Leaving a two-year gap between Season Five and Six was already "cruel" enough; dividing the last series in two chunks, released a year apart, borders on sadism. Okay, so the decision to split the final season in two meant the show would end a year later than planned, which is nearly always a good thing, but on the other hand Kaisha is almost too optimistic for a Sopranos episode, a fact that implies only one logical consequence: the last nine episodes will be the most relentless in the program's history, and the prospect of waiting a whole year for those nine (at the time the season originally aired, of course) can't have been too reassuring. But then the show has never been famous for providing instant comfort, has it?
The title Kaisha comes from the name of the woman Christopher is currently having an extramarital affair with, or at least that's what he's been telling everyone: in reality, his mistress happens to be Julianna Skiff (Julianna Margulies), a woman Tony had been trying to get into bed with, and letting him know the truth wouldn't be a good thing, considering the recent turn of events - Vito's murder has practically been interpreted as an act of war on Phil Leotardo's behalf.
"Fortunately" enough, Tony doesn't need to worry that much about retaliation: the news that Phil is in a hospital bed because of a heart attack are probably the best piece of information he's received in a while. In addition, AJ seems to have found something to live for, or rather someone: a slightly older girl named Blanca, who upsets Carmela on account of being black and having a three-year old son, but is treated very well by Tony as he thinks she might be able to straighten up Anthony for a change.
If you don't consider the Phil situation, this episode exudes happiness, a rare thing to find in the series and a sure sign of events lining up for a truly dark evolution in Season Six, Part Two. As a matter of fact, these past twelve episodes have already been more foreboding than ever, with so many elements (Johnny Sack's incarceration, the rivalry between Tony and Phil, Christopher's return to drug addiction, Uncle Junior's insanity) indicating the definitive end of the series won't be a pretty one, and the apparently cheerful note on which Kaisha closes makes it even harder, though absolutely worth it, to wait for that end to take place.
The title Kaisha comes from the name of the woman Christopher is currently having an extramarital affair with, or at least that's what he's been telling everyone: in reality, his mistress happens to be Julianna Skiff (Julianna Margulies), a woman Tony had been trying to get into bed with, and letting him know the truth wouldn't be a good thing, considering the recent turn of events - Vito's murder has practically been interpreted as an act of war on Phil Leotardo's behalf.
"Fortunately" enough, Tony doesn't need to worry that much about retaliation: the news that Phil is in a hospital bed because of a heart attack are probably the best piece of information he's received in a while. In addition, AJ seems to have found something to live for, or rather someone: a slightly older girl named Blanca, who upsets Carmela on account of being black and having a three-year old son, but is treated very well by Tony as he thinks she might be able to straighten up Anthony for a change.
If you don't consider the Phil situation, this episode exudes happiness, a rare thing to find in the series and a sure sign of events lining up for a truly dark evolution in Season Six, Part Two. As a matter of fact, these past twelve episodes have already been more foreboding than ever, with so many elements (Johnny Sack's incarceration, the rivalry between Tony and Phil, Christopher's return to drug addiction, Uncle Junior's insanity) indicating the definitive end of the series won't be a pretty one, and the apparently cheerful note on which Kaisha closes makes it even harder, though absolutely worth it, to wait for that end to take place.