Hoo-hah!

It's days like this that make me glad I'm a TV writer instead of doing something useful with my life.

Because today HBO sent me the first four episodes of the penultimate "Sopranos" season. My fingers are twitching to get it in the DVD player.

No, you can't borrow them. Wait until March 12 and be thankful you didn't cancel your HBO subscription (you didn't cancel your HBO subscription, did you?).

Check back, I'll drop some hints and probably gloat some more.

UPDATE: The first episode ends on a very intense note. Very. Don't miss it. The second episode is much slower, but intriguing. It plays off the events at the end of the first episode. Third episode is all about family dynamics. There's a lot of interesting stuff set in motion. And Christopher returns to the film biz with a sure-fire premise that's just hilarious. Episode four has some weird moralistic stuff and societal commentary that feels totally tacked on: Creationism, evolution, rap, healthcare. But there's also a lot of family business. Plus Paulie and Bobby plotlines that each go totally haywire! I'm sure you can't wait -- but you will, until April 2. Sorry.