The final season of The Sopranos is full of tense episodes, but one stands above the rest. The third-to-last episode, “The Second Coming,” brings Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) to his son’s rescue in a way that defines the character. It is a moment of pure, unguarded emotion, and it earns its place among the show’s finest hours.
Tony’s Obsession With the Pool Ducks
The episode picks up a thread that runs through the entire series. The first episode of The Sopranos introduces Tony’s obsession with a family of ducks living in his swimming pool. He watches them nervously during his son A.J.’s (Robert Iler) birthday party, fearing that they will fly away and leave him behind. He tells Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), “I’m afraid I’m gonna lose my family like I lost the ducks.”
The dread comes back in the most frightening form at the close of the performance. In that very spot, A.J. attempts to take his own life. The scene is deeply upsetting, but it is Tony’s response that makes up his finest moment throughout the whole series.
Tony and A.J.: A Contentious Relationship
Tony and A.J. share a striking resemblance yet differ profoundly. Most people respect Tony, and those who do not feel fear instead. He gives off an air of power and influence, a natural leader through and through. A.J., meanwhile, is the complete opposite: spoiled, lazy, and content to mope about the house while playing video games.
Tony and A.J. both suffer from anxiety, but they handle it in different ways. A.J. openly shows his nerves, which his father finds disgusting. Meadow, A.J.’s older sister, is the opposite: she is book-smart and driven, with clear goals and ambitions, while A.J. has none at all.
A.J. has answered back more than once, and Tony has struck him for it. When A.J. gets expelled from school, Tony slaps him hard across the face. Later, when A.J. speaks harshly to his mother, Carmela (Edie Falco), Tony puts a hand around his throat. Fed up with his teenage son’s laziness, Tony attempts to arrange a construction job for him.
“I just want to see you good. You’re my son, and I love you,” Tony tells him. When A.J. gets annoyed and disrespects him, Tony smashes the windshield of A.J.’s car, which he paid for. Tony loves A.J., but he doesn’t fully understand him, even admitting to Dr. Melfi that he hates him. Tony wants a son who commands respect like he does and has ambition like Meadow does.
A.J.’s Breakdown After the Break-Up
A.J. stands among The Sopranos” most annoying characters. In a series filled with strong, charismatic people, he pales in comparison, often playing the victim instead of taking control. That is also what makes him one of the show’ most believable characters, a figure who feels far more grounded and real.
This is a teenage boy whose father’s emotional troubles have been passed down to him. He is part of a family connected to the mafia. He carries a darker side within him. After his grandmother passes away, he begins hearing her ghost. At his confirmation ceremony, he declares there is no God.
Bianca Selgado (Dania Ramirez) is the one who finally sees through the mask, as he hides behind the numbness of TV, video games, and hanging out with friends who only want to have a good time. With so much weighing on him, he finds refuge in those distractions until the facade finally cracks.
His girlfriend loves him deeply and he asks her to marry him, but when she ends things, his state of mind falls apart at once. He gives up his employment and speaks of taking his own life, which sets his mother in motion, arranging for him to see a therapist. Tony confides in Dr. Melfi about the whole matter, placing the blame on himself for A.J. having inherited his “rotten fucking putrid genes.”.
The downward slide keeps going for A.J., who even attacks another child. He takes medicine and returns to school, where it appears to benefit him temporarily.
The Suicide Attempt in “The Second Coming”
A.J. decides to end his life after reading Yeats’ “The Second Coming,” choosing to do so in the family pool. The scene shows him perched upon the diving board’s edge, a cinder block tied to his legs resting in his lap. His gaze drifts far away while a solitary tear travels down his face, as he gathers the resolve to cover his head with a plastic bag and throw the weight into the water, pulling him beneath its surface.
Almost every episode of The Sopranos ends with somebody dying, and it feels like these are their final moments. A.J., however, changes his mind fast, struggling to keep his head above water as he calls out for help.
The passage highlights how drawn-out and painful suicide can be, with victims sometimes wishing they could take their decision back immediately after making it, as “The Second Coming” demonstrates.
Tony’s Leap Into the Pool
Tony arrives home just in time to hear A.J.’s cries for help. Once he sees the situation, his irritation vanishes instantly, and he dives into the pool without hesitation.
Tony manages to drag A.J. free from the cinder block despite the difficulty of the task, and the boy immediately begins sobbing without restraint. Tony then shakes him and shouts at him, “What’s wrong with you?”, yet the boy’s crying grows even more intense in response.
Tony’s voice grows soft as he takes in the depth of his son’s distress. He asks him gently whether he is all right, then rests his own head in his lap, running his hand through his wet hair while both of them weep, with Tony calling him his baby the entire time.
One of The Sopranos’ most serious scenes carries over into the moment when A.J. is being wheeled away to a psychiatric hospital, with Carmela present.
Tony’s Flaws and His Love
Tony Soprano is far from a saint. He has made a lot of mistakes, and he’s done a lot of bad. But in “The Second Coming,” we see that underneath those flaws, Tony is still just a man and a father. He’ll risk his life for the ones he loves most and is capable of letting his tough exterior down.
The scene where Tony saves A.J. and weeps with him is what makes Tony’s character most human. It strips away any pretense of him being a cold gangster; instead, he is revealed to be a father whose love for his son runs deep.
The Pool Scene’s Place in the Series
This episode works so well because it ties together ideas the show has spent six seasons developing.
- The fear of losing loved ones, first expressed through the ducks in the pool
- The contrast between Tony’s power and A.J.’s weakness
- The cycle of violence and trauma that runs through the Soprano family
- The tension between Tony’s public image and his private vulnerability
This episode serves as a turning point. It closes one story line while opening the door to the finale, where Tony’s life falls apart completely. The pool scene stands as a quiet pause before the turmoil, a tender moment before the chaos begins.
The Comparison Table
| Aspect | A.J. | Tony |
|---|---|---|
| Character Type | Spoiled, lazy, anxious | Powerful, feared, controlling |
| Emotional Expression | Wears it on his sleeve | Hides it |
| Family Role | Son | Father |
The Verdict
“The Second Coming” stands as a masterful example of television writing. The show manages to make a character who is frequently a nuisance feel genuine. It presents Tony’s faults without offering excuses for them, while also depicting his affection without turning it into something overly emotional.
A moment of grace appears in the pool scene, when Tony becomes a human being once more. It is a welcome change for a show otherwise full of darkness.
This installment stands as one of the finest in The Sopranos, a seamless mix of story, person, and feeling that makes it one of the most forceful moments in the show’s history.
The series was never just about crime. It was built around families, fathers and sons, the burden of what comes before you, and the price of carrying it. That scene by the pool says all of it, and it is a moment that will endure well past the closing credits.
See the video the story is built around at Collider.
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