When hearing the tagline for “This Thing of Ours” (“A story about life in the mafia”), images of Scorcese and Copolla’s films enter into the imagination. The holiday party was hands down the most immersive scene about the mafia lifestyle. The scene had such great ambience. It feels like you’re sitting in the room with them. Rarely do characters from books paint an image in the mind’s eye. The fact that it’s possible to visualize speaks a lot to the mixing of the episode.

During that scene, the listener feels like a character, witnessing the story first hand. It’s the difference between hearing a story and actively engaging with it. Like some movies, it’s more about the experience than the film itself.

The final scene, which constantly shifts the point of view from Frank and Mickey to the people outside is so tense. Cutting back and forth between shots works in movies on a variety of levels. After hearing this episode, if watching the same events play out on a screen, the fear wouldn’t be half as emotional. This is a testament to the medium of sound.