Season 6 Ep 3: "Mayham" ***SPOILERS***

******CONTAINS SPOILER MATERIAL******


While Tony attempts to derail a potential lawsuit, Silvio starts to suffer from his added responsibility. To add to the mayhem, Carmela needs help dealing with A.J. while Vito and Paulie argue over the profits from a recent job. Christopher proposes a business opportunity to a friend from rehab.

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It seems a bit early in the week to post a new episode discussion thread, but it's never too early to start discussing/predicting, etc.

Tony tries to derail a lawsuit? In his current state!? Hints at another purgatory perhaps?

Yea sounds like Tony might be having some problems with Kevin Finherty pretty soon. Maybe because of the medical bill?

But does anybody else feel like Chase is molding Vito into the new "Within the Family" villain? Prior examples would be Ralphie, Mikey Palmice, Richie Aprile. And we all know how it ended for those guys.

The two Buddhist monks were suing Tony (or more accurately, Kevin Finnerty). Thats probably the lawsuit.

Oh yea, I completely forgot about that part.

Any idea what's with the misspelling of the title on this one?

I think the mispelling of the title has something to do with Paulie, who is always mispronouncing things. I believe in reference to a job he pulls in this episode, while talking about it to the guys he says "It was fucking mayham!"

And then the whole mayhem theme represents what will most likely be happening in the episode with all the power struggles and what not.

Bump for tonight.

Great. AJ thinks he's Rocco now. :rolleyes:

oh my god that was such a great episode..and when i saw steve buscemi and the outline of livia i honestly for a moment aloud myself to believe they were gonna let tony die. but he didn't let go....what a great episode...had me in shock the whole night.

Good episode.

Look's like Christopher is taking another cut at Hollywood...and to think, that fucker stole a film idea of mine. Still, I guess DEADFELLAS wasn't meant to be.

Loved the part where Vito and Paulie panic at the end with the "package"....

Good, but not great, episode. The end with Livia and Tony B really shined through, though.

I'm also glad to see T sort of back in action.

The preview for next week has me really relieved. It looks like he gets back to his old self, which is vital to the greatness of the show. I was starting to feel that they were prepping us for his death.

great episode. alot going on, very happy 2 see tony awake finally. vito and paulie are pieces of shit but i love paulie anyways, vito is just annoying lol.

Another great one. The best scene was Buscemi's cameo. Very surreal.

"You're going home. You leave your business behind."

Final dream scene was great ... when buscemi took the briefcase I really thought it was all over, great surprise for him to have come out of the coma this quick as well.

What a shock. Tony will be back running the family in episode 4, after being near death halfway through episode 3. :rolleyes: With that being said, it looks like things are going to get good. It will be intersting to see what happens to Silvio.

Great episode!

That ending was awesome.... hearing Meadow's voice (both the little girl and her real voice) imploring Tony not to leave was chilling.

Paulie's comedic addition adds so much to the show ... Meadow telling Paulie to say only positive things (when seeing Tony) and he then blurts out that Tony looks terrible.

I'd love to see Finn rat Vito out (about Vito being gay).

Probably Paulie's funniest episode sine the "Pine Barrens'.

I do wonder what will further elaborate on something that no one has talked about yet.

"I think you owe me, since I called you about her"

Ummmmm..

I was starting to think during this episode that Tony's whole dream sequence was purgatory. Any thoughts?

Uh, that's what David Chase said. Plus it's been discussed all week. :p

Very good episode, great ending. The outline of Livia and then Tony B trying to take the briefcase from him was very thrilling becasue we all realized at that point that once he let go of that briefcase, it was all over for him.

I loved the voice of his daughter saying "Don't go daddy" which obviously made Tony hold onto that briefcase. I also wonder if his seeing Livia in the doorway made him want to hold onto life that much more rather then let go and be with her.

I think some shit is going to hit the fan next week.


Don Cardi

What can be said about this episode and this series? Every time I talk about The Sopranos I find myself invariably engaged in gushing, fan talk because the quality of the show never ceases to amaze me and other fans. This episode was better than last week's and has to be top 10 if not top 5 material.

Some highlights and quotes I found significant and interesting: A.J. saying to Chris and B.B. that his idea to whack Uncle Jun. would be "difficult but not impossible," I wonder where that line's from.

The doctor advising Carmella to "recalibrate her expectations." Brilliant!

Although most of the monks have been good for in my opinion just plain dumb quotes, saying that "there's no fraud without a fairy tale" was classic.

