The Sopranos Season 1 Episode 13

Episode 13: I Dream Of Jeannie Cusamano

At the Satriale pork store hang out Junior, Tony, and the captains are having a meeting to discuss some concerns Jimmy has. Coming out Junior says to Tony "You're right it's him." Tony says "All of a sudden he asks for a meeting? To discuss shit we already covered? He's wearing a wire." Junior confirms "You got my okay. Make sure you send a message to everybody else." They leave. Tony looks on smiling, contented. In New York Christopher and Jimmy head to see a couple of girls. They head into a motel/hotel room after saying hello to one of the girls. Christopher tells Jimmy to sit down. He does. Directly behind him a door swings open, it's Silvio, Jimmy senses this and reaches for his ankle holster which has a small pistol,  which Christopher anticipates grabbing it away from Jimmy and by this time Silvio has a silenced pistol pointing at the back of Jimmy's head. Jimmy acting defensive says "You fuckin' punk ass sons of bitches. What did ya forget I'm a captain?" Silvio says "Why don't you call for help in your radio mic, you fuckin' rat." Jimmy seeming to despair says "Mother of god." Silvio says "What's the matter, you're not wearing one tonight?" Christopher says "He didn't have the time to put on anything decent." Jimmy says "Oh, god." confirming he's a police/FBI informant. Silvio pulls the trigger executing Jimmy. Blood spraying on the lamp in front of him. Meadow is home with a classmate and they are making out. She comments on the monster movie playing "Georgia O'Keefe." They can hear some strange noises and then sees Livia walking past the door. She walks in herself. She seems to be delusional calling Meadow her deceased sister Setemia. There's someone at the door. A police officer walks in. He asks why she was walking around at 1 AM. He asks her a few more questions testing her mental acuity.

In therapy Tony is talking with Melfi about his mother. "They're transferring her to the nursing unit. Which is the thing she dreaded and feared." Melfi says "Isn't it interesting how this memory loss has cropped up right after you failed to be killed in the carjacking? You think it was a carjacking?" Tony says "Of course not. But I got an idea who was behind it and enough said. You don't want to go there." Melfi says "Maybe you don't want to go there." Tony asks "What are you talking about?" Melfi says "Let's track it. Right around the time of the shooting you were having hallucinations of that Isabella figure. The protective loving mother. Your subconscious was shouting something at you. On the day before the shooting you said to me that she kept going on yet again about news stories of mothers throwing their babies out of windows." Tony says "Why don't we put our fucking cards on the table here. What do you think my mother tired to have me whacked because I put her in a nursing home?" Melfi says "In your worse dreams a duck flies off with you penis. Castration." Tony says "My mother never went after my basket." Melfi tries to explain "Not literally. Look, ordinarily a patient is helped to make his own breakthroughs. But your life is in danger. Ok, I'm willing to put the cards on the table. I say what your mother has at the very least is what we call borderline personality disorder." Tony repeats this. Melfi explains further "A pattern of unstable relationships, affective instability. It means, intense anxiety or joylessness. These people's internal phobias are the only things that exist to them. The real world, real people are peripheral. These people have no love or compassion. Borderline personalities are very good at splitting behavior. Creating bitterness and conflict between other in their circle." What Dr. Melfi has just articulated even though Tony can't accept it is what we have been and the show has been building towards all season long. At every turn in nearly every episode Tony runs into problems that spring up due to his not dealing with unresolved feelings surrounding his mother. And now when everything has pointed to her being involved even his subconscious he can't accept it despite the fact that she has never shown him love, and now that we know more about her know that she most likely never loved Tony because she was unable. Which makes the fantasy of Isabella all the more heartbreaking, if only now concretely understood as incredible character development. Just as Melfi is finishing explaining Tony in a rage knocks the table against the wall shattering the glass and charges Dr. Melfi. Tony says "You twisted fucking bitch. That's my mother we're talking about. Not some fuck up in attica, stab you in the shower. See, we're through, you and I. We're finished. You're lucky if I don't break your fucking face in 50,000 pieces." Tony turns around to leave. Melfi gets up and locks the door. The values Tony grew up with were to honor your mother so much to the point that Tony feels an obligation to defend her even if it's because she is ultimately half of who he is. He can't see the deeper truth that she's not even like him, that she's unable to care for him in the way that he always needed. At Vesuvio Rosalie and Carmela are having lunch. Artie enjoying opening his new restaurant. He asks Carmela about Livia, saying he's known Mrs. S since a kid. "What a pistol, a character." Artie leaves them to eat. Charmaine is hanging back in the kitchen, remarking that she doesn't want the place to turn into a mob hangout. Father Phil sits down with Carmela and Rosalie and to talk food and cooking. Phil mentions he wish he could of talked with Tony about the carjacking.

Jimmy Altieri's body is found with a rat stuffed in his mouth. The FBI has requested Tony's company so he can listen to an audio recording. They play the tape for him. The tape is of the conversation Junior and Livia had earlier in the season where Junior asks about wanting to crack Tony's coglioni for putting her in a retirement community. It then goes to Livia telling Junior about Tony's visits with a psychiatrist. "A psychiatrist, he's been seeing one for awhile now. God only knows what he says." Tony says "You wired Green Grove?" The FBI confirms they did. They fast forward. Livia says "My cousin Cakey after he had his lobotomy, looked exactly like my son. Empty, a shell. Better Cakey had died than go on living like that. That's what his own mother always used to say." They stope the tape. Tony looks on and eventually hits play to hear more of the tape. He plays the part where Junior is incensed about Tony having his Capo's move their mothers into Green Grove and that he has to act against Tony. This information sets in. It confirms that both his Uncle and Mother wanted him dead. Artie is bringing some food to visit with Livia at the nursing section of Green Grove. She's reading the obituaries. Livia still showing signs of dementia calls Tony, Johnny her late husband, Artie corrects her. Asking about his mother, he mentions she passed away six months ago, then says to give her best regards. Seeming to forget what he just said. Artie brings up the food he brought from his new restaurant. She becomes upset and tells Artie about the restaurant blowing up. Being manipulative knowing that Artie might go after Tony because of this. At the bing Paulie mentions Jimmy Altieri's wake is tonight, Chris mentions he called in a bomb scare, Silvio says he goes too far. Again a dark comic moment. Tony and his crew discuss the strategy of taking out Junior and his crew, they agree they have to take out Junior's guys first. At home tony is given a sleep aid by Carmela and a glass of water. "What kind of person can I be where his own Mother wants him dead?" Carmela tells Tony "The problem is not with you. The woman is a peculiar duck. She always has been. She's gotten worse with age." Tony tries to say that's not the point, again letting his Mother off the hook, even now knowing she tried to have him killed. Carmela reminds Tony "You were different, you tried to make it work." Tony reflects "Two pricks with nine millimeters. My self esteem is non existent right now." Carmela mentions she could kill her. Tony mentions she has to play the concerned daughter. Carmela mentions the dementia thing is convenient so Livia can't be called on her shit. Tony mentions he shouldn't have made fun of Uncle Jun' in Boca. "Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this." He says without skipping a beat, another comic moment. Carmela reminds him he needed to see the shrink because of the mother he had. Tony says he'll take care of Junior and Mikey P and get satisfaction. But inside he'll know it was his mother.

