SOPRANOS V, EPISODE I: Very good first episode of the fifth season last night, bringing in just the right mix of “mob family” and “family family,” while also revisiting both the Russian-in-the-woods episode and the Tony-wants-Melfi bit, the latter of which has been essentially dormant since the first season.
For those of you who have never read my stuff during a “Sopranos” season (and considering how long it’s been, that’s quite a few of you), here’s my position on the show: I love it, I think it’s the best thing on TV since “Twin Peaks,” and while I agreed that the fourth season was uneven, it was still better than 99% of what was on television in 2002.
But most importantly, I don’t watch the show just for the violence, and I sort of resent those who think the show is only about the blood, and/or a huge guessing game over “who’s gonna get whacked.” I don’t appreciate when people denigrate this great show for “focusing too much on the women,” and I feel like slapping anyone who complains about the previous night’s episode because “nobody got killed.”
That out of the way, I’m about ready for Carl Showalter/Mr. Pink’s arrival in the Jersey Meadowlands next week, how about you?