108662516062202274

The Sopranoes–All Due Respect
Let’s face it–no matter what they did, it was going to be virtually impossible to top the jaw dropping nature of the last new episode of this show with the season finale. That said, this one did manage to pull out a few surprises and did what it needed to do in order to end the season on a postive note. We all knew someone had to bite the bullet and while it’s not hugely shocking that it would be Tony B. the fact that Tony S. did it was nicely realized. Seeing Tony S. slowly realize he has no one to turn to because he’s put himself in the role of “general” and has to do what’s right, regardless of his feelings about the whole thing, was a nice turn by James Gandolfini. Also, it’s tragic that just as Tony does what he doesn’t want to do, the Feds show up and take down Johnny Sack. OK–who else out there thought we’d end the season with Tony being taken into custody? That would have been a heck of a cliffhanger! But, then again, I’m not sure I could have waited until 2006 to see what happened next if that’s where it ended. No, I think the noose is slowly tightening on Tony and company and it’s just a matter of time, really.

The Dead Zone–Finding Rachel, Part 1
I’m always conflicted when they advertise a two-part story as “Part One” during the title credits. Not that I couldn’t look in TV Guide and find out that it’s a two-parter, mind you, but it just makes me look more for how they’re going to set up the cliffhanger. Or play the game–what will the cliffhanger be?!? I’ve enjoyed this take on the Dead Zone since the beginning–I re-read the novel back when it first started up two years ago. And I like how they’ve taken a subplot out of it and are really taking some time to develop it. Seeing how far Stillson has come and just exactly how far he’ll go to try and get elected–including blackmailing Rev. Purdy (David Ogden Steirs, you are so underappreciated on this show!). Of course, seeing the Johnny meets girl, Johnny sees she will vanish and then Johnny is having memory lapse quickly led me to believe part one would end with Johnny somehow arrested for the murder or implicated with it. That said, I figure there’s a way out of it, but since this isn’t Trek where people can morph, it should be interesting how the video footage got on the camera. Also, everyone seems to forget that Johnny took a heck of a blow the head, probably caused by the camera whopping him upside the head. Also, I have to admit I liked that the visions of leaping into the future are having an adverse side-effect on our hero–namely his losing time. And Sarah slapping Walt for saying Johnny is guilty…great stuff. All around, a good start to the season character wise, though the plotline itself was a tad predicable. I am intrigued to see just what they do with all this next week now that they have the pieces in place. Oh–and poor old Sarah Wynter–how is it that she gets cast as the sister who’s sibling is in peril so often?