At the boating dock Tony sneaks up behind Mikey Palmice's soldier associate with a big mouth bass in his hand. Tony pulls out a handgun from the fish and shoots him multiple times in the torso, killing him. Silvio gets the weights and chains out of the trunk, handing them to Tony, they head out into the water to dump the body. Tony tries to go see Melfi, when she sees him she tries to lock the door. He eventually gets her to talk to him. Melfi says "I take no pleasure in the fact that I was right about your Mother. Did you have any dreams since you've heard the FBI tapes? Tony mentions he's had some sex dreams about Jeannie Cusamano. Tony mentions one of the reasons he was targeted was his therapy. He mentions she could be a target. He tells her to leave town. She says she can't just leave she has patients to care for. Tony apologizes. Says he'll take care of it. Melfi worries that people will get murdered because of this. Tony says to not worry about those distractions to not go to the cops because they won't help because she can't give them anything. Tony leaves. Artie is waiting for Tony outside Satriale's. After Tony says hello Artie has the rifle pointed at him. "What'd she tell you my mother?" Artie said "When you blew up the restaurant you made me party to a criminal conspiracy, did you ever stop to think that?" Tony says "I don't know what she told you, my Mother of all people. Two arson investigators gave that fire a clean bill of health, Artie. Why the fuck would I blow up your restaurant?" Artie still upset says "To help me! You fuckin bent psycho. You hear your Uncle's gonna hurt my business by staging a hit in my place and that's your solution? To burn it down for the insurance money! What kind of stupid, sick twisted logic?" Tony still trying to reason with Artie says "Ask yourself a question. Am I that fucking stupid? Am I that fucking stupid, really? My mother...god bless her, is going senile, Artie. I mean, you saw her. I swear to god. I didn't touch your place Artie. My mother is confused." Artie says still pointing the rifle "Look me in the eye, tell me you didn't lay a finger on my place." Tony answering "I didn't burn down your restaurant. I swear on my mother." This is some of the best and most sincere acting by James Gandolfini in the first season, the empathy he elicits in his eyes in trying to manipulate Artie into believing his sincerity. In talking about his mother everything he says is true, and yes it's true that he didn't lay a finger on the place, the arsonist did. But it doesn't change the fact that despite all the terrible things his mother has done to him she has given him the gift of manipulation. Artie upset takes the rifle and smashes it against his station wagon and drives off. At the Soprano house for Sunday dinner, Livia and Uncle Jun' join the family. Livia continues to make morbid comments, this time about a family that died of Trichonosis. Tony mentions that this happened last year. Tony mentions that Artie came to see his Mother. He has to remind her of who he is, owns a restaurant. She acts like she can't remember, asks where this was etc. Uncle Junior looks on. Artie is meeting with Father Phil regarding Tony. He lost faith a long time ago, uses the Church as a social touchstone, for the kids etc. He's debating telling Charmaine about Tony being involved with blowing up his restaurant. He tells Father Phil he didn't go to the Insurance company, he couldn't.

Tony meets with Paulie, Christopher, and Silvio to tell them he has been seeing a psychiatrist for the last 4 or 5 months. Saying he's been getting help for his panic attacks. Silvio says "Well I'm sure you did it with complete discretion. And speaking for Pussy, if he's still alive, I'm sure he would agree." Tony says "Business was not discussed, no names were mentioned. He assures them. "Junior knows. He's decided to use it against me. Ask now. Cause we're not discussing this again." Paulie says "It's not the worst thing I ever heard. I was seeing a therapist myself about a year ago. I had some issues, enough said. I learned some coping skills." Silvio says "Look this thing of ours, the way it's going it'd be better if we could admit to each other these painful, stressful times. But it'll never fucking happen." Tony asks Christopher if he has a problem with it. He asks if it's like Marriage Counseling and Tony says it is. He gets up and walks out. Carmela is bringing some food for Father Phil but Rosalie is already there with food visiting. Carmela turns around and dumps the food in a trashcan outside the church. Artie sits down with a plate of food contemplating telling his wife, it appears Adriana is the new hostess. Charmaine asks Artie what he wanted to talk to her about, he mentions he likes the bar stools. Tony is awake the next morning as Carmela is making Eggs and the kids are at the kitchen counter. Mikey Palmice is leaving his house telling his girlfriend goodbye. He's going on a jog. Mikey notices a Caddillac following him down a narrow country road. He makes a break for it into the woods trying to lose the two hitmen. It's Christopher and Paulie. They take off after him in the woods. Firing their guns as they get closer to him. They keep missing. Paulie runs through some Poison Ivy. Mikey falls into a creek after tripping and Christopher shoots him in the leg. Mikey says "Oh, come on please. Please, please." Christopher yelling at Mikey "My friend Brendan, you shot him in his bathtub, naked. No chance to run." Mikey lying says "I swear to god, it wasn't me! It was Junior. He hated that kid it was him." Christopher says "Yeah right, it was Junior. Mr. Magoo." Mikey pleading "Oh come on, please." Paulie and Christopher both unload their magazines killing Mikey. Next we see several top guys getting home visits from the FBI indictments that they were discussing a few episodes back. Junior, Larry, and Joseph Sasso all were picked up under the indictments including 13 other mob figures. Tony mentions he's lucky. They watch on TV the press conference about the indictments. Tony gets a call from his lawyer. He lets his family know that he's not included in the indictment. "That prick Altieri gave them reams of shit, they got stuff on me, and surveillance of all of us at the Green Grove. They just don't have a case yet." Tony mentions what he has to worry about now is the guys who were arrested today flipping. This information from his lawyer confirms that Jimmy was in fact a rat. Father Phil shows up at Vesuvio to talk with Artie. Artie thanks Father Phil for talking, saying he didn't tell his wife. He mentions that Livia is an strange woman who never has a kind word for anyone. Father Phil mentions Artie seems at peace, he says he is. The prosecuting attorney is meeting with Junior and offers him immunity on the charges if he testifies that Tony is the real boss. He mentions he wants the New York guys "We want Johnny Sack, but more than him we want Mongano and Terese." Junior replies "I want to fuck Angie Dickinson, let's see who gets lucky first." Junior tells him to fuck off. A company man until the end. He's the real boss of North Jersey.

Father Phil is at the house when Carmela shows back up arms full of groceries. He says he's showing up to see how their doing with the indictments. Carmela still upset over seeing Rosalie at the church is just reacting to Father Phil's familiar behavior. She lets Father Phil he doesn't give a flying fuck about saving his soul. "He's a sinner Father and you come up here and eat his steaks and use his entertainment center." He says the movie is for her, and she responds she mentioned she's not a big Renee Zellweger fan. She mentions the similar attention being show to Rosalie Aprile. Father Phil says he understands. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me Father Phil, truly. I am very fond of you. But I think you need to look at yourself. Call this an intervention. Because I think you have this MO where you manipulate spiritually thirsty women and I think a lot of it is tied up with food somehow as well as the sexual tension game." Father Phil says "Whoa." He walks into the other room to get his coat, slowly absorbing what she said. While he could be a bit embarrassed I think he realizes there is truth in what she said and it's realization surprised him. Tony shows up at Green Grove. Tony picks up a pillow, flexing it with his one hand. The administrator for the nursing wing calls out to Tony. "Mr. Soprano. You're wife found you, good." Tony asks "Found me, what are you talking about?" She says "You haven't spoken, we left a message on your home machine. Your Mom's had a stroke." Tony asks "A stroke?" "The news on TV yesterday it really upset her, not that it's any of my business, it just happened. The EMT's are stabilizing her for the ride to St. Vincent's." Tony walks over to the gurney his Mother is on. "I know what you did. Your only son. Your middle child." One of the EMT's tries to tell him she can't answer you her speech center has been affected. Tony continues "I heard the tapes, Ma. The fucking FBI tapes. Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. Your protector Uncle Jun's in jail now and I got one more little last detail I got to take care of. I don't die that fucking easy ma, I'm gonna live a nice long happy life, which is more than I can say for you." While Tony is saying all of this they are wheeling her down the hall way and Tony has to be restrained. He yells after her "I tried to to do the right thing by you and you try to have me whacked? She's smiling. Look at the look on her face, look at the look on her face! She's smiling." And Livia is in fact smiling. Tony yells "She's got a fucking smile on her face!" But she's gone on her way to the hospital. Tony goes to look for Melfi but her office is closed, the janitor says she's on vacation. The power going out shortly after this. Tony and his family can't make it through a rough rain and wind storm. They have to stop at Vesuvio to avoid the weather, they are closing but Artie makes an exception for them seating them with the other patrons eating. Paulie, Silvio. Christopher and Adriana. They're with family. Everyone says hello. Charmaine rudely ignores Carmela. She mentions no Cigars. Silvio says about Christopher "Look at that fuckin' lovesick pygmy over there." Paulie says to him "The skip seeing a psychiatrist, how's that sit with your ass?" Silvio says "I usually do sit with my ass, why don't you sit with yours?" Paulie says "Hey, Pat Cooper over here." Silvio says "Wait, this bothers you? You saw a fuckin' psychiatrist." Paulie says "Not a woman. I can't get past that. It don't compute for me." Silvio says "You're the one with the fuckin' issues. Woman issues. I don't even wanna fuckin' go there. Look he's going to be the new boss now in name and everything. Let's wish him a bone fortuna." They agree. Artie brings out the food for the Soprano family. Tony proposes a toast to his family "Someday soon you're gonna have families of your own and if you're lucky you'll remember the little moments. Like this. That were good. Cheers." This in retrospect is what the show is about, enjoy life while it's good because the end is coming, for us all. Season One comes to an end.

