Great episode, though I didn’t think so until most of the way through it.
–I lost it when Uncle Junior’s lip started trembling at the end. That scene was perfect.
As I’ve said before, this is going to be the overriding theme of the season–Tony looking back at his life for the first time, and realizing that he’s let a lot of shit go bad right under his nose. It’s just building and building. (Best pregnant exchange: Junior: “There’s a lot of things I’d like to forget.” Tony: “You and me both.”)
This is the plot that will bring Lorraine Bracco back to the show.
–So it’s finally pretty clear that Uncle Junior’s going 'round the bend. I suspected last season that we’d eventually find out that his “crazy old man” act wasn’t all an act. As they made sure to remind us there at the end, he is still the boss of the family.
One of my favorite things about this show is the way they bring old-school values face-to-face with modern-day psychopathology, as they did from day one with Tony’s depression. I’m sure that same culture would have seen Uncle Junior as “just a crazy old man”, but now they can look at it as Alzheimer’s (or, technically, multi-infarct dementia). There isn’t anything else they can do about it, but I’m sure it changes the perspective. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
–Anybody want to put odds on the longevity of Little Carmine vs. Johnny Sack? My prediction: Little Carmine face down in a swimming pool within three episodes.
–Paulie is bugshit crazy. Feech is bugshit crazy. I really hope they have these two up one another’s ass for the rest of the season–I’m enjoying it.
–My only worry is that they’re introducing so many major plot lines to be resolved: Adriana vs. the FBI, Johnny Sack vs. Little Carmine, Uncle Junior vs. multi-infarct dementia, Tony vs. Tony B., Tony vs. Carmela, Tony vs. Tony. That’s not counting potential side plots like Feech vs. Paulie and Janice vs. her own uselessness. It’s an awful lot to wrap up in one season, especially considering that they’ve barely even introduced Steve Buscemi’s character. I think they’re setting us up for two seasons in a row, all the way through the ending. (Does anyone know for sure if Buscemi is supposed to be around for more that one season?)
Dr. J