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Cold Stones (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
"Cold Stones" is the seventy-sixth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos
and the eleventh of the show's sixth season. It was written by Diane Frolov
, Andrew Schneider
and David Chase
, directed by Tim Van Patten
and originally aired on May 21, 2006.
discovers that A.J.
was fired from his job at Blockbuster
for selling promotional items and has kept this a secret for three weeks. During the heated family argument that ensues, he complains that the job did not pay enough to sustain the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed, including regular nights out in expensive New York nightclub
s. Tony tells A.J. that he should be grateful to his mother because, had Tony had his way, Tony would have "knocked out all his baby teeth with one shot." A.J. responds with an obscene gesture after his parents have left the room. Later, Meadow
talks to her parents about following Finn to California
. Meadow bristles and dismisses Carmela's musings about what she's perceived as mounting friction between the couple. Over breakfast, Carmela discusses with Tony a trip to Paris
she won at the silent auction she arranged for the Feast of St. Elzear, stating that she needs a break from her worries with the spec house and their children. Tony says he cannot accompany her because he is too busy and that "The Frogs (French) hate us (Americans).", but encourages her to take Rosalie Aprile instead.
In Paris, Carmela reacts to the surroundings with emotional intensity, unlike the more prosaic Rosalie, who exchanges telephone numbers with a local man, Michel. Over dinner, Carmela brings up Rosalie's grief over the loss of her husband and son, which they have never discussed in detail. Rosalie becomes angry that Carmela is spoiling their vacation with her morbid fascinations, but does reveal that she feels her grief is futile. Rosalie then tells Carmela she is going out with Michel, and invites her along. However Carmela decides she will walk along the Seine
instead.
At home, Tony sees A.J. barely dressed, giggling and instant messaging
on his computer and stares in disgust. In therapy, Tony discloses that he has been feeling hatred towards his son, feeling that A.J. is wasting his life. Tony says his father would find this hilarious, and tells her that if Carmela had not protected A.J., he would be a better person. Dr. Melfi
uses this to approach Tony's personality since she sees his life as a product of his father's own brutality, taking his anger at this out on others and having a desperate need to dominate and control. Tony ignores the analysis and says he could not hit A.J. because of his small size, which he says comes from Carmela's side of the family. Melfi then points out that Tony's complaint that Carmela defended A.J. is hypocritical, as he's often complained his mother failed to protect him from his father.
At the Soprano house, Hernan and A.J. play video games. Tony then asks A.J. to join him in the garage, where he announces that he has provided him with a construction job. When A.J. makes excuses, indicating he is not interested in the job, Tony threatens to take away his car and other possessions, and to kick him out of the house. A.J. rolls his eyes at this, instigating Tony to casually smash A.J.'s windshield with a football helmet and threaten to destroy the car entirely. Tony then warns his son, "Don't put me to the test." Hours later, Carmela dreams of Adriana
walking her dog, Cosette, by the Eiffel Tower
. In the dream, a gendarme
with an American accent asks Carmela to tell Adriana that she is dead.
approaches Tony at a mall while his brother, Bryan, stands guard. Vito tries to convince Tony he is not really homosexual, but that his blood pressure medication had temporarily confused him. Tony is unimpressed by this explanation and angered that Vito and Bryan have "sandbagged" him. Vito asks to buy his way back in, with $200,000 to appease Tony, and operate a business in Atlantic City involving prostitution
and meth amphetamine trafficking. Tony appears willing to consider the offer, and later discusses Vito with Silvio Dante
, Christopher Moltisanti
and Paulie Walnuts. Silvio recommends that abandoning Vito would be the proper way to deal with the situation. Tony then relays Vito's request for consideration, and Paulie responds by silently leaving the room.
Vito has a reunion dinner out with his family in Rockefeller Center
. He tells his children that he has been working as an undercover
spy
for the CIA in Afghanistan
, as an alibi for his absence. As Vito and Marie watch their children ice skate, she asks if he will seek therapy and speak with a priest. Vito scoffs at this and recommends they have another child. Later, in a Fort Lee
motel room, Vito calls an upset Jim who describes Vito as "seriously fucked up." Jim doesn't buy Vito's excuse that he missed his family and tells Vito it was the mob life that he missed. Vito admits that is true, and says he didn't want to drag Jim into his lifestyle. Jim tells Vito never to call him again, and hangs up. Later, Vito meets with Terry Doria to lend him $20,000 at 2 and 1/2 points.
in Paterson
, Phil is extremely angry after having learned Vito is back in town, and confronts Tony about the matter. Annoyed at being called by Phil for a matter Tony perceives as none of Phil's business, Tony reiterates to Phil that Vito is his captain and that Phil should leave the situation alone. Unfazed, Phil continues his tirade while Tony walks away from the meeting. Tony later discusses the situation with Silvio and decides Vito must be whacked in order to appease Phil, who might otherwise harm their business and possibly start an unwanted war. Both agree that Carlo would be the best for the job, due to Carlo's tendency to issue blistering, public derisions of Vito's sexuality.
