The dramatic events of Kennedy and Heidi suggested Tony Soprano would have some pretty dark thoughts and emotions to deal with in the series finale. The Second Coming increases the darkness as much as possible, containing events that will truly determine the premise of the last two episodes of the show.
Following Christopher's death, neither Tony nor Carmela know how to cope with the situation, especially after AJ's depression leads him to a suicide attempt in the pool. Moreover, Tony ruins his already strained relationship with Phil Leotardo by kicking the crap out of a guy who molested his daughter. Apparently, the full scale war between New York and New Jersey that he has tried to avoid for years looks bound to happen.
Emotionally, The Second Coming isn't nearly as strong as the previous episodes, or the following ones, but as a tone-setter for flawlessly executed drama it has few rivals, especially in the tragic scenes involving Anthony Jr. and his father's reaction to his suicidal thoughts. Plus, for those lamenting originality in the violent bits, the restaurant confrontation between Tony and the jerk who harassed Meadow is the single most revolting sequence in the show's history. If you've seen American History X, you'll have a pretty good idea of how extreme, but also incredibly powerful, that moment is.
Following Christopher's death, neither Tony nor Carmela know how to cope with the situation, especially after AJ's depression leads him to a suicide attempt in the pool. Moreover, Tony ruins his already strained relationship with Phil Leotardo by kicking the crap out of a guy who molested his daughter. Apparently, the full scale war between New York and New Jersey that he has tried to avoid for years looks bound to happen.
Emotionally, The Second Coming isn't nearly as strong as the previous episodes, or the following ones, but as a tone-setter for flawlessly executed drama it has few rivals, especially in the tragic scenes involving Anthony Jr. and his father's reaction to his suicidal thoughts. Plus, for those lamenting originality in the violent bits, the restaurant confrontation between Tony and the jerk who harassed Meadow is the single most revolting sequence in the show's history. If you've seen American History X, you'll have a pretty good idea of how extreme, but also incredibly powerful, that moment is.