(I say "potential" only because the most recent theorizing, AJ whacking Junior, turned out to be a near hit)

Alright, Phil. Some smooth operator, this guy, huh?

I think he's overplaying the dead brother card a bit much; after all, he DID get justice. AND with a bonus. Tony Uncle Al was like a brother to Tony Uncle Johnny, so I don't see how you can get much more restitution out of Soprano than for him to whack his own cousin. Yet Phil is STILL harboring a grudge (or APPEARING to harbor a grudge). So, let's say, for argument's sake, that his wrath is genuine. The question is why. The answer I'm going with: he didn't get a chance to torture Blundetto and along the way pump some information out of him before putting him down.

Let's face it, folks. Leotardo's got ambitions.

I think he's trying to take over BOTH NY and NJ, and what better time to do it than now?

First off, NY is ripe due to its Don chain smoking behind bars. This would explain why Phil's broadcasting his total lack of respect towards Johnny (sobbing at the wedding, my ass!). This guy's maneuvering BIG TIME.

Meanwhile, across the Hudson, lots and lots of chaos in the Garden State. I think Tony, gunshot or not, is and has been in a truly vulnerable/unsteady position lately. He's lost TWO captains, Ray Curto and most recently Vito. Top that off with the final exit of Eugene, who I'm guessing is an undercaptain, but a key figure all the same. With Junior in the cuckoo's nest, he no longer has his "lightning rod." He eliminated Rusty which plays, I think, more in Phil's hands than John's in the long haul (indeed, wouldn't surprise me if Phil convinced John to give the order).

Getting back to Vito, again more melodrama. Like Phil really is all that TRAUMATIZED that his cousin's husband is gay. (Cue Carmela soundbyte: oh PUH-LEEEEEZE!) I take you back to what, in hindsight, was a very key moment this season. The after-dinner heart-to-heart between Phil and Vito. Remember Vito thinking aloud that he should think twice about kicking up to Carmela. Phil's "shock" was a bit suspicious to me even then, and now I understand why: at that point, before the leather hit the fan, Phil may have seen a possible, key ally in Vito. But now that Vito blew it (no pun intended), Phil has no other option than to work toward eliminating him permanently; either way, Tony still loses a very important captain.

Also, another curious moment this season was the near whacking of Hesh's son-in-law by Phil's crew. Of course, their excuse was that they didn't really know Hesh but I'm not buying that either. That old man, by all logic and circumstances, should have come away with more than just an injured schnozz, which is why I think they knew who he was. Tony, as we all knew, ended up giving Phil less than a slap on the wrist (to Chris's dismay). Chris may have been on to something when he saw it as an act of capitulation because I'll bet that's EXACTLY how Phil read it.

Just a theory, folks, just a theory...

Interesting Theory at that Montauk, there are so many differen scenarios that you point out, that can be played out, and if chase would only stop trying to make these hollywood movies and get back to it being a mafia soap opera, it would be far more entertaining, and far less time (if any) on hiatis, where years pass without a new episode. He has run down the cast, the writers and the viewers with a lot of unneccessary stuff... i see the show being shot first hand at times... why is he going thru the expense of shooting in film only to downconvert it to video? Even still, forget the expense, consider the time to convert/edit a single episode. Why does it take him a week to shoot a 30-second scene? That is hollywood, not NY/NJ, i wish we could return to the days of the first season or 2 where it was shot like it was supposed to be shot, like a soap opera, not like a hollywood film. Let's face it, its not The Godfather, its a TV show. Its one thing to sit down for 3 hours and watch a movie where every scene is perfect, and its another when you watch a show once a week that is less than an hour... david chase, please spare us the overkill and give us more episodes more frequently! If you know something we don't, please save it for "The Soprano's, the Movie" and keep our sunday nights fun, not anxious for developments that don't occur and then we have to wait 2 years for the next premire! Ok i am done ranting, sorry 0:-)

You have a point there, Montauk. Hmmmmm..... Montauk point?!?!

That whining sack of doody, Phil Leotardo, will NEVER be happy until he does harm to Tony (who robbed him of the pleasure of killing Tony Blundetto himself). He'll find any excuse to stick his nose in the Soprano's Family business (including trying to whack Vito now). This will force Tony's hand to take some decisive action againt Phil, and I can't wait to see it.

I'm always thinking about mis-direction. I still think Ade may come back. Remember, Chris brings up Ade so many times with Tony.

Sure Ade could come back, when Tony needs a nice bag of fertilizer for his backyard.

I think this is a very good theory by Montauk. It seems every season has a development of one or two characters that come to head with Tony in the end. As pointed out by Montauk that could very well be Phil. I would like to throw in my 2 cents. What if this season ends with the whacking of John in prison and the final 8 is about Tony having to fend of Phil and NY? Side note: Carmela mentioning "we are so blessed" a lot.

That is a possible signal for the other shoe; remember how all was so pleasant when Tony bought that summer home on the shore, and then BOOM! The phone call from the goomar from Hell.

Speaking of fiery depths, any takers on whether we'll hear again from the girlfriend who got burned and dumped? Of course, if this were the soap opera that someone earlier suggested it ought to be, we'll probably find out that Juliana was really the same woman (I totally forgot the character's name) after some secret plastic surgery.

Her name was Valentina

To follow up on that theme, I said in another post that maybe all that Tony has come to rely on falls away - his marriage, kids, family loyalty, etc. There are so many ways this thing could go. But I do think that Tony and Phil are going to come to blows. I was looking for that when Tony told Phil that he was just the acting boss. You know, we've seen this season the death of two FBI informants. So maybe the intention is to throw us of the track of. Could there be others?

Or FLIES AWAY like those ducks...