ARTSETC.
Sopranos snippet
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Nick Marx:
- Freedom of Speech (May 1, 2003)
- Thank youse (May 8, 2003)
- Attack of the Clones (September 4, 2003)
- 'Once Upon a Time' in a land not so far away (September 17, 2003)
- The man shows (April 17, 2003)
Related Stories:
- What's in store for "The Sopranos,' season five? (March 10, 2004)
- A "Sopranos" preview from A to Z (September 12, 2002)
- HBO files $100 million suit against 'Sopranos' star (March 12, 2003)
- 'Sopranos' must break static streak, end with a bang (May 2, 2007)
- Musings of an HBO junkie (September 12, 2002)
by Nick Marx
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
So there you have it, you salivating animals. After a 16-month hiatus, television’s favorite family returned in fine form Sunday night.
Although not the guns-blazing premiere many had hoped for after such a long absence, Sunday’s episode lurched forward with reckless abandon. The opening shot of The New York Times in close-up was a fitting start to a show that would appropriately address the goings-on in the Big Apple since we last saw “The Sopranos.”
Bobby Bacala, in a scene-stealing quip, claimed that Quasimoto had predicted all of this. Meanwhile, the post-9/11 economy has been taking its knocks on the waste-management business, as Tony was forced to rally the troops to earn in support of Uncle Junior’s costly RICO trial.
In between its meandering moments (Did we really need to meet Christopher’s drunken mother?), the premiere delivered subtle hints of satisfaction. It was great to see Paulie in an orange jumpsuit, if only for a little while, after his actions late last season. And you know after a smile and a “How you doin’?,” T has got non-police related plans for undercover fed Danielle.
The episode’s crowning sequence, though, was Christopher’s one-on-one with the retired police officer that may or may not have killed his father. Michael Imperioli’s performances as Tony’s nephew keep getting more and more intense as the show matures, and one can only hope the Big Man keeps molding Christopher in his image.
Best line: “You should see me finish.” (Uncle Junior to his nurse, after she fends off his lecherous advances by saying, “Don’t start.”)
