The Blue Comet (S06E20)
Airdate: June 6th 2007
Written by: David Chase & Matthew Weiner
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Running Time: 50 minutes
David Chase’s The Sopranos had long teased its audience with the spectre of an apocalyptic collapse of Tony Soprano’s world, a threat hinted at through seasons of moral decay, personal crises, and simmering mob tensions. The penultimate episode of the sixth season, The Blue Comet, finally delivers this cataclysmic reckoning—but in true Sopranos fashion, it unfolds not in a grand finale but in a brutal, anticlimactic crescendo that obliterates both Tony’s professional and personal stability. The episode functions as a masterclass in how to dismantle a protagonist’s world with cold, methodical precision, yet its execution is marred by narrative choices that undercut its potential greatness.
The conflict between the DiMeo and Lupertazzi families is framed as an uneven battle from the start. The DiMeo family, dismissively branded a “glorified crew” by Phil Leotardo, is outmatched in every conceivable way. The Lupertazzis possess superior manpower, financial clout, and, crucially, leadership. Phil’s strategy—a swift decapitation strike aimed at eliminating Tony Soprano and his top two subordinates—reflects a pragmatism absent in Tony’s often impulsive decisions. While Phil’s temperament may be as volatile as Tony’s, his tactical mind understands that dismantling the head of the snake would allow the Lupertazzis to absorb what remains of DiMeo’s operations in New Jersey with minimal resistance. This contrast underscores Tony’s vulnerability: his reliance on alliances and charm, rather than raw power, leaves him exposed when the gloves come off.
Tony’s own attempt to mirror Phil’s strategy—a targeted hit on Phil himself—proves disastrous. The assassins, imported from Naples, bungle the mission by mistaking Phil’s Ukrainian mistress’s father for their target. The botched operation not only fails to neutralise Phil but also inadvertently triggers a chain of violence that leaves the DiMeo crew reeling. Phil’s foresight in disappearing after anticipating such a move highlights his tactical superiority, leaving Tony isolated and scrambling.
While the mob war ravages Tony’s professional empire, his personal life implodes with equal force. The episode’s most resonant personal blow is Dr. Melfi’s abrupt termination of their therapy. Publicly shamed by Dr. Kupferberger at a social gathering—a cringe-inducing scene of academic one-upmanship—Melfi retreats to research the infamous study about therapy worsening sociopaths. Her decision to end sessions by literally showing Tony the door is both melodramatic and narratively clumsy. For Tony, it feels like betrayal, yet the timing is ironic: without therapy’s routine, he’s forced into a state of existential limbo, unmoored from the few anchors he had.
Chase and co-writer Matthew Weiner squander the potential poignancy of this moment by reducing it to a contrived, over-the-top confrontation. Melfi’s reliance on a single study to justify ending treatment undermines her credibility as a professional, rendering her decision feel less like clinical judgment and more like a panicked reaction. The scene’s clumsiness is compounded by Kupferberger’s smug, unprofessional conduct, which strains credulity even in the morally murky world of The Sopranos. Lorraine Bracco’s public dissatisfaction with her character’s exit is understandable; the episode’s handling of the therapy arc feels rushed and tonally off-kilter.
The consequences of Tony’s missteps are visceral and relentless. Bobby Baccalieri’s assassination—a brutal ambush at a model train shop—serves as a stark reminder of how violence can strike those least involved in the conflict. His children, left to endure a childhood under their stepmother Janice’s erratic influence, embody the collateral damage of Tony’s failures. Meanwhile, Silvio Dante and Patsy Parisi face an attack outside the Bada Bing, a location once synonymous with Tony’s power. Patsy escapes, but Silvio’s near-fatal injuries leave him comatose, stripping Tony of a key ally and forcing him into hiding.
The episode’s violence is both indiscriminate and theatrical. A motorist’s accidental death in a hit meant for Silvio underscores the randomness of fate in Sopranos storytelling, where even bystanders are ensnared in the mob’s chaos. Yet the opening scene—Silvio garroting defector Burt Gervasi—feels gratuitous. By this point in the series, the audience is well acquainted with the world’s brutality; the scene adds little beyond excessive violence, diminishing its emotional impact.
Despite its ambition, The Blue Comet falters in several key areas. The episode’s co-writers, Chase and Weiner, prioritise spectacle over subtlety. The abruptness of the mob war’s escalation leaves little room for character development, particularly for Phil Leotardo, whose motivations remain underexplored. The rushed pacing—compounded by the episode’s two-week gap from its predecessor—leaves plot threads dangling, such as AJ’s fragile mental state post-hospitalisation. His forced exile from his home triggers another breakdown, but the transition feels abrupt, lacking the gradual unraveling that defined earlier character arcs.
The decision to end Melfi’s storyline so clumsily is the episode’s most glaring misstep. A more nuanced departure—such as Tony ending therapy out of concern for Melfi’s safety during the war (for which there was precedent in earlier episodes)—could have preserved her dignity and Tony’s complexity. Instead, the scene devolves into melodrama, alienating viewers who had grown accustomed to their layered dynamic.
Amid the carnage, one couple emerges unscathed: Artie and Charmaine Bucco. Their contentment as restaurant owners, insulated from the mob’s turmoil, offers a rare glimmer of hope. Their subplot—a running joke throughout the series—resonates here as a counterpoint to Tony’s despair. Their happiness is neither contrived nor saccharine; it simply exists as a reminder that some lives, even in Sopranos’ bleak universe, can find peace.
The Blue Comet is a bold, ambitious episode that delivers on its promise of apocalyptic stakes. Its bleak tone and relentless violence capture the show’s signature nihilism, particularly in scenes affecting those outside the mob’s inner circle. Yet its narrative missteps—particularly in the Melfi-Tony relationship—prevent it from standing among the series’ finest episodes. While critics initially praised its audacity, the episode’s flaws linger, leaving one to wonder how much sharper it could have been with tighter plotting and subtler character work. Ultimately, it remains a fitting prelude to the series’ finale: a chaotic, unresolved mess that mirrors the very world it critiques.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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