Does "Colombian laundry" refer to the money or the cocaine?

Silvio's wife talking about the man and his times brings to mind Machiavelli and it's an interesting piece of dialogue if you think about it.

Paulie was good for a couple of gems, and when he called Vito "Bluto" I nearly pissed myself also in that scene him asking Vito if he wanted half his piss was an incredibly funny line. In another scene Paulie was at his breakfast table clipping coupons, anyone else get a kick outta that?

Rosalie saying that she hasn't been to Church that much since she quit bingo was quite funny as well I thought.

Carmine Lupertazzi provided his usual comic relief and I think that the actor that plays him deserves more credit than he gets.

However, the star of the episode in my opinion was most definitely Carmella. Edie Falco, will win an another Emmy and deservingly so. Her performances so far this season have been nothing short of brilliant and her emotional range and strength as an actress cannot be denied. Her being alone in the room with Dr. Melfi was I believe a new development and something cool I thought. Carm's line about "there being bigger crooks than her husband" was quite Corleonesque and this is just a micro example of how the whole episode had a Godfatherish feel to it. Another parallel was how when Carm was looking at Paulie and Vito in the elevator she brought to my mind at least Kay looking at Michael officially becoming The Don at the end of The Godfather. As after every episode, I can't wait till next week. The show is probably the only good thing about Sunday nights.

Uh, that's what David Chase said. Plus it's been discussed all week. :p [/b][/quote]Sorry, I didn't hear anything that David Chase said, nor have I read any of the discussions this week. In any case, I'm happy I got it "right"

It was a good episode. I'm wondering how Tony will be as far as his mental state. Yes, the scene with Tony B./Livia very good. I think this episode confirmed what we were discussing last week, purgatory, the bright light, and I agree with DC, as far as the brief case goes. I paid particular attention to the fact that he wouldn't let it go. And you're probably right DC, wouldn't you choose a few more years on earth if you saw Livia's image?

Paulie & Vito let their disappointment about giving Carm the cash show, if you noticed she caught a glimpse of it when they were in the elevator. In the previews Carm tells Tony, "don't trust them." I wonder if that's who she is talking about.

Oh, and poor Finn! That poor kid is getting tormented by Vito. I wouldn't be surprised he cuts and runs.

All and all, very enjoyable. I give the first two higher scores, but this was put together well, ending some of our speculation, and Tony appears to be out of the woods and up and running next week.

TIS

Talk about haunting. Just seeing Livia in the doorway and Tony B greeting Tony, was just, wow, surreal, like DV said.

Troy Anderson, recently cemented member of BB.Net, predicts this folks:

Gus and Vito will bite the dust soon.....with A.J. himself doing the dirty deed against Vito.

Hey, he told me to mark his words!

The idea of the monks asking Tony if he wanted to take responsibilty for his actions was real cool too.

Next week Paulie rats saying that Phil told him something, Tony gets irriate then. Looks like Vito could be in trouble.

Also Bobby could be in trouble down the road with Tony and his wife for that matter. I dont know if she even knows that he is starting to get into this. With a new born and everything.

Paulie crying and with his mom makes me wonder if he is starting to break down about the whole thing.

Great episode! Another one of Paulie's funiest moments- when he was talking to Tony about how he has to wear a jock and his arm is wrinkled like an old lady's ****(however he said that).

I think another key point is when Silvio visits Tony. It looked like sincere sadness in his eyes, and when he grabbed his hand you could see that he really loves Tony. Good acting by Steven Van Zandt. I think Silvio now knows what it's like to be in Tony's shoes, as he was confronted about that in the last episode of last season.

It's interesting where the storyline will lead if Carmella tells Tony about Vito and Paulie's reaction to giving the money to Carmella.

I loved the ending, reminded me about the episode in season 4 when Tony has a dream where he walks up to the house and sees Livia's image in the stairway, and he doesn't go into the house. David Chase is the Brian Wilson of writing/storytelling/screenplay (whatever you want to call it). Truly a genius and not enough credit!

I am starting to wonder if some how Tony real name in the sopranos isn't Kevin Finnery. It sounds odd, but wouldn't that be a twist.

Makes me wonder with the whole dream and not wanting to let the briefcase go "Cause HIS life was in it"

Chris was referring to the fact he ratted out Adriana (and thus let Tony know that she was an informer).

One of the "messages" from this show was that EVERYONE is in the business for one thing.... money. Forget friendships, forget relationships..... it boils down to "what have you done for me lately" or "what can you do for me now". It kind of disappointed me that Paulie was going to hold out on Carmela (if Tony hadn't pulled through).

