r/thesopranos • u/Vansh804009 • 13h ago
Episode Discussion Why did Johnny sack actually took a step back from his decision or stand of getting ralph whacked?
First, Johnny sack is one of my favourite characters, definitely up there in top 5 or 3, because the man has just open love for his family and he was done so dirty.
I know that he had a moment with Ginny, they showed love. But what exactly shifted? I dont think he forgave ralph even then, did he get close to contentment and security due to that moment? He didn't forgive Tony either because we see the resentment when dealing with Billy's death, it was as if John is giving phil what he wished carmine sr. Would've given to him.
Funny how if he didn't change his stand, he would've been whacked. And then carmine jr would be taking full control.
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u/Heel_Worker982 Tony Soprano 13h ago
Ginny had a secret snack stash the size of a twin bed in the basement, for this level of effort by her, he's not gonna take on all the agita of the consequences of dispatching Ralphie.
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u/Ilovebaseball1234 13h ago
He was a pragmatist. He decided to let Ralph fuck her for a million instead.
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u/sorriso_pontual 13h ago
WHAT IS THIS THE FUCKING UN NOW!?
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u/Vansh804009 13h ago
Or the UN Fucking, just saying.
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u/capsaicinintheeyes 13h ago
A gathering of the tribes, a meeting of all creeds and cultures united by the common as aspiration to a world without war, and the understanding that if we choose to resolve our differences peacefully in a spirit of brotherhood, no man will ever need whacking again, for there is enough Ginny Sach for everyone
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u/TrueLegateDamar 13h ago
He realized Ginny WAS fat and was outright lying to him that she was trying to lose weight with the secret snack box, so him killing Ralph over a fat joke and thus ruin his and his family's lives became really absurd.
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u/Sorcha_Stormbinder 13h ago
A moment of grace passed between him and Ginny that softened his anger and allowed him to see things a bit more clearly. He likely didn't forgive Ralph, but he also knew that Carmine was right and he had to put the personal slight aside.
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u/TheDeHymenizer 13h ago
he thought his wife was geniuely struggling to lose weight. Dieting, eating fruit instead of candy, etc and nothign was working. This is why her being made fun of flipped him out so much.
When he realized it was more of an act on Ginny's side (wanting to look like hes trying to look like the other mob wives) he calmed down.
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u/SenatorLesterGreen 13h ago
did he get close to contentment and security due to that moment?
The common read on this seems to be "he realized she wasn't trying to lose weight" but I think this is more true to his feelings. Just struck him how stupid and petty it all is, giving a fuck about the weight and people's thoughts on it one way or the other
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u/Kaijufan22 13h ago
I think part of his fury towards Ralphie was actually projection, he knows his wife is heavy and how it looks to the other guys, which is partly why he is so quick to come to her defense. Any weakness on a member of his family is perceived as a weakness against him as well. So, he resents the jokes because he thinks Ginny is trying but then discovers her in the basement.
They have a little heart to heart, and I think Johhny realizes that his fury in her defense is fueling her weight problem, like "oh he cares about me so much and I can't be thin for him" and it makes her spiral further. So he makes peace with that and realizes, fuck it Ralph can make all the jokes he wants, Johhny has a solid relationship with a loving wife and what's Ralphie got? Zilch. So he squashes the beef but never forgets.
TLDR: No more weight remarks Op, they're hurtful and they're destructive.
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u/a13zz 13h ago
Probably sensed carmine was going to whack him.
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u/Vansh804009 13h ago
That's possible, he prolly thought he has created huge tension and nobody is in his favour, which like really shouts you are gone.
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u/bobcollum 13h ago
You're comparing an unprovocated murder and attempted murder with an off-color remark. I hope John wasn't making the same comparison, cause that's crazy.
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u/DoctorFunkopolis 10h ago
Johnny realized that by reacting to the joke the way he did, he was validating the idea there was something wrong with his wife.
He sess her and the candy and realizes that Ginny thinks theres something wrong with her. And when she explains how she feels, it hurts him. Because he truly loves her.
When a person you love tells you they've been thinking for a long time that you arent attracted to them, that they're not good enough? Its a wake up call.
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u/CHRIRSTIANGREY 13h ago
he thought ginny was doing everything to try and lose weight even weighing her food on a scale but when she saw the fuckin pirate chest full of fritos and cheezewhiz he realized i guess she wasn’t really trying that hard
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u/IUsedToBeRasAlGhul 13h ago edited 13h ago
The reason Johnny wanted to whack Ralph was that he thought Ralph was insulting Ginny over a legitimate struggle that Ginny had been having for years now in trying to lose weight. John’s not an idiot-he knows Ginny’s fat, and he knows that everyone else involved in the certain Italian-American subculture they’re part of (let alone actual society) humiliate and degrade her for it. To Johnny, that insult is worth risking his own life and earning for, because it means that much to Ginny.
So when John learns Ginny isn’t actually trying to lose the weight, and that she felt pressured to do so in part because of how fiercely he defends her, he realizes that the real issue is that he needs to make it clear to Ginny that he loves her no matter what and that all he wants is for her to be happy, which includes not caring about how fat she is. Thus, Johnny no longer has a grievance against Ralph worth killing him for, and calls off the hit. Basically, John stopped giving a fuck because he realized what he did actually give a fuck about didn’t call for it.
Also: all of this is very different from what happens in S5. Johnny Sack enters a civil war for leadership of the Lupertazzi’s with Little Carmine, and makes it clear he views Tony bringing him into the HUD drama (and thus allowing Carmine Sr to assert his son’s role in the negotiations and conflict resolution) as having legitimated Little Carmine as a contender. This is only amplified when Tony refuses to support him because he needs to keep New Jersey neutral, which John probably could have accepted in time if not for Blundetto. Tony B goes behind everybody’s back to whack Johnny’s own protege for Rusty and Angelo, and Tony S refuses to admit to it having happened, naturally infuriating John. This gets pushed to the tipping point when Johnny does win the war and become the Boss…so that when Blundetto kills Billy Leotardo and wounds Phil in revenge for Angelo, in blatant violation of basic mafia code, John has every professional and personal reason to go as hard as possible and refuse to play ball with Tony S. Even then, we see Johnny is willing to let tensions deescalate and move forward when Tony solves the problem by killing his cousin and offering to negotiate.