I'm writing this review because the point of just how terrific an episode this is has not yet been made. There are two fulcrums that this episode turns on. One, it is a near movie length run time at 78 or so minutes. Secondly, it is written by 'The Sopranos' creator David Chase.
David gets to spread his creative wings in this episode thanks to the extra time allotted. You have a mob bad guy who is fresh out of jail, and out to get our beloved 'Jimmy'. OK, big deal. What makes the story great is the large numbers of timeouts we get from the action for pure genius dialog. Each of the extended dialog scenes are gems that run the gamut from hilarity to morbidity. From absurdity to reality. The lines the characters are throwing at each other is the backbone of this episode that only a genius such as Mr. Chase can craft. The two-dimensional characters so typical of TV length stories pop out into 3 dimensions under David's care. We actually get to see the human underpinnings of the super-selfish sociopathic gangsters (just as with The Sopranos).
For some, this episode will run slowly. But for those who like character driven pieces I wholeheartedly recommend you tune in to this one for a special treat!
David gets to spread his creative wings in this episode thanks to the extra time allotted. You have a mob bad guy who is fresh out of jail, and out to get our beloved 'Jimmy'. OK, big deal. What makes the story great is the large numbers of timeouts we get from the action for pure genius dialog. Each of the extended dialog scenes are gems that run the gamut from hilarity to morbidity. From absurdity to reality. The lines the characters are throwing at each other is the backbone of this episode that only a genius such as Mr. Chase can craft. The two-dimensional characters so typical of TV length stories pop out into 3 dimensions under David's care. We actually get to see the human underpinnings of the super-selfish sociopathic gangsters (just as with The Sopranos).
For some, this episode will run slowly. But for those who like character driven pieces I wholeheartedly recommend you tune in to this one for a special treat!