Get To The Whacking, Already

Mob shows, like the men they portray, ought to go out with a bang and not a whimper.

Yet as we hit the midpoint of the final season of "The Sopranos" (HBO, Sunday, 9 p.m.), the show seems to be trotting to the finish line rather than sprinting.

After starting off the season with a very underrated and strong episode focusing on Bobby selling his soul to Tony, the rest of the season has been pretty uneven. I enjoyed the Junior-centric episode about life in a mental hospital and how fall Junior had fallen, but did we need an episode devoted to Vito Jr.'s Goth phase?

There are only 10 episodes for the show's final season, and half have been squandered to an extent by centering on A.J.'s failed romance with a divorced woman and his subsequent moping. There was some potential last week between Paulie and Christopher and the feud that has been brewing between them, but I'm guessing that came to end when Chris chose another target to take out his frustrations upon (why does Hollywood always have nasty fates for screenwriters?)

Hopefully the show gets back on track this weekend with the promise of some conflict between Tony and Phil Leotardo. It's time for some whacking.

'LIGHT' IT UP!: This week's Woo-Hoo! award goes to NBC, which will give the critically acclaimed "Friday Night Lights" a full order renewal for next season, multiple sources reported Friday.

"Lights" is arguably TV's best new drama this season, and despite mediocre ratings, NBC elected to do the right thing and opt for quality, something it owed the public after foisting "Real Life Wedding Crashers" upon us.

Now, we just have to wait to see if Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton get the Emmy nominations they so richly deserve.

GRACE ON 'THE VIEW'?: Rumors from The New York Daily News have Maconite Nancy Grace replacing Rosie O'Donnell on "The View." More on this as it develops.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: CBS winds down its season with new episodes of "Ghost Whisperer," "Close To Home" and "Numb3rs." On NBC, it's another two-hour "Dateline," followed by "Law & Order" at 10 p.m.

Yet another pitch for "Robin Hood" (BBC America, Sat., 9 p.m.), a ripping good yarn about the old legend, and new Fox animation episodes on Sunday.