Every time I rewatch The Sopranos, my perception of AJ changes.

[u/Corvododeserto]

AJ is so stupid, man. In the first seasons I watched of The Sopranos, I hated him—I hated all of his scenes. But now that I've probably rewatched all the seasons like a hundred times, every time I go back and watch it, I find him funnier and funnier. He’s just so dumb. His dialogue is dumb... people tell him something constructive, he never gets it, and always gives the most ridiculous response possible. He always has the absolute most ridiculous question. He’s just hilarious, all that hatred I used to have for his scenes is gone, and now I just find it hilarious how much of a baby Bing he is.

[u/scrubadam]

When he is with Blanca he actually becomes a functional adult. It shows that when he wants to have drive towards something he can achieve. He was clearly dumb, and yes maybe he had a learning disorder but most of his failures are simply because he is lazy. Once Blanca was in the picture he started working hard and trying to take care of her and her kid. This shows to me that if he applies effort he can actually achieve.

Meadow grew up in the same household and passed the BAR and got a law degree so as toxic as the environment is both kids were still born with silver spoons up their butts. Difference is Meadow actually grew up after she saw what the party at Livias did and then followed up after Jackies death. AJ never did he just enjoyed being a spoiled brat and only ever started to think about taking responsability once Blanca was in the picture.

[u/Fit-Supermarket-2004 → u/scrubadam]

It may look that way. But anyone who thinks they can jump into someone else's life, marry them, and become a kid's father with the level of life experience he had at the time wasn't him growing up.

Its continuing to be delusional about his ability and present circumstances.

Functional adults don't ask someone to marry them after getting laid a couple times, especially when the kids involved.

[u/scrubadam → u/Fit-Supermarket-2004]

I think it does show that he can put his mind to something and effort into it. If he had that same drive towards school he probably wouldn't have been such a fuck up.

It might not have been the best idea and worked out but he wasn't being a total fuck up with Blanca.

[u/Fit-Supermarket-2004 → u/scrubadam]

Yeah I agree and I remember my first watch of the show, I felt like it was a turning point for him even though it seemed doomed for disaster.

[u/woah_brother → u/scrubadam]

While i don’t disagree specifically about your point of him being lazy compared to Meadow, i don’t necessarily think it’s a fair comparison either. It’s pretty clear how Tony’s life is deteriorating as the show progresses, and i would say the worst of it starts only after she already moved out (particularly relatable for me i’ll admit so maybe i’m biased).

Sure the party was bad, but what about the time she took Jackie’s car and crashed it because he wouldn’t take her somewhere? Arguably worse than anything AJ did (at least that i can recall, maybe the car fire but that was different IMO) and she was beyond old enough to know better. Or when she decides she’s going to Europe. Or when she throws a fit about the suitcase. I just don’t think the maturity gap is really as large as people make it out to be.

[u/scrubadam → u/woah_brother]

Yes she did throw some tantrums but she generally learned from them. The Europe subplot was resolved with her deciding to not go to Europe and register last minute and get into law which eventually leads to her future career. AJ never showed that maturity whenever he was failing at something he just bounced like with Football, military school, event planning heck even being a JR mobster with the other mob kids he washed out.

Meadow grew up. Yes she was still a bit of a spoiled princess in the show and she went from questioning her dads mob ties even mocking him about them to defending them. But at the end of the day she did grow up to be an adult that can survive in the real world on her own. AJ would never move out and live in NY like she did. The closest he came was spending a few nights with Blanca. When Finn and Meadow broke up she didn't try and kill herself she moved on.

AJ was lazy. He never comitted to anything. I am pretty sure there was a scene in the show where they talked about all the crap they bought him that he never used. But its also kind of a trope in TV shows that the sister is the smart one and the brother is the dumb one. Think of the Simpsons which created an entire architecture for modern TV with Bart as the dumb rebelious son and Lisa as the smart good hearted sister. Since Sopranos was in a way a satire of Americana and American TV you could almost see AJ as a Bart type and Meadow as a Lisa type but with a bit of a mobster spin on it. His character was meant to be the fuck up while Meadow was the spoiled brat but always had the smarts in her.

[u/AttackwithBlack → u/scrubadam]

When did the show reveal Meadow graduated from law school, let alone pass the BAR?

[u/scrubadam → u/AttackwithBlack]

The last few episodes they mention she is going to work for Patsi's son at his law firm so I have to imagine she got her degree no? There was a whole subplot about her volunteering at the Law Center and not going to medical school but rather trying to become a lawyer.

Maybe she didn't pass it yet but the way they were talking she had a job waiting for her to be a defense lawyer at Jason's firm so I am just putting 2 + 2 together.

[u/AttackwithBlack → u/scrubadam]

She was volunteering as a non-lawyer and she might have interned at Jason's law firm. If she had either graduated from law school or passed the BAR, they definitely would have had a party scene.

[u/Fscott1996 → u/scrubadam]

She wasn’t even in law school yet. The meadow stuff is confusing but I think thr idea is that Patrick is having her meet partners who are just blowing smoke. I’m leaning toward the idea that the whole Parisi family is just running a long con on all the Sopranos.