At last, series five kicks off next Tuesday (10th) on digital channel E4.

Hooray!

Yes, mate. You beat me to it. I on the other hand have Channel 4 only, not E4. Enjoy!

Mick

Good! You guys need to catch up!
I look forward to seeing your views on the episodes...

That won't be a problem!

Just about to sit down with Mrs Scottish Don and recap series four yet again!

Just checked next week's Radio Times, and it seems that series five kicks off on Channel 4 on Monday! Just a week behind ya, SD!

IT's BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously can't wait now. Nice of Ch4 to give me a bit notice. I have three days to watch the frist four seasons.

Mick

Thank heavens for that. I missed the beginning on E4 last week due to unforseen circumstances

FH

I'm a Brit and a recovering Sopranos' obsessive.

I haven't seen Series 4 yet; I guess after the greatness of Series 1 and 2 that I found Series 3 a disappointment.

Word of warning: When I became a fan in 2000, I looked like more like Chris Moltisanti; these days, I look more like Tony. The passage of time is a terrible thing.

Now where was it that I left my cigars and cannolis?

Series 4 is ok so far

Just watched the first two episodes of Season five and am already obsessed again, completely in awe of this show.

The humour is gone, and the tone is by far the most imbalanced of any series so far, but the photography is as crisp and brilliant as ever, the acting great yet again, and the plots and subplots are very exciting.

Glad we have come back to Raymond Curto being a rat, and Adrianna looks more and more to be the first major whacking. I heard before this season started that Paulie and Christopher would reach boiling point with each other; it will be interesting to see if we revisit this after they evidently made up in the first episode.

Gandolfini looks bigger than ever, and more worn out than other seasons, which really is perfect for his character at this time. Looks like Johnny Sac will be the next boss of New York, so will Tony have two black eyes soon: one caused by the uproarious two newcomers in his own crew, as well as New York moving in on his turf?

Third episode is tomorrow night; I really can't wait!

Mick

Hey CAPO. Glad you're finally seeing Season Five. Here is my review of Episode 2 "Rat Pack" that I made back in March.
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Another solid episode. Not one of the great ones, but another solid one that builds up the story and has a lot of great character moments, truly funny lines, and starts to resolve some long-standing plot-threads.

Jack Masserone is a construction contractor who has long been in business with the Soprano Family. Look back at Season Two, Masserone is the guy who paid Tony all that money in that scam with the Black activists protesting outside one of his job sites.
Jack gives Tony the painting of the "Rat Pack" and discusses future business dealings with New Jersey Assemblyman Ron Zellman. Zellman is the politician in the Mob's pocket who got funding for the big Esplanade construction project. He is also the guy who was seeing Tony's ex-goomar, Irina, the guy who Tony whipped with a belt in Season Four. Carefully note how Tony tried to sidestep the subject of Zellman with Masserone.
A couple funny lines in this conversation in the diner. One, Tony speaks of the Rat Pack painting as "modern art". Secondly, when Masserone speaks of his late mother, he says, "Wherever she is, I bet it's somewhere hot", to which Tony replies, "You had one of those, too?" Ah yes, Tony still fondly remembers Livia!

And, of course, the FBI is lurking outside the diner as this is going on.

Adriana is in a car, meeting with her FBI handlers. They ask her about a guy named Joseph "Joey" Cogo, then show pictures of his bullet-ridden corpse. They also show a pic of another guy who was apparently having dinner with Cogo the night of his murder. Who was that guy?
And a side note, how is Joey Cogo related to Giovanni "Johnny" Cogo, the guy that Silvio, Christopher, and Furio were beating to a pulp in the basement of Adriana's club, The Crazy Horse (in Season Four)?
I wonder what the connection is between the Sopranos and these unknown characters, the Cogos.