Phil and his wife, Patty, discuss Vito's sexuality; Patty expresses her disappointment and resentment for having a homosexual in the family. She tells Phil that Vito has to be made to face his problems squarely. Meanwhile, Vito phones Tony, who arranges a meeting at the mall the following morning, planning for Carlo to lie in wait there and assassinate him. However, Vito arrives at his motel, and upon entering his room finds Fat Dom and Gerry waiting. Phil literally comes out of the closet and watches Dom and Gerry beat Vito to death, after telling Vito he is a "fucking disgrace."
The Soprano crew learns from Bobby Baccalieri
that Vito was found dead with a pool cue rammed up his colon. They all look shocked, except Carlo who states that "you have to admire (Phil) — it's not all talk with him." Patsy remarks that he wishes he had borrowed money from Vito. Terry Doria, one who actually had done so just before Vito's demise, then subtly smiles to himself. Tony takes Silvio aside and tells him that the murder is as much about Phil's defiance of his authority as it is about Vito. Tony believes Phil is sending the family a message that he can kill one of Tony's captains and Tony cannot do anything about it. Tony tells Silvio he does not want war with Phil, as it would cripple their earning capacity. He decides to hit back at Phil financially, noting that Phil has "a wire room in Sheepshead Bay."
At Satriale's, Carlo and Silvio prepare a meal. Fat Dom arrives to make a payment but declines the meal, as he must visit his daughter. Dom, who was one of the men involved in the murder, attempts to spare sympathy about Vito but then starts making crude jokes. When he insults the entire Jersey crew and implies that Carlo was involved with Vito sexually, tempers snap and Silvio viciously hits him in the head with a dustbuster while Carlo repeatedly stabs him with a cooking knife. Silvio tells Carlo to call the others and say the dinner is cancelled; they then devise a plan on how to dispose of the body. As they wait for night to fall, Tony arrives and enters despite Silvio's warning. When Tony sees what has happened, he exits the store quickly, letting Silvio and Carlo deal with it.
At the Spatafore home, Francesca and Vito, Jr. read the news article about their father's death and realize that he lied about his involvement with the CIA. Elsewhere, Vito's Thin Club photographer recognizes his picture in the paper.
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
and the eleventh of the show's sixth season. It was written by Diane Frolov
Diane Frolov
Diane Frolov is an American television writer and producer. She has written for several television shows, including The Sopranos and Northern Exposure. She frequently co-writes episodes with her husband, Andrew Schneider.-Career:...
, Andrew Schneider
Andrew Schneider
Andrew Schneider is an American screenwriter and television producer, whose credits include writing for The Sopranos, Northern Exposure, and Alien Nation. He frequently co-writes episodes with his wife, Diane Frolov. In 1992 Schneider won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama...
and David Chase
David Chase
David Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
, directed by Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten is an American television director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. As a director, Van Patten has directed episodes of The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Boardwalk Empire, Rome, The Pacific, Game of Thrones, Ed, and Sex and the City. Van Patten is perhaps best known for portraying...
and originally aired on May 21, 2006.
Guest starring
- John Bianco as Gerry Torciano
- Elizabeth BraccoElizabeth BraccoElizabeth Bracco is an American actress who is best known for her role as Marie Spatafore, wife of Vito Spatafore, on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos....
as Marie Spatafore - Ron Castellano as Terry Doria
- John CostelloeJohn Costelloe (actor)John A. Costelloe was an American actor best known for his role as Jim "Johnny Cakes" Witowski, the gay fireman lover of Vito Spatafore, in the HBO TV series The Sopranos....
as Jim "Johnny Cakes" Witowski - Tony Cucci as Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello
- Drea de MatteoDrea de MatteoDrea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
as Adriana La CervaAdriana La CervaAdriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:... - Louis Gross as Perry Annunziata
- Geraldine LiBrandi as Patty Leotardo
- Arthur Nascarella as Carlo Gervasi
- Vinnie Orofino as Bryan Spatafore
- Vincent PiazzaVincent PiazzaVincent Piazza is an American film, television and stage actor best known for his roles in the television series Boardwalk Empire and the 2007 film Rocket Science.- Biography :...
