Why We're Wrong About AJ | The Sopranos
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- Опубліковано 13 жов 2022
- On this channel, I’ve made several videos where I challenge the way certain Sopranos characters are seen, analysing whether there’s another way to see their characters and whether the status-quo is wrong in the way they perceive a character. Previous examples include my videos ‘Why you’re wrong about Bobby Bacala’, ‘The case for Phil Leotardo’ and ‘Why you’re wrong about little Carmine’, and if you like what you see, please subscribe to the channel and hit the notification bell to stay up to date with future videos.
Today, I wanted to offer Anthony Jr (or AJ, the son of Tony Soprano) the benefit of the doubt, a kid who is one of, if not THE most hated character in The Sopranos.
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*Was Ralph Cifaretto on the road to redemption before he was killed?*
*Check out the video below and you might just change your mind about Ralph:*
ua-cam.com/video/0q-XJbWIGtI/v-deo.html
You missed April Fools by 6 months. 😂😂😂
He was, and that’s what pushed tony to kill him, because he couldn’t handle someone making themselves a better person
@@aghhhog2655 just like Carmela, absolutely hates to see other women be successful. Hilarious to imagine Carmela barely making ends meet after Tony is whacked at the diner.
@@gjmarkjesse1324 lol 💯 like she was talking about big pussies wife serving samples at the grocery store
@@aghhhog2655 he whacked him cause he was mad bout the horse. Cifaretto was no way making himself better. He had just KILLED the damn horse.
A.J. is exactly what happens to a son whose father never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
Small hands
😂😂😂❤😂😂😂😂😂❤❤❤
Best comment
For AJ Soprano videos that inform and Entertain-WATCH THESE:
Sopranos: AJ is the New BOSS! (First Cut)
ua-cam.com/video/4VHMRtCO5P8/v-deo.html
Sopranos: Here's PROOF AJ is The New Boss!
ua-cam.com/video/gshThuUItqI/v-deo.html
Sopranos: The REAL Reason AJ Attempted Suicide
ua-cam.com/video/5uO1mnyAKX8/v-deo.html
AJ was a varsity athlete. He had a panic attack on the field after being praised lol
AJ's a great character. Every time he starts to evolve, his parents sabotage it. He cares about politics? They make fun of him. He tries to join the military? They bait him into taking a job dad can get him with his money. They hate how spoiled he is while constantly spoiling him. Hating AJ is so weird to me. He's literally trying to be a good dude. Chrissy was too, but the father figure/lack of one sabotages literally everyone in this show.
Well said. Tony was not that different from his mother
This. Not to mention that AJ clearly inherits his mental illness struggles from his father who, instead of being empathetic and understanding, just constantly tries to berate him or man him up. AJ may be a spoiled brat but there’s a reason he’s the way he is and unlike his sister he actually shows some willingness to grow in a way that isn’t complete cognitive dissonance.
IT’S UNDEHMINING!
I was with you until you said Chrissy was trying to be a better person. He was an abusive junkie who only cared about himself.
It’s very analogous to me having a friend I keep around as I can make fun of them and derive pleasure as it helps me feel better about myself using “I want to help him” as justification for when I shit on him
When he wants to better himself I try to discourage it
It’s all about perception . Not what is said
Basically because I see this person beneath me and feel so bad about myself is why I treat him they way I do
I’ve seen this shit a lot in my life and it’s hilarious and scary at the same time
When I offered AJ a ride home dat time, I was this close.
ohhh!, wait arent you dead ?!
That’s the bosses son you are talking about!
Well you got problems, because your bracoile(sp?) Isn't even that long.
That can go 2 ways
Speaking of impacts
That “47 years old, he was just a kid” joke gets me every time 😂😂😂😂
Just a fvckin kid
It's something old people unironically say though
It's not even funny, 47 in 1989 is nowhere near what 47 2022 is!
@@DaveSCameron no kidding back in the day people were going coffin shopping at 45
@@DaveSCameron 2007
i like AJ
its a bit terrifying how people let slide the most horrible acts yet everyone hates a civilian
I think its cause people can sense the fakeness in it. We all know in real life, AJ, would want to be in the life just like his father and likely would go down that same road. So ya we hate him for his fakeness, you wanna be a spoiled brat then at least go all the way with it lol.
I agree. What's so bad about AJ? He doesn't think DNA can stop your heart.
happens a lot with this kind of show; just look at Skyler in Breaking Bad
@@beedubree2550 yeah I dont mind skyler either
@@TP_Gillz I think we got to see the opposite of that when he got into a cheap imitation of being in the life with his college friends, and after seeing the reality of it and the viciousness inherently involved, he got out as fast as he could. I think it shows that he's lost, what son doesn't try to follow in his father's footsteps? I think it shows that despite him being lost, and of course WANTING to be a tough guy, he doesn't have the viciousness or the passion for it and knows.
Soprano fans disdain for AJ,s character clearly shows what a great actor Robert Iler is with his portrayal... most underrated actor on the show.
Yeah.
It's quite a shame no one gives him credit. I never seen a more realistic portrayal of a character throughout each phase of his life. And he wasn't even really an actor. Just a kid that soaked up James' every acting tip without thinking about it. It's an amazing performance. So realistic. Even in his first seasons.
For sure, I felt for a son who wanted to look up to his dad (I mean he is a male, and your strongest influence is the same sex parent) but was shown an opposite to live up too. Not much of a wonder that he’d melt down on what he was supposed to grow up to be.
@@agitatedmongoose So true.
Janice is also underrated, i have a relative, exactly the same as her, livia too.
