Whitecaps (The Sopranos) "Entertainment Weekly" placed "Whitecaps" #3 on their list of the 10 greatest "The Sopranos" episodes; "TIME" placed it at #4. Whitecaps (The Sopranos) "Whitecaps" is the 52nd episode of the HBO television series "The Sopranos", and the 13th and final episode of the show's fourth season. Written by the series creator/executive producer David Chase, and executive producers Robin Green, and Mitchell Burgess, it was directed by longtime series director John Patterson and originally aired in the United States on December 8, 2002. The episode attracted 12.5 million viewers and is regarded by multiple critics as one of the series' best.
The Sopranos about New Jersey, as opposed to New York, where most similar dramas have been set. In the first three seasons, between Tony leaving the tunnel and passing through the toll plaza, the show had a shot of the World Trade Center towers in Tony's rear-view mirror. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, this shot was removed and replaced with a more generic shot, beginning with the show's fourth season. In a 2010 issue of "TV Guide", the show’s opening title sequence ranked #10 on a list of TV's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers. "The Sopranos" features a