After watching faithfully, sometimes breathlessly, the first three seasons of The Sopranos, we took last year off for a variety of reasons: inconvenient airing times, sick of Tony, sick of the ultimate moral hole at the bottom of all these lives, the previews weren't nearly as favorable as previous years. It's time to return:
- TV's most acclaimed drama - and cable's top series - returns to HBO Sunday (9 p.m. ET/PT) with 16 regular cast members, some in Tony's real family, many in his Mob family, and a few in both. Some viewers love the show for its dry humor, others for its rich family drama, even though they may recoil at its profanity or escalating body count. "Yet there are people who complain it's not enough, that they watch a Mob show because they want to see people get shot," says creator David Chase.
....Life and death remain very much a part of The Sopranos' fifth season. When we left both families (way back in December 2002) Uncle Junior escaped a jail sentence by jury tampering but was placed under house arrest; Christopher faced his demons, entering rehab to kick a heroin habit, and fiancee Adriana was coerced into snitching for the feds. Carmela tossed out philandering Tony after a bitter fight in Edie Falco's third Emmy-winning performance.
The repercussions of each play out in the new season's early episodes. "When everything kind of blows up at the end, it's a pressure-cooker situation that she's repressed for many years," Falco says. "I don't think she has a chance to figure out how this affects her."
Tony, of course, is the center of the Sopranos' orbit, the fulcrum of its stories, and increasingly he's a tragic figure. "I find him a sad character in some ways, because there are some things he's unable to see or unable to do anything about," says Steve Buscemi, an occasional Sopranos director who this season joins the cast as a cousin also named Tony. "But I think he's aware of his pain and frustration."
....the overall emphasis shifts to the Mob "family" of Tony's cronies: The season opens as a handful of ex-convicts, jailed in the 1980s' RICO trials, are finally sprung, an idea sparked by a newspaper article. "The class of 2004 - old rats on a new ship," Junior grumbles.
Many - including guests Robert Loggia, Frank Vincent and Frankie Valli - return to reclaim their slice of the action. But Buscemi's Tony Blundetto wants to go straight.
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
As David Chase said in the NYTimes, watch teevee, get happy, go buy stuff.
And of course, The Sopranos is the antidote to that pervasive poison.
2 - brent
Will someone please email me back and tell me when are they releasing season 5 of the Sopranos on dvd. I'm getting very frustrated because I have been on the hbo website every week looking for it and have called every videostore in my area wondering. I don't know any other way to find out, at my wits end. email addy is btremain@cogswellmotors.com thankyou
3 - Ruben R
I was wondering when The Sopranos Season 5 was going to be released on DVD?
4 - Steve
Alright everyone...
Someone has to know when Season 5 is going to be released on DVD?
Now can someone tell me? Please?!?!
5 - SHARON
WHEN WILL THE FIFTH SEASON OF THE SOPRANOS ON DVD, BE RELEASED?
6 - Marvin
Release date here:
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=2506
7 - amanda
could you please let me know release date for sapranos fifth series
8 - Eric Olsen
Marvin's link above ndicates the fourth quarter of '05, ie, a year from now
9 - grc
I worked at blockbuster for along while and still know all the employees from the store. Rumor was that there were some production delays and we are guessing end/december or worst case in mid january to coincide with season 6.
Ive already been waiting 3 months! Hope this helps someone
10 - gazza
when the f**k is season five gonna be released
11 - HW Saxton
I can't stand Steve Buscemi's character.
Why would you wanna go straight? Plus he
was kinda faggy.Didn't he end up getting
whacked during Season #5? I only saw the
first three episodes of #5 thanks to a
f'ed up work schedule and by being too
cheap to buy TiVo.So if one of you out
there could please answer w/o giving
away more info than is needed,it would
be much appreciated. Thanx. HW
12 - lono
I am frustrated. It has been two years or so and there is no indication of even filming on the new season.
I can only hope that sweet, sweet greed wins out and they sign for a few more seasons. Seriously, folks... Chase has been pulling this 'one more season and that's IT' for three years now.
It is the best hour long scripted show in history (with the 30 minute portion going to Seinfeld).
Bring back the Sopranos!