TV Parallels to the Barn/Julia Relationship

I was watching The Sopranos Season II on DVD, and during one of the scenes with Tony Soprano visiting his female therapist, it hit me:  wow, this reminds me of Barnabas and Julia... a lot!!!

Would anyone agree with this assessment?  What other relationships on today's tv shows (or older shows, for that matter) would you say closely parallel that of Barn and Julia?

        Joe

i don't know do you think she is in love with Tony as Julia is with Barnabas? and if  so ICK!

jennifer
maybe Sister Pete and Mcmanus on Oz heehee

Hell no, Melfi doesn't love Tony....but she'd have him on a bed of lettuce if the right chance came along and she knew she'd NEVER be found out.

rainey

An obvious parallel would be Nick and Natalie on Forever Knight.  She's a doc that knows his secret and tries to cure him through science, and though it's unspoken their friendship evolves into something much deeper.  One ep in particular addresses why it'd be dangerous if he showed his feelings for her.

Nice to see you, Joe!

An obvious parallel would be Nick and Natalie on Forever Knight.  She's a doc that knows his secret and tries to cure him through science, and though it's unspoken their friendship evolves into something much deeper.  One ep in particular addresses why it'd be dangerous if he showed his feelings for her.

Nice to see you, Joe!

that is a good one of course when i watch that show my daughter makes fun of me and my fasination with vampire shows!
i agree Rainey she is much too good for Tony
(will he be back?)

jennifer

(will he be back?)

I'm sure.  Greedy is one thing....stupid is another.  I think he's a brilliant actor....but as well as he's done in movies, I doubt he's going to get roles thrown at him like he was Brad Pitt.

He'd be a fool to walk away from as much money as they're going to offer him in the end.  I never thought he'd agree to an additional year beyond the original contract, but I don't believe he'll prevent the 5th year he agreed to from going forward.  I can't imagine him doing that to the rest of that HUGE ensemble cast.

rainey

that is a good one of course when i watch that show my daughter makes fun of me and my fasination with vampire shows!
i agree Rainey she is much too good for Tony
(will he be back?)

jennifer

An intriguing thread.  I think the relationship between Tony and Carmella is fascinating and I can see where its complexity is similar to that of Barney-book and Julia.

Jennifer, I don't think there is any doubt that Gandolfini will be back.  All of this negotiation stuff is agent-driven, a frequently used tactic (unfortunately) and one reason why so many industry people don't like agents. (Though there are some good ones)  The agent is pushing for all of this because the amount of money an actor can command is what ultimately earns respect in Hollywood. It's stupid, but that's how it is.

I had to laugh at some of the newspaper reports claiming that Gandolfini was an "obscure" actor prior to The Sopranos.  He was in quite a few high profile films and had meaty roles in them for the past decade.  Geez, what do they call an actor who has never been in any production seen by more than 50 people? 

Nancy

I was watching The Sopranos Season II on DVD, and during one of the scenes with Tony Soprano visiting his female therapist, it hit me:  wow, this reminds me of Barnabas and Julia... a lot!!! 

Hmmm, I never thought of that as a parallel, but it's a pretty interesting concept.

Would anyone agree with this assessment?  What other relationships on today's tv shows (or older shows, for that matter) would you say closely parallel that of Barn and Julia?

As far as The Sopranos go, I think you're onto something. Barnabas and Tony certainly have a lot of the same qualities/problems. Both are strong, powerful men with violent often uncontrollable impulses. Both men want to curb these. Tony's a serial adulterer, but he's a pretty unsentimental one, so I don't think he's like Barnabas in that respect, but both men have gotten involved with (ahem) unstable women in the past. So there's that.

Melfi's just as intrigued/attracted to the violence and foreign mafia lifestyle as she is appalled by it. From the episodes I've seen (not all of them or all in order), she is having trouble reconciling that realization with her own principles and belief system. That lines up with Julia's own attraction/repulsion and subsequent moral/ethical dilemmas.

Damn, I wish I'd thought of this, ShadowsAtlanta!

