Why You're Wrong About Richie Aprile | The Sopranos

how people The Sopranos is a show with numerous complex and fully realized characters who we can love hate empathize with and connect with through a whole range of emotions in part due to the caliber of the writing of the show and also the quality of the acting as such there are characters on the show who have killed people and yet in certain scenes were able to feel sorry for them and there are other characters who have never committed murder and yet we hate their guts as such many of the characters in the show have been ripe for my why you're wrong about series a set of videos where I like to offer alternative takes on established characters it's a great mental exercise for myself as well as a topic for discussion in the comment sections and it allows me to vent my frustrations when I feel a character has not been given his dues and Just Desserts by audiences examples include why you're wrong about Bobby bakalar AJ soprano little Carmine and Ralph siferetto I was wondering who would be the most difficult Sopranos character to offer a a sympathetic case for some might say Phil leotardo but it's actually quite easy to see his side of things as I argued in my video the case for Phil leotardo Ralph severetto is surely a strong candidate a man who beat a pregnant young woman to death but even he does get something of a Redemption Arc in his final episode no the most difficult man to argue for even though I'm going to try and attempt that today is this guy Richie April now I know what you're probably thinking come on seeing you want to Ruchi or preo are you running out of ideas but hear me out the brother of former acting boss Jackie April Richie comes out of prison after a 10-year stint and immediately is a source of tension for the new boss Tony Soprano circumventing Authority and refusing to be reigned in something of a precursor to the likes of Phil leotardo Richie seems like a Napoleonic bitter man stuck in the past he makes a move against Tony but before he can act is shot dead by his fiancee Janice soprano Richie is is considered by many to be the scariest character in the show Manson lamps aside there's just something about the guy that radiates Terror and fearlessness he's got this 1 000 yard stair but instead of it being inflicted by trauma it looks like he wants to inflict trauma wants to eat your children there's something quite aggressive about the man even in his first meeting with Tony and Christopher there is an aura of him trying to put his foot down and assert his authority but the issue for Richie is he doesn't have any Authority and he doesn't really add anything of value in terms of the demaio family he's not respected as Junior says nothing will be lost from not having him around as Silvio says so characters don't like him and audiences are freaked out by him but I was re-watching season 2 in anticipation of a season by season review of the show and I found myself marginally sympathetic to many of Richie's roles so here goes of course it has to be acknowledged that there's something up with the guy Tony asks him if he's gotten laid yet after doing a 10-year bit and he says I'm trying I'm trying he gets a [ __ ] with the lights out it's him who lubricates Junior's arm to get it out of the sink instead of it being done by Junior's own niece who's right in the room his fetishist bizarre and downright disturbing method of having sex with the Janice by pointing a sometimes loaded gun to her head while she pumps up his ego who does the hanky-panky with Janus with the lights on anyway Janice at one point says that because of Richie's experiences in prison he's sensitive to the plight of women wait what there are no women in prison what does that mean unless so there is something there something under the surface events that may have occurred in the can perhaps exacerbated by the idea that Richie's own son might be catching not pitching what happened to that man in the can as Tony says at one point and he just did 10 years he's got a right to be a little [ __ ] up as POI remarks I'm not saying Richie's internal issues and whatever he experienced on the inside count for him or against him when it comes to empathizing with the man but it's not as if a guy like this is going to see a psychiatrist or his problems forever remain unsolved it would be interesting in finding out what exactly he was like before he went inside by and large it suggested he wasn't exactly a Savory character before he did time and prison seems to have Amplified his attitude problem so here he is back on the street having been sent away in the 80s completely unrehabilitated angry at the world for moving on without him angry at the fact that any advantage he thought he might have had with his brother as boss is gone he's got no businesses no money some kid who he helped out in the past is now running the show and seeing a shrink on the side so can you blame him for being frustrated these guys were sold a lie when they went inside in order to protect the men at the top at the bottom feeders of the mob have illusions of honor and Grandeur that when they come out they will be celebrated but the reality is that guys like Richie feature are considered irritating distractions by the new younger guys running the show who see them as out of touch their methods dated and this scope narrow Richie's so out of touch he's Bamboozled when he learned you cannot talk to the boss about crime directly and rather than recognize the intelligence behind this decision he sees it as an affront a showcase that Tony Soprano thinks he's too big for Richie and it also have the insecurity of knowing had he not gone away he'd have been a contender for the throne as he says to Junior I gotta meet Tony at the mall you hear what the [ __ ] is happening he needs time to adjust and get with the times as he says he's from the old school I mean the man gets out of prison and the first thing he does is beat someone up in a vicious manner it's like he focused all