Boardwalk Empire, and all of the parallels to the Sopranos, go me thinking about the Sopranos. So here are my 10 favorite episodes of the original must-see HBO show.

I did my best to narrow the list down to 10, but I couldn’t omit two extra episodes from the conversation. So this is really a top 12, but for search-able reasons (you know, people dont search top 12, 10 seems to be the number), I have 10, and 2 runners up. Also, this is just my opinion, if you are a Sopranos buff, you may have a completely different list. However, this is my list.

Runner up #2- Commendatori Season 2, Episode 4 (#17)

Why I love it- This is the episode where Tony goes to Naples to meet with the local mafia about importing stolen cars. There is some great interaction with Paule Walnuts and the local mafioso who view him as a buffoon (they laugh at him when he tries to order some pasta with “gravy”). Clearly the New Jersey mobsters are fish out of water in the old country. While the guys are in Italy, Carmela and the ladies are doing their thing, and at a lunch, Angie Bonpensiero lets the ladies in on the secret that she wishes her husband (Big Pussy) had never returned. She tells them that her heart sank when she heard Pussy come come in the door for the first time. The wives of the gangsters are not ignorant to their husbands antics, but I am pretty sure this is the first time that one of them talks about it openly. What makes this episode great for me is the use of music. Two times during the episode when you are seeing Carmela, you here “Con te partiro” in the background. It is such a beautiful song, but of course it is Italian. The English translation is “time to say goodbye”, very apropo. In the future, Carmela will toil with why she stays with Tony in spite of his philandering. At the very end of the episode, when Tony comes home, Carmela hears him enter and the song plays for the third time in the episode as it fades to credits. Of course the insinuation is that she feels the same way as Angie did when Pussy came home. Of course, it takes a while for Carmela to say goodbye, but this is the start, and a really effective use of music as an enhancer.

Runner up #1- The Strong Silent Type Season 4, Episode 10 (#49)

Why I love it- For me, this episode comes down to one scene, the intervention for Christopher. Maybe one of the best scenes in the shows history. Silvia and Paulie, not know for being gentle are both abrupt and short with Christopher. It comes out that Christopher accidentally killed Aidriana’s dog, Tony (still emotional after the death of Pie-O-My), loose it. When Christopher calls his mother a whore, Sil and Paulie can take it no more and beat the crap out of him. It Sopranos comedy at its best.

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Last night was the premiere of HBO’s newest gangster/period drama, Boardwalk Empire.  HBO had been pushing the hell out of this, promo’s started a while back. It’s pretty clear that they think they have a winner here. You can debate what the “Best HBO Show” is of all time… I know everyone loves the Wire (I haven’t watched it yet), the ladies love “Sex and the City”, but the most recognizable HBO show is the Sopranos. It may not be the “best”, but it is certainly the most famous. Boardwalk Empire is Sopranos during the prohibition era.. both series take place in the Garden State, and both are about organized crime. The series was created by a fellow named Terence Winters, want to guess what show he is most famous for writing on….. the Sopranos. Want more Sopranos connections? How about the star of the show, Steve Buscemi. While Buscemi’s resume includes lots of films, one of his best roles was…. on the Sopranos. Normally, I would think that this show was going to suck, like the execs at HBO were so desperate for a new show that they just took an old show and changed it up a bit. Well, after one episode, that just isn’t the case.

Boardwalk Empire looks like it is going to be the real deal. Of course it was nice that the pilot episode was directed by Martin Scorsese, but this show has unlimited potential. I won’t cover too much plot in case you missed it, consider this a my attempt to get you to watch. This show is not pure fiction, there are real historical figures, but the lead role seems to be a play off of a real person. Buscemi plays Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (the real guys last name was Johnson), who is the treasurer of Atlantic City at the dawn of prohibition. With most of the HBO shows you have a signature character, and Nucky is it for this show. It will be interesting to see how many liberties the writers take with actual history. As I said, in the first episode you get introduced to famous real life gangsters, so with little google-ing you can see what really happened to these figures. After 1 episode I don’t know how true to history they are going to be, but I would assume that they will stay within the script. Nucky has a lot of Tony Soprano in him. Both of them had two sides to their character. Tony had his life as a father/husband and his life as a gangster. Sure those lines were crossed many times during the show. Still, Tony’s family never knew the depth of his crimes. Nucky has his public front as treasurer, but then he has his underworld life as well.  I have six seasons worth of material to analyze Tony, and only 1 episode to discuss Nucky, so it’s not fair to go to in depth. Still, you can tell that they both share the “larger than life” trait.

Any first episode of any show has the challenge of introducing you to new characters and their place in the story. If you go back and watch season 1 of the Sopranos, it’s a very different show than it became. Season 1 introduced Tony’s world through his sessions with Melfi. If you go back and watch early Sex and the City, Carrie talks directly into the camera for background info to the viewer. So for the first episode here, you just get throw right in. I will say that it was a little confusing, but you have to imagine that everything will be explained as the season goes on. (Random note, one of the greatest all time first episodes is Mad Men. You had the entire episode to meet Don Draper. He works, he drinks, he bangs broads, all during the course of the work day. Then, at the very end of the episode the guy goes home to his family… HE IS MARRIED? Oh my, that was a great one). In Boardwalk, you get introduced to a lot of characters, but right away you know that there are two very important people. Nucky is number one, but number two appears to be his driver(/protege?) James “Jimmy” Darmody. You learn that Jimmy was a student a Princeton, but dropped out to join the military and fight in WWI. Jimmy is played by Michael Pitt, who I only recognized from Finding Forester. There is clearly a relationship between Nucky and Jimmy, but just how close the two are is not really defined in the first episode. However, it doesn’t take Madame Cleo to foresee that these are the two most important characters on the show.

