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(More customer reviews)While the death count has steadily decreased in subsequent seasons, The Sopranos is not going soft, but rather evolving. In the first season, everything was put together. In number two, an emphasis was placed on Tony's business: busting out, poker games, scams, power struggles, traders, etc. In season 3, the series showed it is not prone to repetition. Instead of Ralph becoming another Richie, his ability to make money kept him alive.
Now the fourth and still not the last season. Seemingly every episode ended with an uncomfortable shot of Tony and Carmela alone together, but still apart: In bed with Carmela facing away, in the kitchen with Tony leaning on the couch, in the bathroom with Carmela in the tub. And after all this, Tony bought "Whitecaps", his way of saying that he wanted to keep his family together forever. But Carmela saw it as just "a bigger version of a diamond ring." As Dean Martin sings at the end of the finale, "It's because, my girl's right here."
Then the demise of Ralph, foreshadowed when Jonny Sack comments "I should have let Tony cut your head off last year." Ralph was kept around only because of money and when he hands Tony an envelope and says "At least I'm good for something," Tony can't help but agree. And when Ralph is being `silenced' by Tony in `Whoever Did This', Tony comments "She was a beautiful creature, what did she ever do to you?" It becomes hazy whether he is referring to Pie-O-My or Tracy when he sees her picture at the Bing. The "thousand incidents with that guy" finally catch up to Ralph.
By the end of the season, Tony has a business predicament that will likely be settled somehow in season 5. Tony has conspired with Carmine to kill Jonny Sack, and negotiated with Jonny to kill Carmine. It is unclear by season's end exactly who knows what and who is being set up.
The biggest gripes from viewers seemed to be the oddness of the Carmela / Furio and Janice / Bacala storylines. I think more in depth viewing will help people to understand the subtleness of season 4. And mind you a lot of season 4 storylines will likely carry over into 5. The Sopranos is ongoing, and doesn't play by the national network `close all storylines in the finale and leave one cliffhanger' rule.
My biggest beef was HBO's ruining the finale with posting online that Uncle Junior's would get a mistrial and showing in the trailer a black SUV being shot into. Of course when it aired and a black SUV pulled up, any element of shock was completely ruined.
Season 4 is very deep and intriguing, and has taken me dozens of viewings to understand underlying themes, and will take many more to grasp them all and catch all the jokes (like Tony feeling like the 'Reverend Rodney King Jr.') Hopefully the DVD and its audio commentary will help. Like what was Tony's `Italian Immigrant' dream suppose to mean?
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It's tough times in Jersey for Tony Soprano. The sluggish economy hasn't been good for the family business. His wife Carmela is angling for more financial security. Some longtime lieutenants aren't happy with Tony's recent decisions. A rival boss wants a bigger piece of the suburban pie. A Sopranos is actually heading to trial for the first time in decades. At least one child seems to have lost interest in higher education. And the ducks aren't coming back anytime soon. PROGRAM INFORMATION Number of Episodes: 13 1. For All Debts Public & Private 2. No -Show 3. Christopher 4. The Weight 5. Pie O My 6. Everybody Hurts 7. Watching Too Much Television 8. Mergers & Acquisitions 9. Whoever Did This 10. The Strong Silent Type 11. Calling All Cars 12. Eloise 13. Whitecaps
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