of his frustration and rage against the weaker beans Who as a civilian would have no hope of help from the likes of Tony Soprano no real tangible help his treatment of beans is probably his most horrific Behavior the way he relentlessly and repeatedly goes after him crippling him and even threatening him afterwards is deplorable but it's possible the beef is Justified it's just that Richie's methods are too extreme and of a different era first off beansy may be a likable character but let's not forget this guy was a heroin dealer and he was put into action by Ruchi he doesn't see him when he went away he doesn't see him when he gets out why not just throw rooty a bone somewhere along the way especially when you know what he's like and I know you'd want to distance yourself from a guy like Richie April but he went away for 10 years not 20. so beans you would know that somewhere down the line this angry little man is gonna come knocking the relationship between Ruchi and Bindi is not fully explained but it's possible he and his brother set beans up to allow him to earn and eventually Prosper with his multiple stores but with the April crew almost dissolved after Tony takes out Junior loyalists in season one beanzi now kicks up to Tony and is enjoying his success it kind of symbolizes and personifies Richie's frustration that everything he was working on has been taken away and now is in the hands of that kid Tony with prison his brother's death Junius crew being wiped out he was dealt a bad hand and he wasn't always mental with the way he handled things the talk with Chris was done right Chris is a non-made man it's done in front of the boss he gives a clear warning to Chris not to hit Adriana until he marries her they shake hands Richie Praises Chris to Tony boom done sorted by the way did you notice that Ruchi hits Janus before actually marrying her and is then killed nice bit of ironic foreshadowing there is it possible that a man who causes as much frustration in subordination and dysentery in the ranks as Richie could be controlled if controlled in the right way I actually think it's possible it's more convenient to take him out yeah and he doesn't add much to the family in terms of money but the guy could be an asset I rather enjoyed the rare opportunity to see Tony and Richie work together when they're both berating Davey during the bust out and when Richie gives Tony information on the bevel Aqua kid in another world these two would have made a good team but Tony's lack of leadership skills is as much of a reason for Richie's Behavior as is Richie's inability to move on and instead hang on to the Past initially Richie actually shows major signs of settling into the family yeah he's disgruntled but about halfway through the season he seems to pull his trousers up and get on with it at the start he says things to Tony like it feels disrespectful and what's mine is not yours to give me he doesn't feel like he's getting his dues he's approaching the situation from a different angle he approaches Junior with the implication to move against Tony saying you tell me this is the way it is then so be it you tell me otherwise then I'm Yours Junior and that kind of sums Richie up really if he could respect you as he did Junior if he could be managed made to feel regarded he could be contained but Tony couldn't manage him so couldn't contain him it was his first real Nemesis as boss and he was struggling with it it even affected his panic attacks but going back to what I was saying Tony lays down the law to Richie heavily in the shopping mall and Richard does take it he backs down Richie even offers him breakfast he keeps his cool saying to each his own when Tony massively disrespects him by saying there are men better looking in the can than having to hook up with Janice I gotta say the guy did fight his natural instinct to stab Tony and after a brief teething period we only really see Richie coming back from shopping with Janice and being out and about among civilians with whom I might add Ruchi was always good and polite with it doesn't say much as many of the Mobsters were but there you go he was cordial with David's son the people at the party maybe that's why it stung so hard with him when he learns Tony doesn't want him around his kids in that Ruchi is offended that Tony thinks he will do something to AJ during much of season 2 before one particular scene it's actually Tony who keeps coming up with snide remarks around Richie what brings you to an English-speaking neighborhood I was wondering why these squirrels went quiet little things here and there that you just don't say to a guy like Richie who won't take it as breaking balls how is saying I don't know if your parole job at the fish market is going to cover the cost of a new house after you stopped him selling Coke on garbage route Gonna Keep the man in line you've stopped him selling the coke leave it at that don't rub it in maybe that's why Richie went back to selling I think one of the issues with Richie is that it can be argued many of his quotes on quote innocent actions could have ulterior motives maybe he did want to rekindle old Flames with Janus maybe he was actually trying to get closer to the boss position at one point Richie says to Tony how's your sister and he gets offended only to find Richie was being genuine well apparently does he reprimand Chris in front of Tony as respect for Tony also undermine Tony he gets close to Olivia and brings her flowers but is this some sick plan to suffocate Tony by inserting himself into the boss's life he tells Tony to back off in a firm but forward manner all due respect but at the same time he has a potential weapon in his hand but that's part of the problem you never quite know where you stand with Richie April but having done a re-watch honestly I don't see Richie being sneaky in many of his actions he isn't even smart enough there's an element of it here he tests the waters he has these comments like when Junior asks him what he's going to do and