I'm not positive about this but I think there are nine more episodes starting on April 8th and this will be the final season for The Sopranos. It's one of my favorite programs ever on TV but some of the episodes the last couple of years have been pretty weak. I'm hoping The Sopranos finishes on a high note.
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Hey "Sopranos" Fans: Chew on These Morsels of News
Sat, 03/17/2007 - 12:30pm http://buzzsugar.com/by BuzzSugar
"The Sopranos" kicks off the final part of its final season April 8, and details have been understandably scarce so far about what's coming up for Tony & co. But HBO just released a few tiny morsels for fans to nibble on while we wait: The episode titles and summaries for the first four episodes and a list of guest stars, including Sydney Pollack, Tim Daly, Daniel Baldwin, David Margulies, Julianna Margulies, Nancy Sinatra and — wait for it — Geraldo Rivera.
Here's HBO's incredibly vague description of what's to come:
Having survived a close call with death, Tony Soprano struggles to remind himself that each day is a gift, but challenges new and old make that all but impossible. At home, Carmela plans for a future she's not sure will arrive, while Anthony Jr. and Meadow find that adulthood holds its own surprises. As for his other "family," Tony comes to doubt some of his oldest and most trusted allies and makes some hard choices that will shape his own destiny as boss.
OK then, let's see if we can extract any shreds of meaning from the episode titles and descriptions. Spot anything intriguing? Tell me in the comments below.
- April 8: "Soprano Home Movies"
After a close call at home, Tony and Carmela head to the Adirondacks for a weekend with Bobby and Janice.
- April 15: "Stage 5"
Tony finds art imitating life at the "Cleaver" premiere; in prison, Johnny Sack copes with more bad news.
- April 22: "Remember When"
With the heat turned up in Jersey, Tony and Paulie head south to cool off. Meanwhile, Junior rekindles some of his old fire in a poker game.
- April 29: "Chasing It"
Tony hits an unlucky stretch; AJ makes a life-changing decision; Vito's widow Marie (Elizabeth Bracco) turns to Tony for help with her troubled son.
http://www.hbo.com/sopranos/
<NOSCRIPT>
so that's reason enough to bring her back.
'The Sopranos' Returns With Arresting Developments
Good news: "The Sopranos" is back. Last night I had a chance to see the first episodes of the final season.
Bad news: It's the final season. There are only nine episodes, and the first two, while terrific in every sense, only foreshadow a little of what may come before the last shot is heard.
Next Tuesday night, about 2,500 people will jam into Radio City Music Hall to see these first two shows. But last night, HBO hosted a smallish affair at the Museum of Modern Art for movers and shakers to get the buzz going.
None of the show's cast members were there, but Glenn Close, Sam Rockwell, Charlie Rose, New York Times editor Bill Keller, Time Inc. editorial director John Huey, Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes, Hearst Publications' Ellen Levine, writer Stanley Crouch, talk show host Donny Deutsch, Danny Bennett (who manages Dad, Tony) all were, along with show creator David Chase, executive producer Ilene Landress and writers Terry Winter and Matthew Weiner.
So is it good? That's all anyone wants to know. The answer is: It's great. You can't do any better than "The Sopranos" on TV and often in film. And this time around, Chase and co. -- knowing the end is near -- do not disappoint.
The first episode, as someone described it, is like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Tony and Carmela drive to sister Janice and brother-in-law Bobby's lake house in upstate New York for Tony's birthday weekend.
The four characters are pretty much it for the show, but what transpires and what's revealed are major points that recall the past and should help write the future.
And here's one little spoiler: Tony is arrested for something that seems minor. That's all I can say. Oh yes, and there's a bloody beating and a hit.
The second episode brings in just about the entire cast as Christopher's horror movie, made with Tony's money, is finally unveiled. The premiere of "Cleaver" includes a rare moment when most of the ensemble (save Dr. Melfi) shows up for the premiere.
Writer Winter described it last night as "like the cover of Sgt. Pepper" as the camera pans the "Cleaver" audience and we see people we haven't seen in a long time.
The second part of Episode 2 concerns the tragic death of a main character. I won't say who it is, but it's not Uncle Junior.
The surprise is that director-writer-producer-actor Sydney Pollack turns up in a decent-sized cameo and nearly steals the show in the process. Look out for another cameo by actor Christopher McDonald as Christopher's AA sponsor.