Actually, Dr. Melfi simply CAN'T be compared with Julia Hoffman  because she's never REALLY compromised her ethics.  Julia has engaged in a whole LIST of despicable actions, not the least of which was the murder of Dr. Woodard.

Jennifer Melfi, on the other hand, when offered the chance to have her murderous patient provide the vengance the legal system couldn't, REFUSED to tell Tony about her rape.  Surely the most brilliant use of the single word "no" in television history.

Dr. Melfi has her faults and weaknesses, but nothing that would bring her into the company of the woman who railroaded Willie Loomis off to Wyndcliffe, scrambled Maggie Evans' mind, and played God with disintered body parts!

rainey

Actually, Dr. Melfi simply CAN'T be compared with Julia Hoffman  because she's never REALLY compromised her ethics.  Julia has engaged in a whole LIST of despicable actions, not the least of which was the murder of Dr. Woodard.

Some spoilers for the Sopranos I guess







On the other hand, she was hanging on to her therapy sessions with Tony even when her own shrink was advising that she refer him to a behaviorist because it was where Tony needed to be in his therapy.

Not saying an absolute parallel, just that there are similarities.

Luciaphil, thank you for explaining the similarities between the two relationships.  I was thinking of ways to express my reasoning behind the original post, but then you reached inside my mind and expressed it all for me!   

Midnite, thanks for the welcome. 

By the way, what is this new karma score thingy?  LOL

     Joe

By the way, what is this new karma score thingy?  LOL

There's a thread about it on the Testing 1,2,3 board, called "Karma/Applaud/Smite Qs" (the original names for cure and curse).

An intriguing thread.  I think the relationship between Tony and Carmella is fascinating and I can see where its complexity is similar to that of Barney-book and Julia.

Jennifer, I don't think there is any doubt that Gandolfini will be back.  All of this negotiation stuff is agent-driven, a frequently used tactic (unfortunately) and one reason why so many industry people don't like agents. (Though there are some good ones)  The agent is pushing for all of this because the amount of money an actor can command is what ultimately earns respect in Hollywood. It's stupid, but that's how it is.

I had to laugh at some of the newspaper reports claiming that Gandolfini was an "obscure" actor prior to The Sopranos.  He was in quite a few high profile films and had meaty roles in them for the past decade.  Geez, what do they call an actor who has never been in any production seen by more than 50 people?

you know Nancy i say good for them! everyone should have an agent! Jimmy G. is that show and i think they'll have to give him
1 million an episode is it too much? hell yes but they have made a ton of money on the show and he is the reason! if they can pay million each to The Friend's actors i say he deserves more!Should nurses, cops and firefighters make more Hell yes but hey the money just isn't there
it is like pro athletes they are overpaid but the owners are making so much more! thanks for the input and with all the weirdness going on in the world it is fun to talk about something "light" .
also don't see too much the same about tony and Barnabas Tony is a "thug" who likes what he does barnabas was forced into it!
good thread though!

jennifer

Great idea for a thread!

Having never seen the Sopranos (and me a Scorsese/Coppola fan!), I'm afraid I can't comment on Tony and his shrink. But I have to admit that when I saw Sharon Osbourne interviewed by Baba Wawa last year, there was something in the way she talked about Ozzy, their marriage and his reaction to her illness that was sort of Jullia-and-Barnabesque.

After all, Sharon has lovingly taken care of him through thick and thin (literally), she's forgiven him for extremely awful, sometimes criminal, behavior, she's devoted, loyal, and extremely competant (in fact, I'll bet Sharon could set up a generator and create a man in her basement any day of the week!).

While he also is extremely powerful in his way, well loved (warts and all) and is utterly dependent on her. He's also had some dalliances with SYTs...does this sound familiar at all? 

Great idea for a thread!

While he also is extremely powerful in his way, well loved (warts and all) and is utterly dependent on her. He's also had some dalliances with SYTs...does this sound familiar at all? 

Yup, that really does sound like Barnabas and Julia!

I've never watched the Osbourne show. Guess I'll have to give it a try.

Bette