In Camelot (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
"In Camelot" is the fifty-ninth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos
and the seventh of the show's fifth season. It was written by Terence Winter
, directed by Steve Buscemi
and originally aired on April 19, 2004.
sees an elderly lady at the grave site of his parents. He asks if she was a friend of his mother, but soon discovers she is Fran Felstein, his father's longtime comare
. Tony spends time with her and learns a lot about his father through her stories. He also discovers that his childhood dog, Tippy, was given to Fran's family when Tony's mother made his father give it away. Fran also tells Tony about her life, including all the times she resisted Uncle Junior
's advances and her one-time fling with President John F. Kennedy
.
According to Fran, Phil Leotardo and Hesh Rabkin cheated her out of an investment Tony's father had left for her. Tony tries to collect the money on her behalf but when Phil avoids him, the two get involved in a car chase
that results in Phil's crashing his car. Later, Tony is able to collect $150,000 for Fran.
Uncle Junior, going stir crazy
while still under house arrest
, begins going to every possible funeral he can, even when he knows the deceased only slightly, just to get out of the house. Later, he breaks down and is very depressed, while attending the funeral of the husband of Tony's Aunt Concetta, Uncle Zio, who only passed away 15 days previous, the strain could perhaps be because of problems with his medication. No doubt, the strain of attending multiple funerals has worsened his physical state and magnified his depressive feelings, making him shout out ..."What's the point, I can't take this shit anymore.." while being helped away by Bobby and Janice.
Christopher
begins to spend a lot of time with J.T. Dolan, a friend he met in rehab
, who is a television writer. The two offer to support one another when they get the urge to use. Christopher introduces Dolan to high-stakes poker
, seemingly oblivious to the potential for his friend to channel his addiction
problems into gambling. After Dolan runs up $60,000 in debt and starts missing payments, Christopher and Little Paulie Germani come to his apartment, and give him a severe beating. J.T. loses some writing jobs, further escalating his problems. He eventually turns back to heroin, which causes Christopher to help direct him back toward rehab (after taking his BMW Z3
as a partial payment and making plans to collect more money after he gets out of rehab and gets better work).
Around then, Tony's friendship with Fran begins to sour, as his father was often with her when he was needed at home. An example of the latter was one night in the summer of 1976, when Tony was only 16, when his mother was hospitalized after suffering a miscarriage
and Tony was forced to lie for his father, who was at Fran's apartment all night. He also learns that she did not quit smoking
, even after his father contracted emphysema
, something that even Tony's mother
did. When Tony discusses these revelations with Dr. Melfi
, she suggests he could have more sympathy for his mother. Tony remains ambivalent, remarking that she made his father give away Tippy.
As the episode closes, Tony starts regaling his buddies at the Bada Bing
with exaggerated accounts of Fran's involvement with JFK.
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 seventh of the show's fifth season. It was written by Terence Winter
Terence Winter
Terence Winter is an American writer and producer of television and film. He is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire...
, directed by Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
and originally aired on April 19, 2004.
Guest starring roles
- Jerry AdlerJerry AdlerJerry Adler is an American theatre director, production supervisor and a television and film actor.Adler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Pauline and Philip Adler, who was a general manager of the Group Theatre...
as Hesh Rabkin - Leslie BegaLeslie BegaLeslie R. Bega is an American theatre, film and television actress; known for performances in Head of the Class, David Lynch's Lost Highway, and a recurring cast member in CSI: NY and The Sopranos. Also featured as a dancer in the breakdancing films Breakin and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo...
as Valentina La Paz - Polly BergenPolly BergenPolly Bergen is an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur.-Career:Bergen appeared in many film roles, most notably in the original Cape Fear opposite Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum...
as Fran Felstein - Chris Caldovino as Billy Leotardo
- Carl CapotortoCarl CapotortoCarl Capotorto is an American actor, known for his portrayal of Little Paulie Germani on The Sopranos. He is also the author of Twisted Head: An Italian-American Memoir.-External links:*...
