December 9, 2002
The end of 4...or how I spent the last 13 Sundays
I am an HBO junkie. I am addicted to most of the original programming that they have. I have been extremely devoted to The Soprano's. Good writing and intense characters amaze me. In my opinion, The Soprano's have consistently delivered good television since the pilot episode when Tony waded with the ducks in his pool and passed out while grilling sausage.
Seasons 2 and 3 continued the tradition with incredible storylines with lots of surprise, 'envelope pushing' types of dialogue and action.
Season 3 gave us "Pine Barrens" - which in my opinion is one of the best episodes ever. It's the one where Paulie and Christopher get lost in the woods while chasing a Russian.
This past season, many fans were angry and many were disappointed. After an incredibly long wait, many people felt that they went soft. Many want to give it up.
Not me.
I think that although this season was slower than the past 3, it still delivered each week. David Chase and his band of writers are setting us up. Each story arch they created is weaved into the past and I'm sure will be instrumental in the final season next year.
Last nights episode gave us the breakup [??] of the Soprano's marriage. It set us up for a New York Under-boss vs. New Jersey Boss conflict. It gave us lots of subtle questions that can be answered in new episodes.
Edie Falco was amazing. She was absolutely brilliant in the portrayal of her characters breakdown. During the bedroom scene, when she originally confronts Tony about his latest infidelity with the one-legged Svetlana, she wasn't Edie Falco - actress, she WAS Carmella Soprano. Each sentence, actually each WORD, was delivered with such emotion and intensity, that I was actually sitting up, holding my stomach, because my heart was breaking for her.
The writing and acting melded so beautifully during that scene, that I actually felt like an intruder watching real people.
So I say Kudo's to the writer's, producers and actors.
Please just don't make me wait another year and a half until the next season.
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