College

David Chase called it the "Ultimate Episode". For me it is my favourite episode, multi layered and full of symbolisms. A stand alone ep that has little to do with the whole Sopranos story arc but is so compelling i couldn't take my eyes of the screen throughout the story. There are plenty of episode of much greater consequence and significance but this one off ep is a tv gem.

This was the best episode up till this point! So many memorable scenes, great dialogue and an underlying sense of tension through most of the episode!

This episode sees Tony and Meadow spend a lot of time together, which gives us more insight to Tony's character and the relationship between the two! Some great subbtle characterdevelopment as Meadow has a good idea what Tony is doing for a living, but Tony wont admit.. and how does she use that information!

Tony looking for The Rat was very intense as we knew something was gonna happen but not when, how or where!

Overall we starts too see how Tony's work starts to effect his family life as well!

An amazing episode!

There's not much I can say about this episode that hasn't already been said better by someone else. Every aspect of the episode - acting, writing, camerawork, scenery - come together in a perfect concoction. If "Denial, Anger, Acceptance" ascended the show into greatness territory, then "College" ascends the show into masterpiece territory. Even if this had been the one amazing episode that they had ever made for the show, it still would go down in television history. In fact, this episode COULD potentially stand alone as an excellent short film noir-as-character study. The impact of this episode has been somewhat diminished over time as we are spoiled by villainous antiheroes on television nowadays, but one must realise that back in 1999, to make your protagonist kill a man in cold blood was a tremendous leap of faith within the rather conservative television standards of the time.

If you're not hooked on The Sopranos after watching this episode, then this show is probably just not for you.

This is not the only time we realize these two are kidding themselves but it is probably the first.

Tony is motoring around New England taking Meadow to various colleges so she can tour them and talk to school officials so that she can decide where she wants to apply. Carmela is home recovering from the flu, when her priest comes by, seemingly always looking for good food and a good movie on laserdisc, the premiere video format of the time.

During this trip Tony sees someone he thinks is a "rat" - somebody in the mob who twelve years before turned state witness and sent a bunch of his crew to jail and then went into witness protection. Would Tony jeopardize not only a trip that is supposed to be about his daughter but perhaps his daughter's life to whack the rat? Of course he would! And there is no doubt that if Tony loves anybody, that he loves his daughter.

Carmela becomes all weepy with the priest, confessing that she knows living off of Tony's life of crime is wrong but that she is attracted to what is easy versus what is good. She gets in these confessional moods several times over the life of the series, especially when she is facing some kind of crisis, but nothing ever changes. Over the years she talks to at least one other priest and a therapist, but in the end she continues down the same path.

I feel that this episode is underrated as it may feel like filler, but it is in fact quite revealing. And it is probably the only time in which Ronald Reagan's lips have served as a plot device.

While Tony is driving Meadow to college interviews, he spots an old snitch who has been in hiding under a new name. Meadow is waking up to what her father does for a living, and Tony has to work around her suspicions as he hunts down the rat, with a little help from Christopher. Back on the home front, Carmela sort of seduces her priest, who ends up spending the night at her house. She also takes a call from Dr. Melfi. Dr. Jennifer Melfi. As in, a woman shrink. Something Tony has carefully avoided telling Carm. The final scene between Tony and Carmela is priceless. A brilliant episode. We go from Tony-as-doting-father waiting patiently while Meadow is being interviewed to Tony-the-murderous maniac choking the life out of an adversary.