what season did tony soprano get shot?
The Sopranos
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 The first week stabbing was regarded as similar to the Murder of Jonathan Levin . ABC sent the media the first two episodes prior to the season 6 premiere . In the first episode , Smits is both stabbed and inadvertently cut by his dentist . Based on the first two episodes , Dave Matheny and Neal Justin of the Star Tribune determined that Simone would endure a worsening mysterious illness . In the third episode of the arc , Smits was hospitalized and in need of a heart transplant . The fourth episode was a buildup to impending heart surgery as he struggles with cardiomyopathy . 

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 Chase 's decision to end the last episode abruptly with just a black screen was controversial . While Chase has insisted that it was not his intention to stir controversy , the ambiguity over the ending and question of whether Tony was murdered has continued for years after the finale 's original broadcast and has spawned numerous websites devoted to finding out his true intention . 

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 " Stark Raving Dad " was the final episode in the season two production run , but aired as the premiere of season three , over a year after it was completed . Michael Jackson was credited with pseudonym John Jay Smith in the closing credits . At the time , the producers of the show were legally prevented from confirming that Jackson guest starred , although many media sources assumed it was really him . Similarly , in season two , actor Dustin Hoffman had guest starred in the episode " Lisa 's Substitute " under the name " Sam Etic " . After " Stark Raving Dad " , the producers decided that if a celebrity wished to guest star on the show , they had to be willing to be credited under their real name . 

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 Viewership also suffered in part due to heavy competition in its time @-@ slot from several major television events , such as a live Oprah Winfrey 90 @-@ minute interview with pop singer Michael Jackson on February 10 , the 35th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 24 , and the Sixth Annual American Comedy Awards on March 3 . As the ratings declined , NBC announced to fans that a decision about whether Homicide would be renewed or canceled would depend on how the last four episodes of the season fared in the ratings . During the first week of March , the network started airing a television commercial with Barry Levinson making a direct appeal to viewers to watch the show , in which he said : 

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 Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ) is the series ' protagonist . Tony is one of the capos ( and the unofficial underboss ) of the New Jersey @-@ based DiMeo crime family , at the beginning of the series ; he eventually becomes its undisputed boss . He is also the patriarch of the Soprano household . Throughout the series , Tony struggles to balance the conflicting requirements of his family — wife Carmela , daughter Meadow , son A. J. , and mother Livia — with those of the Mafia family he controls . Because he is prone to bouts of clinical depression , after a fainting spell ( triggered by a panic attack ) , Tony 's physician refers him for treatment from psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi ( Lorraine Bracco ) , in the show 's first episode . She treats Tony to the best of her ability despite the fact that they routinely clash over various issues . Melfi is usually thoughtful , rational and humane — a stark contrast to Tony 's personality . Tony , a serial womanizer , occasionally divulges his sexual attraction to Dr. Melfi ; Melfi harbors some degree of attraction to Tony , too , but never admits or acts on it . Melfi is far more attracted to Tony 's dangerousness and power . She is drawn to the challenge of helping such an unusual client , and naively assumes that their doctor @-@ patient relationship will not affect her personal life in any way . 
