The Sopranos: Season Six, Part 1

After a season many longtime fans dismissed as lackluster, The Sopranos made an eye-popping return to form with 12 memorable episodes that aired during the spring of 2006. Continuing the previous year's plot thread, the sixth season opens with New York crime boss Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola) languishing in jail, awaiting his racketeering trial, while his underlings continue to make trouble for the titular rival New Jersey family. “Join the Club,” an especially strong episode, finds a comatose Tony (James Gandolfini) dreaming that he's a “civilian,” while Carmela (Edie Falco), Meadow (Jamie-Lynn DiScala), and A.J. (Robert Iler) maintain a bedside vigil, and Tony's crew members begin vying for control. Upon awakening, a slowly recuperating Tony has to figure out how to avoid appearing weak in the face of dissension within his ranks and continuing harassment from Sack's crew. The usual array of subplots are interwoven throughout, and that venerable Sopranos tradition—the surprising, shocking, bloody “hit”—is observed here with apparent glee by the show's creative team. While the season has a few weak episodes, by and large the sixth year is a roaring success so far. DVD extras include four audio commentaries by the cast and crew. Recommended. (E. Hulse)