If only they all could have been like this one. Seemingly making up for weeks worth of meandering plotlines and go-nowhere musings, “Eloise” harnesses all of the erratic energy of Season Four and turns into one of the most cohesive and comprehensive episodes of this or any season.
The sexual tension between Carmela and Furio comes to a head when she plans a “date” for the two to go shopping for floor tiles. Unfortunately, after a night of partying that magnifies Tony’s less desirable qualities as a husband, Furio flies back to Italy without giving Carmela notice.
Her troubles don’t stop there. Reeling from Furio’s departure, Carmela takes her frustration out on Meadow in a dinnertime debate over the homosexual undercurrents in Billy Budd. During their subsequent attempt to make-up, Carmela makes passive-aggressive threats to her that barely mask her longing for Furio, and the two part on bad terms again.
Bad terms can’t even begin to describe Paulie’s present predicament. Lured by Johnny Sack into thinking he had a place in New York, Paulie is turned away by Carmine after offering his services. Knowing that he’s only as good as his last envelope, Paulie desperately breaks into his mother’s friend’s house, suffocates and robs her.
Paulie’s problem is only the first step in what should shape up to be a war between the Families. Carmine’s son offers Tony little help in way of the HUD scam, and it certainly doesn’t help that New York refuses to back down from its requested 40 percent cut.
In one of the episode’s final scenes, Johnny Sack and Tony discuss Carmine’s stodginess — could there be a whacking in the near future?
The deservedly-hyped 75-minute finale should offer an answer; meanwhile, “Eloise” certainly leaves us waiting with bated breath. The episode benefits greatly from the increased presence of Meadow, who finally gives Carmela an outlet for her frustrations as well as another female take on this admittedly male-dominated narrative.
The weeks of beating around the bush of Paulie’s motivation finally pay off in a sardonically hilarious exchange between he and Carmine. His argument with Silvio and later attempted robbery perfectly place him in the moral no-man’s-land the show seemed to have abandoned long ago.
Much of the episode’s success stems from director James Hayman’s effective use of imagery. Simple close-ups of a heart-broken Carmela or a befuddled Paulie do more to communicate their feelings than any long-winded diatribe ever could.
Best line: “Four months inside and I’m supposed to skip down the street?” (Paulie to Silvio when the latter questions Paulie’s attitude.)
