"Has anyone considered the possibility that Coco's harassment of Meadow was a deliberate strategy to provoke Tony to act against Phil's family and provoke Phil to begin a war?"

It was definitely a premeditated provocation of Tony. As the scene began, it appeared that Meadow was about to be killed. I don't think Coco planned on losing his teeth though. You know, when Tony attacked Coco, I thought he had killed him, a la "American History X."

There is a dichotomy that's always been at work with the Sopranos. But its not the one tied to the sense of drama most believe it is; and it will have nothing to do with the way this series will end. The framework that has many continually questioning is Tony morally positive or negative isn't what makes this show turn. The framework is actually tied to the commercialism in which the drama plays out. We so want our heroes. But that's the last thing we need in our lives.

Finally, I think the writers are going to break out of this childishness. They turned the corner in that direction when they took the time to make A.J. and Medo center stage - in a deplorable light no less. There wasn't the slightest bit of comedy to Medo being talked to as disrespectfully as she was. While A.J.'s suicide attempt was a failure on every level. But those events are an excellent launching pad for the whole Soprano clan, and the murderous lifestyle they've not only been aware of but have consciously chosen, to step into the light.

Tony is going out not in a blaze of glory. Tony is going to go out in a blaze of rage. From there it will be evident what the writers were committed to all along. The dark side of our nature. That aspect of humanity it refuses to see as its destiny is more of a possibility than drama has been able to put forth thus far. Even with its roots in ritual, we're still having hope trump danger. But the modern world has given up on ritual a long time ago. So, it now has to give up on hope.

Tony will survive and represent an enigma. But only to those who refuse to accept the dark nature of humankind without claiming doing so involves its embrace.

Tony triumphs!

He's going to rip Phil to pieces...And Carm, Medo, and A.J. will give him the support system to do so.

"Show some balls," he told Christopher in the episode before his last. Tony pinched his fingers together, shook them and looked Christopher in the eyes when he made that statement.

That statement is a portend of things to come!

Tony can't escape the environment he creates. His own violence finally is the noose not only for him but for his family.

The world of brutality he has built for years finally determines the value of life itself: even for his family, the ones he wanted to protect. His murder of Christopher showed the crumbling of the wall between the violent mob world and the peaceful family. The tooth and the harrassment of Meadow shows the threats closing in.

I don't think this will end with the feds taking him down. Tony and his family will be destroyed by the mob. I don't think the mob dudes will go after Meadow, that is too dishonorable. I think they will get Tony by going after A.J., who has shown himself to be weak. They'll close in on A.J. because weak men are held in contempt and destroyed (interesting that the mob world outside of prison is like the inside of prison in that respect).

I understand all the Godfather comparisons, and certainly there are plot elements that warrant comparison, but I see the Sopranos as the final chapter in undoing the mythology of mob life created by the Godfather films. Goodfellas took us part of the way there, although Henry Hill's sentimental epilogue only reinforced the glamour of the mafia.

David Chase has made no bones about undermining the Godfather. Of course, Sopranos characters love the films because they glorifies their lives. The reality as expressed in the series is that these guys are sometimes regular guys, at other times dimwits, and of course violent monsters at other times. Honorable soldiers? Business visionaries? Hardly.

Tony's nothing like Michael Corleone, and AJ is certainly no Fredo. I think we'll find that AJ isn't weak at all, and he certainly isn't jealous of the power of the mobsters his father brings into the house. The Don's actions in the Godfather always seemed to be aimed at some higher, honorable purpose. The NY and NJ crews in the Sopranos are constantly bickering over construction and garbage contracts. I never heard Michael, Vito, or even Sonny going on about a truckload of Makita tools. It was far beneath them.

Consider a few comparisons:

--Michael tells the Nevada U.S. Senator to go to hell: "My offer is this. NOTHING. Not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up...personally." (my favorite all-time movie scene, by the way)

--Tony bitch-slaps the NJ state senator for sleeping with his ex-girlfriend

--Michael hardly even touches a gun after he becomes the Don. He has a loyal cadre of soldiers to do his dirty work for him

--How many people has Tony killed, AS THE BOSS? He even has to clean up a few murder scenes.

--Michael gets his way with a Hollywood studio head, by way of a bloody horse's head. This was just to get a movie part for his friend!

--Tony owes the Jewish record exec. money, and passive-aggressively angers him. Possibly (not likely) Tony has the guy's wife killed, but pays him back anyway.

--Michael has dozens of loyal soldiers who are ready to die for him, and many do.

--Tony has had a few bodyguards with him, but none have ever been there when Tony has been attacked.