I actually sympathize with AJ and never really understood why he got so much hate. I really think it's what you said the the beginning, people see themselves as Tony when really they're Aj. I thought it was pretty big that he started taking steps to join the military and even had a plan for his life afterwards, but Tony and Carmella like many parents handicapped him after years of preaching responsibility. He was taking responsibility but it wasn't in the way they wanted, this very emblematic of many American parents. They want you to grow up and be an adult but at every turn they make sure you know you aren't an adult, that you're less than. They share no responsibility or power and expect you to magically become responsible.
Oh look, we're out time! I'll be back again for my next session
Kinda like a lot of Rick and Morty fans who think they are a Rick but in reality most of us are Jerry
For AJ Soprano videos that inform and Entertain-WATCH THESE:
Sopranos: AJ is the New BOSS! (First Cut)
ua-cam.com/video/4VHMRtCO5P8/v-deo.html
Sopranos: Here's PROOF AJ is The New Boss!
ua-cam.com/video/gshThuUItqI/v-deo.html
Sopranos: The REAL Reason AJ Attempted Suicide
ua-cam.com/video/5uO1mnyAKX8/v-deo.html
@@dorkknight413 For AJ Soprano videos that inform and Entertain-WATCH THESE:
Sopranos: AJ is the New BOSS! (First Cut)
ua-cam.com/video/4VHMRtCO5P8/v-deo.html
Sopranos: Here's PROOF AJ is The New Boss!
ua-cam.com/video/gshThuUItqI/v-deo.html
Sopranos: The REAL Reason AJ Attempted Suicide
ua-cam.com/video/5uO1mnyAKX8/v-deo.html
Hmm. AJ is gay and local BLM supporter. I think he will make a good career in Twitter
@@nicolausteslaus nah, he was definitely more alt-right/MAGA. He even wanted to be Trumps private pilot
I actually liked aj he actually was a realistic character
I always said the same thing. I felt he was the most honest. This is why he was such a disaster. He saw everything for what it was in his family home. And he couldn't reconcile it. He couldn't compartmentalise like Carmela and Meadow; and even Tony, who himself wasn't even as good at it as his wife and daughter.
As just a family show apart from the gangsters, Sopranos really stands out.
Characters like AJ and Janis feel real like we all have known them in our personal lives. I have yet to see a family drama like this with these types of selfish individuals.
I liked him when he was a kid but as he got older he went full douche
Anyone who says he was a bad actor needs to sit down and watch him trying to off himself again. That is some of the best acting on the show right there. He stood tall among the likes of Gandolfini and Falco.
@@didimean he sucked a fatty. Keep it real braaaaaa
People really hate AJ that much? He was a child for 90% of the series and then struggled with depression as a young adult. I think he's relatable to a lot of kids who grew up around the same time, including myself. Maybe that's why I don't hate him as much, but it's not like he was a cold blooded murder like his father.
Even still the average kid isn’t that much of a jerk and a layabout
he just wanted to play mario kart!
OW! My tailbone😭 - AJ Soprano
😂
@@generfeldyou are not to play Mareyo Kart😂
AJ really isn't that bad in like, the first two seasons. Meadow has more bratty moments early on imo. AJ has a lot of moments where he is just quiet and polite, occasionally acting out like a normal teen.
Was honestly lookin forward to AJ's growth as an adult and character in the first two seasons, like damn ik people with the same Pantera shirt and theyre lifelong friends and family. After that his decisions became pathetically self-destructive in a shadow of Tony's fuckups, i.e. not killing those you've given your life to only for them to backstab and coyly play it off (regardless of their baggage, priors/warnings, and obvious worthlessness in your case.) School and work were one thing, puerto ricans pools and nihilism are another that a father should always be on top of.
I love that scene where AJ senses an argument between Tony and Carmela so he says “Alright, I’m going upstairs” cause he’s so used to his parents shooing him away
You missed the biggest thing. He was the only one in his family that actually had some morals. Also he did try to take accountability by going into the army. That was clear growth since he was crying from the first time he was going to go.
He was an annoying brat, but he isnt a murderer like so many other well liked characters
Yeah, to military school and then he fainted.
@@gabrielethier2046 what do you expect there, they’re in the mob!
@@roderickstockdale1678 that's not an excuse
That's not true at all. Meadow showed she had morals many times.
110% AJ was a product of his environment. With parents like that!
Nah, my brother is like this, and my parents are the sweetest people ever, but he thinks they are so horrible.
AJ is one of the most well constructed characters of the show, his evolution through the seasons is amazing and (sadly) realistic.
AJ is the typical American teenager in 2022. At the time, his behavior/character was mostly limited to the wealthier suburban types. Social media has not been kind to many American youngsters.
You’re too young to remember this but social media wasn’t really a thing in 2006 when they filmed the final seasons of The Sopranos. It was mostly limited to college students and not really on the writers’ radar.
Once the iPhone dropped in 2007 social media rapidly took off in popular culture.
the internet was still widely prevalent in teenagers life by 2006.
not necessarily modern "social media" but still mass information. doesnt invalidate the mention of it in the video.
@@test-tl8dt def was. Let’s just say AJ Soprano was not a good example for future generations of teens. AJ/Robert Iler and I are the same age. I watched The Sopranos pilot on premiere night and, in a way, “grew up” with AJ Soprano. Rewatching the show last year really took me back to a much simpler era of America...though it didn’t seem that way at the time!
@@test-tl8dt it was prevalent but it hadn’t changed the way people interact yet. People still wanted to socialize for the most part. It wasn’t considered weird to approach random people to be friends or ask them out
SOCIAL MEDIA IS RUINING EVERYONE. I got rid of that shit 8 months ago and it changed my life. I don’t even get on here much anymore. Just here and there. It’s a trap man
I agree he had internet access but due to social media blowing up. The entitlement and whininess has expanded to just about all of youth these days.