he replies what ever you tell me and there is a pause but for the most part he's just an [ __ ] but there is sincerity in his ass hollery the guy has an attitude about everything and he tries to get his little victories like when he messes about beans his wife with the ramp but he still tends to do the job in the end and he's actually wronged many times in spite of this it does seem like he is slowly becoming used to Tony being boss I mean look at the way he dealt with Davey scatiano yeah he was wrong to bust into Tony's game and ruin it but he asks Davey if he's sure about wanting to bet and when Davey fails to pay up he is a lot calmer than when Tony came to collect the way he deals with it is actually pretty cool but firm saying no good Davey don't take this personally but I don't want to see your face in any of my games until you're caught up a guy hands you a light envelope it's just the beginning nothing personal I know it's just a Stutter Step the beef was legit but he saw red at Tony's game and went around his problem in his usual anarchic explosive way again he feels screwed over when Tony doesn't bring Davey out he shows that by spitting but again he still accepts the decision and later he even apologizes for it at the funeral on a side point it shows how small-minded Ruchi is when he is only thinking about the 8K he is owed by Tony when Tony has a potential complete bust out of Davey's entire business in the back of his mind kind of shows you how narrow-minded these Old-Timers were when they got out of prison he also gets screwed over by dick Barone with Jackie senior's old roots Richie has less Roots than anyone learns he is being charged more than everyone else and brings his grievances to Tony only to essentially to be told to do one and just roll the costs downhill then there's the jacket as a gesture of Goodwill Richie gives Tony a jacket he took off that [ __ ] Rocco de Mayo again some might think there's an ulterior motive here is this a power move of some sort or is Richie genuinely proud of this great moment in his life where he got this important trophy honestly there's a lot to be said about the jacket scene and I want to tackle it in another video given this vids length but in short I think Richie was being genuine here as proven by how crushed he was when he saw The Sopranos maid's husband wearing the thing and in the same scene he bought some food for Carmella that he cooked he even brings up the jacket again with Janice highlighting how hurt he was by Tony's rejection he might not like the guy but he does respect the position of boss and gave something that was close to his heart really where it all started to turn for Richie was his conversation with Janice in the car gotta wonder where she is in all of this my little niece she's the one who wound him up played him in order for him to make a move on Tony so she could become the new boss's mob wife she basically did to Richie what her mother did to Junior in season one in the car she tries to stir [ __ ] he tells to drop it and reminds her that Tony put him back in action and gave him 50k she undermines the gesture by saying her dad gave someone 50k 30 years ago and even mailmen make more then there's the scene where they're getting funky and rather than be lost in the passion of the moment she's still going this [ __ ] with the games saying you're the best it should be you she tries so hard to manipulate him to play on his insecurities and ego and he even called her out on it reminding her that he needs to be loyal to his couple that without that they crumble you can see him fighting against his Instinct he would love to have a go at Tony but chooses to stop himself and that's commendable but who knows how many conversations the two had where we didn't see where Janice chipped away at Richie Lady Macbeth used any chance she could get to piss in his ear like her complaining about money after Richie stops being allowed to sell Coke and when he does start to turn the gears and approach his Junior again to try and turn him he couldn't [ __ ] sell it and Junior immediately recognizes Janice's handiwork knowing she's involved and warning Richie against her Richie tries to turn him again with the coke on the truck route and we all know how that goes Junior ended up being smarter than all of them waiting things out until he saw that Richie didn't have the Moxie and sold him out so there's poor Richie wound up by Janice going to Junior who he respects and trusts he gets pumped up by both Janice and Junior and then Junior leaves him in the wind and Janice literally delivers the final Blow by taking him out the poor guy and he does yoga honestly having re-watched season two I really think Tony could have done things differently subsequent seasons of The Sopranos would show how much of a poor boss he was with the way he handled the veto situation with the way he handled Christopher Carlo and many other soprano underlings maybe he just wrote off Richie as a liability after the beansy incident but I gotta say Tony didn't treat the guy very well throughout the season and could have handled the man better maybe even turn him into an asset for the family he had a big problem with the guys who came out of the can unable to reinstate them into the family successfully like Tony B and feech many of these guys who did decades were shafted by the younger guys so there you have it I do actually think there's a few more points that can be made but this video is getting a bit long in the tooth so now that you've heard my argument do you think Russia preel deserves another chance from Sopranos fans or do you think I just couldn't [ __ ] sell it and this video is a sad commentary let me know in the comments below subscribe to the channel and thanks for watching

Channel: CineRanter

Views: 264,655

Keywords: ritchie aprile, the sopranos, richie aprile, ritchie april, tony soprano, the sopranos season 2

Id: uBB3OnkGINg

Length: 17min 36sec (1056 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 14 2023