7: TV critics' roundtable discussion on "The Sopranos" final season

So the TV Talk Machine busts out its first critics roundtable, this time a two-parter starting today and finishing up with Pt. 2 on Friday. "The Sopranos" is the perfect kind of series for a critics roundtable because there's so much going on in the series and different people take away (and appreciate) different aspects of the series. I talked by phone with TV Guide critic Matt Roush, Portland Oregonian critic Peter Ames Carlin, New Orleans Times-Picayune critic Dave Walker and Arizona Republic critic Bill Goodykoontz. If the late night and off hours of the Television Critics Association press tour teaches anything, it's how to spot fellow critics who are thoughtful about what they do. (And also how to get powerful network publicists to re-open a closed bar, but that's another story.) Periodically I'll be checking in with critics from around the country in conversation about various (mostly worthy) TV shows. With only nine episode left in the landmark series, "The Sopranos," that seemed like a wise choice and I know people who come to The Bastard Machine for episode deconstructions of that series will appreciate the input from my friends and fellow critics. Enjoy.