This episode focuses on Uncle Junior's deteriorating mental state. He starts saying nonsensical things, and asking the same questions over and over again. He ends up wandering off, confused and in search of people long dead. Dominic Chiamese's depiction is harrowing and accurate. This whole aspect of the episode almost hit a little too close to home for me; I was watching this with my mother, who was doing many of the things I just described while we were watching. Seeing the simultaneous mental decline of both one's mother and a likable fictional character is not a pleasant experience. Mind you, my mother is perfectly fine most of the time. Her mind usually only tends to wander when we're watching television. Still, the experience lent an extra degree of authenticity and emotional wallop to the episode for me.
The other main plot of the episode involves a conflict over the territory of a lawn-mowing company. It's a fairly standard Sopranos subplot, factoring in humour, violence, and conflict. Solid, but ultimately inconsequential.
The other main plot of the episode involves a conflict over the territory of a lawn-mowing company. It's a fairly standard Sopranos subplot, factoring in humour, violence, and conflict. Solid, but ultimately inconsequential.