Ways You Know You've Been Watching Too Much Television -- #7: You use phrases like "Not even seeing Vinnie Delpino again was enough to make it worthwhile."

And finally, we're back at Das Sopranohaus. Tony is getting dressed in the bedroom when he finds Valentina's broken nail placed ever-so-carefully on the nightstand. Putting two and two together, he races downstairs, where he finds Carmela quietly reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. Unsure of how to handle the situation, he stands there silently until she offers to make some coffee. He accepts, but when she also asks if anything is bothering him, he claims that everything is fine. It's a tribute to both actors that, even with the most mundane dialogue, they're able to keep the tension cranked to such a high level. Not even the arrival of AJ can calm things down, as Tony quickly tries to find out if he might have been the one responsible for the theft. "Have you been out in the backyard the last couple of days?" he asks. "It's freezing out there," answers AJ. And then the weekly "Is AJ Smart Or Not" pendulum swings back to "smart" as the kid realizes what's going on and hightails it out of there. Carmela returns to her seat at the table, and as her husband stands there, staring knowingly at her back, she turns around to ask, "Are you sure there's not something you want to talk about?" "No," replies Tony. And yet another episode ends the same way, with the senior Sopranos sharing a sullen silence as we segue to the credits and a subtextually relevant song selection.

Joss Whedon: Hey, you know what would make this show better?
David Chase: Less plot development?
Joss Whedon: Well, yeah, but I was going to say cows. And also singing demons.
David Chase: Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna take advice from a guy who willingly put his flagship show on the UPN.
Joss Whedon: Hey, check the forums, buddy. I get more posts in my meet market threads than you do in your entire General Gabbery.
David Chase: What. Ever.
Joss Whedon: Asshole.
David Chase: Space hooker.
Joss Whedon: Mama's boy.
David Chase: Get out. Now.