Anyone else think Robert Patrick's acting in The Sopranos was incredible? He played that part to absolute perfection in every possible facet. 7:55-9:13 is probably the best part of the recap. He goes from seriously contemplating suicide: "I'm fixing a fucking lightbulb!" to getting spoken to like a dog by Tony when he whines about Tony and the crew absorbing his business: "Get the fuck back in your fucking hole". The scene with Davey opening up to his brother-in-law is absolutely heart-rending.

The arcs of guys like Vin Makazian, Davey Scatino, Gene Pontecorvo and Johnny Sack are so well-acted. It makes Steven Van Zandt and his wife's atrocious acting stick out like a sore thumb.

The sign of great acting is when one not only delivers lines with authority, but can convey the essence of a character with their physical acting; the eye movements and hand movements etc. That's what made James Gandolfini's portrayal so legendary.

You can FEEL the desperation, sadness and overwhelming despair of Davey Scatino in the character's eyes. Same thing with Gene Pontecorvo when his wife shows him that their son is using again. The agony in his eyes was so genuine.

Fuck, what a great show. The way the writers and directors brought out incredible performances from the actors, some of whom were very much journeymen actors, gives me faith that Newark will deliver in the same way.