The Sopranos Season 1 Episode 12

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The Sopranos Season 1 Episode 11

Episode 11: Nobody Knows Anything

Paulie is at the whorehouse talking with Debbie, when Sal is screaming with pain in his back. Tony and Paulie come to check on him, calling a doctor into the room. They help Sal down the steps, Detective Makazian comes out to see this. We jump ahead four days later. Sal and Jimmy are playing cards at the Bing, Sal looks at the door right before it's busted in by FBI agents. Sal looks over at the pool table almost as if to signal the FBI agent to look under it. They lift it up and find a stash of automatic weapons. Sal makes a run for it, he runs into an FBI agent while making his escape. Back inside the other FBI agent finds a gun on Jimmy. Later at the Bing, Junior and his crew meet. Ray says "Fuckin' Jimmy is still in jail." Junior says "Don't mean shit." Tony says "I don't like it this is how it starts." Christopher mentions "Why the fuck would Pussy run? The guy is out of breath lifting his dick up to take a leak." Sal comes up to sit with the guys. He mentions he threw his back out again and his wife bailed him out. He gets up to get a drink. Tony goes down by the water to meet with Detective Makazian. Makazian lets Tony know that Sal is a wired informant. "Bompensiero. He's wired for sound. I got it from a good source, I thought you should know. Alright? I'm sorry, I know you like him." Tony says "Like him? I fucking love him. Now who's your source?" Makazian tells him he's on the taskforce and he'll see what he can do in terms of proof. Tony says "It doesn't make any sense." Makazian tells Tony "Yeah it does Ton', if you take the blinders off. Armed robbery, homicide, and I was told he was moving a lot of heavy "H" to pay for his kid's college. Why would I know something like that? And last spring with that big heroin bust, where was he? He told you he was in Las Vegas, am I right? Alright again, I'm sorry but, yeah that's where he was. He was in Las Vegas in the federal building cutting a deal. and why did he walk so easy from that thing the other day? Known wiseguy, resisted arrest. Who walks away from a thing like that with low ball bail?" Tony asks "Why? Why would he do it?" Makazian says "Why, because he's facing a possible sentence. From now on mandatory. That's why. Come on. I know a lot of guys who can't do that kind of time. Who is this guy pussy, huh? Who is he? He's a man who loves his family above all else. Well guess what? That's their favorite target."Tony looks hurt as he walks away back to his car.
                       
Carmela is at the house walking around with a platter of food, setting it down, talking to Tony's mother, they are hosting an open house, she says she isn't coming. Carmela asks Tony and the guys to move the piano out of the way. Tony asks Pussy to help move it. He says he can't because of his back. Sal mentions he's on "Elephant pills." Tony tells him to take it easy and sit down. Tony gets help from Paulie and Christopher to move the piano. Tony says "Listen, I want you to keep your eye on Pussy, there's something wrong with him. He's not himself." Christopher mentions "You're telling me? You know he hasn't even done his round in a week. He's starting to look like an easy mark." Paulie says  I told him. If someone owes you money. Even if you got to crawl, you get it. I even told him to give me his list on who owes what and I'll collect the fucking thing. And he just nodded like a fucking retard." Chris says "It's those fuckin' percs. He's throwing them in his mouth like they're m&m's." Paulie says "And there isn't even anything wrong with his back. Remember when that guy hit me in the head with that pool cue and I fucked my neck up? I went to this doctor. This guy works on the Jets frontline when they get hurt. Yeah, he's fuckin' like the Jonas Salk of backs. Anyway. I sent pussy to this doctor. The guy gives him the works. MRI's, CAT scans, dog scans, you name it. And he says there's not a fucking thing wrong with his back. Then again he says when it comes to back nobody knows anything really." Tony is in therapy. Tony talks about feelings of dread and pending doom. "Let me ask you a question. This mental stuff, can cause physical problems, right?" Melfi asks "Are you having any physical problems?" Tony explains he's fine and he's asking for a dear friend. "It's his back. See he's complaining about his back. But I think the doctor thinks it's all in his head." Melfi says "That's very possible." Tony asks "What kind of mental stuff will cause a back ache?" Melfi asks "For conversation's sake?" Tony says "Absolutely" Melfi says "With some people the pain is caused by more responsibility than they can handle. Secrets. Psychologically, a secret is a heavy load. It leads to feelings of guilt which futher burden the mind." Tony takes this in.

He's now visiting with Debbie and Makazian at the whore house. Makazian is talking to Tony "I told you I would do what I could but this is DEA, Feds, taskforce. This is not as easy as you think." Tony says "I need proof, I'm not going to hurt a man I love because of some cop gossip from a degenerate fuckin' gambler with a badge. You understand me?" Makazian says "You know you have an amazing ability to sum up a man's whole life in a single sentence." They argue some more. Makazian discusses being a little kid and hiding under his bed when his parents fought. How things would get back to normal the next day, how that doesn't really exist when you're an adult. He mentions it's his getaway from the stress and life as a detective. Livia gets a visit from Carmela. She brought a Ricotta pie, Livia tries to say she can't eat it because of the choloestreol and Carmela says she made it with low fat cheese. She still denies it, and Carmela mentions maybe she can have it when Junior is over. Carmela says to Livia "You know ma, your son loves you very much. He worries all the time. And he felt bd that you didn't come to the open house. I don't care if you think it's disrespectful. But I want you to cut the drama. It's killing Tony. I'm talking about this. This poor mother, nobody loves me, victim crap. It is textbook manipulation. And I hate seeing Tony so upset over it." Livia says "I know how to talk to people." Carmela says "I am a mother too, don't forget. You know the power you have. And you use it like a pro. You're bigger than life. You are his mother. I don't think for one second that you don't know what you're doing to him." Livia starts crying and playing the victim that she's been abandoned. Carmela says "Abandoned? Please!" Livia still crying says "When Johnny was alive nobody treated me like this. Johnny was a saint." Carmela says "Yes we have heard, funny though I don't remember you telling him that when he was alive." Carmela leaves after saying goodbye. Tony shows up at Sal's house. He's laying down. Tony brought cannoli's. Sal talks about his back and how he's falling behind. Tony reminds him that he has options and friends that would die for him. Sal says he knows. Tony asks "You got anything you want to say to me?" Sal says no. Tony asks for Coffee. Has Sal get up, they go to the kitchen. We can see how concerned Tony is. Paulie shows up to the Bing. Sits down next to Tony. Tony says "He's wearing a wire." Paulie asks "Who?" Tony says "Pussy." Paulie says "Get the fuck out of here. Pussy?" Tony says "Don't know how long." Paulie asks "Are you sure about this Tony?" Tony says "90% not enough to do what needs to be done." Paulie says "I'm fucking dreaming." Tony says "Get used to it. I've been walking into walls all week." Paulie says "I'll do it." Tony says "My responsibility." Paulie says "Tony, you waited a long time for the stripes, this is one of the perks. I'll do it." Paulie says "We need to be 110% sure. I want you to see it. I want you to see that fuckin' wire strapped on his body. I want you to see it. You hear me? I want you to see it. Otherwise all bets are off. You understand?  This is our friend we're talkin about here. You say it. You understand?" Paulie says that he does.

Tony visits the director of Green Grove to drop off some Mario Lanza CD's. He mentions that her house sold. He's told she's in aqua therapy. He hears that she looks forward to the visits with Uncle Jun'. He told the director to let her know her house sold. At Satriale's Paulie follows Sal to his car and tells him to follow, wants to take him someplace. Paulie takes him to a Russian sauna. Paulie says to Sal "Why do you think those Russian leaders live so long, they take a schvitz everyday." Sal seems ambivalent "I can't. Doctor said heat's no good for me. I got to avoid it. That's why I sit in the shade." Paulie says "What the fuck you talking about? Heat's good for your back. Take your clothes off." Sal says "Look Paulie, I appreciate it. But maybe another time." Paulie in a more serious tone says "Take your clothes off." Sal says "You're fucking cray, I'm going home." Paulie gets in his way and asks "Why don't you want to take your clothes off?" Sal says defensively "I got high blood pressure you fucking idiot. I go in there I can check the fuck out. My doctor mentioned steam and auna specifically as no-no's. He said stay the fuck away from heat. Thanks for the though. But get out of my fucking face." Sal leaves holding his back. Silvio meets Tony outside. Tony says to Silvio "What did you find out?" Silvio says "It's good. It's fucking very good. He's into pussy, big. And I mean with a capital B. This fucking Makasian, he's a lying motherfucker. He's into Pussy for like 30 large. 20 grand just on football. The rest is shy, Pussy must be burrying this prick in vig alone." Tony says to Silvio "Doensn't mean he's a liar, it just means he's got a reason to see Pussy dead. It buys him time. Could this prick have the balls to try something like this?" Silvio says "Hey, we're talking about 30 grand here. I don't want to think about what me and you would do to remove that debt." Tony says "Wouldn't bet football. I got to think about this." Silvio says "Look, T, if my vote counts for anything. I cannot believe that Pussy would fear the can enough to hurt his friends." Tony says "That's what they said about Gravano." Silvio leaves Tony to think. Makazian is apart of a roundup at the whorehouse by Vice cops. Ray, is apart of the roundup as well. It's all over the news the next morning. They mention the officer in question will be placed on administrative leave. Tony saying asshole under his breath. Meadow and her parents discuss how behind the U.S. is when it comes to sex work. Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky are referenced. Cultural touchstone.