as Hernan O'Brien - Lenny VenitoLenny VenitoLenny Venito is an American actor who has made appearances in movies such as Gigli, Men in Black II, and War of the Worlds.Starting in 2006, Venito has been featured in The Sopranos as the character nicknamed "Murmur," who helped shake down actor Ben Kingsley and violently mug actress Lauren Bacall...
as James "Murmur" Zancone - Emily Wickersham as Rhiannon
Tony and A.J./Carmela and Ro's Paris trip
CarmelaCarmela Soprano
Carmela Soprano née DeAngelis, played by Edie Falco, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the wife of Mafia boss Tony Soprano and the program's most prominent female character.-Character biography:...
discovers that A.J.
Anthony Soprano, Jr.
Anthony John "A.J." Soprano, Jr. , played by Robert Iler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually just called "A.J.", he is the son of Carmela and Tony Soprano. He is a prototypical underachiever and is a constant source of stress and anxiety for his parents...
was fired from his job at Blockbuster
Blockbuster (movie rental store)
Blockbuster LLC is an American-based provider of home video and video game rental services, originally through video rental shops , later adding DVD-by-mail, streaming video on demand, and kiosks. At its peak in 2009, Blockbuster had up to 60,000 employees. There are around 1700 Blockbuster...
for selling promotional items and has kept this a secret for three weeks. During the heated family argument that ensues, he complains that the job did not pay enough to sustain the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed, including regular nights out in expensive New York nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s. Tony tells A.J. that he should be grateful to his mother because, had Tony had his way, Tony would have "knocked out all his baby teeth with one shot." A.J. responds with an obscene gesture after his parents have left the room. Later, Meadow
Meadow Soprano
Meadow Mariangela Soprano , played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Character:Meadow is the first-born child of Tony and Carmela Soprano...
talks to her parents about following Finn to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Meadow bristles and dismisses Carmela's musings about what she's perceived as mounting friction between the couple. Over breakfast, Carmela discusses with Tony a trip to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
she won at the silent auction she arranged for the Feast of St. Elzear, stating that she needs a break from her worries with the spec house and their children. Tony says he cannot accompany her because he is too busy and that "The Frogs (French) hate us (Americans).", but encourages her to take Rosalie Aprile instead.
In Paris, Carmela reacts to the surroundings with emotional intensity, unlike the more prosaic Rosalie, who exchanges telephone numbers with a local man, Michel. Over dinner, Carmela brings up Rosalie's grief over the loss of her husband and son, which they have never discussed in detail. Rosalie becomes angry that Carmela is spoiling their vacation with her morbid fascinations, but does reveal that she feels her grief is futile. Rosalie then tells Carmela she is going out with Michel, and invites her along. However Carmela decides she will walk along the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
instead.
At home, Tony sees A.J. barely dressed, giggling and instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
on his computer and stares in disgust. In therapy, Tony discloses that he has been feeling hatred towards his son, feeling that A.J. is wasting his life. Tony says his father would find this hilarious, and tells her that if Carmela had not protected A.J., he would be a better person. Dr. Melfi
Jennifer Melfi
Jennifer Melfi, M.D., is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the psychiatrist of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. She is portrayed by Lorraine Bracco.-Character description:...
uses this to approach Tony's personality since she sees his life as a product of his father's own brutality, taking his anger at this out on others and having a desperate need to dominate and control. Tony ignores the analysis and says he could not hit A.J. because of his small size, which he says comes from Carmela's side of the family. Melfi then points out that Tony's complaint that Carmela defended A.J. is hypocritical, as he's often complained his mother failed to protect him from his father.
At the Soprano house, Hernan and A.J. play video games. Tony then asks A.J. to join him in the garage, where he announces that he has provided him with a construction job. When A.J. makes excuses, indicating he is not interested in the job, Tony threatens to take away his car and other possessions, and to kick him out of the house. A.J. rolls his eyes at this, instigating Tony to casually smash A.J.'s windshield with a football helmet and threaten to destroy the car entirely. Tony then warns his son, "Don't put me to the test." Hours later, Carmela dreams of Adriana
Adriana La Cerva
Adriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:...
walking her dog, Cosette, by the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
. In the dream, a gendarme
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
with an American accent asks Carmela to tell Adriana that she is dead.
