The Sopranos - Pilot
A man sits in a waiting room. Perhaps a Dr’s office. His attention is fixed on an ancient statue. This attention is broken by a woman entering the room calling for a “Mr. Soprano”? This is how the landmark series “The Soprano’s” opens. A trip to the psychiatrists office to discuss unresolved personal issues. Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) is a New Jersey Mob Boss whose recent Panic Attacks have him seeking professional help. From the start of their conversation it’s apparent that Tony is alien to this type of environment and self analysis. Wanting the Dr’s previous to tell him a physical reason and to give some medication to absolve him of whatever ails him. Like most Americans we’ve been trained and guided to believe that Western Medicine is all that matters, drugs, pharmaceutical companies, profits over the actual well being of the patient. A mob boss talking to someone about what stressors and negative influences make their way into his daily life? Seems an untenable situation.
Most of the time Tony feels fine, he’s back at work and feeling better. Tony tries to relay the thoughts leading up to the attacks with a family of ducks that come to visit his pool. He feeds them tossed pieces of bread and marvels at their existence. His family, wife Carmela (played by Edie Falco), daughter Meadow, and son AJ are expectedly not as thrilled and treat it as a normal occurrence. We move to Tony’s nephew Christopher (Michael Imperioli) who is driving Tony when they spot an individual who owes them money. Great visuals and a doo-wop music that harkens back to the sixties plays as we see Tony gleefully run down a man with Christopher’s brand new Lexus. Tony precedes to get out of the car, punch the man in the face a few times. Learning he had been running his mouth that “Telling people I’m nothing compared to the people that used to run things."As the man is screaming in agony holding his leg, Tony yells “What are you crying for, HMO, you’re covered! You prick!” The amusing aspect is how Tony explains this story to Dr. Melfi as we see it happening in real time, having to choose his words a bit more carefully, saying they just had “coffee”.
We meet Tony’s crew, his uncle Junior, Artie Buco local restauranteur and childhood friend of Tony. We see just enough of them to get an idea of Tony’s life and his relationships, and business dealings. Needing to sit down with his Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese)to discuss the location of a hit, visiting and talking with his mother (Nancy Marchand), and celebrating his son (AJ) birthday. Tony brings his mother a portable cd player with music from her generation. Trying to get her to engage a bit with her interests, she is only able to focus on the negative and unable to accept anything from anyone. Tony collapses when he sees the ducks flying away from his pool as he is starting the grill for AJ’s birthday. Seeing them leave causes Tony to faint, a fireball shoots up from the grill as the lighter fluid was dropped directly onto it. His family rushes to his aid. As Tony sits in the MRI machine, we get to some of the underlying marital issues with Tony and his wife Carmela. “The difference between you and me is you’re going to hell when you die.” Carmela says after discussing Tony’s extramarital affairs. Tony speaks with Uncle Junior on moving the hit location, “Kill him someplace else.” “You may run North Jersey, but you don’t run your Uncle Junior!” Adding to Tony’s stress level is that the restaurant in question belongs to his childhood friend Artie Buco. We see Meadow trying to sneak back into the house, Carmela condemning her behavior as a “lying, conniving, master manipulator.” Yeah Carm, where did she learn that, gee I don’t know. Tony deflects questions on depression by asking Dr. Melfi what part of the boot she’s from, and that his mother would love if they got together. Melfi brings it back to depression. And what follows is one of the best monologues given in TV history. "Let me tell ya something. Nowadays, everybody's gotta go to shrinks, and counselors, and go on "Sally Jessy Raphael" and talk about their problems. What happened to Gary Cooper? The strong, silent type. That was an American. He wasn't in touch with his feelings. He just did what he had to do. See, what they didn't know was once they got Gary Cooper in touch with his feelings that they wouldn't be able to shut him up! And then it's dysfunction this, and dysfunction that, and dysfunction vaffancul!” This is Tony at his most honest yet. Melfi asks if he’s depressed, he admits after the ducks left, when pushed to explore that, he gets up and leaves the session.
Tony suffers another attack on a tour of a local retirement community, when his mother psychological projection affects Tony to the point of collapsing. Back in therapy Melfi urges Tony to stay with his mother. "Now that my father's dead, he's a saint. When he was alive, nothing. And my dad was tough. He ran his own crew. A guy like that, and my mother wore him down to a little nub. He was a squeaking little gerbil when he died.” Next Melfi brings up a rather looming and obvious question. “Do you have any qualms about how you make a living.” He doesn’t ever address the moral questions being put forth by his actions. Never addressing how others are negatively affected or even cease to exist because of money.
Most of the time Tony feels fine, he’s back at work and feeling better. Tony tries to relay the thoughts leading up to the attacks with a family of ducks that come to visit his pool. He feeds them tossed pieces of bread and marvels at their existence. His family, wife Carmela (played by Edie Falco), daughter Meadow, and son AJ are expectedly not as thrilled and treat it as a normal occurrence. We move to Tony’s nephew Christopher (Michael Imperioli) who is driving Tony when they spot an individual who owes them money. Great visuals and a doo-wop music that harkens back to the sixties plays as we see Tony gleefully run down a man with Christopher’s brand new Lexus. Tony precedes to get out of the car, punch the man in the face a few times. Learning he had been running his mouth that “Telling people I’m nothing compared to the people that used to run things."As the man is screaming in agony holding his leg, Tony yells “What are you crying for, HMO, you’re covered! You prick!” The amusing aspect is how Tony explains this story to Dr. Melfi as we see it happening in real time, having to choose his words a bit more carefully, saying they just had “coffee”.
