Television Review: Irregular Around the Margins (The Sopranos, S5X05, 2004)

Irregular Around the Margins (S05E05)

Airdate: April 4th 2004

Written by: Robin Green & Mitchel Burgess
Directed by: Allen Coulter

Running Time: 52 minutes

The Sopranos, a series renowned for its layered storytelling and moral ambiguity, often experimented with narrative structure to keep its audience engaged. While many episodes juggled multiple subplots to mirror the chaotic lives of its characters, Irregular Around the Margins stands out for its laser focus on a single storyline. This streamlined approach, penned by the experience duo Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, allows the writers to hone in on psychological nuance and escalating tension with surgical precision. The result is an episode that transcends the show’s already lofty standards, offering a masterclass in character deconstruction and the corrosive consequences of unchecked desire.

At the heart of the episode is Adriana La Cerva (played by Drea de Matteo), a character whose glamour and vulnerability have made her both a fan favourite and a symbol of the series’ tragic underpinnings. As manager of the Crazy Horse night club—a hub for Tony Soprano’s illicit dealings—Adriana is thrust into the orbit of the DiMeo crime family, a position that becomes increasingly untenable. Her role as an FBI informant, coerced by the steely Agent Sanseverino (played by Karen Young), exacerbates her fragile mental state. Already buckling under guilt and paranoia, Adriana’s coping mechanisms—chain-smoking, cocaine binges, and alcohol—manifest physically as irritable bowel syndrome, a humiliating ailment emblematic of her psychological unraveling. The episode deftly juxtaposes her outward allure with inner decay, a motif central to her arc.

Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini), meanwhile, is embroiled in his own existential crisis. A cancerous growth on his forehead—surgically removed but leaving a visible scar—serves as a metaphor for his deteriorating moral and physical health. His frequent visits to the Crazy Horse reignite old vices, notably cocaine use, which he rationalises as a fleeting escape from familial and professional pressures. Compounding this is his growing attraction to Adriana, his nephew Christopher’s fiancée. Their bond, initially forged through shared medical anxieties and drug-fuelled camaraderie, simmers with unspoken tension. Tony, ever the opportunist, skirts the line between paternal concern and predatory desire, though his inertia—part indecision, part self-preservation—delays any overt transgression.

The plot accelerates when Tony dispatches Christopher (Michael Imperioli) on a cigarette-smuggling run to North Carolina, a move that isolates Adriana and Tony further. During Christopher’s absence, Tony drives Adriana to Dover, New Jersey, to procure cocaine. A near-fatal car accident—triggered by Tony swerving to avoid a raccoon—leaves them both injured and stranded. While their physical wounds are minor, the psychological fallout is catastrophic. Their joint presence in the car fuels salacious rumours within the DiMeo family, distorted through a game of mob “telephone” into a full-blown affair. Even the FBI, via Sanseverino, weaponises the gossip, attempting to manipulate Adriana into directly informing on her alleged “lover”.

Christopher’s reaction to the rumours is volcanic. Upon returning, he savagely beats Adriana, his violence born of wounded pride and emasculation. In a drunken stupor, he confronts Tony with a gun, only to be disarmed and humiliated. The intervention of Tony Blundetto (played by Steve Buscemi)—whose newfound massage therapy expertise provides proof that would indirectly save Christopher’s life —adds a darkly comic layer to the chaos. Though Tony Soprano convinces Christopher of his innocence, the damage is irreparable. Christopher’s public reconciliation with Adriana, staged during a tense dinner at Vesuvio with Carmela (played by Edie Falco) and Tony, is a hollow pantomime. He resigns himself to being the family’s laughing stock, his simmering resentment foreshadowing later tragedies.

Green and Burgess’ script thrives in its simplicity. By eschewing subplots, the episode adopts a claustrophobic intensity, mirroring Adriana and Tony’s entrapment in their respective vices. Even Dr. Melfi (played by Lorraine Bracco), in her brief therapy scenes, serves as a grounding force. Her sessions with Tony—where he feigns introspection while evading accountability—contrast starkly with the moral vacuum of his world.

Tony’s portrayal here is a masterstroke of anti-hero complexity. His attempts to project paternal authority crumble under the weight of his impulsivity. The cocaine use, the reckless car ride, and his passive-aggressive flirtation with Adriana expose a man regressing into adolescent recklessness. Worse, his inability to quash the rumours undermines his leadership, casting doubt on his judgment among crew members. Christopher, once his most loyal protégé, becomes a volatile wild card—a liability Tony’s ego refuses to acknowledge.

The episode also subverts the trope of law enforcement as ethical counterweights. The FBI’s callous indifference to Adriana’s suffering—agents snicker at her plight during a briefing—reveals an institution as morally bankrupt as the mafia it pursues. Sanseverino’s manipulation of Adriana, leveraging her fear and isolation, mirrors Tony’s own exploitative tactics. The line between hunter and hunted blurs, painting a bleak portrait of institutional cynicism.

Adriana’s trajectory in this episode encapsulates the series’ tragic vision. Her glamorous exterior—manicured nails, designer outfits—masks a soul eroded by betrayal and dread. Her relationship with Christopher, already toxic, disintegrates into mutual resentment. Michael Imperioli and Drea de Matteo deliver career-best performances, their chemistry oscillating between tenderness and brutality. De Matteo’s portrayal of Adriana’s fraying nerves—a twitch of the eye, a tremulous smile—earned her a deserved Emmy, as did Imperioli’s raw depiction of wounded masculinity.

Irregular Around the Margins distills The Sopranos’ themes into a single, devastating hour. It is an episode about the lies we tell ourselves to survive, the collateral damage of unchecked power, and the futility of seeking redemption in a world devoid of moral compass. By narrowing its scope, the episode achieves a novelistic depth, exposing the rot beneath the surface of its characters’ lives. In the end, Adriana’s IBS, Tony’s scar, and Christopher’s humiliation are not just plot devices—they are stains on the soul, reminders that in the world of The Sopranos, there is no cure for the human condition.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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