Next, we get a glimpse of the inner workings of the Newark FBI. In Season Three, it was revealed that Soprano Family capo Raymond Curto was an FBI informant. Since then, the show has not addressed this. Now, we see Curto working closely with Agent Harris and Agent Grasso, interpreting the tape of a high-level meeting from Season Four's opening episode. This is the meeting where Tony and Silvio meet with four of the six Family capos to berate them about the lack of cashflow.
We also see, in the FBI office, that the Feds have a video camera installed in the parking lot of The Crazy Horse, and they are tracking the movements of the Soprano Family's members.
It is then revealed that Jack Masserone is a rat working for the FBI. The Newark office's top agent, Frank Cubitoso, is listening to a tape of Tony's diner conversation with Jack. Also present in this listening session is the Federal prosecutor from Junior's trial, Prosecutor Castleman. He is putting pressure on the Newark FBI to get results. To him, the murder of Matthew Bevilaqua and the stolen airline tickets from the bustout of Davie Scatino's sporting goods store won't be good enough to prosecute Tony until they discover how the Soprano Family managed to infiltrate the jury system of Junior's trial.
The FBI noose is tightening!

In the next scene in Junior's house with Feech LaManna, Bobby Bacala, Tony, and Junior, we see that Uncle Jun' is starting to lose it. He is speaking of his own death, and it is clear that he may be going senile. We also learn that the Brooklyn boss Carmine Lupertazzi passes away from his stroke. Bacala speaks of him with respect, "He's the guy who invented point-shaving!"

In the funeral home on the day of Carmine's internment, we see that his hot-headed/thick-headed son Little Carmine is looking to stake his turf and take over his late father's position as New York boss. He sees that underboss John "Johnny Sack" Sacrimoni is getting all the respect of other New York mobsters, as if he is already the new boss. Little Carmine verbally attacks Johnny about a non-issue, something about the type of medal on the rosary that Carmine is holding in his casket. The storm-clouds are gathering for a possible internecine war in the New York mob over who will be the next boss! Will it be Johnny or Little Carmine who prevails? I put my money on Johnny. He's WAY too smart and ruthless for Little Carmine.

We are introduced to a new character: a lady who is apparently a legendary New York shylock operator, Lorraine Calluzzo. She's nobody's bimbo, and looks to be a formidable presence. She's also got a gorilla for a sidekick, a guy named Jason Evanina. We also see the character played by Frank Vincent for the first time, New York capo Phillip Leotardo.

And carefully note, through all of this at Carmine's funeral, wire-wearing rat Raymond Curto is always lurking nearby.

Next, we see Adriana speaking with her whore of a maid of honor, a Joisey barslut named Tina Francesco. It is learned that Tina is the inside player in some scam involving her writing false checks and her father cashing them. Adriana and Tina are on a double-date with Christopher and Little Paulie Germani. Christopher is bitter about not being able to drink or drug any more.

Finally, we see Steve Buscemi's character, Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto, who just got out of prison after a 15 year prison sentence. Tony and Tony B are happy to see each other after a long time apart. We hear another classic Tony line as he looks at a baby picture of him and his cousin, "Even back then, my cannoli was always bigger than his!"
Tony B's "Miami Vice" attire is hysterical. Clearly, he's still stuck in the 80s!

Then there's the surprise party for Tony B at Vesuvio. The extended Soprano family is there. We get some insight on Tony B. He's a bit depressed that his wife and kids will no longer have anything to do with him (they didn't show up to his surprise party), and he's a pretty keen guy. After a few seconds, he's able to pick up on the fact there's a problem between Tony and Artie Bucco, stemming from Artie's disastrous "attempt" at being a mobster last season.
We also see that the Soprano family is no longer the same after Tony and Carmela's separation. Tony, Carmela, AJ, and Meadow just drift away from each other at the party to sit by themselves.

After the Soprano family dinner party, we see Tony take his cousin to the Bing for some fun with the Soprano Family. From what Tony B said in the parking lot, we see that he might be a little bitter towards Tony over his lengthy prison stay. Later on, we learn that Feech LaManna hasn't wasted any time since leaving prison weeks before: he's already earning. Tony and Hesh have a chat as they look at Feech passing a nice "welcome back" envelope to Tony B. We can't hear what they say, but Hesh and Tony don't look pleased about Tony B associating with Feech.
In the bathroom, Tony brings up the subject of Little Carmine with Johnny Sack. It is evident that Johnny doesn't think too much of his late boss's son: "He does all this after five years in Florida fixing wet T-shirt contests." It looks like Little Carmine is the Fredo Corleone of this show!