Makazian is stuck in traffic on a bridge. He honks repeatedly, obviously frustrated with the current state of things. He flashes his badge to a traffic cop who helps clear the way for him. He finally clears the traffic and pulls to the side of the bridge. Makazian gets out of his car and take a header off the bridge which kills him instantly. Tony gets a phone call at the Bing. He's informed that Makazian is dead after jumping off the bridge. Tony is visiting with Deb, the madame of the whorehouse. "What the fuck was he thinkin' he could have kept his job. He might have just been suspended, that's all. It wasn't like he was dealing." Deb says "That's not why he did it. Don't get me wrong. It was the final straw. But he as not happy. With himself. How he turned out." Tony asks "What did he come her for therapy? Instead of a couch you use a bed? Not a bad deal." Deb says "Hey who wouldn't want to sleep with their shrink?" Tony asks "What does that mean?" Deb says "You would be amazed how much easier it is to open up when you're naked, in the arms of someone who cares for you." Tony and Deb talk about how Makazian considered Tony someone who you always knew where you stood. This seems to confirm that the information is good. Junior visits Livia. "Well he sold the house, Anthony, he sold my house. The home that my husband and I made." Junior says "What else were they going to do with it?" Livia says "I suppose he would have found it harder to have his meetings at my house. Then in this nursing home." Junior asks "What are you talking about, meetings?" Livia says "Don't think I'll ever see any of that money either." Junior again asks "What meetings?" Livia answers Raymond, Larry. That sneak from Manhattan." Junior says "Johnny Sack. Johnny Sack was here?" Livia says "With his mohair suits and his shoe lifts." Junior asks "Suits? Plural? More than once he was here? Why didn't I know about this?" Livia says "Well maybe it was you they were talking about. Who knows." Livia says "I just don't like being put in the middle of things. I should have known something was strange when suddenly Larry Boy's mother moved in here. Then Jimmy Altieri's mother." Junior asks "Three of my Capo's have their mothers in this place?" Livia says "Instead of living in normal homes with their sons, like human beings." Junior says "This must be some kind of fuckin' end move. What do they think I'm stupid? We'll see." Livia says "Now wait a minute. I don't like that kind of talk. Now just stop it, it upsets me. Or I won't tell you anything anymore." Junior says upset "If this is true Livia, you know what I...I mean. I'm the boss for christ sake. If I don't act, blood or no...I have to." Livia says "Oh god...what did I say now? I suppose I should have just kept my mouth shut, like a mute then everybody would have been happy." At the Soprano house they're eating dinner, someone is at the door. AJ goes to answer it. AJ says it's Jimmy, Tony tells him to let him in. He asks Tony to talk somewhere private. Tony asks "What's going on?" Jimmy says "You got a problem." Tony tells him "Yeah I know. I'm working on it." Jimmy says "They were asking me a lot of questions in there, if I knew anything about the dead columbian in the apartment and all that." Tony seems to know something is up and says "You look good." Jimmy mentions "Yeah I wasn't gone very long." Tony says "Yeah, yeah I know." Jimmy says "My lawyer told him, he doesn't own the building, he's not responsible for what's in the building. I told them the pool table was there when I first rented the joint." Tony says "Good thinking. Missed your calling should have been a lawyer." Jimmy says "Please, enough people hate me. So, what are you gonna do about the colombian money?" Tony just shrugs. "They were putting the screws to me like I was a school kid. Telling me that the money was marked. They even said, that there's a new fingerprint technique that lifts it right off the bills." Tony says "You're a lucky man, Jimmy." Jimmy says "What do you mean? Tony says "Well you're out on bail on that conspiracy thing, right?" Jimmy says "Yeah, so?" Tony says "So, only a lucky prick like you would get pinched with a gun while he's out on bail for something else and still be out in time for dinner. You're a lucky guy." He tells him to come upstairs. Jimmy tells him he needs to make more collections. Tony heads to Satriale's. He's convinced now that it's Jimmy that's the wire. With all the questions he had for him. Tony thinks that Makazian's contact got it mixed up "Two fat fucks with black hair." Paulie is running late, wondering where he is. Tony is worried he might have jumped the gun and taken out Pussy. Paulie shows up and is asked where Pussy is, Tony wants to make sure he's not lying to him. He proceeds to ask him 4 or 5 times. Silvio has to separate them. Tony apologizes. Paulie tells him that he hasn't seen him since the schvitz, and told him he didn't take it and refused to take his clothes off. Tony still thinks the rat is only Jimmy. Mikey Palmice and his associate bring a new Microwave into his house. Says hello to his wife. Mikey intimates that Tony Soprano won't be around too much longer and that Junior has set something in motion. Tony looks out over the water contemplating his tough choices ahead.

The Sopranos Season 1 Episode 10

Episode 10: A Hit Is A Hit

Paulie, Sal, and Christopher are posing as kitchen appliance movers, sticking up a hispanic man in a suit as he gets out of the elevator. Paulie makes him open a nearby apartment door. Once inside Paulie sits him down to send a message. "This is all a message to your friends. Stay away from Port Newark. Don't even drive out to Jersey, not even on Sundays. They been told. Twice. Now I'll tell them." Paulie says. He shoots the man through the head with the pistol that has a silencer attached not making a noise. Sal and Christopher tell Paulie to come in the next room, there's plenty of cash to take. Tony at home with Dr. Cusamano is giving him some cigars for the referral of Dr. Melfi. Dr. Cusamano says "I bet these motherfuckers were hard to come by, huh Ton?" Tony says "Yeah they fell off a truck." He jokes. The phone rings, Tony picks up, Paulie lets him know it's done and it's a big fucking score, also that the hit was carried out. Bruce Cusamano says "You know Ton, I been meaning to say, I've been watching you out back with your putter. You ever play at the club? You ought to come to the club and play sometime. It's a wicked back nine, plus some of the members, I think you'd like them very much Ton'." Tony tells him he'll think about it. In a hotel suite, Tony, Paulie, and Christopher are celebrating the cash haul. Tony mentions to Christopher that it's a once in a lifetime score and that he's gotta make this money work for them IPO, stocks, make it legitimate. Christopher mentions he's going to go home to Adriana and celebrate. Christopher takes Adriana to a burger place after a broadway show, Rent, and dinner at Le Cirque, a well known french restaurant in Manhattan. Christopher is tired of waiting in line, behind a lot of black people. "Hey who's fucking welfare check do you have to cash to get a burger around here?" He gets a lot of looks from others waiting in line. They spot a well dressed black man that Adriana thinks she recognizes. "Hair net central, what am I back here, Mark Fuhrman? What? It's fucking discrimination already." Christopher is called up to the front of the line by the manager. The well dressed gentleman comes over to talk to Christopher "Bold men, make bold statements." Christopher says "Why'd they send you over? I'm looking for a burger, not converted rice." The man says "Your woman looks embarrassed." Christopher orders two burger baskets. A black cop waiting in the place mentions Christopher is hooked up with the Tony Soprano crew. They find out outside that the well dressed gentleman is Massive a major rap star. Christopher and Adriana are invited over for a party at his house. They head upstairs. Massive has a room full of gold records, and a cabinet full of flashy firearms. Christopher asks "So what kind of business do you want to discuss?" walking outside to the terrace Massive says "Mr. Herman Rabkin." Christopher says "Hesh." Massive says "I don't know him personally but I know his history. In the last 50's and 60's he owned F Note records." Chris says "I don't know what it was fucking called but yeah, Hesh was in the music business." Massive says "Little situation here. Distant but deceased quasi cousin on my mother's side. Little Jimmy Willis, 50's legend. Two seminal hit records were his legacy. Drug tragedy. Such A Fool. Old Herman he's just another in a long line of white motherfuckers stealing royalties from the black man that made them money in the first place. Jimmy's mother who I'm content to call my aunt is owed that money." Chris says he'll bring it to him but he can't imagine Hesh will go for it. 

