Live Free or Die

Rumours about Vito start to circulate as he keeps a low profile.

This is very strong episode with great dark humour and character moments.

The tone is nicely set by an opening scene where a quite serene image is interrupted by a mundane irritation of life. From then we see Tony get drawn back into the demands of mob life by Vito's situation. For the character arc of Tony it follows on well from the previous 4 episodes as it shows him trying to adopt a tolerant attitude, but the pressure associated with appearing weak in his world is a huge challenge.

There is some tremendous humour in the scenes where various characters gossip and react to news about Vito. You can't help but laugh at the Neanderthal attitudes of characters like Paulie and the surprising responses of others. It's ultimately sad to see all the knives come out, but there has never been an ounce of genuine loyalty to anyone in The Sopranos so nothing is unexpected.

I will not give too much detail away and spoil what happens with Vito, but there is a fairytale-like tone to some of the scenes involving this character. This links well to the clashes between liberal and conservative values addressed in other scenes that are not so subtle, such as Meadow's numerous hypocritical rants.

A big theme in the episode is the freedom to live life within various social constructions. The focus is mostly on Tony and Vito, but the likes of Carmela, and Angie Bompensiero are also used cleverly to make certain points. Toni Kalem is great in her scenes showing how much the character has developed since the early seasons.

The word is out: Vito is definitely gay. Finn confirms this in the series' single funniest scene. "You mean he's catching rather than pitching?" says as astonished Paulie. The boys feel betrayed and clamor for Vito's head. Tony decides otherwise, although he is conflicted. Vito, after all, is his top money dawg. Meanwhile, Vito almost buys the farm as some of Tony's thugs close in on him, but he manages to escape, ending up in a small New Hampshire town. He easily spots some gays in town. Who wouldn't? The episode is proof you can never be sure where this show is headed. This unexpected gay subplot will continue for several episodes, and is not to everyone's tastes, mine included. But I recognize the sheer brilliance of the writing and the actor who plays Vito is a riot.