The Sopranos: Season 6, episode 4

I've started watching The Sopranos season 6 for the first time. I'm up to episode 4 (The Fleshy Part of the Thigh).

It's been a long time since I've sat with these characters.  I *think* season 6 was broadcast on Oz TV after my daughter was born.  I couldn't watch it. Too violent.

Of course, it's still too violent!

But... It's fascinating to come back to these characters in a season where they are questioning their identity.

Hal Holbrook guest stars in episode 4. He plays a 'rocket scientist' who talks about Schrodinger's equation and how we are all part of the same quantum field.  According to the IMDB, "Hal Holbrook is an Emmy- and Tony-Award winning actor who is one of the great craftsman of stage and screen..."  He has a face that you know you've seen somewhere before.  IMDB says "He is best known for his performance as Mark Twain", but I'm sure I've seen him in many things.  His character brings an interesting perspective to this piece.

This episode also focuses on Paulie. This is a character I have always liked, but he is so dark!  In this episode he discovers that his family is not what he thought it was.  Paulie says, "I'm not who I am". I disagree.  In my worldview, we are all who we are.  However, in The Sopranos (a universe where identity is so closely entwined with 'family'), I understand why Paulie feels this way.

I always love the way this show uses music.
Wikipedia says :

• The song that plays as Jason Barone is rowing and Paulie and Patsy come to meet him is the first verse of "The Three Bells" by The Browns. ... .
• The song that Tony plays on the stereo while meeting with Phil is "Foreplay/Long Time" by Boston.
• The song playing during the end credits is a condensed version of "One of These Days" by Pink Floyd.

Tony is visited twice in this episode by a born again Pastor.  I cringe when he talks about humans and dinosaurs living together on a 6,000 year old Earth.  But it is true to the character! I love it when he says, "I think you'll find those people all have an agenda". LOL - don't we all.

And finally, there's some clever camera work in this episode.  The segue from Tony looking at the wind-blown trees to Paulie's meeting with Jason is cleverly done.