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.”)