Vito returns
Vito SpataforeVito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...
approaches Tony at a mall while his brother, Bryan, stands guard. Vito tries to convince Tony he is not really homosexual, but that his blood pressure medication had temporarily confused him. Tony is unimpressed by this explanation and angered that Vito and Bryan have "sandbagged" him. Vito asks to buy his way back in, with $200,000 to appease Tony, and operate a business in Atlantic City involving prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
and meth amphetamine trafficking. Tony appears willing to consider the offer, and later discusses Vito with Silvio Dante
Silvio Dante
Silvio Manfred Dante, often referred to as "Sil", played by Steven Van Zandt, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is the consigliere to Tony Soprano in the Soprano crime family. Silvio has one of the lowest profiles on the show. He is usually a behind the scenes figure...
, Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
and Paulie Walnuts. Silvio recommends that abandoning Vito would be the proper way to deal with the situation. Tony then relays Vito's request for consideration, and Paulie responds by silently leaving the room.
Vito has a reunion dinner out with his family in Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
. He tells his children that he has been working as an undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
for the CIA in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, as an alibi for his absence. As Vito and Marie watch their children ice skate, she asks if he will seek therapy and speak with a priest. Vito scoffs at this and recommends they have another child. Later, in a Fort Lee
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
motel room, Vito calls an upset Jim who describes Vito as "seriously fucked up." Jim doesn't buy Vito's excuse that he missed his family and tells Vito it was the mob life that he missed. Vito admits that is true, and says he didn't want to drag Jim into his lifestyle. Jim tells Vito never to call him again, and hangs up. Later, Vito meets with Terry Doria to lend him $20,000 at 2 and 1/2 points.
Vito has to go
Tony and Phil Leotardo disagree over "no-show" jobs on a new construction project. When they meet later at the statue of Lou CostelloLou Costello
Louis Francis "Lou" Costello was an American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott...
in Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, Phil is extremely angry after having learned Vito is back in town, and confronts Tony about the matter. Annoyed at being called by Phil for a matter Tony perceives as none of Phil's business, Tony reiterates to Phil that Vito is his captain and that Phil should leave the situation alone. Unfazed, Phil continues his tirade while Tony walks away from the meeting. Tony later discusses the situation with Silvio and decides Vito must be whacked in order to appease Phil, who might otherwise harm their business and possibly start an unwanted war. Both agree that Carlo would be the best for the job, due to Carlo's tendency to issue blistering, public derisions of Vito's sexuality.
Phil and his wife, Patty, discuss Vito's sexuality; Patty expresses her disappointment and resentment for having a homosexual in the family. She tells Phil that Vito has to be made to face his problems squarely. Meanwhile, Vito phones Tony, who arranges a meeting at the mall the following morning, planning for Carlo to lie in wait there and assassinate him. However, Vito arrives at his motel, and upon entering his room finds Fat Dom and Gerry waiting. Phil literally comes out of the closet and watches Dom and Gerry beat Vito to death, after telling Vito he is a "fucking disgrace."
The Soprano crew learns from Bobby Baccalieri
Bobby Baccalieri
Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri, Jr., played by Steve R. Schirripa, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a Capo and later the acting underboss of the DiMeo Crime Family, as well as Tony Soprano's brother-in-law...
that Vito was found dead with a pool cue rammed up his colon. They all look shocked, except Carlo who states that "you have to admire (Phil) — it's not all talk with him." Patsy remarks that he wishes he had borrowed money from Vito. Terry Doria, one who actually had done so just before Vito's demise, then subtly smiles to himself. Tony takes Silvio aside and tells him that the murder is as much about Phil's defiance of his authority as it is about Vito. Tony believes Phil is sending the family a message that he can kill one of Tony's captains and Tony cannot do anything about it. Tony tells Silvio he does not want war with Phil, as it would cripple their earning capacity. He decides to hit back at Phil financially, noting that Phil has "a wire room in Sheepshead Bay."
At Satriale's, Carlo and Silvio prepare a meal. Fat Dom arrives to make a payment but declines the meal, as he must visit his daughter. Dom, who was one of the men involved in the murder, attempts to spare sympathy about Vito but then starts making crude jokes. When he insults the entire Jersey crew and implies that Carlo was involved with Vito sexually, tempers snap and Silvio viciously hits him in the head with a dustbuster while Carlo repeatedly stabs him with a cooking knife. Silvio tells Carlo to call the others and say the dinner is cancelled; they then devise a plan on how to dispose of the body. As they wait for night to fall, Tony arrives and enters despite Silvio's warning. When Tony sees what has happened, he exits the store quickly, letting Silvio and Carlo deal with it.
At the Spatafore home, Francesca and Vito, Jr. read the news article about their father's death and realize that he lied about his involvement with the CIA. Elsewhere, Vito's Thin Club photographer recognizes his picture in the paper.