I agree about Paulie. He had always seemed to hold a certain affinity for "T" that would transcend monetary issues.

Can you imagine if the hospital room was bugged?

AJ telling Tony that he will kill Junior
Paulie yapping it up about the scores he made, Big Pussy etc.
Chris saying about he came to him about Adriana, and his new business venture.

And next week it looks like there will be more business delt with in that room. Let's hope they sweep for bugs or else the family might be going down.

Maybe thats why they killed off all the rats on the show to make it seem like the Feds failed once again. Could be the last episode for the first part of this season?!

And yet, when Paulie first saw Tony in the hospital bed he looked really upset (to see how bad off Tony really was).

It was hilarious to watch how Tony's pressure (etc.) rose as Paulie was talking about his usual bullshit. Oddly enough, that was the ignition of the spark that brought Tony "back".

You see the coming attractions? They had "Keep your enemies close .... keep your friends closer".

i do think silvio is 1 of the few who actually cares about tony and his well being. we can clearly see paulie and vito were going the other way in hoping he may not pull through. tony is an excellent leader, and we can aknowledge that more now seeing how rough it was getting for silvio for just one day! there is no other like tony. the ending sequence was amazing and kind of scary 2 think about. falco's performance was definately award winning material once again. im only 19 and when i see AJ and his mother argue it reminds me so much of past arguments ive had with my mother, it really is beleivable, truly wonderful acting.

Wait, did you mix that up or did they?

I thought it was friends then enemies.

you know its weird seeing how tony, someone we've come to respect and think of as almost an untouchable figure, come so close to death. absolutely close to death.

I like Paulie too, he adds to the show. However, I couldn't believe he kept yapping away while Tony was dying, with all the monitors flashing and beeping.

Good point as far as the hospital being bugged. It sure would incriminate most of them. However, if you notice, someone has "always" been there or right outside the room. If Carm leaves, Meadow stays or Janice. It would be the FBI's dream though that's for sure.

Oh, and so far, Silvio seems to appear genuinely loyal to Tony. I hope the other shoe doesn't drop with him too.

TIS

You're right.... they mixed it up on purpose.

Interesting

How can his room be bugged? That would mean the Feds knew Junior was going to shoot him, call the hospital plant the bug before he got there, considering someone has been near his room at all times.

The bathroom. Now thats a different story. Paulie, Vito, and Sil talking Business in the bathroom.

Also, what was up with Tony asking Tony B if Finnery was inside and Tony B saying we don't talk like that here. Meaning Finnery is a heaven guy and Tony S isn't?

Why did Tony tell Tony B that his life was in the briefcase when it was Finnery briefcase?

He didn't, he was speaking about his briefcase that he had previously lost. Past tense. "My whole life was in there."

Silvio had it right when he said he was better in the background (i.e. giving advice). It wasn't the asthma that put him in the hospital - it was the stress (of being boss).

I kept wondering if Gab would begin to play a sort of Janice to Richie Aprile, urging him to step up and seize more power. So far that hasn't happened, and it seems as though Tony will be back in top form pretty soon.

Thought that could've been an interesting angle for her character to take though.

I wanted to comment on this.

Who's Gus? Am I missing something?

Anyone else wonder what will happen when Carmela finds out how much money is in the envelope given her by Vito and Paulie?

She'll be dumdfounded by getting 100 Large and possibly suspect that Tony has been holding out on her.

I'd keep in mind that that envelope isn't just the usual kick-up. Paulie/Vito took down a major score there, million large or so. I'm sure every now and then Tony gets a bigger tribute payment than usual because of nice little score such as this one. This could all be explained to Carmella, or they could just write it off to saying they gave more because of Tony's current state.

Also, I don't feel like that's a storyline the writers would choose to carry over an episode break.

But hey, we'll have to see.

You misunderstood, I'm saying that the Feds could've heard that Tony was shot and they saw it as an opportunity. If it is legal to bug the room, the Feds would find a way. remember the nurse in season 4? Maybe one of the nurses (possibly the one who is a ballbreaker) somehow planted a bug in the room. Possibly at a time when everyone had to leave the room. Difficult...not impossible.