Paulie Walnuts supplies some hilarious malapropisms with that sharp intellect of his: "Prince Matchabelli" and "Sun Tazoo". And then Tony B pokes fun at his cousin Tony in front of everybody, making a remark about Tony's weight. If Ralph Cifaretto were still around, he'd tell Tony B that fat jokes don't go over well in the Soprano Family! Over breakfast, Tony B tells Tony he wants to go legit, and stay out of the Mob life. It is clear Tony is disappointed in his cousin's choice.

Next, we see Carmela invite all the Mob wives (Gabriella Dante, Rosalie Aprile, Donna Parisi, Janice Baccalieri, and Adriana) over to start a little "film club" with Tony's video equipment. They watch "Citizen Kane". After the movie, it is clear that the movie is a little too high-brow for them. They'd rather gossip instead, and they do.

The scene with Adriana and her FBI handler, Agent Sanseverino, is interesting. We see that Adriana is overwhelmed by guilt over her snitching to the Feds.

Tony B walks in the back room of Satriale's as Silvio, Paulie, and Vito Spatafore are in the middle of a card game. After the mobsters make a remark about the former mobster's decision to go legit, the wisecracks from Tony B start to fly, and they are vintage. He calls Paulie "Grampa Munster" and says to big Vito, "Hey, those cards aren't candy bars, you can let go of a couple of them." Tony B, who wants to become a licensed masseuse, ends up working over Silvio, Paulie, and Vito, which is absolutely funny as hell to see. Even better is Tony's reaction when he walks in, "What the fuck is this?"
GREAT stuff!

Tony takes his cousin outside and has a frank, heated conversation with him about the wisecracks Tony B made to him at the Bing. We see that Tony B is a dangerous guy here. As Tony is barking at him, he gets an odd look in his eyes and says quietly, "You're crowding me." The guy is coiled like a snake, something Tony should have taken note of.

Next, we see that Adriana's friend Tina Francesco is stepping over the line, openly hitting on Christopher right in front of his fiancee! Adriana is pissed, but she doesn't say anything.

Later on at the Bing, Patsy Parisi reports that a cop on the Soprano Family payroll told him that the Feds were in a car outside the diner where Jack Masserone and Tony were having their meeting the previous week. This is bad news. If Masserone flipped (and as we saw earlier in the FBI office, he HAS flipped), he could bring down Tony with his testimony regarding Tony's industry-wide corruption in construction. Chris volunteers to kill Masserone, but Tony wants to be absolutely sure about the contractor before doing anything about him. Tony decides to meet Jack one-on-one. Tony wants to see if he can use the vaunted Soprano "rat-sniffing" ability he brags that his father Johnny Boy had to feel him out.

Tony meets with Jack in a parking lot. Before they talk, Carmela calls Tony on his cellphone to yell at him about taking the video system out of the house and ruining her little "film club". They argue for a minute.
While speaking with Jack, Tony does a lot of hugging and back-slapping, trying to see if Jack is wearing a wire. (He isn't; the microphone is actually in his hat) During their conversation, Jack makes a remark to Tony, "Have you lost weight?" Tony is flattered by this.
Tony goes back to Silvio and Christopher, just as undecided about Jack as he was before the meeting. Tony, frustrated, goes home (Livia's old house is where he is living now). He looks in the mirror at his expanding gut, and realizes that Jack was bullshitting him with the "Have you lost weight?" remark. Tony instinctively knows Jack Masserone is a rat, and orders him killed. We see someone throw the Rat Pack painting he gave to Tony in a river, then we see that the FBI have found Jack's body in the trunk of a car, a bullet in his head.

