The Blue Comet

When Tony got arrested at the start of Season Six, Part II, Carmela asked: "Is this it?" Now, seven episodes later, the answer to that question is an undisputed yes - this is really it, the beginning of the long awaited end.

With AJ hospitalized and Meadow still upset over what happened in the previous ep, Tony is in a very uncomfortable position. On top of that, Phil decides to finally go through with calling hits on the entire Soprano clan, citing Tony's behavior regarding the Vito Spatafore situation as a good reason for killing him. The New Jersey mob responds by calling a hit on Phil, but a case of mistaken identity makes it all much worse - nothing is certain any more, and the show's trademark tension has never been higher.

Okay, so this isn't the real conclusion (there's one more episode to go), but The Blue Comet does represent a closure for at least three characters: two of them I won't mention, because that would mean giving too much away, the third is less risky to discuss - Dr. Melfi. That's right, she doesn't appear in the series finale, as Tony sees her for the last time in this show, lambasting both her and his eight years of therapy with his usual acerbic remarks. And though it is kind of sad that Melfi won't be part of the real final moments of the program, her exit couldn't be better than what David Chase has come up with for her farewell to her most disturbing patient. Much of the credit goes to Lorraine Bracco too, her careful, honest performance having been one of the highlights of this superb drama. Her departure, along with that of Michael Imperioli, another essential presence since Episode 1, is just another confirmation of what viewers have expected and at the same time feared the most: the end is near.