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69 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another 13 Hour Masterpiece, August 28, 2003
While the death count has steadily decreased in subsequent seasons, The Sopranos is not going soft, but rather evolving. In the first season, everything was put together. In number two, an emphasis was placed on Tony's business: busting out, poker games, scams, power struggles, traders, etc. In season 3, the series showed it is not prone to repetition. Instead of Ralph becoming another Richie, his ability to make money kept him alive. Now the fourth and still not the last season. Seemingly every episode ended with an uncomfortable shot of Tony and Carmela alone together, but still apart: In bed with Carmela facing away, in the kitchen with Tony leaning on the couch, in the bathroom with Carmela in the tub. And after all this, Tony bought "Whitecaps", his way of saying that he wanted to keep his family together forever. But Carmela saw it as just "a bigger version of a diamond ring." As Dean Martin sings at the end of the finale, "It's because, my girl's right here." Then the demise of Ralph, foreshadowed when Jonny Sack comments "I should have let Tony cut your head off last year." Ralph was kept around only because of money and when he hands Tony an envelope and says "At least I'm good for something," Tony can't help but agree. And when Ralph is being `silenced' by Tony in `Whoever Did This', Tony comments "She was a beautiful creature, what did she ever do to you?" It becomes hazy whether he is referring to Pie-O-My or Tracy when he sees her picture at the Bing. The "thousand incidents with that guy" finally catch up to Ralph. By the end of the season, Tony has a business predicament that will likely be settled somehow in season 5. Tony has conspired with Carmine to kill Jonny Sack, and negotiated with Jonny to kill Carmine. It is unclear by season's end exactly who knows what and who is being set up. The biggest gripes from viewers seemed to be the oddness of the Carmela / Furio and Janice / Bacala storylines. I think more in depth viewing will help people to understand the subtleness of season 4. And mind you a lot of season 4 storylines will likely carry over into 5. The Sopranos is ongoing, and doesn't play by the national network `close all storylines in the finale and leave one cliffhanger' rule. My biggest beef was HBO's ruining the finale with posting online that Uncle Junior's would get a mistrial and showing in the trailer a black SUV being shot into. Of course when it aired and a black SUV pulled up, any element of shock was completely ruined. Season 4 is very deep and intriguing, and has taken me dozens of viewings to understand underlying themes, and will take many more to grasp them all and catch all the jokes (like Tony feeling like the 'Reverend Rodney King Jr.') Hopefully the DVD and its audio commentary will help. Like what was Tony's `Italian Immigrant' dream suppose to mean?
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107 of 118 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Sopranos Season 4 - A brilliantly compelling season!, November 14, 2003
Where the first season covered Tony's relationship with his mother and that relationship causing him to see a therapist; the second season went more along the lines of him as a brother; the third season was based on Tony and Carmela as parents and of course, this fourth season was highly focused on their marriage, all coming to an incredible head in the final episode. I've heard several people say that the third and fourth seasons weren't as strong and as "biting" as the first two seasons, I couldn't disagree more. This fourth season is an extremely intense season and is just as dramatically compelling and enthralling as the previous three. Very few dramatic series can even compare to The Sopranos where it entertains on all levels, from gripping drama to dead pan humorous moments. Combining the continued elements of extraordinary writing, superior direction and exceptional acting all make this fourth season another resounding success in the Sopranos series and a long wait until March of 2004 for the fifth season to kicks in. Episode synopsises: For all Debts Public and Private - A slowing economy has even effected even Tony's "thing" and Carmela is worried about the family's long term financial security and wishes to acquire some "traditional" investments; Tony gives Christopher a "gift" that he never would've expected; Junior is fretting over his upcoming trial and Adriana makes a dangerous new friend. No-Show - With Paulie behind bars, Christopher gets acting captain stripes and his crew isn't too happy about it and Paulie starts to feel betrayed, bringing his loyalty to question; Meadow decides that she wants to take a year off of school and go to Europe, much to her parents chagrin; Adriana ends her relationship with Danielle only to find herself in a much more dangerous relationship. Christopher - Junior's trial becomes the first trial for the family in sixteen years; upcoming protests against Columbus day by Native Americans has put a hair in Silvio's "breakfast" causing some interesting results; Bobby loses his wife and Janice starts to make her moves and Paulie's loose lips are causing major troubles for Tony with Johnny Sack. The Weight - A terrible remark about Johnny's wife "gets" back to him and he goes on a bloodthirsty quest for revenge which in the end brings both he and Ralph to the brink; Carmela and Furio begin to develop a more than interesting relationship and she and Tony continue to argue over their financial future. Pie O My - Ralph buys a race horse and invites Tony to the track and he suddenly finds a relationship similar to that which he had with the ducks in the first season and Adrianna becomes even more paranoid about her new friends when Christopher and the rest of the family starts using her club to conduct business. Everybody Hurts - Artie and Tony's relationship takes a new swing when Artie borrows money from Tony and the deal goes sour; Tony informs Christopher of his plan for the new chain of command but he's unaware of Christopher's ever increasing drug problem and Tony finds out what happened to Gloria which enrages him. Watching Too Much Television - Paulie is out of jail and he's holding a few grudges; Carmela's cousin Brian gives Tony some real estate advice that will continue to have repercussions throughout the rest of the season and Carmela and Furio continue to suppress their feelings for one another. Mergers & Acquisitions - Ralph introduces his new girlfriend Valentina to Tony and she's offers to introduce him to a painter and then some, leading Tony to find out more about Ralph than he wanted to know; Furio goes home to Italy to bury his father and reevaluate his life and Carmela finds a new source of income, right in her own back yard. Whoever Did This - Junior comes up with a new defense strategy and Svetlana makes a return as his caregiver; Ralph's son suffers a tragedy causing him to make a fatal decision over his horse which brings about a heated argument between him and Tony where Ralph "loses" his head... The Strong, Silent Type - Carmela begins to offer Furio decorating tips; Christopher's heroine addiction has tragic results for Adrianna's pooch causing everybody to have a hilarious interdiction for him. Call all Cars - This is another one of those ethereal episodes where Tony's dreams pervade the episode; Tony has a sit down that doesn't go well with Carmine and Johnny over the real estate venture; Johnny continues to erode Paulie's loyalty; Tony sees Carmine's son in hopes of working out their problems and Tony is coming close to quitting the therapy. Eloise - Tony is continuing to haggle with Carmine and Johnny over the Esplanade profit loss/real estate scam; Carmela and Furio's relationship comes to a head and Furio comes very close to an "ultimate" decision with Tony; everybody starts to question Paulie's loyalty and Meadow invites her parents to her apartment for dinner and an interesting conversation ensues. Whitecaps - In this extraordinarily dramatic season finale; Carmela is suffering a broken heart; Tony attempts to keep the family together by buying a beachfront home which almost brings Carmela out of her doldrums until a fateful phone call from one of Tony's former girlfriends; everybody is loosing money on the Esplanade deal and Johnny makes a power play; and the Sopranos' marriage comes to a head, leaving everybody in great "anticipation" waiting until March of 2004 to see where this goes... {ssintrepid} Episode list: For all Debts Public and Private
No-Show
Christopher
The Weight
Pie O My
Everybody Hurts
Watching Too Much Television
Mergers & Acquisitions
Whoever Did This
The Strong, Silent Type
Call all Cars
Eloise
Whitecaps Special Features: - 4 Audio Commentaries with writers Terence Winter, Michael Imperioli, Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess and series creator David Chase
- Episodic previews and recaps
- Recaps of seasons 1, 2 and 3
- Cast/Crew biographies
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another wickedly smart, powerful chapter. & Best acting yet!, May 17, 2003
This show has done none of things that TV shows normally do at this point. ie. repeat itself, slip into formula, strain credibility ("jump the shark" as the popular saying goes), etc... I really don't know how Creator David Chase & company keep it up? Talent, creative freedom, and dedication, I suppose. I didn't find this 4th season to be as emotionally devastating as the previous 3 (though it has its moments), but it is still very strong! The acting is, amazingly, better than it's ever been, and several episodes rank among the best ("The Weight," "Whoever Did This," "Whitecaps"). James Gandolfini gives Tony Soprano some his most compelling scenes yet, and in the x-tra long season finale, Edie Falco simply rises to new heights. Joe Pantoliano as Ralph Cifaretto, who surprised everyone by surviving the 3rd season, is back & provides some welcome wicked humor & hidden depths. The finale is very satisfying, but several very important plot lines are left unresolved. We can only assume the 5th, and reportedly last, season will resolve them in some fashion. Regardless, the twists and turns involving Ralphie's new race horse Pie O' My, Chris' decent into heroin addiction, Carmela's attraction to one of her husband's deadly henchmen, Johnny Sack's love for his very heavy wife, and Tony's sometimes impulsive womanizing all pay off in wonderful & unexpeted ways. The 5th season is eagerly awaited, to be sure. If it can match #4, it will be a strong finish indeed for this dark saga.
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