Every season of The Sopranos tends to have one episode where nothing too shocking or audacious happens. Perhaps this is done so that audiences can relax for a second between all the emotionally exhausting events of the series. House Arrest is such an episode.
Following the prospect of being arrested for the Bevilaqua murder (fortunately, the witness chickened out after finding out who he had to do with), Tony is advised by his lawyer to spend more time at one of his legitimate work places, as a precaution, instead of hanging out with his crew at the Bada Bing all day. Because of this, the NJ boss starts sitting behind a desk at Barone Sanitation, which he finds to be quite boring. Equally bored is his uncle, who has to face the negative sides of house arrest when he runs into the widow of an old friend at the hospital and hesitates when it comes to revealing his current status.
Aside from tensions rising more and more between Tony and Richie, nothing of true importance happens in this low-key episode, at least in the gangster area. Dr. Melfi, on the other hand, faces a new, unexpected development as she flips in front of her son at dinner over a smoking guest. Not only does that scene (and Melfi's subsequent therapy session with Elliot) allow Lorraine Bracco to unleash the suppressed rage she mastered so well in Goodfellas, it also implies the relationship between patient and therapist will evolve dangerously over the years to come. Also foreboding, though related to a shorter time-span, is Richie's "alliance" with Junior, a suspenseful plot thread that suggests things will get dirty in the concluding shows of the season. On second thought, maybe this episode isn't that relaxing after all...
Following the prospect of being arrested for the Bevilaqua murder (fortunately, the witness chickened out after finding out who he had to do with), Tony is advised by his lawyer to spend more time at one of his legitimate work places, as a precaution, instead of hanging out with his crew at the Bada Bing all day. Because of this, the NJ boss starts sitting behind a desk at Barone Sanitation, which he finds to be quite boring. Equally bored is his uncle, who has to face the negative sides of house arrest when he runs into the widow of an old friend at the hospital and hesitates when it comes to revealing his current status.
Aside from tensions rising more and more between Tony and Richie, nothing of true importance happens in this low-key episode, at least in the gangster area. Dr. Melfi, on the other hand, faces a new, unexpected development as she flips in front of her son at dinner over a smoking guest. Not only does that scene (and Melfi's subsequent therapy session with Elliot) allow Lorraine Bracco to unleash the suppressed rage she mastered so well in Goodfellas, it also implies the relationship between patient and therapist will evolve dangerously over the years to come. Also foreboding, though related to a shorter time-span, is Richie's "alliance" with Junior, a suspenseful plot thread that suggests things will get dirty in the concluding shows of the season. On second thought, maybe this episode isn't that relaxing after all...