Chris and Adriana get home, Chris thinks he's a fake gangster, uses it to sell an image. "Junior with his moldy old sweaters, and he's boss!" They put on Bon Jovi. And make out on the bed. Tony is at home. Carmela lets Tony know they've been invited to a BBQ. Carmela discusses how much college education is for a four year degree these days. Carm wants to know what to expect if anything happens. He keeps it to himself about the extra money from the score. Tony says they should go to the BBQ. Chris and Adriana are at the bar waiting for a table at dinner. She brings up Richie Santini, a former childhood friend and wants him to think about backing his new band and getting into the music industry. Chris has setup a sitdown with Hesh for Massive, so he could ask him to take a look at Richie. Adriana is thinking of becoming a music manager as something she could have a career at. Adriana has Chris listen the old "Defiler" band music to give him an idea of what to expect or look forward to. He agrees to take a shot. Paulie shows up to the sitdown between Hesh and Massive. "Gelding his name is Sidney."  Herman points out Massive asks Hesh "So how come you never wrote a song about him? When you and Little Jimmy were writing partners on all his hits, did you write the music and him the lyrics, or was it the otherway around." Hesh says "We had our own process. One could write a song about a Horse, but in order for it to be a hit with your target audience he'd have to have a mounted cop on him ripped up the ass with a Mac 10, no?" Massive asks "So you bought horses with your royalties, and Little Jimmies royalties whatever became of those?" Silvio says "He bought horse." Hesh says "Music business back then we were breaking all the rules. Making them, breaking them as we went along. Thing s haven't changed much, huh? Were we hard nosed? Yeah. But we gave a lot of kids their start. A lot of negro youth. Took them out of the ghetto. Kids with talent, put them on stage." Massive says "Herman, ordinarily I'd be more than happy love to stroll down memory lane with you, but it's reparations I seek." Tony says "Why don't we call this what it is, a shakedown." Massive tells Tony that his Father was a silent partner in F Note records, and Tony almost mocking his says "Yeah it bought my house down at the Jersey shore." Chris tells Hesh that he has to do the right thing. Hesh tells him he's way out of line. To pour some cold fizzy water on his fucking head. They retire to the porch for beverages. Hesh says "What's in this for you?" Massive asks for reparations regarding how blacks have been treated in the music industry. Hesh says "You're talking to the wrong white man, my friend. My people were the white man's nigger when yours was still painting their face and chasing Zebras. As far as Louis B Meyer is concerned are you fucking nuts?" Massive says "My lawyers have done a little research, I think the final figure is right around $400,000." He says a check in that amount will set the record straight. Massive and his crew leave. 

Melfi is at a dinner party at the Cusamano's house. A couple ask Bruce how his neighbor is, the one with no neck. He mentions the cigars, he let the group know he got them for a great reference to a Doctor, letting her know he means her. The table's men start to talk big about how they don't know what passes for business in the board room could be considered organized crime. "Some of the shit I see in the boardroom I don't know if I'd make a distinction." says one man Bruce pipes up "Bugging, Bribes, I don't know. Sometimes I think all that seperates the American Business and the mob is fuckin' whackin' somebody." Jean Cusamano says "Listen to you, whackin'. You hang around Tony Soprano for 15 minutes and it's fuckin' this and fuckin' that." Jean makes fun of the bar with Murano glass and Melfi mentions she likes it. Chris and Adriana are at a club watching Ritchie and his new band, showing Massive as a favor for getting the sitdown with Hesh. Massive says he likes any kind of music that turns shit green. The band is called visiting day. Richie has had a lot of personal growth. The crowd does not like the emotive rock music. Lots of vocalizing. Chris yells at a man who starts jeering. Then it's a lot more. Massive says he's interested, but looks over at Adriana a moment later almost telling us that's what he really cares about. Jennifer excuses herself from dinner to go to the bathroom, to look out the window at Tony's house. She hears a loud groan, near scream. And ducks down. Then tries looking out again, looking for what is causing the sound. Adriana and Chris get into bed they discuss Richie, how getting electrocuted turned his life around. Chris mentions that music is not something tangible. We can sense he has his doubts. Tony is in therapy trying to decide if he wants to hang out with Dr. Cusamano being a possible new friend. "My wife thinks I need to meet new people." Tony says and Melfi asks "So?" Tony answers "Come on, you're Italian, you understand. Guys like me we're brought up to think Americans are fucking bores. The truth is the average white man is no more boring than than the millionth conversation over who should have won Marciano or Ali." Melfi asks "So am I to understand you don't consider yourself white?" Tony says "I don't mean white like caucasian. I mean a white man like our friend Cusamano. He's an Italian but he's an American. He's what my old man would call a wonder bread wop, he eats his sunday gravy out of a jar." Tony is afraid to branch out might lose some of his identity. Melfi mentions she was in his neighborhood last night. Tony and Carmela are at the neighbors BBQ. Tony and the men are at the grill with the meat. They talk about sausage when Tony asks about a stock called Dexplex. The two stock brokers seem to clam up as if they're not talking to someone on their level. The wives are talking with Carmela about playing the stock market, suggesting they've been very successful. 

Hesh is listening to old records while we see the pictures hanging of old acts he produced. In the studio Ritchie is with his band recording. Christopher comes in, Adriana's smoking a cigarette seemingly into the music. The sound recording technician looks warn. He cuts and let's Christopher know it's take 62. He suggests maybe some rest will hopefully produce something worthwhile. Everyone is looking for a break and Christopher stresses it's costing him $300 bucks an hour. He throws a bag of speed at Ritchie. "Dude, I don't do drugs anymore." Ritchie says Christopher insists "Come on, come on, go shoot the crank, let's wrap this up, alright? You heard me. Spike up. Go take the fucking drugs, I'm not fucking around anymore." Ritchie says " The problem, Christopher. Is that the bass and the drum track were miked wrong from the start." The sound recording tech says "Whoa, hey, king of rock you're out of your depth." Ritchie says "Let me tell you something dude, thank you, but I've recorded in Denmark!" This is a hilarious line. "Ok, you want to know what the problem is? Where are the fucking choruses? All your songs, you got no choruses. Your choruses are basically just another verse, what happened to "She loves you" huh. Yeah, the song started with the chorus. There is structure. That's how you build a song." Ritchie says "The Beatles. The Beatles. The Beatles. Look, that's been 40 fucking years now. Makes me fuckin' sick." Ritchie gets on his jacket and Christopher asks him where he's going. "I'm going to AA. You fucking jerkoff." Christopher threatens to and then hits Ritchie with the guitar to prevent him from leaving, destroying the guitar in the process saying "We'll use a ukulele." Carmela is buying stock, "American Biotics." Meadow is listening from the other room. They discuss being interested in stocks, Carmela has to plan for the uncertain future. She asks Meadow if she wants to go to the Spa. They leave. At the golf course Tony is playing with the guys from the BBQ. After a nice drive one of the stock guys asks "Tony, you ever play that place in Orlando?" Tony says "No, I never get down there....Disney World" asking again "You know, Al's place. Mount plymouth? Al Capone built it." Tony says "No shit." The other stock guy mentioning as if remembering "Capone was a golf fanatic, that's right. Tony, let me ask you a question. Now, if I'm stepping on toes, tell me. How real was The Godfather?" I mean, in your opinion." Tony says "I don't know. I mean it was the 50's." The stock broker then asks "I want to know if you really had to cut your finger to take an oath." There is an uncomfortable silence, Bruce looks back and Tony gives him an almost dead eyed stare. The foursome now is waiting for the hole to open up ahead of them, so they start talking again, now about New York. "What's the first thing you think of when you hear mulberry street?" In unison all three of them say "Umberto's!" Tony smiles, but silently judges them. "Hey, did you ever see that picture of Galante dead with the cigar hanging out of his mouth?" Tony says "No." Bruce says "Fucking beautiful hit, huh? Sorry, Tony, you probably knew the guy, huh?" Tony says "How fucking old do you think I am?" joking. One of the stockbrokers asks "You don't have to answer this if you don't want but I gotta know, did you ever meet John Gotti?" Knowing now why he's there, Tony decides to just fuck with these guys. Tony says "Yeah, I knew John." The other stockbroker uncooly shouts "Whoa, fuck!" Bruce asks "What was he really like?" Tony says "Remember Bungalow Bar?" "The Ice Cream Trucks?" one stockbroker asks He proceeds to tell him he was outbid by Gotti buying one of the ice cream trucks. Says he gave him a ride home, and rang the bell all the way home. 

