All Due Respect (S05E13)
Airdate: May 30th 2004
Written by: David Chase, Robert Green & Mitchel Burgess
Directed by: John Patterson
Running Time: 55 minutes
Following the seismic upheavals of the preceding episode, Long Term Parking, which saw the grim resolution of Adriana’s fraught storyline, the Season 5 finale of The Sopranos feels almost sedate by comparison. All Due Respect presents a veneer of restored order in Tony Soprano’s turbulent world, with major crises seemingly neutralised—at least temporarily. This semblance of “normalcy,” however, is deceptive, teetering on the fragile alliances and brutal compromises that define the mafia’s moral vacuum. While the episode ties up several narrative threads, it also subtly sows seeds of future discord, encapsulating the series’ enduring tension between resolution and entropy.
Central to the episode is the fallout from Tony Blundetto’s unsanctioned murder of Phil Leotardo’s brother, Billy. Tony Soprano’s refusal to surrender his cousin to Phil’s vengeance ignites a financial siege by the Lupertazzi family, targeting the DiMeo crew’s operations. Phil’s retaliatory focus on Christopher exacerbates internal dissent within Tony’s ranks, testing loyalties. The resolution—Tony’s agonised decision to execute Blundetto himself—underscores his Machiavellian pragmatism. By sparing his cousin a torturous end, Tony balances familial duty with ruthless realpolitik, temporarily appeasing Johnny Sack with the spoils of Blundetto’s enterprises. This uneasy détente averts a catastrophic war, yet the emotional toll lingers: Tony’s act of “mercy” is both a betrayal and a sacrifice, emblematic of the moral corrosion at the heart of his power.
Adriana’s abrupt disappearance casts a lingering shadow, her absence a void filled with whispered speculation. While Carmela and the FBI grapple with the mystery, Christopher’s veneer of grief—claiming she abandoned him—masks a darker truth. His sustained sobriety and reintegration into Tony’s inner circle, as the designated heir, reveal a chilling compartmentalisation. Christopher’s trajectory here is paradoxical: his loyalty is rewarded even as his humanity is eroded, a theme The Sopranos interrogates with bleak precision. The episode deftly mirrors his personal disintegration with the broader moral decay of the syndicate, leaving viewers to ponder the cost of complicity.
In a rare glimmer of optimism, A.J.’s successful orchestration of a party—netting him his first legitimate earnings—hints at potential redemption. Tony’s paternal pride in this minor triumph is palpable, offering a fleeting reprieve from his dynastic anxieties. Yet A.J.’s arc remains tinged with irony: his “achievement” is rooted in the same hedonistic excesses that define his father’s world, suggesting any “positive focus” is precarious at best. This subplot, while peripheral, subtly reinforces the series’ exploration of legacy and the illusion of reinvention.
Notably, All Due Respect was initially conceived as the series’ finale, with David Chase envisioning a five-season structure akin to Breaking Bad’s narrative cohesion. The episode’s closing moments—Tony and Johnny Sack’s tenuous pact—could have provided a fitting, if ambiguous, conclusion: a precarious equilibrium reflecting the cyclical nature of power. Yet HBO’s push for a sixth season necessitated a contrived cliffhanger. The arrest of Johnny Sack by the FBI, juxtaposed with Tony’s farcical escape, injects a jarring tonal shift. While darkly humorous—the FBI’s bumbling pursuit contrasts with Tony’s unwarranted paranoia—the twist feels artificially engineered to prolong the narrative. Johnny’s downfall paves the way for Phil’s volatile ascendance, a narrative pivot that, while fertile ground for future conflict, undermines the episode’s earlier gravitas.
Director John Patterson, a series veteran who would tragically die in 2005, delivers his trademark taut pacing and atmospheric tension, yet the finale’s denouement edges towards the melodramatic. Tony’s narrow escape from indictment, coupled with Johnny’s abrupt arrest, strains credulity, veering into conveniences more typical of mainstream drama than The Sopranos’ nuanced realism. This denouement, while serviceable, lacks the existential weight of the series’ finest moments, hinting at the creative strain of prolonging a narrative beyond its natural endpoint.
In summation, All Due Respect encapsulates the duality of The Sopranos: a masterful interplay of resolution and anticipation, undercut by the compromises of commercial exigency. While it consolidates Season 5’s thematic arcs—power, loyalty, entropy—its contrived climax slightly dilutes the series’ trademark complexity. Nevertheless, as a bridge to the final season, it retains a gripping potency, a testament to the show’s enduring brilliance even when navigating uncertain terrain.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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