But from this point of view, it begins to make sense. Not to mention it’s simply hard to view someone as the enemy when you become familiar with them.
I think , at the very least though, Tony would never knowingly set up a woman for rape
@@ethanwinnegrad3402 if the show continued on I feel like there would be nothing left Tony wouldn't do before he reached Junior's age given his descent throughout the series, especially but not starting at after the shooting
Loved Harris, especially when he cheered after Phil died “we won”. So good
I think Agent Harris did miss the mob. Not in a romantic sense obviously but, in a sense to it was what he understood. He knew how the mob operated and it was close to home.
On the other hand being in Pakistan trying to fight an enemy you can't see and don't really understand would be much harder. And when he got back to the States and was still expected to fight the terrorists it made sense for him to partner with organized crime.
The terrorists weren't getting their weapons or money through legal means, so where is the best place to look for them? It's the people with long established ties to crime. It's a perfect trade, you give me info on my enemies and I'll give you info on yours.
I always wondered if the Pakistani microbe was allegorical.
Those are some great points
Yeah, fight foreign terrorists by partnering with domestic terrorists so state-sponsored terror can continue.
@@jonnybirchyboy1560 Ride the painted pony…
@@ryanm9105 Let the spinning wheel glide.
I think Kino can appreciate at this point that I think McNulty and Harris have a lot in common. McNulty had a lot of respect for the corner boys because he understood where they came from. He wanted to get Stringer and Avon, but he wasn't a macho dickhead about it. He respected them as people even if he had a job to do. I think Harris is very similar, just at a higher level
He was such a shitty actor lol! Never seen a worse drunk impression.
McNulty had zero morals remember how lost he was when he finally got to Stringers apartment "who the fuck was i chasing" he was very much a dickhead asshole how he disrespected bunny Colvin just to show Avon his suit wearing homie betrayed him. Stay in your CAVE Watch it again
@@usdjpy8929 Or I'll grab my ckub god dammit. I said they shared similarities not that they were the same character. We also didn't follow any of Harris and know very little about who he was as a person. Dude very well could have been an alcoholic womanizing piece of shit and just hid it better
@@mikimiyazaki na you’re tripping . i’ve seen drunken impressions exactly like mcnulty
@@vibinwpsilocybin1424 ya terrible drunken impressions maybe. Ive never ever seen a drunk person who acted like they literally had down syndrome after some shots and beers regardless of how drunk they got.
He was 100% a friend. There were a few episodes where he knew Tony did work but didn't bust him for it. Agent harris is a solid dude
4:03-4:10 actually they flip Adriana to be an informant after the undercover agent found cocaine and threatened to imprison her for 25 years, which was a false charge. The murder cover up only comes much later on in the series and leads to her murder by Silvio.
Aw man I'm not there yet. I'm in the middle of season 5.
That’s not a false charge she may not have gotten 25 years but unless it was planted by the FBI that’s not a false charge
@@acat6145yes it is it was a personal amount not Bricks upon bricks
I personally think they both had a mutual respect from years of knowing each other. Tony seeing Harris as a stand up guy despite being an agent & Harris seeing Tony as a far lesser evil than the terrorists he's investigating. The US government has turned to the Mafia many times throughout the 20th century for assistance. It's well known many mobsters were recruited by the military to protect the East Coast ports & as a guides in Italy during WW2. I remember seeing a picture of Vito Genovese in an army uniform during the invasion of Sicily & Italy.
they became fantastic friends outside the show as well
Another great Sopranos video from
Kino. Much respect.
Harris is the epitome of: it’s not personal.
Harris would have lost all of his gobagool privileges at Satriale's if Tony got popped.
Excellent character, perfectly cast. Lots of grey with him, which is was made his storyline so intriguing to watch. Brings Donnie Brasco to mind with how things went down.
FYSA: You watch a person long enough, listen to their calls, read their text messages, follow them, and you will either hate them because there is nothing redeemable about them or what is most likely, you will develop empathy for them and their loved ones. There is an intimacy that only intelligence gathering and criminal warrants can bring. Not even their families know the suspect like you do. When this turns into sympathy you have to take professional action to distance yourself. This is what happened. He worked Tony for years. Changing assignments should have ended this; but he renewed contact for bullshit reasons. There is also a thrill in being close to deadly animals, moving amongst them, and feeding them. Sometimes people with dangerous jobs acquire dangerous hobbies.