I realize the bottom line for everyone is money, but I belive there is definitely something to what you said. Paulie wasnt really holding out on Tony. He just didnt want to give the money to Carmella. I think he has somewhat resented her since the separation. Remember his comment about throwing her stuff out to the curb and letting her sleep in the rain? He and Vito just seemed to lament the idea of giving her the money only to have Tony die shortly thereafter. So I do think Paulie genuinely cares about Tony, much in the same way Sil does. Vito, on the other hand, doesnt care a thing about Tony. I'm looking forward to him being dealt with. I'd like to see Finn have a frank coversation with Tony about Vito's activities.

Eh, your argument has more wrinkles than an old lady's c**t! :p

Of course, that's not addressed to anyone... I just wanted to say that line!

Good ep, and glad T's out of the coma. Called the "Stay away from the light, Carol Anne" right away, but, it was tastefully done. Actually, I even missed that that was supposed to be Livia! Nice touch.

I wanted to comment on this.

Who's Gus? Am I missing something? [/b][/quote]Apologies. I meant to see BOBBY, not Gus. No really, I think Train Buff Boy is gonna be a train wreck of a corpse himself quite soon...

I'd hope if they did bring his character to prominent importance, they wouldn't drag Janice along with him too much. I really don't think I could stand another Janice-heavy season.

i agree...i am not a janice fan either.

i havent seen this yet...having my usual look around for it though. I will have it by this time tomorrow i would imagine.

Great episode but I think it is the begining of the end for Vito. I am sure Finn is going to tell Meadow and I am not sure she did not see the "contact" but was more concerned about her father.

ALso I noticed Carmella saw the look on Paulie and Vito's faces after the got in the elevator.

Starting to get real good.

Took me a while to figure out the beacaon Kevin kept seeing in the distance but I realized it was the Dr's using the light in his eyes to see if he was alert.

Show is shaping up very good

I liked this episode. Paulie stole the show when he gets kicked in the privates. It was funny when he was sitting there with a towel on putting ice on them. This shows the comedic aspect of the show. Looks like Vito was eating junk food at the end of the episode. I thought Sylvio was going to bite the dust when he was saying, “I can’t breathe," over and over. I guess Sylvio has panic disorder as well. A.J saying anyone can be gotten to was the same line that Michael used to talk about the Hyman Roth hit in GF2.

i think vito was munching on carrots actually lol. not too unhealthy

Speaking of Paulie, he's funny and I like his character (although he can be pretty despicable at times), he wouldn't make a good boss, don't you think? He flies off the handle too easily and takes things too personally no?


TIS

Anyone think that Vito may have tried to set Paulie up by providing him with bad info in regards to the Columbians?
He told Paulie that after noon, no one is there! Turns out that they were there! Hmmmm.


Don Cardi

It makes you wonder. Knowing there'd be almost a million bucks involved why didn't Vito jack the load himself??

Did anybody else get reminded of Gigi's death in season 3 when Silvio was on the toilet? I would have been really pissed if Chase killed off another character that same way

Wow, another fantastic episode...Paulie's humor is something else. "He looks terrible!", "Old ladys c***"

The sequence with Tony and the "Man" (as Steve Buscemi was credited) had me so drawn in.

Alright, the briefcase may have been symbolizing Tony's life and him not wanting to give it up. But what was the house? Heaven? Hell? Something else completly? It seems to be agreed on that it was Livia's silhouette. Hm, so many questions to ponder..

maybe it wasn't exactly a hell...it was just his place where his soul could be at "rest." i mean, business has stressed tony out so much, and steve buscemi didn't want him to bring the business in.

I really think that that was a point where the "soul", if you will, of Tony was at the point where either his physical body would die, or continue on.

Even "Kevin Finnerity" has children and I think it was the voice of Meadow and the people in the hospital room that allowed T to hold on.

If the house is a heaven or hell it's hard to say which. It certainly didn't look like a hell, but "Livia" was there. A place to "rest" is a good explanation. But if Tony went in the house, I think his physical body would have expired.

The whole scene with Paulie and Tony yelling from inside his coma-induced dream was hilarious. Funniest scene in a long time.

The Bushemi scene was surreal. I didn't think that looked like Livia in the door, rather I thought it looked a lot like the woman from Tony's dream earlier in the series when he was a Italian "mason" looking for a job in that deserted house. He sees the shadow of that woman come to the stairs and he walks in then wakes up. THat scared me more. Such a good scene.

If Tony wakes up and all is normal again and nothing results of the shooting, then I'll be beyond pissed. What a lame way to draw people in. Let's make everyone think Tony is dead and then have nothing result from it. Lame writer's plot to draw attention to the show. Boo to that. Though the dreams Tony had made these first few episodes so good.


