Heather, I think your read is more accurate this week than the week before, although I didn't get the sense that you did, that Tony and Carmela's marriage is falling apart. They've had worse fights than this. In many ways, those two are perfect for each other. They deserve each other.

I think last night's episode was in furtherance of a theme that I had picked up on before, the idea that the fictitious walls Tony has built up to compartmentalize his family life from his business life are breaking down. Tony would like to believe that the one good thing he's done in his life is to provide a good life for his family. So what happened last night? AJ tried to commit suicide, and Meadow was threatened by someone from Tony's business world. And of course, that made Tony go apesh*t and do something that only further sours relations between himself and Phil Leotardo.

The breaking down of these walls was at no time better exemplified than by the scene where Tony and Carmela are in the therapy session with AJ, and Tony looks down to see Coco's bloody tooth caught in the cuff of his pants. WOW. What symbolism. That says all there is to say about Tony's efforts to keep his work out of his family life. Hope some of you weren't too distracted last night looking for ducks to have missed that one.

Speaking of symbolism, what about the scene with the mouldering pile of asbestos? That looked a hell of a lot like 9/11 to me.

I was actually quite intrigued by the conversation Melfi had with her therapist. That seemed to resonate with her, the notion that, all these years with Tony, she's done nothing except help a sociopath get better at his business. Melfi may hit a breaking point of her own with Tony. If and when that happens, I still fear for Melfi.

I was also intrigued by the very, very brief scene with the FBI agents. Weren't they acting strangely? And isn't this the second time that one of the agents claims he has a sour stomach because of something he picked up in Pakistan? What's up with that?

"AJ is walking a thin line between prophetic and pathetic."

Exactly, that's the beauty of it!

Every second of this season is pure gold. I can't help but feel for AJ. It's horrible how much of that mediocre everyman I see in myself.

I'd be just fine if they keep the pacing of the show as they have been all season - lingering on moments and detail, pumping silence full of energy. Not everyone has to die. It's going to "resolve" on maybe one or two major events, or maybe not resolve. But not everything can be wrapped up. There is no closure in life, why should there be in this show?

I love that they're making time for things, characters that matter. Yes, AJ is crucial, the fixation on the Soprano children is possibly the show's greatest strength, what it has to offer as commentary on this age. Now it seems that AJ's fate might tie into the Arab subplot.

The peyote was a twist I did not see coming, and that's an understatement. I was even more surprised when they carried the trip aftermath into the next episode. Tony thinks there's something more. I was laughing in disbelief at the scene where he can't help himself, and brings up his psychedelic experience to his mob buddies. He has a Syd Barrett moment there for a second, I almost thought he'd gone right off the rails. That awkward pause - spaced out Tony - is he going to keep talking about peyote? But no, he snaps out of it, finds some secular context to put it in, slough off the sanctity, fuck that. The gravity of "the life" is too much, even mescaline can't withstand it. The scene was brilliantly echoed in Melfi's office, Tony saying "you think you've got it... then..."

How can this show be so brutally real, and still acknowledge the transcendental aspect of human experience? I don't know. Props to the fantastic cast.

I'm wondering about the asbestos. Is this what will bring Tony down? What about the wad of bills without the envelope? We see it being passed to Bobby and then to Tony. It's probably nothing but still ...

first of all - I would have kicked Coco's ass to if he said that to my daughter. Fuck kissing Phil's ass. I wouldn't have clipped his teeeth out but a good ass whooping was definitely called for

as to the ending - I personally don't think Tony is a gonner. I do think one a member of his family is going bye-bye. Phil has had ahard-on for killing one of Tony's kin since the time his brother was off'd by T's cousin Tony B. Remember he alluded to killing Christopher during their sit-down with Johnny Sac? So I think that one of them is gonna get it, probably Carmen.

Tony is safe, Phil make take a nap if something does happen to any of his family but that may not take place if they are killed in the last episode - see what I mean.

The bigger picture here is that Tony is becoming a bit more reflective regarding his actions, even though he did off Christopher and pummle Coco. His reaching out to Phil on a more emotional level was an example, unfortunately with Phil it is all about saving face and what he thinks is die him. So he acts like a scumbag and pisses off Tony

A few underlying plotlines:

That crazy sidekick that Phil has,, the one with the loopy eye, watch out for him. I never liked him from day one and something tells me he willplay a key role over the final episodes

The Al Queida dudes - again, from the time they were hanging out at the Bing something was wrong with these guys - too chummy with Christopher. Then they disappear and now it looks as if they are running with the enemy.

That is about as much as I can come up with for now. Junior is a memory so really will come down to the core of the show, the relationship of Tony with his real family versus his mob family.