Tony Soprano is back. And as usual, the premiere is filled with a lot of exposition and memory-joggers to keep viewers from losing all the story lines and plot points.
The show opens with a flashback to Tony and Johnny Sack's fateful meeting before Johnny is hauled off to prison. The emphasis here, though, is on Tony's flight from the property, and his hasty disposal of his gun. The usually careful Tony finally gives the authorities something to nibble on.
***Spoiler*** The rest of the episode is dedicated to catching up with Tony, his family, and his crew post-jail visit. He's mad at Christopher for not showing up to his welcome home party. Bobby Baccala returns a monetary gift to Uncle Junior. A.J. has a party at the Soprano Manse while his folks are away for Tony's birthday.
There is one big, surprising scene with Tony, Bobby, Carmela, and Janice at the Baccala vacation home on the U.S./Canada border. Everyone commences celebrating Tony's birthday with booze and board games, when a drunken Tony begins making snide remarks about Janice. After holding in his anger for a while, Bobby takes a swing at Tony, and a huge brawl ensues, building further on a tense relationship between Bobby and his brother-in-law/boss, who's manliness/power is now in question. It's a brutal fight between two men so desperate to hold the crew and their families together. ***End of Spoiler***
All in all, it's a good episode, but one that will probably be forgettable in the whole scheme of the show. But of course, the opening episode of a season is usually just a teaser for the action and turmoil to come, and this one leaves a lot of room for huge possibilities in the next 7 installments.
The show opens with a flashback to Tony and Johnny Sack's fateful meeting before Johnny is hauled off to prison. The emphasis here, though, is on Tony's flight from the property, and his hasty disposal of his gun. The usually careful Tony finally gives the authorities something to nibble on.
***Spoiler*** The rest of the episode is dedicated to catching up with Tony, his family, and his crew post-jail visit. He's mad at Christopher for not showing up to his welcome home party. Bobby Baccala returns a monetary gift to Uncle Junior. A.J. has a party at the Soprano Manse while his folks are away for Tony's birthday.
There is one big, surprising scene with Tony, Bobby, Carmela, and Janice at the Baccala vacation home on the U.S./Canada border. Everyone commences celebrating Tony's birthday with booze and board games, when a drunken Tony begins making snide remarks about Janice. After holding in his anger for a while, Bobby takes a swing at Tony, and a huge brawl ensues, building further on a tense relationship between Bobby and his brother-in-law/boss, who's manliness/power is now in question. It's a brutal fight between two men so desperate to hold the crew and their families together. ***End of Spoiler***
All in all, it's a good episode, but one that will probably be forgettable in the whole scheme of the show. But of course, the opening episode of a season is usually just a teaser for the action and turmoil to come, and this one leaves a lot of room for huge possibilities in the next 7 installments.