The Sopranos: 10 Things Tony Did That Went Totally Against His Personality
In The Sopranos, most New Jersey mob boss Tony's Soprano's traits are clear to fans. However, there have been times when he didn't act like himself.
In The Sopranos, DiMeo Crime Family boss Tony Soprano has a few personality traits that fans of the show can expect. He can always be counted on to try and make peace before opting for violence, to buy his way back into Carmela’s heart whenever he has offended her, and to grab someone by the collar whenever he is angry.
However, there have been a few occasions when New Jersey Don’s behavior surprised fans, and sometimes deviating from his true personality has worked well for him. Other times, doing so has led to negative consequences. Nevertheless, no matter what Tony does, fans can always expect to be entertained.
When He Deliberately Runs Davey Scatino’s Business To The Ground
Davey Scatino — one of Tony’s childhood friends — happens to have a compulsive gambling habit. When Tony loans him $45,000 and he’s unable to pay, the mob boss forcefully makes himself a partner in his business, Ramsey Sport & Outdoor. He then runs it to the ground within a few weeks, something that makes Scatino suicidal.
Judging from how well he treats his other childhood friend, Artie Bucco, it’s a surprise that Tony destroys Scatino’s source of livelihood without a blink. No matter what Artie does, Tony always gives him a pass because of how long they’ve known each other. He also protects Artie’s Vesuvio restaurant whenever there is a threat. It’s thus unlike him not to give Scatino the same treatment. The real Tony would refuse to loan him the money, knowing it might ruin their relationship. And if he did, he’d let the debt slide.
When He Resists The Urge To Sleep With Julianna Skiff
Realtor Julianna Skiff attempts to purchase Caputo’s Poultry from Tony and the two begin flirting. When it comes the time to sign the papers, they start kissing and undressing each other, but Tony backs out at the last minute.
No other character can match Tony Soprano’s long list of affairs and mistresses. He has never resisted the temptation to sleep with any beautiful woman that he met, so it’s odd that he suddenly become righteous. The confirmation that this is indeed against his personality occurs later on when he tries seducing her again. Unfortunately, she has already fallen for Christopher by this time.
When He Drives To Dover With Adriana To Buy Drugs
In the fifth season, Tony begins frequenting Adriana’s nightclub and gets close to her. One night, the two drive to Dover to buy cocaine. On their way there, they get involved in an accident, which leads to rumors that they are sleeping together.
Tony’s decision to go and buy cocaine is indeed strange since he is never known to have a drug habit. He actually hates drugs and that’s the reason why he has a major fallout with Christopher. His nephew won’t make an effort to get clean, so Tony eventually kills him. Why exactly he’d help fuel the drug habits of Christopher’s fiance is a mystery.
When He Tells Meadow That He is In The Mafia
As Tony is driving his daughter Meadow to Maine to look for colleges, she abruptly asks him if he is in the mafia. It’s something she’s been suspecting all along and Tony confirms that he indeed is in the mob.
Logically, Tony shouldn’t be trusting Meadow with such information since she’s very young. He has always tried to shield his family from his criminal life too, which explains why he couldn’t outrightly tell Carmela that Richie was dead. Tony has always been careful too and by telling Meadow, he risks kickstarting a cycle where she tells her friends and they tell many other people.
When He Kills Christopher
While driving back home from a meeting with Phil, an intoxicated Christopher crashes the car. Instead of calling 911, Tony decides to pinch his nose and asphyxiate him to death.
For most of the series, Christopher always seems like the last person Tony would kill. Tony adores Christopher because the younger mobster’s father also took good care of him decades ago. Not only is Christopher very loyal to Tony but he is related to Carmela too, which is reason enough not to kill him. There are several punitive options available to Tony, all of which don’t involve killing. One of them is stripping him of his “made guy” status until he gets his affairs in order.
When He Makes Fun Of Janice For Attending Anger Management Therapy
Afraid that her explosive temper might ruin her marriage to Bobby, Janice begins attending anger management classes. When Tony finds out, he mocks her about it.
Tony, more than anyone else, understands the importance of therapy. He has been visiting Dr. Melfi for years and this has helped him have a quality life. He also didn’t face any stigma from his fellow mobsters when he revealed he was seeing a psychiatrist, even though he thought he would. The mob boss should therefore not be making fun of people taking a similar path.
When He Makes Bobby Kill
After Bobby Bacalla knocks him out, proving he is one of the best fighters in The Sopranos, Tony becomes a sore loser and orders him to kill the brother-in-law of one of his Québécois associates. Up until that point, Bobby had never killed anyone in his life.
On most occasions, Tonny never bothers people who have a higher sense of morality. He respects the fact that they are nice hence he always tries to keep them from dipping their hands in muddy waters. It’s for this reason that he never involves Artie in any shady dealings. And the major reason why he is so fond of Bobby is because of his good-heartedness, a trait all the other mobsters lack. The normal Tony would keep Bobby as he is and not turn him into a killer just because he is angry about losing a fight.
When He Calls A.J. A ‘Good Son’
Tony slaps A.J. for the first time when he gets expelled from school. He later shows up to his room holding pizza and soda then apologizes for his behavior. Even more strange is that he tells A.J. he would never have asked for a better son.
Tony’s words are all lies. He has never liked A.J. because the younger Soprano sibling is an underachiever. At times, Tony has even doubted whether A.J. is his biological son since their personalities are so different. It’s not in Tony’s nature to apologize either. Slapping A.J. might have been extreme but Ordinary Tony would never have shown up with pizza and soda.
When He Doesn’t Get Junior Whacked
The civil war in the DiMeo Crime Family gets intense in the first season, with Tony and Junior disagreeing on several issues. Junior even orders a hit on Tony but Tony never does the same.
Tony has never had a problem terminating relatives. He does so with his cousin Tony Blundetto and nephew Christopher Moltisanti without being haunted by any form of remorse. His uncle Junior gives him bigger problems than the other two but Tony never considers getting him whacked.
When He Gives Up On Therapy
After being manipulated by one of the low-key villains in The Sopranos, Dr. Elliot Kupferberg, Dr. Melfi cuts ties with Tony in the final season. Interestingly, Tony doesn’t even try to convince her otherwise.
Dr. Melfi is the only person on the show that Tony trusts enough to tell everything. He often acknowledges that the therapy sessions have made him a better man than he was when the show started. The New Jersey Don tends to be strongly attached to things that he values. It’s therefore unlike him not to convince the psychiatrist to stay.
