Television Review: In Camelot (The Sopranos, S5X07, 2004)

In Camelot (S05E07)

Airdate: April 18th 2004

Written by: Terrence Winter
Directed by: Steve Buscemi

Running Time: 55 minutes

As television series near their conclusion, they often grapple with existential dread by retreating into nostalgia, idealising the past to avoid confronting an uncertain future. This tendency is masterfully explored in The Sopranos’ Season 5 episode In Camelot, which dissects the Boomer generation’s romanticisation of mid-20th-century America—a period mythologised as a “golden age” through Kennedy-era Camelot imagery. The episode critiques this nostalgia by juxtaposing faded glamour with the grim realities of ageing, addiction, and familial disillusionment.

The episode opens with Uncle Junior (played by Dominic Chianese) exploiting funerals to escape house arrest, attending services for distant acquaintances to momentarily evade his confined existence. While his dementia symptoms are medically managed, the funerals force him to confront mortality and his legacy as a lifelong bachelor. His souring mood reflects not just the morbidity of death, but the realisation that he lacks familial bonds, foreshadowing a lonely demise.

A pivotal subplot sees Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) encounter Fran Felstein (played by Polly Bergen), his father’s former mistress, at a family funeral. Initially charmed by her tales of Johnny Boy Soprano’s swagger and her alleged affair with JFK, Tony views her as validation of his own lifestyle—a rejection of his mother Livia’s toxicity. Fran’s claim that Johnny promised her a share in a racetrack (swindled by Hesh and Phil Leotardo) allows Tony to play the chivalrous benefactor, securing her $125,000. However, his idealism crumbles when Fran reenacts Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” in a cringe-inducing performance, exposing her manipulative desperation and the hollow reality behind Kennedy-era glamour. Tony’s disillusionment deepens through flashbacks of Livia (played by Laurie Williams), revealing how Johnny’s infidelity exacerbated her bitterness. While briefly sympathising with his mother’s plight, Tony retreats into familiar resentment, snarling, “Fuck her”—a refusal to reconcile with familial trauma.

Christopher Moltisanti’s (played by Michael Imperioli) subplot introduces J.T. Dolan (played by Tim Daly), a recovering addict and failed TV writer Chris befriended in rehab. Despite their pact to stay clean, Chris drags J.T. into high-stakes gambling, exploiting his vulnerability. Predictably, J.T. spirals into debt, leading to a violent beating by Chris when he fails to repay loans. The storyline mirrors Season 2’s Davey Scatino arc, critiquing the futility of escaping addiction cycles. While competently executed, it feels formulaic, recycling themes of self-destructive behaviour without fresh nuance.

The episode’s title references the Kennedy mythos, symbolising an era when mobsters like Junior idolised JFK’s charisma and perceived kinship with powerful men. Fran’s JFK anecdote initially enchants Tony, aligning with his own Kennedy fascination (evidenced by his iconic JFK hat in earlier seasons). Yet her grotesque Monroe impersonation shatters this illusion, paralleling the collapse of Camelot’s idealism after Kennedy’s assassination. Director Steve Buscemi juxtaposes Fran’s aged frailty against archival glamour, emphasising the dissonance between myth and reality.

Critics have speculated that J.T. Dolan’s hapless screenwriter persona reflects creator David Chase’s disdain for Hollywood superficiality. While plausible, such meta-commentary feels tangential, overshadowed by the episode’s stronger thematic threads. Similarly, the repetitive nature of J.T.’s downfall—echoing Scatino’s arc—suggests creative fatigue, though it reinforces the series’ bleak worldview.

In Camelot features numerous off-screen deaths—a rarity for a show centred on organised crime. Aunt Concetta’s passing, Fran’s decline, and Junior’s funeral escapism highlight natural mortality over violent hits, challenging Mafia drama tropes. This subversion aligns with The Sopranos’ broader rejection of genre clichés, prioritising psychological realism over sensationalism.

The episode briefly revives the series’ action elements with a car chase and Phil Leotardo’s (played by Frank Vincent) brutal beating—a reminder of Tony’s volatility. While these moments inject tension, they feel somewhat perfunctory, serving more to set up future conflicts (e.g., Phil’s vendetta) than enhance the episode’s introspective core.

In Camelot dissects the seductive danger of nostalgia, illustrating how idealising the past perpetuates self-deception. Tony’s brief empathy for Livia and Fran’s shattered mystique reveal the costs of clinging to rose-tinted memories. Similarly, Junior’s funeral obsession and Chris’s destructive mentorship of J.T. underscore the inevitability of decline. While the episode occasionally retreads familiar ground, its unflinching deconstruction of cultural and personal myths solidifies its place as an intriguing entry in The Sopranos’ penultimate season.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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