Nearly two years have passed.
Janice Soprano is raising a new daughter with
Bobby Baccalieri, who has taken up
model railroading as a hobby.
Meadow Soprano continues her relationship with
Finn DeTrolio.
A.J. Soprano is now attending college.
Adriana La Cerva is remembered by a worrying
Carmela Soprano.
Vito Spatafore is thinner and is now a spokesperson for a weight loss company; he is
Tony Soprano's best earner and is ambitious.
Phil Leotardo, now the acting
boss of the
Lupertazzi crime family, is taking care of business for the imprisoned
Johnny Sack. In
Brooklyn,
Hesh Rabkin and his son-in-law
Eli Kaplan are assaulted by Lupertazzi associates. Trying to escape, Eli is knocked down by a
hit-and-run driver and seriously injured. At Hesh's request, Tony tries to reach out directly to Johnny through his
optometrist brother-in-law,
Anthony Infante, but Johnny is only paying attention to his immediate family's financial troubles. Tony, Vito and
Christopher, now a
capo in the
Soprano family, meet with Phil and
Gerry "The Hairdo" Torciano. Disputes between Tony and Phil are resolved, and it is explained that the New York associates were protecting Gerry's area and did not know Eli was associated with the Sopranos; they agree to pay Eli $50,000 as compensation. Carmela's construction of her
spec house is suspended due to a "stop order" issued by a building inspector because improper lumber has been used. Her father,
Hugh De Angelis, thinks an inspector he used to know would waive the requirement, but his contact has retired. Carmela repeatedly asks Tony to see if he can get the stop order lifted, but he keeps putting it off.
Eugene Pontecorvo inherits $2 million and desires to retire with his family to
Florida. Bearing gifts, he goes to Tony to ask permission. Tony reminds Eugene that he
took an oath. Later, Eugene gives him a cut of the inheritance. At Chris' behest, he then kills a debtor; in return, Chris says, "I'll put in a good word to T about the Florida thing." Tony's decision is relayed through
Silvio: "Your Florida thing. That's a no-go." Eugene is also an
informant for the
FBI and has become more valuable to the Bureau since the death of
Ray Curto; they, too, refuse to let him leave New Jersey. With his wife bitter and his son using
heroin, Eugene
hangs himself.
Uncle Junior's mind is deteriorating. Tony helps him look for some money he thinks he buried in his backyard thirty years previously, but they find nothing. Both
Dr. Melfi and Janice suggest a retirement home or
assisted living for him, but Tony forcefully refuses. One afternoon, Junior is particularly agitated, and Tony goes to his house because no one else is free to look after him. While Tony is cooking dinner, Junior, thinking he is a long-dead mobster, shoots him in the stomach. While Junior cowers in a closet upstairs, Tony manages to dial
911 before passing out. ==First appearances==