After the shocker that closed off last week's episode, it's not too out of line that we're treated to a famous Sopranos dream sequence this week. I got a big kick out of the show description on my TV's program guide, saying that Tony experiences "mistaken identity while on a business trip." Surely, this "means" something overall, but it wasn't even that simple. I'm truly beginning to feel like every little thing that happens, every nuance, means something to the overall plot. The previews for next week show what will presumably be the beginning of some troubles for the Family, and we're getting teased with more about that every week.
Looking into the title, "Join the Club," might lead down the direction of people who end up working as rats for the feds. And with Christopher having the Feebs in his face about terrorists being funded in this country by drug dealers, etc., we got a little taste of foreshadowing when he bumps into the two Middle Eastern men in the Bing. He already knows what got his girl offed, so it'd be a really big deal if he started talking to the agents. As for the real family, I thought seeing Carm the way she looked was almost as intense as seeing the open wound on Tony's stomach. She's in a rough place right now, and somehow holding it all together with her slacker son making a confusing attempt at making things good with his dad.Looks like David Chase & Co. aren't going to disappoint when it comes to Vito's backstory - hearing him make an excuse related to Eugene's suicide by saying "maybe he's a homo and couldn't talk to anyone about it." Those words will probably come back to bite him. As much of a punk as AJ has evolved into, it's pretty clear that his skipping out on visiting his dad at the hospital and the way he's acting seems to be more about deflection and less about the rest of his personality. Flunking out of school isn't going to help him get points with Carm, but that's okay. Settling the score with Junior might be a huge point this season, should anything actually come to fruition there. Needless to say, nothing will ever be the same. Oh, and what's going to happen when Dr. Melfi finds out what is going on?
I was so happy that this episode's dream sequences didn't try and be 'real' and let us know exactly what they were. Seeing the helicopter lights targeting Tony as he walked outside and showing the doctor peering from behind a light was kind of cool. What I was wondering about there was whether or not Tony actually saw the doc, or not. The completion of this week's dream pretty much sealed the deal for me as far as Tony's death to come. What might have ended if he'd made the "call home" on the hotel telephone looks like it'll be delayed at least another week. Also, his telling the doctor "I'm lost" at the hospital was a bit curious. Could that be some sort of realization as to his situation in reality, or something deeper? I'm also very interested in finding out about the voices on the other end of the telephone when "lost" Tony calls home. His wife doesn't sound so much like Carm, and his daughter appears much younger. And did you notice that Tony's calls all have either his wife or daughter on the phone, no AJ? That sounds spot on with him "hearing" their voices when they spoke to him during his coma. He didn't make another call, and never got to "talk" to his son.
It doesn't look like any of the other members of the Family are going to be cool headed enough to settle this situation fairly. Whether or not Vito makes it through the next few episodes will be smart to watch, because he appears to be the first person to be looking to "take over" a bit - or at least the only one really vocalizing it. In some ways, knowing that an "end" is near for this show and having what goes on during the next year's worth of shows truly lead up to that will make the coming weeks even more addicting to watch. Now, about those product placements...