At the Mob Wives Gossip Club in Carmela's house, Adriana is drinking a lot of wine. She and Rosalie Aprile go outside for a smoke. Adriana asks why Angie Bonpensiero, widow of the late Pussy Bonpensiero, in never invited to their little get-togethers. Rosalie says that Angie isn't invited because Pussy is a rat who went into the FBI's Witness Protection Program. She compares Pussy to Judas, saying that Judas was actually BETTER than Pussy, because Judas didn't "go into any Apostle Protection Program", which is a funny comment.
Of course, this isn't true, and Adriana knows it. Pussy isn't in the program, and is likely dead, as her FBI handlers told her (in Season Four). And as we know, Pussy is definitely dead at the hands of Tony, Silvio, and Paulie.
Adriana, a bit drunk and wracked with guilt, ALMOST tells the Mob wives about her snitching to the FBI. But she stops herself at the last moment and runs off and drives away. The wives are baffled by her behavior.

The next day, the real life "rat pack" are meeting with their FBI handlers. Agent Cubitoso sees Jack Masserone's corpse. Agent Grasso meets with Raymond Curto. The capo says to Grasso that he wants more money for his work as an informant. Grasso refuses: "You said were gonna get us a making ceremony, which you didn't do, and you want a raise?" An aside here: I thought Curto WAS present for a making ceremony. It was revealed Curto was a rat early in Season Three. He was present when Christopher Moltisanti and Eugene Pontecorvo were made. I wonder what went wrong?

And lastly, Adriana meets with Agent Sanseverino. Adriana appears to have come to terms with being a snitch, and she finds something in it for her. Adriana rats out her "friend"/maid of honor Tina, spilling the facts about the scam Tina and her dad are in. Adriana was pissed about Tina hitting on Christopher, but she played it cool. I think it's awesome what she did. Like a cold-blooded operator, Adriana sets up her "friend" to be destroyed by the FBI.
As Tony will say to Melfi in a future episode, "The old guys who started this thing, they never got mad. They just nodded and smiled and didn't say anything... and they made sure you got it later."
Which is exactly what Adriana did.

It was a solid episode, once again.

Awesome review, Chris. You've always been one of the most knowledgable people on the show, and it's a pleasure reading your thoughts on it. I had to tape the first two episodes as I was on holiday, and the sound wasn't fantastic, so I missed a few details (such as whether or not Masserone WAS a rat or not).

I'd like to see Tony B turn out to be a loyal good guy; we see far too many people rebelling against Tony Soprano throughout seasons: Richie Aprile, Ralphie et al, and with four new characters in the show, it'd be nice to see one actually being loyal to the boss for once, though I must say, it makes more than compelling viewing watching how the big man will handle situations--which are looking more and more ominous as the seasons have gone on.

Johnny Sac has always been, to me, the most threatening character in the show. Silent, ruthless, dangerous and always instrumental in digging a thorne in Tony's side. Definitely the most powerful character in the show now (if he succeeds Carmine), even more than Tony, I'd say.

Some brilliant long-term plots ahead, though going by Season Four's lack of continuity, I wonder how many will lead to anything: the FBI seem to be gathering more and more stuff which will surely hit the Soprano Family hard. As hard as New York will hit it? Only time will tell, and I can't wait.

Cheers for the review. Did you write it before seeing episode three, or was it written retrospectively?

And on a side note, Chris, what did you think of season four? Everybody seems to dislike it--even detest it--but I think it's the most in-depth series yet, much darker and overall deeper than the others. The humour is less evident, and the lack of continuity is at times frustrating, but the acting is as phenomenal as ever, and the writing, although concerning the family more than the Family, is by no means bad, as some claim. I loved it, and season five looks just as good.

Mick

Hey CAPO. Cool, I am glad you liked the review. I wrote reviews for about 8 of the 13 episodes. I wrote them all the Monday or Tuesday after the episode aired for the first time. As the weeks go by for you, I will re-post my reviews for each episode so you can check 'em out.

As for Season Four, I LOVED it. It was dark as hell. The humor that was there was really dark and half the time it was stuff you shouldn't have been laughing at, but you couldn't help yourself!

In general, there was a more sinister air to everything in Season Four. In that season, you see a lot more of the New York Families than we ever did before. And Tony himself became more despicable than ever. Definitely, as the seasons pass, the character of Tony has become less and less likable.

If you think Tony's behavior was bad in Season Four, all I have to say about Season Five is "YIKES".

Just keep on watching, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Enjoy Episode 3, "Where's Johnny?".