I also believe that we as obsessive fans have looked into things a lot more than they should be looked into. As great a film as these movies are and as chess-like as some of the frictions are between characters, I think way more gets milked out of them than Puzo and FFC intended.
I agree. However, that's one big reason why the board exists.
I've maintained that Michael was not comfortbale with Tom in the family for whatever reason. One cannot ignore Micahel's comment to kay at the wedding that Tom was not a Sicilian. But more, importantly, a consigliere is supposed to protect his family's interests. Tom did not resulting in the attempted murder of Vito and Sonny's murder. Michael blamed him for all of that. Still, in a clutch, he knew that he could take advantage of Tom's never-ending loyalty to Vito.