Historically, mob bosses don't successfully transfer power to their sons. Joe Bonnano's son was exiled from New York with his father and John Gotti Jr. was deemed an unimpressive leader by other families. If Tony is killed in the finale, 20-year old AJ is undoubtedly bound to a path of revenge, but many different thumbs likely went up on Tony's downfall; neither New Jersey or New York will allow AJ to ingratiate himself to them.
The fundamental question is, will he be as effective as a boss like his dad was? And will he be, even more so? But until he is, it's going to be hard to verify that he thinks he'll be more effective.
@@dondajulah4168 ahh,the sacred and propane.
@@shawnbrodrick8673 A pint of blood is worth more than a gallon of gold
@@allaboutthemurzic I will list that now as part of my sub species
@@dondajulah4168 of course not. AJ had been insulated from the mob life pretty much all his life. He wouldn’t last two seconds
Aj reminded me of myself a LOT man. This media, our circumstances, our parents. I saw so much of myself in AJ it brought me to tears because honestly there was so much about AJ that reminded me of of my childhood and how I grew up and how those things had effected me how they did. It really moved me.
Did you grow up having an Italian mobster dad that never had the makings of a varsity athlete?
Lol
Leave Aj Jr Alone!
Looking back me too....and Tony and carmela did truly care for him, like my parents did for me. But they get in the way and it's a problem
@@TheYankeesUnitedyou might be surprised how many pot bellied American dads act just like Tony Soprano on a day to day basis
Even Tony told Dr. Melfi that AJ would never make it in the mafia world.
Melfi was a whining person who dropped Tony after she took his money for years.
@@danielueblacker9118 fantastic legs tho, proud to call her my moll! 😂
Yes but so didn't Tonys father about tony! Like that's the point. Hes just like AJ.
I think the bigger point is that the day of the Italian American Mafia is over. We would never know if AJ could live or thrive in the life because at the end of the show, Chinatown is swallowing Little Italy, the store you can shake down and get fresh eggs from is now a Jamba Juice, and Syl's wife is left to run the Bing. The big earners are dead or locked up, and the new generation are psychos/addicts/idiots.
@@mrrodriguezHLP Eh thats what the last generation said too.
Sure respect and loyalty has dropped drastically on the streets no doubt.. but there is still lots of money to be made off the books and plenty of wise guys making it.
After watching the show about 7 times over the years my take is Aj is not a lowly, sympathetic character or even a undeveloped archetype. Aj is like his father for better or worst. Honestly, Aj has the makings to be a psychopath and a functioning criminal who manipulates his way through life.
Mix in the fact he doesn't believe in God, problem for authority and has a cold disposition to death; you have the making of a Mobster.
Take into account all the things he has done on the show. He displays characteristics of the other emotional, spiritually and morally damaged men that make up the mafia.
-Fighting a previous friend. He earns his first "payoff" of 40$ for a shirt after getting into a physical altercation at school (prone to violence). Remember the alternative was him working for the shirt BUT he took the alternative route. His family name preceded him.
-Stealing of communion wine w/friends.
-Smoking weed at his Catholic Confirmation w/friend
-Stealing mother's car
-Breaking into school and destroying pool and trophy case w/friends
-Break into school stealing answers to tests (expelled) also with an accomplice
-Public display of mob affiliations, screaming at reporters on television (after father is shot)
-Preparing to kill a family member (Junior Soprano) in a guarded facility.Avoiding prison because of fathers connections.
-Throwing parties (score), facilitating underaged drinking
-Influence of others to fight for him to maintain the cash flow (respect) of the highschool parties mainly because of his family's name.
-Buying an assignment paper from a female student at school to pass of as his own.
-Mother manipulates a teacher through sex to help him pass highschool
-Selling boosted merchandise from Blockbusters.
(score)
-Doing cocaine and regular underaged drinking at nightclubs at and the Bing nightclub
-Can't maintain regular employment
-Attempted suicide or suicidal ideation.
-Spends time in a psychiatric facility
-Depression and anxiety attacks which lead to medication
-Joins other young adults from the Soprano crew who host frat parties and physically assault people on a regular basis
-Starts dating underaged highschool girl after turning 21yo
If you take into consideration that Tony gets killed in front of him and his sister who will become a lawyer to constantly get him out of trouble, AJ is primed to walk in his fathers footsteps. He will inevitably break bad and go deeper into a spiral of violence and thrill seeking. Lastly, there is another son who essentially shared a similar upbringing and was perceived as weak by his peers, father and the untrained eye. That person would know exactly what AJ struggles with and how to empower AJ and that person is Little Carmine.
He died on da vine
Tony: I don't want to hear about the fucking economy either!
2024: economy is better then ever....🙄
I had more empathy for A.J. than for any other character in the show. As a matter of fact, by the end of the series, he was the ONLY character I cared about.
Tony had it right when he told AJ that he was a nice guy.
Same
AJ had his moments where you felt for him but there were moments he was straight up mean. The Ouija board prank he pulled on Bobby junior right after his mom died showed how little empathy he has for others.
Kids can be really mean, but not everyone remains that way their whole lives.
@@DanJuega a lot of people dont tho. Way of the world.
I did worse things his age and had worse things done to me, teens are the most cruel lil bastards out there
AJ as a former little fat kid who lost weight could have had some sympathy for another little fat kid, maybe taken Bobby Jr out to play basketball, get him some exercise, tell him Bobby Sr is right about laying off the Snapple
@@BookshelfQBattleryea he’d just lost his mother for Christ sake!
