According to producer and writer David Chase, Tony is now decidedly middle-aged. He longs to settle down and has even paid for a dream house for estranged wife Carmela to win her back. However, he is shot in the chest by the increasingly senile Uncle Junior, who mistakes him for an old enemy. Carmela is haunted by the disappearance of Adrianna and her dreams begin to reveal the truth.
She repeatedly tells Tony she loves him, but it's clear that her thoughts are on material possessions and she is consumed with a dispute with local planning officials.Expect metaphysical philosophy to play a part in the couple's search for meaning.
Meadow stays at college and gets married, while AJ grows his hair out and gets to college age. He finally understands his father's role in the mob.
During the opening montage of the first show, we see that Tony's sister Janice has had a baby. The camera lingers over the Rolling Stones tattoo on her breast, as she feeds the baby - a sly comment on her lost youth. Her schlep of a husband, Bobby "Baccala" Baccalieri, played by Steve R Schirripa, has increasing power but is spending more time looking after the baby.
"I'm delighted with the character development for Bobby," says Schirripa. "It has grown from really very little and I think he has developed a lot as a character this season." Uncle Junior continues to slip into dementia, haunted by former arch-rival Pussy Malenga, a character mentioned only in the first episode of the first season.
Christopher rises in power but the death of Adrianna has profound effects on his life, especially his trust of women and his belief in any meaning in life.
Eugene Pontecorvo, a rising soldier in the last season, commits suicide after Tony refuses him permission to leave the Mafia and begin a new life in Florida with his wife and family.
Effete New York crime boss, Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni, is in prison after a crackdown on his family, leaving control to hard nut Phil Leotardo. Tony is scared of his power and agrees to give him increased power over joint construction projects. However, good luck arrives when one of Tony's captains, an FBI informant, has a heart attack just as he is about to tell the FBI about Tony's involvement in a murder.
Overall, the tone of the series will be one of unease, says Chase, in which the characters go through major re-evaluations of their lives and discover they have not achieved their dreams.