Two Tonys

Written by David Chase and Terence Winter
Directed by Tim Van Patten

"Forget the way Tony Soprano makes his way in the world. That's to feed his children. There's two Tony Sopranos...you've never seen that other one...That's the one I want to show you."

As the fifth season opens, Carmela finds that in addition to Tony's resentment about the breakup, she's bearing the brunt of A.J.'s as well. She accuses Tony of withholding money from her while buying things for A.J. - like a five thousand dollar drum set - to relieve his own guilt. For Tony's part, despite his anger that "my wife was going after some fucking immigrant," he worries about Carmela and A.J. being alone. When he hears that a bear has been foraging in the backyard, Tony has Benny Fazio and Little Paulie Germani take turns guarding the house with an AK-47.

Although Tony may be losing one part of his family, he's gaining others. He has a brand-new brother-in-law in Bobby Bacala, now wed to Janice, and his cousin Tony Blundetto, a wise guy incarcerated in the 1980's, is soon to be released. "I've missed the shit out of him," a delighted Tony tells Bobby. In addition, old-timers Angelo Garepe, Phil Leotardo and Feech La Manna have been freed after serving long terms. Feech, a feared capo in his day, immediately seeks Tony's permission to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, and Tony gladly gives him the go ahead.

Elsewhere within Tony's professional sphere, however, things are not so harmonious. When Carmine, Sr. suffers a massive stroke, Johnny Sack reveals that he's still bitter about Tony's refusal to hit the old don. "You want an apology?" an exasperated Tony demands, "Fuckin' Whitman's Sampler?" Old hostilities flare up between Paulie and Christopher as well, finally erupting over a $1,184 restaurant tab that Paulie sticks him with after Christopher did not want to pay the last dinner bill. Their heated confrontation in the eatery's parking lot culminates in them murdering their waiter, who interrupts to complain about the tip. (Afterwards the two agree to put their differences aside. "One of us coulda got hurt," Paulie says.)

And Tony decides it's time to put aside his differences with Dr. Melfi, but not because he wants to go back to therapy. He tells her that he wants to take their relationship "in that other direction." But Dr. Melfi flatly refuses. In addition to her professional ethics - and despite admitting to her own therapist that she once found Tony "a little sexy" - she is repelled by the things he does. "In a personal relationship," she tells Tony, "I don't think I could sit silent." Hurt and furious, Tony storms out of her office and ends up at Carmela's, where he sits in the backyard, AK in his lap, loaded for bear.