This show could go on to suck, but I am willing to bet it won’t. Buscemi is great actor, who because of his awkward looks, is able to pull off a certain amount of intrigue. Now more than ever, the best entertainment is on TV. Movies have gone down the toilet. Boardwalk has a chance to be another great show. Again, it’s only 1 episode and I don’t want to ruin the plot, but this show has the look and feel of a winner.

I can’t watch the NFL network, or ESPN. I can’t check my favorite websites, or even talk to some friends after the shameful effort put out by the Patriots. There is nothing good to say. No Patriot deserve praise, every patriot should be ashamed to collect their pay check. The worst part is that they enabled the Jets to walk the walk. Expectations are low. The Patriots had a lead a half-time and then just checked out in the second half. It angers me to even keep talking about it, but know that I saw this coming. Check out my article at Bleacher Report…

Seriously, to any of my readers…. give me something non NFL related to write about. Your wish is my command. I am open, If I have any readers, now is the time for you to let me know. Pick a topic that you want to hear my opinion on, and I will write something.

There were a lot of things to be happy about for Patriots fans after their 38-24 win over the Bengals.. First and foremost, the score is not a true indicator of how close the game was. After returning the opening kick off of the 2nd half for a touchdown, they lead 31-3, so their defense played back and allowed Ochocino to have a monster game (12 catches for 159 yards). The Patriots were in no danger from the 2nd quarter on, but even when the Bengals pulled it to 31-17, the Pats went on a 14 play, 81 yard scoring drive that started from their own 19.

I was very apprehensive going into this game, and even though the defense played very well, it remains to be seen how they will do when they have to shut down the opposing team, something that was never an issue yesterday. Still, it’s a good monday when your favorite team wins. ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss does his 3 up, 3 down after every game… no not to cramp his style to much I will have baked to prefection and burnt.

BAKED TO PERFECTION

Wes Welker- When he went down in the season finale last year, I was hoping that MAYBE he would be ready by week 8. However, there he was week 1, looking like… Wes Welker. For all of his greatest, one thing he has not down with NE is catch TDs. Going into yesterday he had 15 TD catches with the Patriots total, out of 346 receptions (4%ish), so of course he catches 2 TDs yesterday in 8 receptions. Perhaps this was a message to Moss? Regardless, if this team is going to succeed, Wes Welker needs to be a factor. On sunday, that is exactly what he was.

Brandon Tate- 97 yard kick return to the house, it’s been a long time since the Pats had a legit threat on the returns. Also tack on 4 catches for 36 yards, not a bad day at all.

Henr-Kowski- that’s right Aaron Hernandez + Rob Gronkowski = Hern-Kowski. 2 catches, 46 yards and a TD combined. Gornkowski was the guy in the end zone, and early on Hernandez took advantage of a soft spot in coverage for a 45 yard catch and run.

BURNT

Stephen Gostkowski- After a gave with far more positive than negative, the Goose missed 2 FGs, so he gets to stand alone burnt. I am sure if a re-watched the game, I could nitpick some of the defenders, but no one stood out too badly watching the game live.

Letting the Pie Cool

Like I said, the positives WAY outweighed the negatives in this game. Guytons pick 6, Chung was everywhere, the O-line did not let off a sack, Pats averaged 5.1YPC, this really was a good game. Oh, and Tom Brady was brilliant. Sure he had a couple bad throws, but when you are that beautiful, we let them slide. Now it’s off to New York… in case you didn’t know… I HATE THE FUCKING JETS.

Crumbs from around the league…..

-Well, the Colts won’t have to worry about going undefeated this season. This was a huge win for the Texans, and with the Titans and Jaguars all winning, the Colts are alone in the basement. Peyton Manning is too good to write them off, but word is Sanders is done (again), so maybe this could be the year that they fall off.

-Not a good start to the Kolb era in Philly. Even before he was injured, Kolb looked lost. The offense was completely stagnant with him behind center. The fact that Mike Vick nearly brought the Eagles back by himself is sure to ignite a QB controversy. Even worse was the injury toll that the Eagles racked up… not a good day in the city of brotherly love.

-Hopes are high in Miami, but if all they could muster against the feeble Bills D is 15 points, maybe they aren’t quite “there” yet.

-There were some high hopes in the Bay area, the 49ers were a near consensus pick to win the NFC Weak, er West. Well they looked like poop on rye versus the Seahawks. Things were equally as bad for the Raiders, who many thought would be respectable this year, as the Titans humiliated the Raiders. Only 1 week, but a REALLY bad week it was.

-The Steelers/Falcons game was really ugly football at it’s finest. Then  the Skins/Cowboys played a game that John Merrick would have called ugly.

Tom Brady 911 call