"Sopranos" Final Season Hits A High Note

The final season of "The Sopranos" is setting up to be one of the most anticipated television experiences of the coming year. After an ankle injury for James Gandolfini, the premiere was pushed from its original date of January 2007 to sometime in March. But never fear -- it now appears that production is full swing.

Paparazzi caught up with the "Sopranos" cast on set yesterday in Queens, NY. Fat Joe, who recently added a collaboration with Paris Hilton on her debut album to his resume, was also on set. It isn't clear whether or not he was just dropping by to get his pic taken with some of his favorite stars, or if he will be making a guest appearance in a few episodes. TMZ contacted HBO, and reps would not comment on Joe's presence on set. Our guess is that he will be making a cameo on the hit show, using his already mob-like persona for more than just music.

On another note, Robert Iler, who plays A.J. Soprano (Tony's son), was looking a lot rougher than he has in the past. His character, usually portrayed as a pansy, may be grooming himself to follow in his father's footsteps. The suit and the goatee say, "I'm working for Dad now!" Again, HBO opted not to comment to TMZ, so for now, that's just our theory.