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Edie Falco: "Amour Fou"

 At times, I detect little errors in "The Sopranos." For example, when Gloria Trillo drives Carmela in a car, Gloria blatantly mocks Carmela: "So great that your daughter is getting a Columbia degree. Looks like *she* won't have to rely on a man for support. Some people aren't in the same boat."


Carmela--who generally seems shrewd to me--misses this insult. Is that plausible?

Also, the writers want us to believe that Meadow spends a full summer reading Mary Higgins Clark novels. As far as I can recall, we in the audience never see Meadow reading a book for pleasure. What does she think of Mary Higgins Clark? Does she discuss the Clark novels with friends? To me, the Clark reference feels lazy, undercooked.

All that said, I love the Meadow stories. In season four, the feisty undergrad decides to take a year off, to mourn the loss of Jackie Jr. Her mother fights this in a helpless way, but the battles go nowhere. Tony throws up his hands and says, "Fine. Go. Good luck to you." It's only when Tony cedes ground, when the thought of planning a year abroad becomes "real," that Meadow decides she *will* return to Columbia (after all). This reminds me of various power struggles with my daughter; often, if I say, "Have it your way," Susie will lose interest in the fight.

It's also a treat to observe Meadow with Carmela. Meadow cruelly taunts her own mother with evidence of "book learning"; when Carmela is stunned by a particular portrait, Meadow snidely says, "It's just some rich lady who offered cash to Rembrandt. She achieved nothing, and she died." Carmela doesn't have Columbia credits on her transcript, but she does have street smarts that her daughter lacks. The two women inspect an allegorical painting: A young woman has "married" the infant Christ. Meadow is horrified: "So this lady married a fetus?" And, with a smirk, Carmela says, "That's what we *all* do." Mom has lessons for her little Ivy League kid.

What a pleasure to watch Jamie-Lynn Sigler--who wasn't a kind of "Lauren Ambrose" phenomenon. Maybe Sigler deserves more credit than she received.
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