Blondie
~*~*~*~<br><font color=blue>This TF always enjoys
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
I got this from my MSN Homepage;
The Sopranos Are Alive and Kicking (Well, Most of 'Em): If you're a Sopranos fan--and my, what a patient, patient bunch we've been, considering it has been more than a year since last we saw a new episode--the wait for the fourth season of HBO's gangster drama is almost at an end....almost.
Okay, the season premiere is actually still more than a month away (September 15, to be exact), but with little else on tap in terms of tube excitement (save for our own Anna Nicole Show, which premieres Sun., August 4, at 10 p.m. and is destined to be the next big thing in reality TV), the prospect of new Sopranos installments has fans, critics and, thankfully, a few brave insiders buzzing.
So, here's what we know for sure about the upcoming batch of eps (and about Sopranos plans in general):
The new season will be 13 episodes long.
Show creator David Chase continues to insist he's out after five years, which makes this season, in all likelihood, the penultimate one.
Emmy-winning stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco have vowed they're leaving when Chase does. HBO owns the show, however, and could continue without the headliners...though what would be the point? Fuhgeddaboutit!
Chase will reveal few details on the new season but confirms it will revolve around Tony and Carmela's marriage. He also says the show will acknowledge the September 11 attacks, that some plotlines from season three will go unresolved (in other words, don't look for any justice in the Dr. Melfi rape) and that guest stars will include Montel Williams and Linda "Alice" Lavin.
HBO and Chase are talking about the possibility of doing a big-screen Sopranos and a series of made-for-TV movies after the show wraps.
The third season Sopranos DVD box set will be released August 27 (just in time for a marathon review before season four starts) and will include audio commentary from Michael "Christopher Moltisanti" Imperioli, Chase and Steve Buscemi, who directed not only the "Pine Barrens" episode (one of the top three Sopranos installments) but at least two episodes for season four.
Production on season five is scheduled to begin in January 2003, so the wait between seasons will be much shorter than the 16 months between seasons three and four.
Now, for the really fun stuff . . .
The Best Sopranos Rumors I've Heard: Production on season four has wrapped, and despite Chase's best efforts (oh, how he hates spoilers!), bits of info have leaked. How reliable is the info? Well, some of it comes straight from the set, some comes secondhand and some is pure rumor. Here's a list of the juiciest nuggets I've heard--WARNING: POTENTIALLY MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. I've also included with my assessment of how likely it is they're true (on a scale of one to four boxes of ziti, with four meaning the rumor is cement--as in Big Pu$$y's shoes--solid). Here's what the stoolies say:
Scenes from a Moll: The main source of strife in Tony and Carmela's marriage will be his insistence on keeping bimbos on the side, and one of his extracurricular activities will include the return of Gloria, his season-three car saleswoman fling played by Annabella Sciorra. This one gets all four boxes of ziti, as several sources on the set confirm Sciorra's return.
Gloria No Moria? The rest of the story on Gloria's return is that she's as crazy as ever. (You'd have to be to hit Tony with a slab of meat and think it was a good idea to show your face again, no?) Word has it she's ultimately done in--and that's the Sopranos type of done in--after she sees something she shouldn't have. Give this one three boxes of ziti...Gloria's return can only spell trouble, and with Tony and Carmela's marriage already in dutch, I'd say it's a good bet he'll be more than willing to eliminate any outside threats to his dysfunctional union.
Two Killed in Bloody Gangland Shooting Script: Word has it the season-four finale is a killer--literally. And Chase is so determined to keep it under wraps he actually shot two versions. Four boxes of ziti on this one, as several sources confirm that, à la the season finale of Fox's Emmy-nominated 24, two Sopranos scenarios were shot, and that even the lead cast members don't know which will air.
The Usual Suspects: About those conflicting conclusions, the buzz is each one features the death of a major character: Christopher in one, Ralphie Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) in the other. Gotta say three boxes of ziti on this one, because I think it's likely that at least one of these hotheaded gangsters ends up sleeping with the fishes.
Christopher Double-Cross? In the Christopher death version, the story goes that he gets whacked by Tony, who is forced to kill his nephew after finding out that Chrissy has turned rat. As we know from the end of season three, an undercover FBI agent is trying to befriend Chris' fiancée, Adriana (Drea de Matteo), in hopes of getting the goods on Tony's crew. And let's not forget Christopher's earlier dreams of hitting it big in Hollywood by penning a script about the mobster way of life. Given that, even if he doesn't become an informant, Tony's sometimes bumbling cohorts could certainly find their way to the conclusion that he has, forcing Tony to take action. Of course, rumors of Christopher's death were also rampant last season, so I'll give it two boxes of ziti (with a big grain of salt thrown into the pot) on the likelihood scale.
The Fast and the Furio: A very reliable source, who has read most of the scripts for the upcoming episodes, says Furio (Federico Castelluccio), the imported mobster who joined Tony and crew after their season-two trip to the Boot, plays a bigger role in the action. There have also been hints from various sources that the season doesn't end well for Furio. Four boxes of ziti on Furio's heightened role in the family's affairs (I hear he even gets into a scuffle or two with Tony). And two boxes on his imminent demise (though, if he really does go up against Tony, his chances of returning for season five would seem not good).
Paulie Walnuts to You, Too: I'm saying up front that this one gets just one box of ziti, but Internet buzz has it Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) gets so fed up with Ralphie and what he perceives as a lack of respect from Tony that he switches his allegiance to another mobster.
