Quote:
What it did do was give Tony a suddenly out-of-control gambling problem, something never established in all these years on "The Sopranos." His sudden large losses led, in turn, to Tony's confrontation with Carmela and his nasty alienation of Hesh. Anger seemed to come from nowhere, and return there just as quickly.

(That's a quote within a quote, by the way.)

But I agree with it completely. It annoyed me in the same way Tony suddenly has a cocaine addiction in season 5 when he and Ade almost screw each other - and it also from nowhere begins the same episode with Tony having some sort of tumor scare.

It's the result of a) Chase wanting each episode to be like a self-contained mini movie (he's said this from early on, its basis can be found in season 1's fifth episode, "College", and each season has become more and more fragmented and episodic), and b) having different writers and directors working on the same characters.

So, what, now we're supposed to see that Tony is a gambling addict, and believe that it's been there all along? I think it's verrrrrry cheap writing, at best. Though the scene in which Carmela throws the furniture at him (because he says some really nasty things) brought, as ever, the best out of Edie Falco.

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Discussing whether or not the Brother is hardcore?