This video made me think about the last season and it made me appreciate AJs character. He realized how messed up his situation was and it broke him but Meadow chooses to be ignorant and becomes a mafia lawyer at the end, think this disappointed Tony greatly at the end.
@@enaquasanitas7017 Meadow got dumber as the show went on.
Yeah, you could see it on Tony’s face.
@@petebondurant58 she didn't get dumber she just wasn't that smart to begin with she regularly just regurgitated any ideological b.s she read 10 minutes before.
@theredscum4202 ur both wrong, she just chose to go with three crowd
The kids switched at the end from where they started. Meadow, as a teen, saw through Tony's BS and didn't sugarcoat it, telling AJ the truth and being mad the mafia life cost her friendship with the Scatino kid. Then she got older, got into the law, started to make excuses for her father's BS, became a BS er herself.
AJ, it seems, would like to go legit, but also enjoys the trappings of wealth and doesn't want to give them up. He needed some advice that unfortunately no adult in his world was able to give.
I am new to the show (just finished it) and I feel like the apparently unanimous hate for the character comes from the generation who actually saw the show back in the days, because at least for me (with fresh eyes , 20 years later) the character seems to be written and portrayed to make you feel sorry for him, not hate him. Sure, the guy can be selfish and kind of rude but he was always shown as being good hearted and well intended. In my opinion he was being purposefuly shown as a victim of a family that, while loving and financially supportive, was still super toxic; and as a product of an historical context that was batshit insane if you think about it.
Yeah, in some ways, as he started to become a troubled teen, it is too bad that there wasn't someone relative who lived far away from New Jersey, perhaps on a farm somewhere or a small business in a small town or small city, that could have brought AJ to their family, given him chores or work, and responsibilities, a fresh start in school where he wasn't known as a mob boss' son perhaps, and he could have had a more normal life without so much privilege. As long as he was anywhere near his toxic family he was going to be a mess. Theoretically his aunt might have provided a haven, but I can also see why being fairly close by, she might not want to get in the middle of that where Carmela and Tony would constantly be injecting themselves and she might be afraid that AJ might poison her own kids into the mob lifestyle if she brought him into her household. AJ needed some distant uncle or aunt in someplace like Wyoming or Arkansas, but who also knew Tony and Carmela well enough that their offer to take on the boy wouldn't be dismissed out of hand. I can see Tony being glad to be rid of the problem, but Carmela not wanting it publicly known that she had to resort to shipping her son off to a relative far away and therefore being a pretty big failure as a mother.
20 FUCKIN YEARS
Throughout the whole show I always thought that the worst thing Tony and AJ have in common is the fact that life and society continually failed them despite their efforts, only Tony denied it and subsequently justified his reactions to it to keep going forward while AJ could not fool himself and thus drowned in depression and angst
The hatred toward him is a testament to how well the character was played.
I am empathetic to AJ. He was less in denial than Meadow and more honest overall. He was a product of his environment. He was his father’s son in many ways. He allowed himself to go along with what he saw. Which in the context of the show is almost admirable.
It’s also quite realistic. A woman like Carmella is going to over correct when she’s married to a man like Tony. And a young boy is going to observe the dynamic and decide who he’s going to be. AJ chose what he perceived as the stronger character to emulate.
I think again this show nailed AJ as a character study.
Agreed. I would like to add that at the start of the series AJ seemed very secure thinking his dad was legitimate. Little Carmine for instance, may well have gone to private school and been mob royalty as a kid but he clearly ran with criminals on the street as a youth. Tony , finding out about his dad as a kid also grew up in the old neighbourhood. for AJ , the nearest he got was maybe a sleep over with some mobster family friend 's kids, if that and social family events. in my mind, he was raised like Bobby from the cartoon King of the hill, if his dad had been legitimate he would have ended up in that business. he was raised a square. to my mind, he was raised 'right' but that was done under a lie of who his dad realy was. at the point of AJ figuring it out neither his parents nor Aj himself could squre that circle.
Jigsaw from the military school. 😂😂😂😂. I literally think of that every time I watch that episode. "here at this school we allow the students to play a game."
Crazy as this sounds, just hear me the fuck out;
I always compared AJ to Paulie (“Walnuts” Gualtieri).
Both were childish, both wouldn’t take responsibility, both would make references to things they had recently read or heard about.
Tony berating AJ about not being able to hold down a job was similar to what Tony told Beansie about Paulie, in that he had repeatedly told Paulie to legitimise his income with an actual job otherwise he would become a target for the Feds.
Also, both of them were spoiled. Referring to Ralphie, Tony rhetorically asked Paulie “Who got you those no-show jobs? And not a word of gratitude!”
Whenever Tony gifted AJ with something, be it drums or a car, no gratitude was ever shown.
AJ is shown to enjoy being a father figure to Blanca’s young son, Hector, who is Dominican descent.
Paulie is shown to get on well with his mistress and her son, who are both also of South American descent.
AJ is advised to see a therapist due to inability to cope with certain feelings.
Paulie was also in therapy to learn and manage “Coping Skills” in the late 90’s.
Very observant. The sacred and the propane
Wow never thought of it that way- that makes a lot of sense and is ironic considering Paulie and AJ are respectively the most and least violent/cruel characters. They're also both on the smaller side
We hate AJ for the same reason we love Tony. They are both mirrors to the audience, "Literally Me" characters. Very allegorical.
The sacred and the propane… ⛽️
That's so true. Protagonists are always the most direct reflection of the audience, and villainous/pathetic characters like AJ are a dark/twisted reflection
@@ruvelfyou really see AJ as the villainous character?
@@sneikbeef well, "villainous" like antagonistic to the "hero", in this case, Tony
AJ is just Tony as a kid.