Is it just me? Or is the acting in this season particularly terrible? EVERYONE except Paulie, Carmela, Christopher and Tony seems to be terrible. Such wooden acting, maybe it's just me.

Who is Kevin Finnity? Such a good question. I like the play on words here: Kev-Infinity. Maybe he's God? Why do Buddhist Munks have a problem with him? To me, that's the most interesting aspect of the show so far. Kevin Finnity.

The Doc

DonFerro, you took the words out of my mouth about the women who looked like the figure from his stonemanson dream. Exactly.

I also agree that the acting was somewhat below par. Wasn't the $100k supposed to be $100k from each one of them? Of all the characters, I think Vito is in for a shock.

But I can't understand how, according to next week's previews, Tony recovers so quickly. Of course, a writer can write whatever he wants. But from a logical point of view, I don't see Tony being his old self (as indicated by the previews) so quickly.

Overall, though, we may have missed a cue. What this episode might have been telling us is that if you scratch the surface (Tony) there's only fat beneath, no real muscle. Tony is holding everything together. All of the main players see the trees; only Tony sees the forest.

I don't believe Tony's recovery will be that quick. His voice sounded gravely like Vito in GF I.

I'm not so sure. He sounded like the Tony of old and his behavior was quite aggressive and irritated.

Just wanted to mention, one thing I really didn't like about the Silvio storyline last episode was Silvio's revelation that he was considered for boss at the time of Jackie Aprile's death.

If I remember correctly, Sil wasn't even a captain at the time, and the major names in contention for the top spot were Tony, Junior, and briefly Ray Curto. Nowhere was Silvio, the lowly strip club owner who worked with Tony, even mentioned or considered for Boss. I thought that bit was a little ridiculous, a major plot hole.

Fantastic episode. I sort of feel, however, that maybe Tony is better off dead, with all these vultures around him. Feel bad for the guy.

Good point Mista, maybe Sil was exagerrating the story a bit to tell his wife and himself that he is ready to handle the big chair. Sil can be pretty excentric I suppose.

Again, I sorta felt bad for a thug like Sil. Remember last season how he tried to get a "promotion", but Tony told to knock it off?

Poor Sil...good muscle man and extra hand, but he couldn't cut the mustard as a boss.

Yes, that Paulie scene was brilliant writing. Paulie is whining to TONY while he is in the coma and at the same time KEVIN is hearing muffled yelling behind the wall, and is screaming "Shut the F**k up!" Tony in his coma hearing Paulie whining and telling him to shut the f**k up! Brilliant stuff.

Yes, I agree about the old lady being the same silhouette as the old lady from the farm house. But I always felt that the old lady from the farm house was supposed to be his mother in the first place.


Don Cardi

I think that's pretty amazing that the director was able to find someone who looked enough like Livia and shoot the scene in such a way that nearly everyone who watched got the same message out of it; Livia was standing at the doorway. Even though all we get is a fleeting glance and a half-covered face, we were all still able to interpret what exactly Tony thought he was seeing.

even in death she's haunts poor tony.

bloody tinternet is being distinctly average with regards downloading this episode...it sounds like it was a corker.

I don't think that was Livia. It has some other significance.

im pretty sure it was Livia, even my mother (whom i must remind ever show or so who is who) said oh my thats Livia


anyway the reason why im here. Does anyone think that AJ will go on a suicide mission like in godfather II? I mean he isnt happy and he said the "everyone can be reached" line. so hmmm, I'd hate to see it but its something to think about.

Yea, I think it's a possibility. And, he did say it's "difficult, not impossible", a favorite GF line.

Bobby seems to be getting a little greedy too, don't you think?


TIS

He'll be there. David Chase and his boys took a year off to get this right! Trust me, they won't fuck it up!

I don't think so. (My opinion may be tempered by the fact that I like the character of Bobby Bacala - compared to say, Vito Spatafore).

It seems that Bobby is just speaking up for what it his, or should be his, because of Uncle Junior's prior "ownership" of that game.

Then again, with somebody like Janice pushing him now, anything is possible.

seen 99% of this episode now (My dl lets me watch as it runs)

Vito is SO gonna be a major whacking sometime this series...its beyond obvious that he is going to cause problems. Same for Bobby...when have we ever seen him act so selfishly and mercenary?! He has a big storyline to come..no doubt of that.

Paulie, Sil, Chrissie...i am not so sure yet. Also Larry Barese is back around...maybe something will happen for him...let's see shall we.

Overal...what an episode...another corker.

