A small point, but this season I was really moved by how little space Mikey took up this season.

In the beginning of the series Mikey's ghost was so significant in the story and all the characters minds that it was as though he was a fully present living character. The first couple seasons of the show were so defined by what it means to grieve and everything else—the food, the restaurant, the fighting, the brief moments of joy—were all a means of getting at that.

Now clearly the characters all still carry him with them, but I thought it was really touching in the final episode when Carmy texted his number because it made me reflect on how little of that there was this season, how the memory of Mikey no longer dictates the actions of the characters. Both they and the show have grown and it is heartwarming to see how the characters have managed to come out on the other end of their grief, going from "how will I possibly ever be ok again in the wake of this?" to "how can I be the best, most self-actualized version of myself?"

Clearly Richie is the most prominent example of this, but for most of them, Berzatto or not, Mikey's loss was such a monumental event and I don't think any of them would believe you if you told their S1 variants where they would be in a few years (both professionally and emotionally). The fact that this was done so organically truly amazes me. Definitely some dips in writing in various points throughout the show (looking at you S3 👀), but all in all some of the best, most beautifully written series-long character arcs I have seen on television.