Massive is with Chris and Adriana listening to the album from Ritchie and his band. Massive seems to like it. Chris has Hesh listen to it. "So?" Chris asks, Hesh says "Well I think it's uh not good." Chris asks "Do you want to be a little more specific? Hesh says "There's good and there's not good and this is not good." Chris says "Ok, maybe it's not your era, no offense." Hesh says "Music is music, talent is talent, I don't care who you are. And I've seen them all. I saw heavy metal invented by Hendrix at the cafe Wha. Kid just came out of the army. I said to him kid, I don't know what you call it, talent, charisma, magic but you got it. These  kids, they don't, sorry." Chris says "You're just pissed that I went against you at the sit down." Hesh says "Come on, get the fuck out of here and stop wasting my time." Chris says "This fucking Vito is a great guitar player, Hesh." Hesh says "He's a great guitar player. However, there's one constant in the music business, a hit is a hit and this my friend is not a hit." Chris asks "Why?" Hesh answering "For reasons we couldn't comprehend or codify, you pathetic schlepper." Chris wants to know what the fuck Massive was talking about if they don't have "it." Tony is in therapy. Talking about Jimmy Smash, a neighborhood kid with a cleft palet. He made a spectacle of himself so you could hang out with Tony and his friends, laughing when he would sing Mack the Knife. He found out that Jimmy went home every night crying himself to sleep. Tony said when he found out he felt bad, but he never understood what he felt. "To be used for someone else's amusement, like a fucking dancing bear. Until I played Golf with those guys. You live, you learn." Melfi asks "Whatever happened to Jimmy?" Tony tells her he's doing 20 for robbery. IT wasn't hard to figure who it was because of his cleft pallet. Herman calls Massive. Massive threatens to sue Hesh over the royalties. Hesh informs Massive that due to a sample used on his last cd, that sample is owned by Hesh's company. He would have to countersue. 

Christopher tells Adriana to keep both dresses because he has to tell her he doesn't think Ritchie is any good. Annie Lennox plays in this scene. "I think you should mentally prepare for the fucking possibility that visiting day sucks. I think the only reason you got this far with massive is he wants to be in your pants. I let some experts listen to the demo, they shit all over it. I'm sorry. Silvio he owned rock clubs in Asbury. You heard what squid said he's a professional engineer." Adriana says "What about my opinion. That it's good, that it's special." Christopher says "His eyes are on your ass 98% of the time, you know that Adriana." She takes off the clothes he gave her. Adriana projects her insecurities onto Christopher in this scene thinking he's jealous she's branched out. This isn't the case he's trying to tell her the objective truth of the situation but she can't hear him because she wants to be successful, seeing Christopher as an obstacle. This illuminates the other branching out of the episode with Tony. Why we stick to our own, tribes, our own groups, fear of being hurt, of being vulnerable. What did it get Tony and Christopher? There is ugliness in every day society, with people in respected professions, who treat people in condescending manners. So that very real human fear of seeing the other in society and sticking to our own kind. It's easy to see why there's very little personal growth living a life of organized crime, that this is part of it too. Adriana leaves. Christopher tells her he loves her, she accuses him of lying. Ironically this is probably the most love, consideration, thought, and care he shows Adriana in the series, he really does love her but he wants her to know what she's dealing with. In that way it's pretty heartbreaking. To the point where you think maybe if things were a little different Christopher could have that personal growth that would lead him to happiness, but it isn't and it leads him to be the character he becomes. That's some real, honest, character development and beautifully written out in this episode. Tony and Carmela are at the house. Tony has a package that he tells Carmela he's going to give to Cusamano to fuck with him. It's only sand. He's not going to tell him what's in the box. He goes outside and gives the box to Bruce. He tells him to hang onto it. Maybe a month, maybe more, maybe less. The Cusamano's discuss at their house what's in the box. Chris is at the bing listening Dori Hartley's "Nobody loves me but you." Hesh comes in. "Now, that's a hit." Chris takes a drink of his beer. The episode ends. 

The Sopranos Season 1 Episode 9

Episode 9: Boca

Livia and Junior are at the cemetery visiting Johnny's grave. Livia is yelling at AJ for playing with some random dogs. Livia keeps bringing up Tony's psychiatrist, Junior says he doesn't like it but to leave it alone. Tony, Carmela, Silvio and Artie are all watching their kids play Soccer. Meadow gets a save in the game. Silvio starts yelling at the ref for his call. Then to his daughter "Heather Dante, 100 bucks for a goal!" That tackle was all ball asshole" now to the ref. "Yeah, zebra. I'm talking to you. You blow that whistle one more time I'm going to stick it up your ass!" The ref now says "Get off the field, get off the field or your team forfeits the game." Silvio starts walking away only to turn around to kick grass at the ref. Tony and Artie notice one of the girls is dragging in this game. Allie. Tony mentions she eats at their house three nights a week so he knows she has the energy. The coach becoming more vocal on the sideline calling the play, calls out to Allie to take the lead. She scores a goal and they win. Tony offers Artie to put some money on the street, but it makes him nervous and he turns him down. At the Bing Tony and his crew are treating the coach to a victory drink. Tony calls Brandy one of the strippers over. The coach says he's there to stay because how many chances to coach his own daughter and that money isn't everything. Tony tells Brandy to give a deluxe tour of the VIP lounge. The coach politely turns him down. Silvio insists "Coach, it's on the house." Detective Makazian comes into the Bing and lets Tony know that he doesn't know if he's named in the indictments and that it's under very tight seal. He has to ask for the liquor license as a reason that he went in there. Charmaine calls the Bing looking for Arthur, she yells at him and he tells her he'll be home soon. This cues the coach to leave. At Junior's lawyers office a sandwich delivery comes. Junior remarks he should have ordered the peppers and eggs. Junior and his lawyer discuss different strategies, he says he's sick of sitting around that he's going to go down to Boca. The lawyer says it's good and to take his girlfriend who works for the joint fitters. Mikey voices concerns to Junior about something being off about his nephew Tony. Junior lets him know to not worry, that he's going to Boca. Drinking in the woods, Meadow and her friend go off to find Ally, they find her cutting herself, crying. Tony in therapy is discussing Ally. Tony tries to apologize for calling Melfi a whore. Junior at the joint fitter office is flirting with his girlfriend Bobbi. Skimming 20,000 off the fund. He meets a construction contractor who offers a hefty bribe in return for a recommendation. Larry is saying hello to Livia at Green Grove. Tony comes over to say hello. Jimmy meets up with them. They've all put their mothers in Green Grove.

Tony opens the paper to see the coach has agreed to coach next season at The University of Rhode Island. The next day at practice the coach is visited by Arite and Silvio. "What are you doing? You leaving us after two fucking years?" The coach says "I told that reporter to wait after sectionals before he put that in the paper." Artie says "Coach look at my little girl out there, you're breaking her heart!" The coach responds "Believe me, Art. I am hugely conflicted. But Rhode Island doubled my salary. They're giving my daughter a full ride. What could I do. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse." Silvio says "Well you haven't heard ours yet. Look buddy, I got a family too. I happen to have a daughter that enjoys playing soccer very much." The girls have stopped practicing and are watching the men talk. The coach yells nobody said to stop practicing. Meadow tells the coach to go "fuck yourself". The coach tells her to run ten laps, and then twenty when Meadow says whatever. Uncle Jun' and Bobbi are in Boca. They're drinking champagne in bed in their hotel. "If only they knew the other side of you." She says "They'd eat me for breakfast." Junior answers. "You're such a powerhouse. When you kiss me down there you're like a great artist, you got a real instinct for it." Junior asks her to pass the red peppers. Bobbi reaches over on the nightstand and feeds Junior. "You know the thrill you give" she says Junior tells her "Just keep it to yourself, Roberta." Bobbi teases "All to my self......Corrado? Why the big secret?" Junior asks "About what?" Bobbi answers "Oral sex. What's so terrible about pleasing a woman?" Junior says "You always have to talk about everything." Bobbi says "Well, I want to know why." Junior says It's "Complicated. Why? Because they think if you suck pussy you'll suck anything, it's a sign of weakness, and possible sign you're a finook." Bobbi says "A fag? That's ridiculous. How would the two even translate?" Junior just shrugs this off saying what are you gunna do? Tony and Artie are eating dinner. Tony asks why Charmaine hates him. Artie says she doesn't, Tony can see through this. Tony spots a man eating dinner with a hat on. Tony gets up to go over to the man with the hat. "Take your hat off. They don't sell hot dogs here, they took the bleachers out two years ago." The man answers "It's my hat, I'll wear it where I want." Tony seethes at him until intimidated the man takes off his hat. Tony is thanked by the waiter and Artie as he gets back to the table. "Look, at him...douchebag...good for you." Tony tells the waiter to get the license plate from the two guys sitting behind him, they look like cops. Artie gives a look like he's creeped out.

