Stage 5 (The Sopranos) Stage 5 (The Sopranos) "Stage 5" is the 79th episode of the HBO television series "The Sopranos", the second episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, and the 14 episode of the season overall. It was written by Terence Winter and directed by Alan Taylor, and originally aired on April 15, 2007. "* = credit only" Christopher finishes Little Carmine's Mafia-oriented slasher film "Cleaver". Meadow tells her parents about her breakup with Finn but is unwilling to divulge any details. Elsewhere, there is tension between A.J. and his girlfriend Blanca. Tony is approached by FBI Agents Harris
The Sopranos had a bigger impact on how stories are told on the small screen, or more influence on what kind of fare we’ve been offered by an ever-growing array of television networks." Hal Boedeker stated in PopMatters in 2007 that the series was "widely influential for revealing that cable would accommodate complex series about dark characters. "The Sopranos" ushered in "Six Feet Under", "The Shield", "Rescue Me", and "Big Love"." The series helped establish HBO as producers of critically acclaimed and commercially successful original television series. Michael Flaherty of "The Hollywood Reporter" has stated that "The Sopranos" "helped launch [HBO's] reputation