THE SOPRANOS (LAST SEASON)
HBO • Sunday, April 8 (9 p.m.)
It’s ironic, then again, perhaps not, that much of the story in the first episode of the last nine installments of The Sopranos takes place at Janice’s and Bobby Baccala’s lakeside summer retreat, where Tony and Carmela will celebrate his 47th birthday. After bitching about the long drive, Tony takes in the idyllic setting, saying, “It’s pretty great.” But there’s only so much time for fun and reflection in the “Soprano Home Movies” installment, especially after a Parker Brothers board game gets ugly.
Having already broken omerta to some degree, the intent here is not to divulge too many specifics. Let’s just say weighty issues lie ahead and we’re not necessarily talking about the effect of too many dinners at Artie Bucco’s Vesuvio. Middle-age concerns of legacy, self worth, family finances, revenge and mortality hang heavy over these well-crafted installments, which also mix in good doses of humor, violence and the premiere of Christopher’s long-awaited movie, The Cleaver. The film’s screening is one of the many fulcrums in “Stage 5” for thoughts about how cable’s top series ultimately will swim with the fishes.
Indeed, series creator David Chase and crew have put several forces into play, each leaving a deep sense of foreboding.
Given a track record that includes Carmela and Furio’s unconsummated attraction and a robust Russian, who could still be roaming the Pine Barrens, it’s probably too much to ask Chase to wrap everything up in the remaining hours — especially for those harboring a wont for a Sopranos theatrical. Yet, the setup augurs a denouement tinged with blood and the demise of some major characters before Tony Soprano and his two families finally bid farewell.