Yep Tony was like A.J. in Many Saints movie
No he’s not. Tony was not a pussy
never got the hate for AJ, he is one of my favorite characters
Acting 🎭 skills are incredible 👍
Bullshit. Your telling me when you watched the sopranos, your in anticipation to watch AJ. There's too many other characters in the show to say he's one of your favorite characters.
@@christopherking4932 I like him, his character is funny and is very well acted. Plus he is a very realistic character, I didn't know people hated him until later on after finishing the show
@@christopherking4932 100 % I did. Totally one of my favorite characters. Realistic in every phase.
He's hilarious. Especially when he's younger.
All these monkey sheep saying he was a bad actor all these years are so ridiculous and annoying.
It's quite a shame no one gives him credit. I never seen a more realistic portrayal of a character throughout each phase of his life.
And he wasn't even really an actor. Just a kid that soaked up James' every acting tip without thinking about it.
It's an amazing performance. So realistic. So funny. So sad. Even in his first seasons, hilarious.
@@christopherking4932 not anticipation more like whenever he showed up on screen I usually enjoyed his scene, same thing with Janice didn’t really care what they were doing but didn’t mind seeing what they ended up in
I think it's possible for A J. to be a boss or at least a street soldier. But a little bit later down the road. People say he doesn't have it in him or he's just not built for that. As we learned in Many Saints Tony also didn't have it in him. Tony was a pot smoking little trouble maker that loved classic rock. He did a little bit more then A.j at that age but a lot of their trouble making was the same.
After Tony died A J. could have become a totally different person and shaped up big time... We don't know
Well, witnessing the death of his father. He would definitely had a change of character.
You know when I felt sorry for him? When Blanca dumped him.
"Take what's left of your children...". Carmela's psychiatrist was right. A.J.'s father was a sociopathic criminal, prone to violence and anger. A.J. is lucky that he's not more messed up.
Honestly, I could totally see AJ becoming a high functioning sociopath that follows in his fathers footsteps. He's not the big, charismatic standover type that greedily takes more like his dad. But I could totally see him become a cold wheeler and dealer, possibly using a movie/TV production company as his front, giving girls the casting couch treatment and making a lot of money in streaming/internet productions.
Except, thinking on being at the table as his father’s brains were blown out--Carmela loses the house, IRS seizing all the rest, I cannot make the jump that A.J. makes the leap to ‘Scarface’. He loses the menial art production job Tony got him when Tony is murdered. AJ’s hold on reality was light and his father’s traumatic death more than likely either sends him to suicide OR he flat runs away to California and involved in porn movies like Carmine’s kid.
AJ has an aura about him when he's silent and observant. Just by keeping his mouth shut he could develop some serious charisma, sort of like Michael Corleone (which is funny bc AJ also wanted to join the military)
@@judywright4241 Surely Tony would have had some money stashed away for a rainy day, no?
@@judywright4241 He becomes Trumps' helicopter pilot. In his house Donald Trump is a hero end of story!
Given HBO’s success with House of the Dragon...I would actually be interested to see a sequel about AJ Soprano.
Might be interesting, but I suspect that one of two things would happen to him after his dad being shot in front of him. Either he would come apart completely and end up dead of suicide or an overdose a few years later, or it would scare him straight, albeit maybe after wandering for a while, but he would eventually learn a trade or find a job and live a pretty mundane life someplace far from Jersey. I don't see him going into organized crime successfully. He'd end up dead or in prison.
I would actually be interested in a sequel about the guy who killed Phil Leotardo
@@kentvesser9484 since AJ had some interest in movies I could see a show where he's trying to make a movie or a show about his dad's life.
@@Saveyourbs He gets caught, does 20 years, compromises with rad-iator grilled cheese and men's... I mean tissues.
A.J. never got the chance. He was "collateral damage" & had his brains blown out when Tony did.
i dont think he got whacked, they dont touch families in new york, they surely got tony but i think aj and carm and meadow were spared
Robert Iler would have to wait for Game of Thrones to be dethroned as the most hated kid on a tv series. Kudos to him for his work and how he gave it all while struggling in his private life
I believe Tony wasn't trying to downplay AJ's initial goal of going to Westpoint or Harvard out of malice.
It wasn't Tony telling AJ can't go there, it's more "You grades are terrible, you need to smarten up first".
What he said could be interpreted either way.... and AJ decided to accept defeat rather than trying to prove his father wrong.
That's what he told him you wanna get there you have to crack the books
'he never had the makings of a varsity athlete'
ain't no way you're defending Tony Soprano lol
Next video will be: "Why Joey Peeps isn't just a nickname."
he's dyslexic
AJ as Boss? It ain't snowing in Hell.
He did become the new boss. Rhiannon was his messenger to New York in order to complete the coup.
AJ ended up being one of my favourite characters. to me, AJ is the affected. I honestly felt the same as AJ whilst watching the show. his nihilistic view was understandable since the way his dad was is upsetting
That's not what Nitch said
😊
The onion rings were a made guy and tony wasn't, there was nothing Ajs shinebox could've done about it
Fvckin Nauseatin' I gotta take a shìt
Too much slang kid!
@@DaveSCameron my brother Billy he was only 47 he was just a kid
@@ironheadvillalobos9109 appreciate that 👍
The american dream itself isnt a facade, the common misconception that the "american dream" will just be handed to you for being here is the facade.
Also none of the older generations are ingorant to, or suprised to find that most prominent historical figures over 250 years ago were slaveholders or conquerors. That is the assumption, the older generation doesn't make the mistake of judging those historical figures like they existed in today's world. The younger generations, and those who have no concept of historical context, are the ones who are acting like it was some big secret that was covered up for so long... Usually the soft and sheltered AJs of the world with a cartoon understanding of history and reality that think like that about historical figures.