Aren't you just dyin' for those new episodes now?
The Sopranos Are Alive and Kicking (Well, Most of 'Em): If you're a Sopranos fan--and my, what a patient, patient bunch we've been, considering it has been more than a year since last we saw a new episode--the wait for the fourth season of HBO's gangster drama is almost at an end....almost.
Okay, the season premiere is actually still more than a month away (September 15, to be exact), but with little else on tap in terms of tube excitement (save for our own Anna Nicole Show, which premieres Sun., August 4, at 10 p.m. and is destined to be the next big thing in reality TV), the prospect of new Sopranos installments has fans, critics and, thankfully, a few brave insiders buzzing.
So, here's what we know for sure about the upcoming batch of eps (and about Sopranos plans in general):
The new season will be 13 episodes long.
Show creator David Chase continues to insist he's out after five years, which makes this season, in all likelihood, the penultimate one.
Emmy-winning stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco have vowed they're leaving when Chase does. HBO owns the show, however, and could continue without the headliners...though what would be the point? Fuhgeddaboutit!
Chase will reveal few details on the new season but confirms it will revolve around Tony and Carmela's marriage. He also says the show will acknowledge the September 11 attacks, that some plotlines from season three will go unresolved (in other words, don't look for any justice in the Dr. Melfi rape) and that guest stars will include Montel Williams and Linda "Alice" Lavin.
HBO and Chase are talking about the possibility of doing a big-screen Sopranos and a series of made-for-TV movies after the show wraps.
The third season Sopranos DVD box set will be released August 27 (just in time for a marathon review before season four starts) and will include audio commentary from Michael "Christopher Moltisanti" Imperioli, Chase and Steve Buscemi, who directed not only the "Pine Barrens" episode (one of the top three Sopranos installments) but at least two episodes for season four.
Production on season five is scheduled to begin in January 2003, so the wait between seasons will be much shorter than the 16 months between seasons three and four.
Now, for the really fun stuff . . .
The Best Sopranos Rumors I've Heard: Production on season four has wrapped, and despite Chase's best efforts (oh, how he hates spoilers!), bits of info have leaked. How reliable is the info? Well, some of it comes straight from the set, some comes secondhand and some is pure rumor. Here's a list of the juiciest nuggets I've heard--WARNING: POTENTIALLY MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. I've also included with my assessment of how likely it is they're true (on a scale of one to four boxes of ziti, with four meaning the rumor is cement--as in Big Pu$$y's shoes--solid). Here's what the stoolies say:
Scenes from a Moll: The main source of strife in Tony and Carmela's marriage will be his insistence on keeping bimbos on the side, and one of his extracurricular activities will include the return of Gloria, his season-three car saleswoman fling played by Annabella Sciorra. This one gets all four boxes of ziti, as several sources on the set confirm Sciorra's return.
Gloria No Moria? The rest of the story on Gloria's return is that she's as crazy as ever. (You'd have to be to hit Tony with a slab of meat and think it was a good idea to show your face again, no?) Word has it she's ultimately done in--and that's the Sopranos type of done in--after she sees something she shouldn't have. Give this one three boxes of ziti...Gloria's return can only spell trouble, and with Tony and Carmela's marriage already in dutch, I'd say it's a good bet he'll be more than willing to eliminate any outside threats to his dysfunctional union.
Two Killed in Bloody Gangland Shooting Script: Word has it the season-four finale is a killer--literally. And Chase is so determined to keep it under wraps he actually shot two versions. Four boxes of ziti on this one, as several sources confirm that, à la the season finale of Fox's Emmy-nominated 24, two Sopranos scenarios were shot, and that even the lead cast members don't know which will air.
The Usual Suspects: About those conflicting conclusions, the buzz is each one features the death of a major character: Christopher in one, Ralphie Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) in the other. Gotta say three boxes of ziti on this one, because I think it's likely that at least one of these hotheaded gangsters ends up sleeping with the fishes.
Christopher Double-Cross? In the Christopher death version, the story goes that he gets whacked by Tony, who is forced to kill his nephew after finding out that Chrissy has turned rat. As we know from the end of season three, an undercover FBI agent is trying to befriend Chris' fiancée, Adriana (Drea de Matteo), in hopes of getting the goods on Tony's crew. And let's not forget Christopher's earlier dreams of hitting it big in Hollywood by penning a script about the mobster way of life. Given that, even if he doesn't become an informant, Tony's sometimes bumbling cohorts could certainly find their way to the conclusion that he has, forcing Tony to take action. Of course, rumors of Christopher's death were also rampant last season, so I'll give it two boxes of ziti (with a big grain of salt thrown into the pot) on the likelihood scale.
The Fast and the Furio: A very reliable source, who has read most of the scripts for the upcoming episodes, says Furio (Federico Castelluccio), the imported mobster who joined Tony and crew after their season-two trip to the Boot, plays a bigger role in the action. There have also been hints from various sources that the season doesn't end well for Furio. Four boxes of ziti on Furio's heightened role in the family's affairs (I hear he even gets into a scuffle or two with Tony). And two boxes on his imminent demise (though, if he really does go up against Tony, his chances of returning for season five would seem not good).
Paulie Walnuts to You, Too: I'm saying up front that this one gets just one box of ziti, but Internet buzz has it Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) gets so fed up with Ralphie and what he perceives as a lack of respect from Tony that he switches his allegiance to another mobster.
Aren't you just dyin' for those new episodes now?