Deceased
- Vito SpataforeVito SpataforeVito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...
: Beaten to death by Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello and Gerry Torciano - Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello: Stabbed to death by Carlo Gervasi and Silvio Dante in the back room of Satriale's
Production
- This episode continues the trend of sleeping characters realizing a truth they had been avoiding (Carmela's dream suggests to her that Adriana is dead). In Seasons 2 and 5, Tony's dreams tell him truths about both Big Pussy working with the FBI and the need to kill his cousin, Tony Blundetto, respectively.
- The Star-Ledger that Tony is reading in the mall contains the headline "The CorzineJon CorzineJon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
Era Begins," placing the events of this episode in mid-January 2006. Earlier references this season have implied that the show should be well into 2006 at this point, such as ChristopherChristopher MoltisantiChristopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
's allusion in "Live Free or DieLive Free or Die (The Sopranos episode)"Live Free or Die" is the seventy-first episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the sixth of the show's sixth season. It was written by David Chase, Terence Winter, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, was directed by Tim Van Patten and originally aired on April 16, 2006.-Guest starring:*...
" to the Muhammed cartoonsJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyThe Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
, which did not receive coverage in the US media until January 2006, coupled with later episodes showing the feast of St. Elzear taking place (September 26) and the NFL season being under way. And of course, the episode aired in 2006. - Vito is wearing a University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
hat when he meets with Tony. Later, Notre Dame CathedralNotre Dame de ParisNotre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
is shown in the background while Carmela is visiting Paris. (The church where the candles were lit is St. EustacheÉglise Saint-Eustache, ParisL’église Saint-Eustache is a church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, built between 1532 and 1632.Situated at the entrance to Paris’s ancient markets and the beginning of rue Montorgueil, the Église de Saint-Eustache is considered a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture...
.) - The motel where Vito is beaten to death was filmed on location at the former Howard Johnson'sHoward Johnson'sHoward Johnson's is a chain of hotels and restaurants, located primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Howard Johnson's was the largest restaurant chain in the United States, with over 1,000 restaurants...
motor lodge in Fort Lee, New JerseyFort Lee, New JerseyFort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
. - Four alternative versions of Vito's death were reportedly shot.
- Former series regular member Drea de MatteoDrea de MatteoDrea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
reprises her role as Adriana La CervaAdriana La CervaAdriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:...
in this episode, this is her last appearance on the show.
Music
- "Home" by Persephone's BeesPersephone's BeesPersephone's Bees is an Oakland-based rock/pop music group.-History:Growing up in Pyatigorsk, Russia, lead singer Angelina Moysova was musically inspired by her family: her mother played traditional folk/gypsy music while her brother played modern music...
plays in the beginning of the credits. - "As Time Goes ByAs Time Goes By (song)"As Time Goes By" is a song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became most famous in 1942 when it was sung by the character Sam in the movie Casablanca. The song was voted #2 on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs special, commemorating the best songs in film. It was used as a fanfare for Warner...
" from CasablancaCasablanca (film)Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
plays through the rest of the closing credits. The city of Paris plays an important role in both Casablanca and this episode. - "Back In BlackBack in BlackBack in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band....
" by AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
is playing on the car radio while Tony is receiving fellatioFellatioFellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
from a stripper while driving. That song was followed immediately by Lynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
's "Simple Man", as Tony speaks to Vito on the phone. - "Ouvre Les Yeux" by PM (from their 2000 album "Les Petits Chefs"), a French rap group from the Paris suburbs, plays during the first scene in Paris, the taxi is driving Carmela and Rosalie on the Champs-ElyseesChamps-ÉlyséesThe Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
towards the Arc de TriompheArc de Triomphe-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...
. - The melody to "La Vie En RoseLa vie en rose"La Vie en Rose" was the signature song of French singer Édith Piaf.-Signature song of Édith Piaf:Édith Piaf first popularized La Vie en Rose in 1946. The lyrics were written by Piaf and the melody of the song by "Louiguy" . Initially, Piaf's peers and her songwriting team did not think the song...
" is hummed by Rosalie as she consoles Carmela at the Gallo-Roman baths. - "Knights in White SatinKnights in White SatinKnights in White Satin is a 1976 album composed, produced and performed by Giorgio Moroder.Side A of the album consists almost solely of a disco version of Moody Blues' 1967 hit "Nights in White Satin", interrupted by a Moroder/Bellotte composition called In the Middle of the Knight...
" by Giorgio MoroderGiorgio MoroderHansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
is played while Tony is in the Bada Bing.