The Bada Beginning

Like millions of other Americans, I love The Sopranos. I anxiously awaited last night's premiere. I thought it was okay, and then was blown away by the cliffhanging ending. A very courageous way to start a new season.

What's unusual is the time leap. Usually, every season starts roughly where the previous one left off. One of the first scenes is Tony coming down the driveway in his bathrobe to get the paper (with the exception of the 5th season, when he didn't live there). The Sopranos was on a nearly two year hiatus. It has been almost that long since the last episode of the last season aired. It's unusual that the show is reflecting that lapse in time. It picks up roughyl 18 months after the events of last season.

Six Feet Under is a show that does whatever it wants with time. One of the characters can have a huge 30 minute chunk of an episode devoted to their story line. Season Three leaps a year ahead from where Season Two ended. Season Four picks up in the same night that Season Three closed with. A single episode can represent a few hours or span several weeks. It was an adjustment to make when I started watching Six Feet Under, but I felt like it worked. I'm not sure it works for The Sopranos. There is a theory that last's night episode is really the final episode of the series and that all subsequent episodes will go back and fill in the time period we know nothing about. There is also talk, less logically and likely, about the whole first episode being a dream sequence.

I don't agree with either theory, but I'm bothered by not knowing how exactly the characters got to where they are now. Also, the series has left a lot of unresolved plot lines, something that I can accept from Six Feet Under, but am annoyed by in The Sopranos.

A lot of people are annoyed by the season premiere. Too dull (until the end at least) and nothing new. "Tired old story lines and character obstacles," I've heard. I'm sure they're going to keep watching though. And, even though I'm annoyed about the time issue and the things I don't know, I'll be right there with them.