Man, Fredo Corleone is a dumbass!

[SweetZombieJesus]

Everytime I watch Godfather II, all I can do is watch with awe as Fredo fucks up over and over again. First he throws in with Hyman Roth and Johnny Ola when they're going to try and kill Michael, and when that fails, he goes down to Havana, and like an idiot, says he's never met Johnny Ola, and then they go to that strip club and he loudly talks to Johnny like their old friends, WITH MICHAEL STANDING FIVE FEET AWAY.

Then he's dumb enough to believe Michael would actually forgive him later on, and gets whacked. And he wonders why he got passed over to be the Don?

[Sancho Panza]

1. childhood illness

I believe the reason for Fredo's slowness was his childhood illness, severe pneumonia or something, where his fever caused some brain damage. Notice that is him in the crib fallen ill in the flashback scenes.

Fredo was the oldest, but not being bright due to his illness, Sonny becomes the natural heir as the next oldest.

But yeah, it is like a train wreck in slow motion, and shows how ruthless Michael became when he could come to kill his own brother, no matter the reason behind his mental slowness.

[ET Awful]

2. Actually Sonny was the oldest.

Michael the youngest, Fredo was in the middle.

I always thought part of Fredo's thing was he was a druggy and an alcoholic.

You're also forgetting that his first major f-up was standing there and doing nothing when the Godfather got shot in the first film. He pulls his gun and drops it then cries.

[Sancho Panza]

4. ok

I don't know why I keep thinking that, and I don't have (much) brain damage as an excuse.

Michael was supposed to be the 'straight' one and not get mixed up in the family business, so if Fredo WAS made the Don, it would have been disastrous. But the childhood illness factor IS true, no matter Michael's fate.

[lazarus]

3. Now you see

Why one of Shrub's first nicknames was "Fredo".

[Rhiannon12866]

8. LOL!

Thanks, I had not known this!

[LynneSin]

5. So you're watching Godfather II on HBO II

I'm watching too!

[SweetZombieJesus]

6. Yep, I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame

I ALWAYS watch them, no matter what else is on.

I love this part with the Senate hearing.

[Name removed]

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