Edie Falco: "The Sopranos"

A gift of rewatching "The Sopranos" is that one notices Toni Kalem--who made a mark as Big Pussy's widow, but also as a talented writer. Kalem drafted "All Happy Families," for which Edie Falco earned an Emmy nomination.

There's an obvious contrast between Mrs. Big Pussy and Carmela. Though Mrs. Big Pussy endures a tragedy (the disappearance of her spouse), she might not choose to rewrite her own story. Freed from Sal, Angie starts her own business and fights her own battles. The battles aren't pretty, but they're at least interesting.

By contrast, Carmela's story is bleak. She wriggles out of Tony's grasp, but to what end? She attempts a course in still life painting, and complains that the task is difficult. (Tony asks: "Difficult? So why do it?") Carmela then begins a relationship; the brief affair is unimportant, except that it leads to one memorable scene. Complaining to her father that "men will always see me as married to the mob," Carmela seems to anticipate a statement of empathy or reassurance. But, instead, Dad replies with one of the greatest lines in the show's history: He grabs his toolbelt, and he says, "Well!" And he leaves the room.

Toni Kalem's beautifully detailed insights enrich Carmela's story. Writing for Carmela, Toni Kalem has Carmela lose her mind in the absence of AJ. (AJ is drunk in a Manhattan hotel, with his eyebrows literally glued to a carpet.) Carmela is so powerless, she can't even control the SAT tutor. (Dismayed when the tutor seems to be treading water, Carmela pushes back gently. "You're leaving already?" And the tutor shrugs and says, "Yep. It's three o'clock.") My favorite Kalem move is to have Carmela endure a short flashback to her late twenties. AJ is a little toddler, racing down the driveway in his plastic vehicle. Carmela is overwhelmed with love and with worry: "Stop at the end of the drive!!!"

I think Kalem and Falco had a terrific partnership, and, although Falco didn't win an Emmy for Season Five, I have a feeling that her candidacy was strong.

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