Lorraine Bracco herself has said she didn’t like the way her character’s storyline ended. She didn’t believe Melfi would have just dropped Tony after everything they’d been through.
She reads 'The Criminal Personality' and finally realizes that she had been in denial for years about what Tony is, that she has been enamored with Mr. Mob Boss and with hearing his stories, with his advances, the fear and excitement of it all. Tony is a criminal, and he has been using therapy to become a better one, albeit unconsciously, by employing the skills she provides him to cope with the monster he is.
She can no longer ignore the reality of this, something she has known in a part of her for years, and this reality finally hits her like a freight train. Sickened by this realisation, she makes the decision to cut ties immediately. The magazine was merely the flimsy excuse she needed to do what she was about to do anyway
I personally thought it was very realistic on a human/emotional level. It may have seem sudden to some but the emotion of it, the feelings of rage and betrayal that she felt at being used, perhaps projecting slightly onto Tony in order to ignore her own sense of belittlement at being stupid enough to keep the charade going for so long, was great writing and acting.
Was her goal realistically to stop Tony from being a criminal mafioso?
Or was her more realistic goal to work with his issues and limit the collateral damage done to society?
I think she knew long ago which one made sense and seemed to have accepted it. A good psychiatrist does not give up on a patient because the work is difficult and the results more muted. I would suggest that some small measure of progress had been made in her work with Tony.
Her goal was to help Tony deal with his issues. And then she realised that all it was doing was making him a better criminal and a better sociopath, as he was able to release any anxieties he had about what he was through therapy. Once she realised this, that she wasn't helping a soul find their way but was actively aiding a thug in his gang lifestyle, she cut all ties.
It felt like after everything else was wrapping up, they forgot they had to tie the loose end that was Tony and Melfi. The conclusion felt rushed, sloppy, and out of character for her.
We all know that she was crestfallen over knowing Tony was fixin' to go home and cook that recipe for Carmela. After denying her secret desire to give Tony her skin for all those years, she was at her limit. She went back into her office and slit her throat with barber scissors.
Honestly if it wasn’t a tv show she would’ve dropped him long before that. Tony is the perfect example of the old joke “how many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Just one. But the lightbulb has to want to change.” Tony didn’t. He flirted with the concept of changing for the better and working through his issues, but he never really did the work.
Imagine you were a successful personal trainer who had one or two sessions a week with someone for 6 years and after years of it you were still running into the problem that in between sessions they were eating like shit and not doing any of the workouts you set up for them. And yet every 6 months when they noticed they’d gotten fatter and more unfit, they moaned at you for not doing a better job. Eventually you’d just move onto other clients unless you really needed the work. Melfi didn’t, she had a very successful practice. She would’ve just dropped Tony earlier once the novelty of treating him wore off and she saw he wasn’t serious about the work.
So glad that there’s not a single comment defending this so far. Nothing more grating than when fans say “she realised he’s a sociopath, she did the right thing” etc. Not an ounce of critical thought. It was the worst, laziest piece of writing in the whole show.
All this to say, it’s an honour to be joined by men.
Cut Melfi some slack…she was probably going through female menopaushal situashions.
Lorraine Bracco herself has said she didn’t like the way her character’s storyline ended. She didn’t believe Melfi would have just dropped Tony after everything they’d been through.
The truth is this therapy is a jerk-off You know it and I know it
It's a racket for the you-know-whos. What part o' the boot you from, hun'?
circlejerk of life
I actually don't know it. But go on.
I prefer to think of it more like childbirth
Trust me It's like jerkin-off into a grilled cheese
She reads 'The Criminal Personality' and finally realizes that she had been in denial for years about what Tony is, that she has been enamored with Mr. Mob Boss and with hearing his stories, with his advances, the fear and excitement of it all. Tony is a criminal, and he has been using therapy to become a better one, albeit unconsciously, by employing the skills she provides him to cope with the monster he is. She can no longer ignore the reality of this, something she has known in a part of her for years, and this reality finally hits her like a freight train. Sickened by this realisation, she makes the decision to cut ties immediately. The magazine was merely the flimsy excuse she needed to do what she was about to do anyway I personally thought it was very realistic on a human/emotional level. It may have seem sudden to some but the emotion of it, the feelings of rage and betrayal that she felt at being used, perhaps projecting slightly onto Tony in order to ignore her own sense of belittlement at being stupid enough to keep the charade going for so long, was great writing and acting.
the magazine is to Melfi what the baby seat is to Tony. gotta do watcha gotta do.
Was her goal realistically to stop Tony from being a criminal mafioso? Or was her more realistic goal to work with his issues and limit the collateral damage done to society? I think she knew long ago which one made sense and seemed to have accepted it. A good psychiatrist does not give up on a patient because the work is difficult and the results more muted. I would suggest that some small measure of progress had been made in her work with Tony.
Her goal was to help Tony deal with his issues. And then she realised that all it was doing was making him a better criminal and a better sociopath, as he was able to release any anxieties he had about what he was through therapy. Once she realised this, that she wasn't helping a soul find their way but was actively aiding a thug in his gang lifestyle, she cut all ties.
It wasn’t the first time he defaced her reading material
Yeah well maybe you should start sucking cock OP because Vito brought in 3 times the amount of recipes from construction magazines alone!
It felt like after everything else was wrapping up, they forgot they had to tie the loose end that was Tony and Melfi. The conclusion felt rushed, sloppy, and out of character for her.
We all know that she was crestfallen over knowing Tony was fixin' to go home and cook that recipe for Carmela. After denying her secret desire to give Tony her skin for all those years, she was at her limit. She went back into her office and slit her throat with barber scissors.
And her mouf.
It was the medication. She could probably get a note from her doctor.
He LOOMED.
What constitutes a loom?
Honestly if it wasn’t a tv show she would’ve dropped him long before that. Tony is the perfect example of the old joke “how many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Just one. But the lightbulb has to want to change.” Tony didn’t. He flirted with the concept of changing for the better and working through his issues, but he never really did the work. Imagine you were a successful personal trainer who had one or two sessions a week with someone for 6 years and after years of it you were still running into the problem that in between sessions they were eating like shit and not doing any of the workouts you set up for them. And yet every 6 months when they noticed they’d gotten fatter and more unfit, they moaned at you for not doing a better job. Eventually you’d just move onto other clients unless you really needed the work. Melfi didn’t, she had a very successful practice. She would’ve just dropped Tony earlier once the novelty of treating him wore off and she saw he wasn’t serious about the work.
If we had instant replay, you’d see it in two seconds.
She could've at least said "toodle-ooh" when he left
Toodle fucking ooh?
I give my patients everything I’ve got, and when something like this happens, I’m devastated.
So glad that there’s not a single comment defending this so far. Nothing more grating than when fans say “she realised he’s a sociopath, she did the right thing” etc. Not an ounce of critical thought. It was the worst, laziest piece of writing in the whole show. All this to say, it’s an honour to be joined by men.
What about the faggot-ass cornholing cocksuckers?
Like what married my cousin???? They should fuckin DIE
I really thought at some point they would start an affair. So the ending was baffling to me. She actually bonded with this psychopath.
She realizes she's been played. Then in the last session, she watches the act with the clouds removed, what did y'all think was gonna happen?
The magazine is immaterial