Many years ago I ran into the actor on the street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I stopped, looked at him and said 'We're gonna win this thing'. He laughed lol
I've been studying mob history lately. It is masterful how this series wove all the classic mob stories into the plot.
In WW2 the mob guarded the docks from invaders upon the request of the FBI. That's likely one of the origins of this storyline.
That’s crazy. Seems bigger problems makes close enemies friends.
Yeah and the US army released thousands of monsters from prison in Italy that fucked the entire region over in the long run
Carmella did say in regards to her cousin that people get sucked in to Tony's world it's something Melfi struggled with. Tony haa a charismatic personality that draws people in.
Dang that would have been a great scene to put it!
He called him a sneak, not a snake.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and some enemies are worse than others.
"Damn! We're gonna win this thing!" was great, and it became clear whose side he was on in his heart.
At the end of the day, Harris was an honest man of the law but also had an admiration for Tony. I think they genuinely liked each other despite being at odds.
I am glad someone finally did a proper video about Agent Harris. Sorry it took me so long to discover it. I thought Matt Servitto played him to perfection. Loved this video!
I never took his line "We're going to win this thing!" As Tony is going to win. I took it as a high ranking mobster was killed and their numbers are dwindling. I never really took Harris' helping of Tony to be him siding with Tony, rather he's helping the mob kill each other from the inside. He definitely liked Tony the most out of all the mobsters, but he was happy to mess with the mob in general, he just sided with Tony because he was the most outwardly likable.
I agree to an extent but I don’t think that’s the way it was meant to be perceived. Watch the look on the other FBI agent’s face. He looks a little confused and disgusted. Then Harris realizes what he just said.
Two things shocked me in the Phil's location phone call scene.
Agent Harris's full hair shirt and the other Agent. Damn son. Easily one of the most attractive people in all six seasons.
Harris seemed to have a man-crush on Tony. He reminds me of the nerd who loved and hated the jocks so much that he became a hall monitor. At least he got to talk to them when he was handing out demerits.
I saw a comment on a sopranos clip once that said Agent Harris was like a fan of the series while being in it lmfao and i think its incredibly accurate
Specially taking into account his last scene where he says "were gonna win this!"
Question. How do we know Harris slept with the agent just to get info on Phil? Remember in another episode he is shown arguing with his wife on the phone. Maybe Harris just needed sex and got the info on Phil as an added benefit.
It's debatable. The fact that he calls Tony literally right afterwards while the girl was in the bathroom makes me think Tony was top of mind for him, not the girl. If he got laid, got dressed, then called Tony a little later I would say that it was just a benefit. I guess it could be argued that the writer's needed you to see the girl to show how he got the info and that's why they wrote the scene, but regardless in the canon of the show that's how it played out
@@PureKino
It could have to save time. Bang the girl, get the info, call Tony. Otherwise they would have had to shoot another scene where agent Harris is somewhere else and calls Tony.
Yea I didn’t understand that part
@@luisllorens70 in character, it makes sense he’d call right away. His location is pretty time sensitive.
@@luisllorens70but the girl looks pissed.
I noticed Harris always looking at Tony's baguette .
This is where Tony was smart, as opposed to Chris who showed how myopic he was, while Tony didn't trust Harris he didn't go out of his way to make an enemy out of him either since Harris treated him with respect. The FBI had a job to do, Harris treated Tony like a competitor and not necessarily an enemy, Tony recognized it, eventually afforded him the same respect and it worked out in the end.
Agent Harris began as a foe,finished as a friend.My favorite scene of his was absolutely "We're gonna win this thing!!"
Fun fact, in the video game “Mafia” the actor that plays Harris voices one of the monsters named Sam.
They guy that flipped??? Holy shit!! Great game btw
Whhhhattttt
This dude kino never misses . Happy holidays everybody 🎄☃️
without a doubt he was a friend
So weird, I finished this show pretty recently and was still thinking about the dynamic between Agent Harris and Tony and then while I was watching the new season of “Barry”, I see the same actor playing a lawyer. I now get on UA-cam and this is on my recommended
I just finished my first watch through of the series, and loved his arc. I overlooked him for the most part just as an FBI agent, but you could tell in the last season he was becoming an ally to Tony.
That ending was comedy gold
That ending is incredible lol.
did you know the actor who played Agent Harris (Matt Servitto) was the voice of Sam in the original Mafia game
(6:47) Leotardo got popped ... yeah like a frickin' grape !