Very observant CineRanter, the sacred and the propane
Great video, great analysis on the character.
Would like to see a part two where there is a tragectory of this character post Made in America episode.
I never hated AJ he is a product of he environment he always was given things but never really faced it.
Between both kids, I see Meadow ending up as the boss. Which would be a nice callback to Annalisa being the boss of Zucca family Tony and crew met in Italy.
Not to mention, While AJ is supposed to be a mirror of Tony, if Tony grew up in the 2000s.
Meadow shares simialrities to Ton too. She is more accepting of the lifestyle later. Becomign a mafia lawyer, she is very intelligent(remember Tony was a smart kid growing up, but not makings of a varsity athlete) and very driven. Not to mention she is in denial abot things, again traits Tony has.
Both kids share traits of T, but between thw two of them the one who will likely end up fully in this life is Meadow.
Annalisa was Camorra, Tony's crew is Cosa Nostra, so they don't accept women
@@Frey_2026 Hence why I said it would a callback and a interesting change too.
Like I said between the two Soprano kids, I see Meadow becoming boss more then Tony.
AJ is too soft, and well....not the brightest bulb.
Meadow much like Ton, is ambitious, intelligent, and already is in the lifestyle being a mob lawyer
@@thedarknight307 and that’s far as she’ll go, like Hurley said, they don’t accept women.
This is idiotic
Just because you’re the bosses kid, it doesn’t automatically make you next in line for the throne. You have to at least be in the game first. Meadow is (at best) adjacent to the game
Rob Iler was one of the luckiest dudes in the show. You remember some of the gf's they gave him near the end of the series? 11/10's.
“Look at the sticks on blondie”
The episode with the bear in the backyard sums up AJ for me.... "MOMMY!!!"
AJ reminds me of myself a few yrs ago without the money. I was spoiled in the sense that my parents didnt expect me to move out immediately after hs (mexican parents) and they didnt teach me push me to get a job or go out much so I was suddenly 20 years old without much purpose but very aware of the fucked up things in the world. Luckily, my parents never discouraged me from the stuff I was interested in so I eventually got my graphic design career going and got into writing and history.
Aj and Chrissy was the most relatable characters in my opinion
Absurd notion that AJ would be able to do anything in the criminal world
David Chase got it half right when he said "A.J. is the typical teenage kid?" He was a spoiled rotten son of a gangster. That isn't so typical.
In a show with murderous psychopaths Aj’s the one who gets the hate. Funny how that works
People are little more than animals.
Hate for Janice is the same way.
@@BubbyBoldwell she’s a murderer and a sociopath
If he went to Military school then maybe he could, but as he turned out, he wouldn’t make it.
Meadow on the other hand would probably make a better boss due to her education, and sort of feeling responsible for Tony’s death for not sitting beside him fueling the guilt and rage she would feel. In Italy there is a female boss so it isn’t too out there to think Meadow wouldn’t live up to that In her own way.
Tony was not killed, it was never shown nor confirmed so you don’t know if he’s dead. It could come out that he went to trial and was convicted and went to prison or was killed somewhere else later in a less crowded setting as it would be hard for a killer to get out of such a crowded place. It would have been easier to shoot him down in the street outside of the bing or at a sit down not in a crowded place where a killer could be easily spotted and recognized. Not to mention how do you know if he’s not possibly got one of his guys sitting nearby anonymously as a bodyguard;they keep guys nearby in the lurch. That would not be the case realistically;you fanboys are too obsessed with theory.
@@roderickstockdale1678 the creator of the show has already confirmed that Tony dies in the end
@@b.a.m.mdoublem1196 he said those quotes were taken out of context. He said he had the idea in his head two years before, but he’d never confirm what happened to Tony. He said it on the Talking Sopranos podcast recently.
@@roderickstockdale1678 oh yeah you're right
Great Vid, its made me think the last episode where they are all sat at the diner at the end. AJ comments on what Tony said, about appreciating the good times. Maybe that is suggesting something. Like AJ is more on the ball than it seems, has more in common with his father than seems, a suggestion that he gets it now and is ready to take on the role as head of the family.
If AJ went into the mob, the first low-tier guy he encountered would kill him in ten minutes, like you would kill a mouse.
i feel like he'd be like a young tony, also you wouldn't send your guy on his first whacking alone, tonys first time he was with paulie, i imagine paulie would assist aj
@@circleinforthecube5170most definitely. If anybody cared Paulie would they were always his family. Not his real family, but equally thought of being he wasn’t close with his own.
I was rooting for the cinderblock
Cinderblock… makings… varsity…
As frustrating as he was to watch sometimes, acting out and generally being a spoiled, entitled brat, I ultimately felt sorry for him and the situation he as born into. One does not choose their parents nor choose to be brought into the world.
Apparently James Gandolfini didn’t want his son to become an actor, he instead encouraged him to become a director as he then said they have more control.
Very well explained. I've thought a lot about these things that you put so well into words.
As much as I hate AJ and the scene where they play Mario kart cuz it's nothing like real Mario kart, it is incredibly fascinating how AJ and Tony soprano are carbon copies of each other they have so many similarities that it is amazing once you look for them
Billy loved Mario Cart
@@phil-Leotardo.171 whatever happened there
@@aaronrowell6943
WHATEVA HAPPENED THERE? You cawksacka
@@phil-Leotardo.171 calm down phil...
Look, My theory is that he gets into the film industry and doesn't fall into the darkness of organiszed crime. He learned from his mistake with Corrado.
Michael Franzese got into Hollywood production as a mob racket.