We meet Tony’s crew, his uncle Junior, Artie Buco local restauranteur and childhood friend of Tony. We see just enough of them to get an idea of Tony’s life and his relationships, and business dealings. Needing to sit down with his Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese)to discuss the location of a hit, visiting and talking with his mother (Nancy Marchand), and celebrating his son (AJ) birthday. Tony brings his mother a portable cd player with music from her generation. Trying to get her to engage a bit with her interests, she is only able to focus on the negative and unable to accept anything from anyone. Tony collapses when he sees the ducks flying away from his pool as he is starting the grill for AJ’s birthday. Seeing them leave causes Tony to faint, a fireball shoots up from the grill as the lighter fluid was dropped directly onto it. His family rushes to his aid. As Tony sits in the MRI machine, we get to some of the underlying marital issues with Tony and his wife Carmela. “The difference between you and me is you’re going to hell when you die.” Carmela says after discussing Tony’s extramarital affairs. Tony speaks with Uncle Junior on moving the hit location, “Kill him someplace else.” “You may run North Jersey, but you don’t run your Uncle Junior!” Adding to Tony’s stress level is that the restaurant in question belongs to his childhood friend Artie Buco. We see Meadow trying to sneak back into the house, Carmela condemning her behavior as a “lying, conniving, master manipulator.” Yeah Carm, where did she learn that, gee I don’t know. Tony deflects questions on depression by asking Dr. Melfi what part of the boot she’s from, and that his mother would love if they got together. Melfi brings it back to depression. And what follows is one of the best monologues given in TV history. "Let me tell ya something. Nowadays, everybody's gotta go to shrinks, and counselors, and go on "Sally Jessy Raphael" and talk about their problems. What happened to Gary Cooper? The strong, silent type. That was an American. He wasn't in touch with his feelings. He just did what he had to do. See, what they didn't know was once they got Gary Cooper in touch with his feelings that they wouldn't be able to shut him up! And then it's dysfunction this, and dysfunction that, and dysfunction vaffancul!” This is Tony at his most honest yet. Melfi asks if he’s depressed, he admits after the ducks left, when pushed to explore that, he gets up and leaves the session.
Tony suffers another attack on a tour of a local retirement community, when his mother psychological projection affects Tony to the point of collapsing. Back in therapy Melfi urges Tony to stay with his mother. "Now that my father's dead, he's a saint. When he was alive, nothing. And my dad was tough. He ran his own crew. A guy like that, and my mother wore him down to a little nub. He was a squeaking little gerbil when he died.” Next Melfi brings up a rather looming and obvious question. “Do you have any qualms about how you make a living.” He doesn’t ever address the moral questions being put forth by his actions. Never addressing how others are negatively affected or even cease to exist because of money.
We get to the cultural shift in the Mafia, making deals, government witnesses, whether Tony can understand or not he sees the end in sight. Learning that the debtor they hit has no money because he’s a degenerate gambler (their words) Tony tells his friend Hesh (played by Jerry Adler) to have him file bogus insurance claims to recoup the money. We see this played out in the next scene where Hesh recommends a walk on the rocks high above a powerful waterfall, alluding that if he doesn't agree his other option would be to take a trip over the falls. We see this transformation almost instantly knowing how much danger he is in, he quickly agrees to file the phony claims. Tony buts ahead in line despite many people waiting at a busy restaurant in New York City, seeing Dr. Melfi waiting at the bar. Says hello and her date of course can't shut up about seeing Tony Soprano talk to her.
A constant theme is keeping his therapy a secret from his crew and connected family, as if they couldn't trust someone who is attempting to be in touch with their actual feelings. Such a survival mentality is what always rules in the world of organized crime despite what it looks and feels like. While Tony is trying to show Meadow the workmanship of her great grandfather building a church, we see Meadow using the skills she learned to manipulate and play sides against each other. Things that tend to happen in every family with kids but much more pronounced by the illegal activity of Tony Soprano, it's a reflection of an unspoken and hidden reality. A reflection of his own secrets and lies. Tony cries in therapy upon the realization that the ducks symbolize his family and losing them, and that's what his dread has been leading him to. Always carrying with him the knowledge that the end is just a matter of time. Tony is with his crew at a cookout at his house for AJ's birthday, Artie Buco's restaurant was blown up, his life's work gone to settle a dispute, to serve the greater purpose of the "family" needs. Junior picks up Livia for AJ's party they discuss how she feels she has been treated and that it wouldn't have happened if her husband were still alive. Junior brings up his trouble with Tony and that things are not as good as they used to be, he mentions that something may have to be done about Tony. The episode ends with all going inside to eat, leaving us alone with an empty pool. Fade to black.
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