I think its a pretty realistic portrayal of a certain type of fbi agent at that time. The FBI's approach to informants and interrogation fits how harris handled tony, up to giving tony information about leotardo that is. They build trust and treat people well. As much as the fbi and cia compete for a budget, different divisions within each of them fight for it too. Even if tonys information isnt really useful it doesnt seem like a huge leap that one fbi division might do something shady to another one to make them look bad.
Well done, Pure Kino - really well done! And I absolutely agree with every point you've made in this video!
Great review Kino! It reminds me of the Zellman and Maurice HUD scam where they claimed to be more idealistic at the beginning of their careers then became partners with the mob and Maurice said “The revolution was sold.”
Awesome video, thank you for touching on this pairing dynamic that gets overlooked
Tony , Harris , artie and lots of other characters are all the same.
They all subletly work together.
Its an amazing physiological idea
"We're going to win this thing". Lin Delvecchio famous line about Colombo Wars and Harris used for Sopranos
Great Work Kino! You’re really working your ass off with the content
Borko who?
I recall a scene where some asshole crashes his sports car in the neighbourhood, and the zip Furio goes to yell at him with Silvio, and the rest of the guys are sitting and standing in front of Satriales vibing chilling smoking their cigars. And Agent Harris comes along to introduce his new partner and starts chatting with Tony. And they’re all hanging out. Enjoying the life. I think that’s a pretty good scene indicating how much Agent Harris was part of the guys whilst also not. A friend that isn’t a friend.
A meeting of minds, if you will.
I actually never got sucked in by Tony's "charisma" I always saw him as the monster he was. Season 6 forces the facade to end since he is constantly losing allies and being backed into corners. I think this is the reason I had trouble getting into the Sopranos at first since I typically like shows with relatable or more likeable characters, I found every character to be scummy and someone I disliked with very few exceptions. When I realized that's essentially the point of the show my appreciation for it went way up. Great video!
I never found him charismatic. Interesting and funny sometimes, but he becomes more unlikeable as the series goes on.
Tony always got on my nerves with his outbursts. I think it is because I see a little of myself in him. I blow up sometimes and I hate that part of myself.
There's not a lot of charisma, but when it comes to the world around him he was pretty honest about how it wears on him and others, and what he's able to do about it. Which is arguably more valuable than charisma, within the same vein. When it came to personal business, you could tell he was often helpless to it which is also real, in a more pathetically relatable way.
Honestly I'm kinda glad you say this, I can't understand how anyone could relate or emphatize with Tony, you have restored my faith in humanity
@@coreyhall1150
Don't be so hard on yourself. Tony is not just a criminal, but a murderer and someone who causes so much pain and suffering for his own enrichment and satisfaction. I hope you are not like that. I have outbursts too, and there are for sure times when I can be petty. Just remember to have the strength of character to be honest with yourself about when you are in the wrong.
Harris could have been trying a different angle to take the mafia down by be friending tony since the Traditional FBI way wasn't working idk I think Harris always wanted to take both Tony and Phil Down it would have been interesting to see Harris's reaction after Tony died at the end of the series like a 3 min clip of him seeing or hearing about it
Respect is a very important thing in the world. Just because I disagree with something doesn't mean I can't respect it.
7:39 in the words of Jimmy McNulty “What, we don't have enough love in our hearts for two wars?”
@Pure Kino my Slip and Fall State hoodie showed up under the Christmas tree. Thanks, pal!
Enjoy the drip!
You do great work my friend. The combination of deduction, strategy and humor is a pleasure. Thanks.
glad you made this vid.. very underrated character i never seen talked about
He was somebody Tony could’ve been friends with in a previous life. They have more in common than they realize and its fun watching their friendship advance.
"Whose own mother is going to testify against them?"
Livia: "Hold my Gabagool."
This whole character development, the plot twists, and the dynamic between these two alone could’ve made the series. Forget the fact that the rest of it is as made as Chrissy was when he had his ceremony
When Harris says, "We're gonna win this thing!" he is referring to an office poll of who will be whacked first. At least thats what I thought, I think he mentions it to the agent that told him in that scene.
I thought it was him making fun of an actual quote an FBI agent said when one of the actual 5 families were going down
Special Agent Christopher Favo, who ran the FBI's Colombo crime-family squad, testified that his boss reacted strangely on May 20, 1992, when Favo briefed him on the mob hit of Colombo soldier Lorenzo Lampasi and a separate attack that wounded a mob family associate. “He said, 'We're gonna win this thing!