@@petere.9138 I feel watching your father die in a mob hit is a make or break moment, but he's Carmela's son and already in therapy. He won't feel the need for vengeance, Meadow would.
Brah.. “Jigsaw from Military School” took me out 😂😂😂😂😂
When Tony snatches his ass up, it is one of favorite moments in the show.
Chaps too.....
But he's a single man with a goomah.
As good as the writers were, they were terrible when it came to AJ’d dialogue. The actor shined when they gave him real material - particularly after Tony bails him out of a possible attempted murder. The scene where he says he did it cause Tony’s favorite scene in the Godfather is when Michael avenges Don Vito’s attempted assassination… that was heartbreaking. It’s my dad’s favorite Godfather scene too. I totally relate to him there.
They should have used a different actor and made AJ a tough guy someone like the actor who played Tony's temporary body guard, who eventually would take Tony's place. Then we would still be watching the Sopranos.
Can you explore the line "Makings of a varsity athlete" ? We all love it as a meme, but I think there is some deeper meaning with it. What were the circumstances around when Junior would say it? Was it more of a metaphor for mob life? Did Junior and Johnny Soprano say it as a code when Tony was younger, and he never understood what it was really about?
This should be easily understood if you just watch the show again.
@@mrjuse5470 Then go for it genius.
He was spiteful of Tony
@@MrTCHOSS Go watch The Many Saints Of Newark. They show the origins of that story.
Letterman jacket.
Alphas vs Betas
Beta nerds make weapons to get revenge on the alpha bullies.
At first I thought absolutely no way. Ain’t no way. But instead of sitting there crying wearing his dad’s brains, he may have snapped out of being a total pusscake and decided he wanted to act like a man. And if anyone had a reason to go on a rampage it’d be that kid after that mess.
The actual "boss" of New Jersey (Sam DeCavalcante) had a son who was gay, got a Ph.D. in English, and taught in my high school. He (the son) just passed away a few years ago. Sam spent some time in prison but ultimately retired happily to Florida. The Sopranos greatly exaggerates the violence (but not the crookedness) of the mob for dramatic effect.
Loving your analysis! Really adds something to my recent rewatching of the series!
He never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
It's amazing how many layers we have on this show
I remember when the episode titles of the final 9 leaked, many of them were correct. The finale was initially titled “A Place for the Son” before being changed to “Made in America.” Of course it could have been disinformation to throw fans off. Makes you wonder if there was a scene or idea involving AJ that got cut
the killer arrived with the son
With final seasons there are almost always storylines that get cut or scenes that get dropped, as the producers are usually struggling to tie up all the loose ends in a limited number of episodes. There may have been more AJ to explore, but it got dropped as there was barely adequate time to wrap up Tony's arc properly.
Excellent analysis.
IMO the whole "Mafia Family life" thing of this show is there to show dichotomy of life in extreme circumstances (that is why the show is so loved and popular - it is a family show). Carmela is religious but yet she is content to live off the spoils of crime and carnage and look the other way at Tony's sexual exploits. Tony wants a AJ to be a "good man". But what is a good man in the eyes of a gangster? It is like I always mused - how would a "Bring your Son and Daughter to Work" day look like in a gang or in a brothel.....At the center of their life there is a lie, a crack, a chasm. Their standing in life is based on blood and suffering they have caused to others. What kind of values they can instill in their children? Tony is an emotional, spiritual and a human wreck and an arrested development case. What possibly can he teach his children? He is like a walking representation of all 7 deadly sins.
The worst thing Tony taught his children by his own example is that people cannot change and can only get worse.
Didn’t he almost drown in 5 feet of water?
I refuse to believe AJ is the most hated character, not when Olivia and Janice exist.
The video actually went by very quickly. We see glimpses of AJ enjoying the power of being a boss when his friends are burning the foot of a college kid who welched on a bet . He even laughs at the boy when they see him on crutches. But a lil while later, when the same boys attack a black guy for running into his their car door with a bicycle, AJ breaks down because it reminds him of Blanca, or because the guy was an immigrant, like the Italians. Either way, it affected his psyche, and he gets depressed again. His friends are sons of Tony's crew, and they automatically place AJ as the alpha and are poised to take the roles of the next generation of the New Jersey crew, so it could be likely. AJ botched an attempt to get revenge on Uncle Junior for shooting Tony. So the lifestyle is in AJ. He is already working for Lil Carmine's film company to get experience for running a club/bar possibly even Da Bing! With Tony dead, Carmella would lose control of AJ. And AJ would most likely continue on this path and one day assume the reigns of the Jersey family. Seeing his father murdered would either drive him to get revenge or crush him totally.
AJ did make me mad but i love his character. Hes one of the few characters who doesnt do evil shit and actually has a moral compass but people hate him anyway and love these criminal psychopaths
He watches his friends pour acid on another kid's foot
It was a missed opportunity when AJ didn't go to the Military School.
AJ is the most realistic character in the whole show!
This was deep man, one of ur best videos because of the insight into the younger generations struggle. Well done
I wonder if part of the negative reaction to AJ is partly because back at the time the show was airing we didn't yet really understand how instant access to so much information, good and bad, and then social media on top of it would have such negative impacts on young people where one's elders had never had to cope with that as kids. Maybe the writers were kind of grasping how this sudden shift in technology was not something good for kids and teens as even adults were struggling to cope with it.