Tony and Carmela come home to find Meadow and Allie they're watching music videos. Allie lets them know she's going to play, after talking about this the girls ask to watch the music videos, they say goodnight. Down in Boca, Junior and Bobbi are dancing. Junior tells her not to tell anyone. She teases him "I'll tell everyone you're a good kisser but just not where, and that her lips are sealed." Junior jokes "I hope not too sealed." laughing along with Bobbi. An undercover FBI agent is reporting Junior's location. The next morning the coach comes out to find a large TV being delivered by Paulie and two movers. They put it down trying to let the coach know it's a gift for staying. The coach feeling threatened says "Let me tell you something guido." Paulie says "My name is Clarence."I have friends in law enforcement and they would call this extortion." Paulie and the men are walking away, with the coach shouting "You tell those assholes, Don Houser will not be intimidated. I will not be threatened or bribed. I go where I want to when I want to! Hey!" Almost to the point of being laughable. Bobbi is at the Salon and her pedicurist wants to gab about their sex lives, Bobbi tells her to get it between them and not talk about it anymore to honor Junior's request. The Soprano family is having dinner, Junior, Tony, Meadow, AJ, Livia, and Carmela. Tony asks Junior how Boca was. "Wonderful. I don't go down enough." Carmela responds "That's not what I heard." making a joke, Junior says "About what?" Carmela just says that she doesn't know what she's talking about trying to ignore the joke she just made. AJ mentions that Aunt Bobbi got him live pirañas when he was in Boca. Livia corrects him "That woman is not your aunt!" Junior says  "Livia I warned you, Statagitt. She's a sweet, sweet girl." Carmela can't help but laugh at this remark. "What the hell's the matter with you?" Junior asks "What'd I say? This wife of yours she's got the giggles." Meadow asks to be excused letting her parents know she quit, she leaves the table to her room. Livia leaves after feeling insulted. In bed Carmela and Tony are discussing Meadow quitting the soccer team. Tony asks Carmela "What was with you and Uncle Jun' tonight?" Tony proceeds to tickle Carmela into telling him what she knows. "Well, let's just say your Uncle has acquired a taste for her." Tony says "Uncle Jun' gives head?" Carmela answers "World class." Tony says "The old man's whistling through the wheat field?" Tony proceeds to laugh. Carmela jokes when Tony gets angry about her potentially gossiping about their sex life, she can avoid the urge to gossip.

Charmaine is yelling at Artie because she got a call from the coaches wife and was told about the stolen TV bribe attempt. Christopher is outside the coaches house saying he has his dog. He asks him to come outside to his car which is where the dog is. Chris lets the dog out and the coach takes him inside. Meadow explains at home the next morning to Tony and Carmela that the coach has sex with her friend Allie. This throws Tony and Carmela for a loop. Tony is upset at this news, he leaves and goes downstairs. At the bing Tony and Silvio are discussing hiring someone to do a hit. "No hired help, this is personal." Tony says "I'm very glad to hear you say that, I'm going to give him a real after school special." Silvio tells Tony. Artie comes in "Are you out of your fucking mind? I know what you did, you kidnapped the coaches dog and all that other shit. But if you do one more  other thing..." Silvio says "Oh shut up, Arthur you know, you're five fucking timezones behind your own ass. You serious, you wanna hear serious? You wanna hear what your precious coach did? He fucked little Ally Vandermeed. And who else knows who else he fucked." Artie asks "What are you talking about? Fucked? That's crazy." Silvio says "That's why that kid slit her wrist, you stunad. And my daughter should know this shit my daughter, should have to think about that filth. That self righteous prick put his dick in my little girl's soccer teammate. She's in 11th grade for Christ's sake." Artie says "He drove Chiara home from the supermarket when it was raining. He deserves to die! Betraying children? Tony says "Believe me Artie, he won't be doing that shit no more."

Mikey and Junior show up at the golf club, Mikey tells him he put Tony under surveillance. Says he goes to the medical center twice a week, doesn't know where he goes. They meet tony and Silvio for golf. Tony keeps talking as Mike is trying to tee off. Tony upset at a comment Junior made decides to make fun of the rumor he heard. "Uncle Jun's in the muff." Junior says "What?" Tony says "Did I say muff? I meant to rough. What's that smell, did you guys go to a sushi bar? I thought you were a Baccala man Uncle Jun' what are you doing eating sushi?" Junior says "You fuckin' run off at the mouth you know that?" Tony is singing "South of the border, down Mexico way." Junior says "Hey listen my friend, at least I can deal with my problems, unlike some I know." Tony says "What's that supposed to mean?" Junior says "Take it however you want, don't bullshit me." Tony tees off. Artie is in the garden talking to Charmaine about the coach. Artie wants to exact revenge. Charmaine picks up on it. "If I had any balls I would do it myself. Fuck it, fuck the world." Charmaine explains that it would mean killing a man or cutting his balls off. Artie asks who's worse Tony Soprano or that coach. Charmaine walks away upset. Junior admits to Mikey that Tony is seeing a shrink. Junior thinks that it could be Tony that is the reason for indictments. Mikey asks "Are you talking about clipping him?" Juniors says "Nobody would slap my hand if I did."

Tony is in therapy. Melfi says "I'm interested in why you feel punishing this man falls upon you." Tony says "What would you do? You'd call the cops. Who get some judge, who'd give him some psychiatric counseling so he could talk about his unhappy childhood and we could have sympathy for the fuck, because he's the real victim here. You stick your head in the sand because that's what you people do." Melfi asks "Why do you think you, Tony Soprano has to set things right?" Artie comes to visit Tony at the Bing. Artie tells Tony he has to call it off. Tony says Artie can call the cops but he'll get out in two years and do it to someone else. Artie says this is just about making us feel better. Artie asks Tony nice to not do it, Tony kicks him out. "Get the fuck out." Tony is contemplating. He knocks the espresso cup off the table and it shatters. He is standing around trying to make a choice. Junior comes back to the Joint Fitters office to see Bobbi, he's upset over her talking about things in the bedroom. Junior takes the pie and shoves it in Bobbi's face, he's broken up with her. She cries. Junior fires her. She says she loves him, he leaves. We can see that Junior is hurt, that at least a part of him didn't want to leave her. Tony calls Silvio who's outside the coach's house, he tells him to call it off. Silvio not happy. We see a news story of the police arresting the coach, knowing that he'll be in jail. Tony comes home very drunk laughing. He starts dancing with Carmela. He stumbles into the living room, falling drunkenly on the coach and then sliding to the floor. He has mixed his prozac with alcohol. "Carmela, I didn't hurt nobody." he says to Carmela, which Meadow sees from the top of the stairs. Confirming her fears that her father does in fact inflict violence for a living. Fade to black.

The Sopranos Season 1 Episode 8

Episode 8: The Legend Of Tennessee Moltisanti 

Christopher keeps having nightmares over killing Emil the Czech man he killed over a garbage route dispute. His ghost keeps visiting telling him he made a mistake. This worries Christopher. Larry Barese's daughter is getting married. Everyone is at the reception. Livia is there with Tony "Listen to him, with that my darling, I am nobody's darling!" She says Larry responds "She never disappoints this one." Livia pipes up "Are you still seeing your other women, Lorenzo?" In a condescending tone, this embarrasses Larry. Larry says he's heard some disturbing shit he wants to talk to Tony about later. Paulie and Larry talk about Federal indictments he has a friend who's girlfriend is a word processor for the FBI. He doesn't know when but that it's coming. Tony and Sal are asking Larry about the indictments and says not only his source in Jersey gave him the info but that half of "New York" has moved to Fort Lauderdale already. Chris is talking to Jimmy Altieri "They're gunna want my ass." Jimmy asks "Why?" What do you mean why? I'm O.C." Jimmy asks "When did you get your fuckin' wings?" Chris says "I didn't. Not yet anyway." Tony is standing with his and Junior's crew talking about strategy. Tony says "Uncle Jun' you got anything you want to say about this?" Junior says "You guys see indictments under your beds at night, right away you're ready to lam it. As far as I'm concerned it's just speculation." Mikey says "Rumor." Ray suggests "Better to be safe than sorry, no? I say we duck for awhile." Junior answers "What are we gonna do? Close shop? We can't do that." Ray asks "Tony, what do you think?" Junior upset says "What the fuck are you asking him for? I just gave you the answer!" Tony says "Junior's right, we go on the lam now the fuckin' Albanian's will be living in our houses." Sal says "Fuck, I just gave a g-note to Larry's kid for a boost, if I knew I had to lam it in a hurry I would have chosen another time." Sal goes over to the bride to get his envelope back. Tony says he agrees with his Uncle. He suggests that everyone do a little spring cleaning, we see everyone disperse with their lives, sometimes a bit forcibly. Everything is fine until the facade begins to crack. 