as Little Paulie Germani - Max CasellaMax CasellaMax Casella is an American actor. He is known for his roles on the television series The Sopranos, Doogie Howser, M.D., and as the voice of Daxter in the Jak and Daxter video game series.-Life and career:...
as Benny Fazio - Tim Daly as J.T. Dolan
- Danielle Di Vecchio as Barbara Soprano Giglione
- Joseph R. GannascoliJoseph R. GannascoliJoseph R. Gannascoli is an Italian-American actor and celebrity spokesman most notable for his portrayal of Vito Spatafore on the HBO series, The Sopranos.-Early life:Joseph R. Gannascoli was born and raised in Brooklyn....
as 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... - Arthur Nascarella as Carlo Gervasi
- Paul SchulzePaul SchulzePaul Schulze is an American actor best known for portraying Ryan Chappelle on the FOX series 24 from 2001 to 2004 and Father Phil Intintola on HBO The Sopranos from 1999 to 2006....
as Father Phil Intintola - Joseph SiravoJoseph SiravoJoseph Siravo is an Italian american actor and graduate of both Stanford and NYU. Among his most notable roles is that of "Johnny Boy" Soprano, father of Tony Soprano, on The Sopranos. He is credited as the voice of Carmine in the Disney film The Wild...
as Johnny Boy Soprano - Frank VincentFrank VincentFrank Vincent is an American actor, musician, author and entrepreneur. He is a favorite performer of director Martin Scorsese, having played important roles in three of Scorsese's most acclaimed films: Raging Bull , Goodfellas and Casino . He often plays a gangster and works both in features and...
as Phil Leotardo
Episode recap
While at the cemetery for his Aunt Concetta's funeral, TonyTony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
sees an elderly lady at the grave site of his parents. He asks if she was a friend of his mother, but soon discovers she is Fran Felstein, his father's longtime comare
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
. Tony spends time with her and learns a lot about his father through her stories. He also discovers that his childhood dog, Tippy, was given to Fran's family when Tony's mother made his father give it away. Fran also tells Tony about her life, including all the times she resisted Uncle Junior
Junior Soprano
Corrado John Soprano, Jr., played by Dominic Chianese, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually referred to as "Junior" or "Uncle Jun", he is the mentor and surrogate father for capo Tony Soprano. A younger Corrado sometimes appears in flashbacks and is played by Rocco...
's advances and her one-time fling with President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
.
According to Fran, Phil Leotardo and Hesh Rabkin cheated her out of an investment Tony's father had left for her. Tony tries to collect the money on her behalf but when Phil avoids him, the two get involved in a car chase
Car chase
A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
that results in Phil's crashing his car. Later, Tony is able to collect $150,000 for Fran.
Uncle Junior, going stir crazy
Stir crazy (condition)
Stir crazy is a phrase that dates to 1908 according to the Oxford English Dictionary and the online Etymology Dictionary. Used among inmates in prison, it referred to a prisoner who became mentally unbalanced because of prolonged incarceration. It is based upon the slang stir to mean prison...
while still under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
, begins going to every possible funeral he can, even when he knows the deceased only slightly, just to get out of the house. Later, he breaks down and is very depressed, while attending the funeral of the husband of Tony's Aunt Concetta, Uncle Zio, who only passed away 15 days previous, the strain could perhaps be because of problems with his medication. No doubt, the strain of attending multiple funerals has worsened his physical state and magnified his depressive feelings, making him shout out ..."What's the point, I can't take this shit anymore.." while being helped away by Bobby and Janice.
