New blood for 'Sopranos'
The series starts its fifth season with a couple of new faces, veteran actors Robert Loggia and Steve Buscemi, but how long will they last?
It has been 14 months since we saw Tony and Carmela's explosive argument cap The Sopranos' fourth season. So here's a handy guide to what the show's main characters face as the fifth season begins.
TONY SOPRANO (James Gandolfini) - Separated from wife Carmela, he's more restless than ever, done with psychoanalysis and hoping for romance with his former therapist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi. But with new mobsters in town and the rise of his New York rival Johnny Sack, can he maintain his hold on the family business?
CARMELA SOPRANO (Edie Falco) - Separated from Tony but still living in the family house, she's bound by children and finances to a husband she detests. Son A.J.'s anger over the separation and the untimely appearance of a bear make gaining independence from Tony even more difficult.
DR. JENNIFER MELFI (Lorraine Bracco) - No longer treating Tony for stress, Melfi now must convince him that his feelings for her are just a result of the emotional intimacy of therapy. To her surprise, it's also something she's got to tell herself.
CORRADO "UNCLE JUNIOR" SOPRANO (Dominic Chianese) - He faces a health problem that may rob him of his dignity and status as the family's figurehead leader.
CHRISTOPHER MOLTISANTI (Michael Imperioli) - Upset at having less status than Sopranos lieutenant Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri, he lets their rivalry escalate. What he doesn't know: Girlfriend Adriana is still secretly spilling her guts to the Feds.
ANTHONY "A.J." SOPRANO (Robert Iler) - Blaming his mother for his parents' separation, A.J. soaks up guilt gifts from his dad (a drum set and an SUV) while developing a reputation as a major slacker.
JANICE "PARVATI" SOPRANO (Aida Turturro) - Now married to Uncle Junior's caretaker, Bobby Baccilieri, Tony's pathologically self-centered sister chafes at caring for Bobby's two kids while pushing him to advance in the family. Do not forget that her last two steady flames wound up dead, one by her hand.
