Back in Season 2 (the finale, to be more precise), Tony told Christopher he might finally become a made guy, i.e. join the family full-time. On that occasion, Chris replied with a joke ("I think I earned it. Got no spleen, Gene"), not knowing what kind of trouble was waiting for him.
Receiving a phone call in the middle of the night is usually very bad news if you're in organized crime, as it tends to mean you're about to get whacked. Adriana expresses a similar concern when Chrissy is woken up by Paulie and asked to show up at a meeting. In the end, it turns out the young wise-guy was right: he and another mobster, Eugene Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro), get promoted, which means that from now on, their job comes before everything, even their wives and kids. While he watches his dreams come true, Chris soon realizes life ain't that easy, as he now officially works for Paulie and has to give him part of his income on a regular basis. Tony, on the other hand, goes through a more private kind of crisis, stirred by Meadow's half Black boyfriend, and tells Dr. Melfi he had panic attacks as a kid too, expressing doubts on whether that sort of problem is hereditary or not. Considering A.J. passed out during a football game, he might have a point.
Following the emotional ordeal of the previous episode, Fortunate Son is quite mannered, with nothing too painful or devastating. In fact, for the most part it's quite funny, especially in its depiction of the Christopher/Paulie conflict, which reaches almost absurd extremes. Thanks to the skilled writers and director, the humor never feels at odds with the nearly mythical opening, a clever spin on the more glamorized aspects of mafia life; instead, the two sides complement each other. With hindsight, though, this particular show is important in establishing the Anthony Jr. character (if you've seen the last episodes of the series, you know what I mean), always further and further from the traditional "TV brat" image.
Receiving a phone call in the middle of the night is usually very bad news if you're in organized crime, as it tends to mean you're about to get whacked. Adriana expresses a similar concern when Chrissy is woken up by Paulie and asked to show up at a meeting. In the end, it turns out the young wise-guy was right: he and another mobster, Eugene Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro), get promoted, which means that from now on, their job comes before everything, even their wives and kids. While he watches his dreams come true, Chris soon realizes life ain't that easy, as he now officially works for Paulie and has to give him part of his income on a regular basis. Tony, on the other hand, goes through a more private kind of crisis, stirred by Meadow's half Black boyfriend, and tells Dr. Melfi he had panic attacks as a kid too, expressing doubts on whether that sort of problem is hereditary or not. Considering A.J. passed out during a football game, he might have a point.
Following the emotional ordeal of the previous episode, Fortunate Son is quite mannered, with nothing too painful or devastating. In fact, for the most part it's quite funny, especially in its depiction of the Christopher/Paulie conflict, which reaches almost absurd extremes. Thanks to the skilled writers and director, the humor never feels at odds with the nearly mythical opening, a clever spin on the more glamorized aspects of mafia life; instead, the two sides complement each other. With hindsight, though, this particular show is important in establishing the Anthony Jr. character (if you've seen the last episodes of the series, you know what I mean), always further and further from the traditional "TV brat" image.