Monday, March 13, 2006

UNSUB

Who uses it: Law enforcement officials
What it means: The unknown subject of an investigation.
How you can use it: When you don't know who's responsible for something.

If you watched last night's episode of "The Sopranos," you know exactly who's responsible for shooting... oh, wait. Did anyone out there not see it? I don't care about spoiling it for any American readers, but I'm not sure when this season will air in Germany or the UK... so maybe I won't say any more about it.

But I watched Don Imus this morning, and if I didn't already have plenty of reasons to loathe and despise Donald Trump, his admission that he doesn't really care about "The Sopranos" would have been the last nail in his coffin.

I will say this, though. David Chase and his writers are never willing to let us get too comfortable with these characters. Just when we've decided Tony is a jerk, they show us him cooking dinner for the uncle who tried to kill him. Just when we think we'll root for Carmela, we see that she is a nasty piece of work in her own right. And everything -- everything -- has consequences. It's the best thing on television, and I may have to watch this episode again before next week.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never understood the appeal of _The Sopranos_. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying I was never able to get into the characters or the story lines.

To add my voice to the exchange from the weekend, I loved, loved, loved _Homicide: Life on the Streets_ (Where are you, Frank Pemberton, now that we need you more than ever?), and I'd rather breath a lungful of Syntox nerve gas than miss an episode of _24_. But _Sopranos_, eh.

Am I out of the family?

--Ed

P.S. Andre Braugher just can't seem to get work worthy of his talent since his seminal performances in _Glory_ and _Homicide_. See http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0105672. In a word: Blech. There is obviously something wrong with either his agent or Hollywood itself. Maybe Braugher should join the cast of _House_.

Ellen Clair Lamb said...

I too am baffled about why Andre Braugher isn't a huge star.

Maybe you need to sit down and watch the Season 1 "Sopranos" DVDs, Ed...

Anonymous said...

In my desperation to watch original English versions of TV shows here in Germany, I've rented several back seasons of shows and also couldn't really get into THE SOPRANOS. I'm currently on Season 3 of SIX FEET UNDER, which is weird, funny, serious and out of left field. Also started DEADWOD, but so far we only have Season 1. My faves are still CSI (Las Vegas & New York--Miami is a little blech with David Caruso taking himself SO seriously).
Then there are the taped PBS shows Kit sends me--LOVE THOSE! Waiting for BLEAK HOUSE with Gillian Anderson, which is winging it's way over to me as I write...
Just thought I'd share, too!
xox
Sue

Anonymous said...

ps have been renting fabulous old SIMPSONS stuff...I'm still eternally (and internally) grateful that you turned me on to that show and think of you always, Ellen...
Sue

Ellen Clair Lamb said...

Well... I'm willing to forgive a blind spot about THE SOPRANOS, though I want to be evangelical about them.

If you can't appreciate THE SIMPSONS, though, something really is wrong with you.

Anonymous said...

just recently watched one of my faves "no, this is 91...2"--love the police chief!
Sue

Anonymous said...

I heard this acronym being used on
Criminal Minds.I don't know how many of you get the show out there?It's a cool show with shamar moore,mandy patinkin,lola glaudini,mathew grey etc.Anyway, their always using the term,"our unsub"and i was just wondering what it meant.