Everyone has an opinion on which Sopranos episode Jumped the Shark. Episode 67, "Join the Club" has to be high up on everyone's list.

I held off writing this post until after I saw the next few episodes to see if indeed the Sopranos had reached it's peak and that from here on it would all be downhill.

Last Sunday's episode 69 redeemed itself: the show not only still had life, but "just when I think I am out, they pull me back in."

So why did episode 67 engender so many complaints? Well, let's face it; dream sequences are usually a lazy substitute for clever writing. But some ask, How else do you get Tony Soprano to ask himself, "I'm 46 years old. I mean who am I? Where am I going?" But who cares?

Sometimes modern writers will note that authors of ancient classics used dream sequences to explore themes that would be too outrageous to mention in polite company. One book that comes to mind is Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women. Perhaps today's scribblers assume they can utilize the dream device for an easy jump into fantasy. Perhaps it's an opportunity to dump years of accumulated private jokes from the cast unto us poor unsuspecting viewers. Anyone out there know of a decent dream sequence in any modern film?