Cold Cuts

Simlarly to the previous entry of the season, Unidentified Black Males, Cold Cuts is quite controlled regarding the violent shock factor, preferring to focus on character development while preparing for the emotional roller-coaster that's about to come.

It starts with Johnny Sack stealing from Tony and then accusing him of protecting the murderous Tony B. (true, but still). In an attempt to take his mind off the stress, the boss sends his cousin and Christopher to dig up a few bodies which need to be transferred if they want to avoid jail time. Also going through a stressful situation is Janice, whom Bobby threatens with divorce unless she takes care of her foul attitude, a fact Tony can't resist mocking when he has dinner with them.

The whole point of Cold Cuts is showcasing the complexity of the bonds that form between certain characters: the main attraction is of course Tony's dealings with Janice, which have consistently been contradictory to say the least, and Aida Turturro pulls off a wonderful job keeping the darker sides of the role under control; but it's the scenes shared by Imperioli and Buscemi that have that little extra something, partly because of the great chemistry between the two actors, partly because their story arc "resurrects" a plot element from the very first season - remember Emil Kolar, the guy Chris killed in the pilot episode and then relocated in Episode 8? Well, it's a case of "same sh*t, different day", apparently.