@@kentvesser9484 I feel like the internet has been far far far worse than good. Sure we have gps but who can read a map anymore. We're completely reliant on it. Imagine the chaos if the web went down for even a day or two
@John Smithe that's often the case with new technology in periods of rapid advancement. I am certain that when reliable mail service became a thing, people became angry about gossip and being solicited via the mail, or when telephones started to show up in most households they were ruinous as people gossiped about others easily and not long after the telemarketer evolves and the prank call. One could say we had not fully assimilated etiquette for other mass media when the internet and social media exploded on the scene. In many ways we are still in the first generation dealing with such technology. It might be several more until norms of behavior develop around it and people learn to live with the bad.
Unlike AJ, I was a hardworking middle class teenager who paid his way through university.
However I also empathize with his disdain for patriarchal dogmatic society, which stresses tradition and authority over critical thinking & individual expression/freedom. Hypocrisy and lies from family members definitely had an adverse effect on my psyche!
I think this has a whole lot to do with it probably. Most kids/young adults in the west nowadays grown up in a world that doesn't really care about religion and culture as much as they did before, and are completely desensitized to things in the world. That's why they might think he's such a brat. They don't really understand the world he's in. Idk, maybe I got it wrong
What fascinated me is that when AJ finally saw something he wanted that his parents couldn't - and wouldn't have - gotten for him, in Blanca and even her son Hector, we see him improve. He was good with Hector. He was kind to Blanca, he really loved her. He wanted that relationship to work and he was willing to put in the effort. I think the fact that this is the first time he'd really invested himself in something and it ultimately failed due to no clear action or mistake of his own, that in fact Blanca couldn't even explain to him what had gone wrong, it's devastating to him. There's really a lot going on under the surface there.
Moreover, he couldn't reconcile his life and place with the world with how his father made his money. Meadow reached a kind of cognitive dissonance inspired peace, but AJ never could. He couldn't express that easily, so he channeled it into worrying about everything that is wrong in the world.
His parents continually infantilized him. They did so with Meadow in a way as well (remember how angry they were when she wanted to go to Barcelona and try out life on her own terms?) but she was academically successful and had traits that Carmella and Tony wanted to cultivate; Carmella in part because she wanted to live vicariously through her daughter. AJ didn't have those same traits and wasn't a vehicle for one of his parent's self-satisfaction. Most of what was wrong with him came from choices Tony and Carmella made. Tony's death might ironically turn out to be the best thing that could happen to him, since he would have to learn to deal with things that Tony would typically take care of.
The difference between AJ and Jessie (Breaking Bad) is what family/environment they came from, but essentially they're very similar to me.
I want to see a sequel series revolving around Carmine Jr, Meadow, Patrick Parisi, & AJ.
Yes
i could see meadow being a boss instead of AJ only because of the scene in the kitchen with tony saying he can see his features on her
I thought the same, if David Chase had mad a sequel it would be Meadow who took over the family and got revenge for Tony’s death.
@@mikebehrend3152 who’s going to respect Meadow? She’s only seen as smart because everyone else is dumb as rocks
Most definitely!! Unfortunately, like a lot of daughters, she was the son, her father never had
Yeah this idea could also he supported by the female boss in Italy, and Livia acting/being seen as a boss in her own way
Cringiest ship I've ever heard
Very nicely put.
Obviously it’s just a TV show, but AJs problems are 💯 on Tony. When your father isn’t in your day to day life, but gives you all you want to make up for his absence that’s the kind of child you will get. Boys need their dads to show them how to be men. Carmella was essentially a single mom raising both kids. Tony def supported his family, but gave no help on the raising front. It was summed up best when Bobby was late because he was putting Dominicas car seat in, and said to Tony “You remember how that is” and Tony responds I didn’t do any of that shit. Sad!
I sympathize with AJ. saw a lot of myself in his character
Not his fault...Tony spoilt him with gifts and Carmella just Mummied him
Plus that foxy sista 1/2 dressed, must've been tough! 😂
@@DaveSCameron hmmm so that's how it is in your trailer
@@Weebay_213 c'mon down
@@DaveSCameron sure Thang Bub
Jesus Christ dude. I practically broke down when you said we see ourselves in AJ.
I been saying this for awhile, there should be a sequel series where meadow gets diagnosed with ms like she has in real life and while going to the hospital with her during treatments he visits silvio still in a coma and he wakes up and after realizing they cant afford meadows dr bills now that tony is dead he finally decides to step up and be a man to take care of his sister and family and silvio mentors him from the shadows without any1 knowing he woke up .
I’d rather Mecow lead the family lol
Imagine AJ with Meadow as consigliere!
Your sick
@@ivycarrano8207 how so?
Cringe
I said this to my friend the other day. AJ definitely entered the life. The episode where he faints after being made QB of the football team, his friends were all capable of joining the life as they got older. The attempted hit of jnr. It definitely happened imo. If you study his character carefully he began to develop the qualities of a mob guy
Lol no
1000%. Yup. Although the show runners never wanted to get into that, which is a real shame. Cause that is some serious realistic character study when a successful mobsters son comes of age. Look at John Gottis son. Prob a lot like AJ. Grew up rich, nice neighborhood, isolated from the streets, yet no matter how hard his father tried to keep him away, he entered the life all the same, an deep down Gotti was proud of him for it. Tho it ruined his life. They could have done some cool stuff with AJ on The Sopranos.
No fucking way
@@TP_Gillz he was proud of it, and I think that it was mostly jr’s mom who
Objected to him taking the oath, not sr.
the best thing about your one-liners is they come out of nowhere. like long john silver, who killed billy leotardo, who was just a kid
First watch: AJ is the worst kid ever!
After multiple watches: damn…. he was just misunderstood
Tony didn’t bring up Harvard it was another university he mentioned
Howard’s an all-black university!
@@roderickstockdale1678 historically black doesn’t mean all black
@@careforjusticealways still it’s known by legacy and reputation which it’s held up on.