Yeah, why is Larry Boy back? I thought he was jailed when Junior and his crew were indicted in the first season? I knew that he came back last season at Ray Curto's birthday party, but wouldn't he be under some sort of house arrest?

One of the previews has AJ running toward a door to get out of a room. Could be a police station. Also, the previews for this coming week indicate that Tony is back to his old self castigating people for their decisions, etc. I think that Paulie is in for a change or two.

Looks like little Carmine is also back in the picture.

finally wtached it last night, good episode as usual, cant stand vito he is annoying me badly!!!!!! cant wait for the next one now tony's back

What was up with Tony speaking without his jersey accent in the dream? I know I'm not the only one who noticed.

You simply missed the whole point of the dream sequence.

OK here is my 0.02

I think that Kevin Fernity represents eternity.

Kev - is a measurement of energy
Infinity- well you know what that is.

Tony in his near death experience did not want to own up to or be responsible for his actions in life.

He assumed a different persona with younger children and a different life. Kevin Finnity was the identity he wanted to assume.

The Monks represented the good in the world and basicly wanted to let Tony know that he must be accountable for his actions. Basicly they were on to him.

At the end when before going into the family reunion this is again where Tony was reminded of ownership, accountability, and responsibility.

We don't talk like that here?

The briefcase represented his life, but he was holding on to someone else's life, misrepresentation.

At the end you have to accept your fate based on the life you lead.

Everyone is here and waiting for you?

That is when Tony became scared. In the end you cannot hide what you have done.

This was also supported by Carmela's comment to Melfi abount worse criminals . In the end it does not matter.

Good Episode

In the words of Doc Holiday: "There's only what we do."

Just saw the episode. Great ending to see Steve Buscemi again, I was mad when they killed him off.

yeah it does suck...they did have him signed for two seasons..but felt he needed to go. weird eh?

Vito's wife was played by Lorraine Bracco's sister. I had no idea that Vito's wife was cousins to Phil Leotardo.

pretty damn convenient.

vito is also supposed to be cousin with jackie aprile...whom he shot.

to be fair though, they all seem to be related so perhaps its not too far fetched.

Just watched this episode for the first time earlier today, and I continue to spot patterns in how the show is delivered:

Silvio given more screentime than usual, and thus I predicted he'd be, in one way or another, dead by the end of the episode. Not quite the case, but he's out of it for the time being even so.

Anybody else think Vito's a walking caricature? Bad acting, though there's a certain woodenness to him which makes him sort of appealing.

The show is full of little moments where you expect something and it doesn't happen: what was with the camera lingering on the toilet door as Silvio sits inside? For a moment I thought it was another cubicle, adjecent to Silvio's, with a Fed inside. Then I saw the red shirt. Surreal little moments like that which get the heart racing and then lead to an anti-climax. Some may argue that, in the bigger picture, the show itself is handled in this way.

Convenient writing again: Vito is revealed to be closer to Phil than we first thought; Silvio suddenly has asthma; it's Chase doing what he does best, I think, and what he's done since Episode 5 of season one, "College", and more and more predominantly since: to make each episode stand alone.

This episode in particular was so fascinating because it covers fresh ground and sheds light on relationships never touched upon; I think, in this sense, Tony's coma brought out some of the best potential, and best writing, on the show--not to mention, in Edie Falco's case, the best acting. Melfi and Carmela's discussion was fascinating; Bobby and Vito; Chrissy and AJ; Vito and Phil; Carmela with the capi.

Resulting predominant themes, then, seem to be Selfishness (I count Melfi as the only character not driven by selfishness, and maybe Meadow) and, oddly, Memory. Or Lack Of It. Tony diagnosed with Alziemer's in his dreams, Junior shooting Tony in the first place due to the same thing, probably, Vito and Phil forgetting what they were talking about at dinner, and so on.

Funniest moments: Chris telling the others Ghostbusters is another reason they should make their Saw-meets-The Godfather film; Paulie's remark about Tony looking terrible, and Paulie telling the others, "So I was holding his hand..."

Best moment: That final dream; for Gandolfini's acting if nothing else. It was also the only time during Tony's coma that I actually felt unsafe in the writers' hands. It got me thinking all sorts of things, such as when Romance and Cigarettes, the musical in which Gandolfini stars, was filmed, and whether he had been available because he was no longer working on the show...like Adriana's demise was certain when Joey signed her up.

Great episode.

That final dream was one of my favorite parts of this season. Buscemi, the shadow. Haunting as hell.

Not to mention it was hilarious seeing Paulie make Tony's blood pressure drop.