I can't believe it. I really can't. Why do this? Why kill Ralphie? I just don't understand why poor Ralphie had to die. He was increasingly becoming one of my faves, and now he has gone. Did he deserve to die? Well, he only killed a horse (IF he did) because Tony had told him he was going out with Valentina. But in other seasons Ralphie has committed crimes which may justify his murder after all. Tony is one helluva persistent bastard in fights! I still can't believe this twist!

Whether he deserved it or not, it is the biggest shock ever to happen in this show, and it came in the best episode of the season so far. Junior's fall was hilarious to kick it all off, as was Mrs. Gualtieri learning of her son's rodent problems from Detective Mike Hunt, and Ralphie's wig, well...

One thing I noticed this season is the lack of continuity in the show; for instance, the storyline with Furio and Carmela has dragged out over the whole season and it has only featured in a couple of episodes. While this can be confusing and somewhat tedious (causing some episodes to be a heap full of shite) it also offers unpredictability as to what will happen next.

A classic episode, and the one that kicks this season off for sure; I just hope that Tony doesn't get that mad at Carmela for overcooking his eggs!

Mick