                         

Tony and Carmela round up the loose cash and guns in the crawlspaces and vents around the house. Meadow sees this and runs up to her room, AJ is chasing a fly with a flyswatter she tells him to boot his computer to remove all the porno because the cops are coming. Sal is throwing various documents onto a burning grill. Christopher at his apartment is writing his screenplay, he accidentally deletes it. He gets Adriana to bring the script back. Christopher gets upset hitting the table. He asks her what she thinks, she says that she needs the entire thing at once not piece by piece. She comments that Christopher his her Tennessee William. She says she has never seen him apply himself like this before. "I love movies. That candy and carpet smell in Blockbuster. I get high off it." He talks about how mob stories are always hot and that he can make it big with the right script. Georgie calls Christopher and tells him to turn on channel 6, there is a news special on the coming FBI indictments. Everyone is watching. Junior has been named as the acting boss, it's mentioned they have long standing ties to the "New York" families. Brendon Filone is mentioned as a possible casualty of escalating war as a Soprano soldier and associate. Christopher is pissed off at this assumption because his name is nowhere to be found on the news. At a family dinner Dr. Melfi mentions to her son that he wouldn't want to mention the word Ginzo in front of him. She lets it slip that her client is involved with the mob. "Why should I refer him to another doctor? He's my patient." Richard her ex husband says "You know you can't treat sociopaths. He's scum and you shouldn't help him with his bedwetting." Melfi says "You have no idea who this man is and yet you call him scum." Richard says "People like him are the reason why Italian Americans have such a bad image." Melfi's mom says "I agree." Richard making another point "Ask any American to describe an Italian American in this country and invariably he's going to reference The Godfather, Goodfellas..." Jason, her son says "Good movies." Richard finishing his thought "And thre rest are going to mention Pizza." Jason says "Good movies to eat pizza by." Melfi says "Stop it, Jason. I never said he was in the Mafia." Richard says "Why do you think we're never going to see an Italian President?" Melfi says "Oh and that's my patient's fault? I realize you're very involved in the defamation lobby, so go after Hollywood if you feel you absolutely have to but leave my patient alone." Richard says "It's a synergy. News items and and the constant portrayal of Italian Americans as gangsters." Jason reminds his father of a glaring historical fact "Wasn't the anti def deal started by Joe Columbo, a mobster?" Richard ignores this and continues "Italians against discrimination did a study. At it's height the Mafia in this country had less than 5,000 members and yet that tiny insignificant fraction casts such a dark shadow over 20 million hard working Americans." Jason says "Dad, at this point in our cultural history, mob movies are classic American cinema, like Westerns." Melfi's dad says "I have to agree there Rich. You never saw the Scotch-Irish pissing and moaning about always being portrayed as rustlers or gunslingers. To we, the 20 million." 

                           

Christopher back at his apartment. Tony calls Christopher and tells him to come down to the Bing and to bring pastries. Christopher takes a number and is waiting a long time. A customer comes off the street and seems to cut in line, the baker explains that he went out to get gas and was here prior. Christopher demands he be next. The situation escalates to the point of Chris shooting him in the foot after he boxes up the pastries. Chris leaves him bleeding on the floor. Sal, Silvio and Tony are shooting pool talking about the indictments. Chris shows up with the pastries. Tony asks Chris to go with Georgie to sweep for bugs in the bathroom. Carmela shows up to take Livia out to Lunch, so that she can get out of her room while Tony hides money and guns in her room. Tony is in therapy. Tony lets Melfi know that he might not be available in relation to the news stories of recent regarding organized crime. Chris is at his apartment, looking depressed. Food containers around, clothes everywhere. The place is a mess. Paulie comes over. He's there to take Chris out with a couple of "broads". Paulie asks Chris what's wrong. He tells Chris that he's heard about the Bakery shooting and that eyewitnesses say he was driving a Lexus, Chris confirms that Tony doesn't know about it. Chris talks about his struggle screenwriting. How he doesn't have an arc. Paulie sums it up Nothing good ever happened to me, I'm alive, I'm surviving..so what? Chris is looking for some deeper inner truth that is simple unavailable to him in the "life". Some of us never fulfill whatever ultimate purpose we have a chance to reach. All of America is an opportunity, but there's simply no guarantee of happiness.

                           

Chris decides to dig up Emil, afraid it was in a bad spot. He and Georgie dig him up. Chris mentions the Pine Barrens as a good place to dump him. South Jersey. Dr. Melfi and her ex Richard are discussing selling a piece of property for their Son's education. "So are we gonna sell or what?" Richard asks Melfi says "For Jason. But you know I don't want to hear you took one of your Colleen's on a cruise. We all know you're a sucker for those Irish girls. Every Italian boy bows down to the freckles." Richard says "I married you." Melfi says "I was a mother figure." Richard says "Don't bust my balls with freud by numbers, would you?" Melfi says "Don't bust my balls? Watch it, Richard, your calabrese is showing." Richard asks "Are you somehow implying by all this that I'm ashamed to be an Italian American?" Melfi says "With all the poverty, starvation, ethnic cleansing, and generally horrible shit in this world you devote your energies to the protection of the dignity of Connie Francis. You know, you're all worked up about my patient, a man who has no bearing on who you are or where you are in this world." Richard says " Call him a patient, the man's a criminal Jennifer. And after awhile finally you're going to get past psychotherapy with it's cheesy moral relativism and you're going to get to good and evil and he's evil." Tony is waiting for Christopher, he knows about the shooting. And smacks Christopher and tells him to drive. They discuss Christopher shooting the clerk, digging up a body, these actions show Tony that he wants to get caught. Tony yells at him for quite awhile. They discuss life feeling difficult and hard and serotonin levels. Tony lights a cig backwards, then quickly puts it out. "You know about that shit?" Tony says he saw it on a program. "What and take Prozac? Not this skinny guinea." Chris says. Tony asks Chris if he ever considered suicide and then they laugh about losers who do that. You can tell they've both thought about it by the expressions they try to hide. The FBI rings the doorbell at The Soprano house, AJ busy with Nintendo. Tony is not at his appointment due to this. Meadow, AJ, Carmela, and Tony watch as they search the house. Agent Grasso accidentally dropped a glass bowl. Tony and Agent Grasso trade verbal barbs, but Grasso cleans up the mess he made. That night they are eating Chinese takeout talking about having Italians involved with the FBI, sending them intentionally. "What's he think he'll get to the top by arresting his own people? He'll see, he'll learn. You'd think there never was a Michelangelo." Carmela says "Did you know an Italian invented the telephone?" AJ says "Alexander Graham Bell was Italian?" Tony upset says "You see? Antonio Meucci invented the telephone and he got robbed! Everybody knows that" Meadow asks "Who invented the Mafia?" Tony says "What?" Meadow asks "La Costa Nostra, who invented that? Wasn't it Salvatore Lucana better known as Charlie Lucky Luciano who organized the Five Families? Lucchese, Gambino, Bannano, Profaci." Tony asks "Is there something you want to say to me?" "I just like history just like you dad." AJ wanting to defend his dad says "Can you just shut the fuck up about it?" Both Tony and Carmela yell "Hey!" They continue discussing famous Italians and the discrimination faced by Sacco and Venzetti. Tony finishes this by saying "And of course, Francis Albert." This a clear reference to Frank Sinatra. 

                            

Tony in therapy is told he'll be charged for the miss session. He equates missing his session to getting hit by a car. He becomes upset when Melfi doesn't agree. Tony upset throws money at Melfi and equates her behavior to pouring out his feelings to a call girl. He leaves by telling Melfi to "stick it up your ass." At Green Grove a stand up comedian is telling very lame jokes. Junior and Livia are visiting. Junior is discussing his headaches. Livia tells Junior that Tony is seeing a psychiatrist, obsessing that he's talking about how awful of a mother she is. Livia asks that there be no repercussions. Junior keeps repeating "A psychiatrist?" Christopher's phone rings, it's his mother, she mentions that his name is in the paper along with other mob ties. Melfi her ex and Jason are in family therapy. Richard wants to talk about Jennifer seeing Tony as a patient. "Jason are you concerned that your mother is treating patient x?" The psychiatrist asks. "I don't care." Jason answers. Richard says "After her last encounter with him she finally acknowledged she saw a different side of him, the sub-human." The therapist asksed "I take it you were frightened?" Jennifer says "Frightened, revolted." Richard says "At long last, appropriate emotions." Jennifer says "Oh for christ sake, Richard, you too Sam, when did we get so afraid to get our hands dirty." Jason says "It's what she gets paid for." Richard asks "Jason how would you like to see your mother.....never mind I'm not going to paint any graphic images." Jason says "See, he always does that." Richard "What?" The therapist asks "Follow that up Jase, Dad does what?" Jennifer says "His real issue is that I should distance myself from this man on the grounds of the stigma that he brings us." The therapist says "I say refer this patient to a therapist that specialists in mafia depression." making a joke. "You know on my mother's side, we have a few dark sheep. Lepke." Jason asks "Who's Lepke?" "Louis Lepke Buchalter. You know, Murder Inc. My mother's uncle was Lepke's wheel man. His driver. Those were some tough jews." The reminder that so many beginnings started with crime. Christopher gets a stack of papers to commemorate the mention of himself.