In the end, though, what steals "The Sopranos" are the Sopranos. The writing is impeccable with lots of little gems, including malapropisms from Ray Abruzzo as Carmine (he calls a beautiful box "mellifluous"), non-sequitur quotes from Blood, Sweat & Tears by "poet" Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) and the earnest assertion from Carmela that "Tony is not a vindictive man."
The acting in the show is also beyond anything else on TV. Obviously, the three main leads -- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco and Edie Falco -- are a pleasure. But Episode 1 allows Aida Turturro and Steve Schirrippa to really shine.
And Episode 2 is full of revelations, including stunning work by Vince Curatola and Frank Vincent. The latter gets a speech about his character's family name (Leotardo) that is simply priceless. And Curatola has some magnificent elegant stuff as exiting New York boss Johnny Sack.
So, stay tuned. The end of "The Sopranos" could turn out to be a bloody mess, particularly if hints of trouble between Tony and Christopher are played out.
Personally, I would like to see the final scene of the show be between Tony and Dr. Melfi, having yet another unfulfilling session in her office. But all the show's players are tight-lipped, even as the final episode is still being filmed, written and directed by Chase.
Whatever the end brings, rest assured, that with syndication and DVDs, "The Sopranos" will never really be over.
Good news: "The Sopranos" is back. Last night I had a chance to see the first episodes of the final season.
Bad news: It's the final season. There are only nine episodes, and the first two, while terrific in every sense, only foreshadow a little of what may come before the last shot is heard.
Next Tuesday night, about 2,500 people will jam into Radio City Music Hall to see these first two shows. But last night, HBO hosted a smallish affair at the Museum of Modern Art for movers and shakers to get the buzz going.
None of the show's cast members were there, but Glenn Close, Sam Rockwell, Charlie Rose, New York Times editor Bill Keller, Time Inc. editorial director John Huey, Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes, Hearst Publications' Ellen Levine, writer Stanley Crouch, talk show host Donny Deutsch, Danny Bennett (who manages Dad, Tony) all were, along with show creator David Chase, executive producer Ilene Landress and writers Terry Winter and Matthew Weiner.
So is it good? That's all anyone wants to know. The answer is: It's great. You can't do any better than "The Sopranos" on TV and often in film. And this time around, Chase and co. -- knowing the end is near -- do not disappoint.
The first episode, as someone described it, is like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Tony and Carmela drive to sister Janice and brother-in-law Bobby's lake house in upstate New York for Tony's birthday weekend.
The four characters are pretty much it for the show, but what transpires and what's revealed are major points that recall the past and should help write the future.
And here's one little spoiler: Tony is arrested for something that seems minor. That's all I can say. Oh yes, and there's a bloody beating and a hit.
The second episode brings in just about the entire cast as Christopher's horror movie, made with Tony's money, is finally unveiled. The premiere of "Cleaver" includes a rare moment when most of the ensemble (save Dr. Melfi) shows up for the premiere.
Writer Winter described it last night as "like the cover of Sgt. Pepper" as the camera pans the "Cleaver" audience and we see people we haven't seen in a long time.
The second part of Episode 2 concerns the tragic death of a main character. I won't say who it is, but it's not Uncle Junior.
The surprise is that director-writer-producer-actor Sydney Pollack turns up in a decent-sized cameo and nearly steals the show in the process. Look out for another cameo by actor Christopher McDonald as Christopher's AA sponsor.
In the end, though, what steals "The Sopranos" are the Sopranos. The writing is impeccable with lots of little gems, including malapropisms from Ray Abruzzo as Carmine (he calls a beautiful box "mellifluous"), non-sequitur quotes from Blood, Sweat & Tears by "poet" Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) and the earnest assertion from Carmela that "Tony is not a vindictive man."
The acting in the show is also beyond anything else on TV. Obviously, the three main leads -- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco and Edie Falco -- are a pleasure. But Episode 1 allows Aida Turturro and Steve Schirrippa to really shine.
And Episode 2 is full of revelations, including stunning work by Vince Curatola and Frank Vincent. The latter gets a speech about his character's family name (Leotardo) that is simply priceless. And Curatola has some magnificent elegant stuff as exiting New York boss Johnny Sack.
So, stay tuned. The end of "The Sopranos" could turn out to be a bloody mess, particularly if hints of trouble between Tony and Christopher are played out.
Personally, I would like to see the final scene of the show be between Tony and Dr. Melfi, having yet another unfulfilling session in her office. But all the show's players are tight-lipped, even as the final episode is still being filmed, written and directed by Chase.
Whatever the end brings, rest assured, that with syndication and DVDs, "The Sopranos" will never really be over.
