The Sopranos: Season Six, Part II

Very few television show signoffs have inspired as much controversy as the last episode of The Sopranos, one of the final nine collected in this boxed set, but while that series finale (“Made in America”) left questions unanswered and business unfinished, it also served as a fittingly ambiguous coda to one of TV's greatest successes. These 2007-aired episodes pick up with Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) surviving his shooting—at the hands of senile and now-institutionalized Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese)—and wondering how to handle his second chance at life, while still facing innumerable personal and “professional” crises. Wife Carmela (Edie Falco) attempts to plan for a future that's very much in doubt, while children A.J. (Robert Iler) and Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) struggle to find their places in the world. Tony worries about the loyalty of his crew as the long-simmering volcano of tensions between the New Jersey and New York crime families finally erupts into open warfare with Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) vowing to wipe out the Sopranos. Who lives and who dies? You'll have to see for yourself. But rest assured, there's plenty of carnage in these final episodes. Although the sixth season isn't the series' best, it contains—in some measure—all of the qualities that made The Sopranos “destination TV” for millions of enthralled viewers over the last decade. DVD extras include four audio commentaries by the cast and crew, a mock behind-the-scenes look at Tony's nephew's horror film Cleaver, and a featurette on the show's music. Recommended. (E. Hulse)