The Sopranos, season 5, proper.

Sums everything up perfectly.

Season 5 is cruel, that's all I can say. I think the only positive event that happens the entire time is the Marco Polo game in the pool, everything else is seriously depressing.

Tony, while never making any real secret of this in any season previous, is basically an insecure, reactionary, horribly violent man-child. And while it's tempting to do so, you can't blame old lady Livia for all of it; many of the events that went down (that I really don't even care to remember) were done out of angry cruelty. At this point in his life, he should know better. It's difficult to witness all this because despite everything we've seen, we still want to like these guys! I honestly had love only for Christopher, freshly sprung from rehab, and Tony Blundetto, (STEVE BUSCEMI!), and even those two were dicks to each other. And look how things ended with them! Also, Phil Leotardo is a goddamned psychopath, it's like he's seeking retribution from Tommy in Goodfellas from every single gangster now and until the end of time; what a lunatic. "It's the guy's mother, Phil, come on. It's the guy's mother."

Heading right into that gutter now, aren't they?

You were better off in the clink, Tony B.

There were some really good things, too, of course. The cameos (Robert Loggia, Buscemi, Anabella Sciorra, ANNETTE BENING!) Carmela's taste of adultry with Mitch McDeer's brother from The Firm; the blow job incident at the construction site with Meadow's boyfriend, Finn; and almost best of all, the DVD Menu images with all the black and red? Killer. And I have to say that Gandolfini's acting this season was probably the best it's ever been---those glimpses of emotion over Tony B. when he knows he's got to take him out, in the middle of really the most tyrannical, monstrous time in his life? Nicely played.

Also (and this is just a silly aside): during the scene where Tony B. and his girlfriend (who is none other than Dr. Gina from SESAME STREET!) find the bag of cash and drugs, she says, "Honey, you're doubly blessed!" A friend of mine (after hearing this) asked deadpan, "What, you were barely seventeen and barely dressed?" And I laugh every time I think of it.