By the end Harris was so deep in, he basically mirrored Tony in a way. You could argue he’s responsible for just as many deaths as Tony, and during their last call when he was in the motel with his coworker, it was clear he had become him.
It's reverse Stockholm Syndrome. Harris has made such a demigod in his mind out of Tony , that Tony is sort of a beloved archenemy. Harris would rsather capture Tony himself then let Phil Leotardo kill Tony.
The Joker says it best: "No one kills The Bat but me."
I read the book 'Black Mass' around the time Sopranos was new. David Chase probably read it as well and the relationship between Harris and Tony in later seasons pulls from that a tiny bit.
I always thought harris was setting tony up to commit the hit on phil so the crime division would have an easier time prosecuting him. “We’re gonna win this thing” like he was still apart of that team. His new partner giving him a look to say “why do you care you’re in terror now”
Agent Harris was taking Vito's medication. He could get a doctor's note
I think Harris was a professional. He kept business and personal separate. Early on, his assignment was to go after Tony, and he did he his job well even though he had no personal animosity. Later, when it was no longer his job to go after Tony, he was able to immediately transition to a more friendly and mutually beneficial relationship.
Other mob task force agents took things so personally that if they were reassigned to collect intelligence on terrorists, they wouldn’t be able to successfully ally with Tony.
10:07 HAHA 😂
Weren't we all secretly in love with Tony!
I completely miss read that line
I thought "we're gonna win this thing"
meant the court case against Tony
I thought that Harris sees Tony as balance and or best they could hope for, especially when they have the War on Terror shifts focus on - whilst he is useful Tony stays on the 'to do list'.
I never put 2+2 together about him sleeping with another agent. And I'm a watcher since the beginning
Merry Christmas and Happy Friggen’ New Yeeahs to you Kino, and the rest of you, The Sopranos fans.
Kino coming through in the clutch with the new Soprano's video.
When Harris slammed his hand on the table and declared, “We’re gonna win this thing!”, he was being sarcastic. Phil’s death didn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things, as he would simply be replaced by someone else.
Haha the ending ❤️❤️❤️❤️, great vid PK!
What a fantastic analysis
I’m sure there’s supposed to be other agents working on Tony’s case that aren’t Italian-American, but it is striking to me that Harris is the most sympathetic agent to Tony and the most prominent agent that isn’t Italian-American. I think that difference actually makes him more sympathetic to Tony as a person, similar to how the people most fascinated with mob fiction in the U.S. are the non-Italians
It's funny because I personally interpreted Harris' last couple scenes entirely differently. To me, Harris provided the information to Tony not to help Tony, but to ensure both Phil and Tony are killed.
In the conversation with Tony in the car he tells Tony that he's asking for too much when he asks where Phil is, implying Harris knows but won't say, but he also gives spotty info on whether the hit is out on Tony. Later when he does give Tony the info, he seems conflicted and ashamed about it. But when he hears Phil has been killed he's unambiguously excited.
I saw it as Harris intentionally waiting to tell Tony where Phil was until it was too late for Tony to save himself. Everything points to Tony dying at the end, the countless clues towards that being Tony's fate have been poured over for 15+ years now. Knowing that, I personally think the story is also telling us that Harris knows Tony is going to die. "We're gonna win this" to me says that the FBI is finally going to bring down not just Tony and the NJ crew, but Phil and the NY crew as well. For me it really fits into the theme of law enforcement being useless or incompetent because in the end they didn't bring down Tony because of great detective work or because they finally made a charge stick, it was because of a lone agent playing the same game the mafia was.
I personally find this far more interesting than Harris really wanting to help Tony win, I just find that underdeveloped and boring if I'm being honest.
Lol Harris even borrowed Tony's hair (or lack thereof) when he's with his goomar.
Harris and Tony both are men who consider their work as important as their real families, maybe even more. Tony and Harris respect one another, hating their jobs but knowing they don’t want anyone else reaping the benefits of hunting terrorists/being the boss.
Harris understands the mafia is a business with crime, and Tony respects Harris over time when it’s shown that it was never a personal vendetta that had them facing off, they just ended up on a different sides of the law.
Would love to see you do a video on ‘Would Tony have flipped?’ Or even, with his complicated relationship with Harris, to what extent had T already flipped?
Harris is a real one. Got my respects.
I love agent Harris, he’s clearly got a lot of respect for Tony, I think he also views the mob like someone who grew up familiar with it.
Harris cheering when Leotardo got whacked is low-key one of my favourite moments from the show
Very good video again! Thank you