KateSpot

The cable net has settled on March 7 to kick off the New Joisey mobster series' fifth season. The 13 new episodes will be sweet relief to patient viewers who've been waiting to catch up with Tony & Co. since December 8, 2002.

To recap: In the season finale titled Whitecaps, Carmela turned the tables on her cheating hubby, kicking Tony to the curb after receiving an irate phone call from his goomara Irene.

Edie Falco's role as a mob mama scorned garnered her an Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy, while James Gandolfini took home the TV trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor. In all, the series has racked up 13 Primetime Emmy nods since debuting in 1999, including three apiece for Falco and Gandolfini.

The show will continue to muscle the Emmy competition for at least another few years since HBO's inked a deal with creator David Chase for a sixth, and likely final, season.

But don't hold your breath. Production on the final 10 episodes isn't expected to begin until early 2005, keeping fans hanging for at least another two years to find out what happens to their favorite Italian-American famiglia.

But while the fate of Tony Soprano remains murky, details about the upcoming fifth season have surfaced like a stiff in the East River. This much is known:

There's no quick fix for Tony and Carmela's busted marriage. In fact, she may start dating other people (at their own risk).

Ghosts of episodes past are expected to resurface to haunt Tony's dreams. Among those expected to rise from the fishes are Vincent Pastore (aka Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero), David Proval (Richie Aprile), John Heard (Detective Vin Makazian), Al Sapienza (Mikey Palmice), Dan Grimaldi (Philly "Spoons" Parisi) and Jason Cerbone (news) (Jackie Aprile Jr.).

Even Joe Pantoliano (news) (Ralph Cifaretto), who captured an Emmy for his guest role, is expected to return if producers can work around his shooting schedule on CBS' The Handler.

As for the whacked pack's next unfortunate member, tabloids have pointed to well-manicured FBI (news - web sites) rat Adriana La Cerva as the season's first potential victim.

Steve Buscemi (news) has been tapped to join the drama as a recurring character for the fifth--and possibly sixth--season. The star of flicks such as Fargo, Con Air and Reservoir Dogs is also expected to spend time behind the camera directing new episodes.

HBO's also signed on Robert Loggia as a New Jersey Mob boss who's been sprung from prison and is looking to reclaim his territory, leading to a possible showdown with the don.