Christopher
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:...
begins to spend a lot of time with J.T. Dolan, a friend he met in rehab
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
, who is a television writer. The two offer to support one another when they get the urge to use. Christopher introduces Dolan to high-stakes poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
, seemingly oblivious to the potential for his friend to channel his addiction
Behavioral addiction
Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction which does not rely on drugs or alcohol. Increasingly referred to as process addiction or non-substance-related addiction ) behavioral addiction includes a compulsion to repeatedly engage in an action until said action causes serious negative consequences...
problems into gambling. After Dolan runs up $60,000 in debt and starts missing payments, Christopher and Little Paulie Germani come to his apartment, and give him a severe beating. J.T. loses some writing jobs, further escalating his problems. He eventually turns back to heroin, which causes Christopher to help direct him back toward rehab (after taking his BMW Z3
BMW Z3
The BMW Z3 was the first modern mass-market roadster produced by BMW, as well as the first new BMW model assembled in the United States. The Z3 was introduced as a 1996 model year vehicle, shortly after being featured in the James Bond movie,...
as a partial payment and making plans to collect more money after he gets out of rehab and gets better work).
Around then, Tony's friendship with Fran begins to sour, as his father was often with her when he was needed at home. An example of the latter was one night in the summer of 1976, when Tony was only 16, when his mother was hospitalized after suffering a miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
and Tony was forced to lie for his father, who was at Fran's apartment all night. He also learns that she did not quit smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
, even after his father contracted emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
, something that even Tony's mother
Livia Soprano
Livia Soprano , played by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams is sometimes seen in flashbacks...
did. When Tony discusses these revelations with 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:...
, she suggests he could have more sympathy for his mother. Tony remains ambivalent, remarking that she made his father give away Tippy.
As the episode closes, Tony starts regaling his buddies at the Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...
with exaggerated accounts of Fran's involvement with JFK.
First appearances
- J.T. Dolan: Christopher's Alcoholics Anonymous friend, who is also a screenwriter.
Deceased
This episode had five deaths, the most of the series, although none of them were murders.- Aunt Concetta: died of a heart attack after watching Meet the PressMeet the PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
- Vincent Patronella: Uncle Junior's dry-cleaner
- Mrs. Crilli: cousin of Uncle Junior's
- Unnamed Boy: 7 years old, died in a jacuzzi; Uncle Junior and BobbyBobby BaccalieriRobert "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...
attend his funeral - Uncle Zio: died of natural causes; two weeks after the death of his wife, Concetta
Title reference
- Fran Felstein claimed to have had an affair with President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, whose administration was nicknamed "Camelot." - Tony refers to Fran as a "princess".
Music
- Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
's "Can't Get You out of My HeadCan't Get You out of My Head"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released from her eighth studio album Fever . The song was released worldwide as the lead single from the album, which was released on 8 September, 2001. The song was written and produced...
" is playing when Chris and J.T. are in the gym. - The song blaring from Tony's stereo as he pursues Leotardo is "Rock the CasbahRock the Casbah"Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash in 1982. It was released as the third single from their fifth album, Combat Rock. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and, along with the track "Mustapha Dance," it also reached number eight on...
" by The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. This could possibly be a reference to Phil's nickname, "The ShahMohammad Reza PahlaviMohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
of Iran", by other mobsters. - When Tony takes Fran Felstein to dinner, the title track from John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
's album My Favorite ThingsMy Favorite Things (album)My Favorite Things is the seventh album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released in 1961 on Atlantic Records, catalogue SD-1361. It was the first album to feature Coltrane's playing on soprano saxophone, and yielded a commercial breakthrough in the form of a hit single that gained popularity in...
can be heard. - The song played at the Bada Bing at the end of the episode, when Tony is exaggerating Fran's exploits with JFK, is "Session" by Linkin ParkLinkin ParkLinkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, from their album MeteoraMeteora (album)Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on March 25, 2003 through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album which featured remixes of songs included on debut studio album Hybrid Theory...
. - The song played over the end credits is "Melancholy Serenade", the theme from The Jackie Gleason ShowThe Jackie Gleason ShowThe Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
, which was composed by GleasonJackie GleasonJackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
. Fran said that Gleason was present at the March 1961 party at which she met President Kennedy. Other references to Gleason are made throughout the show (e.g., at Tony B's homecoming party at the Bing).
Connections to prior episodes
- JFK's United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
uniform hat is the same worn by Irina in the series pilot.