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The Sopranos (Pilot episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Sopranos"
is the pilot episode of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos
, which premiered on January 10, 1999. It was written and directed by series creator/executive producer David Chase
.
-based mobster
Tony Soprano
of the fierce DiMeo crime family unexpectedly becomes short of breath and passes out while barbecuing. After his doctors are unable to find any physical problem with Tony, his collapse is diagnosed as a panic attack
. He is referred to psychiatrist
Jennifer Melfi
. In their first meeting, the two discuss the events that led to his collapse.
Presenting himself as a "waste management
consultant", Tony begins detailing the day of his attack to Dr. Melfi. Tony is initially uncooperative, expressing scorn for the practice of psychiatry. He tells Dr. Melfi about the stress of his business life—he has a feeling that he has come in at the end of something and describes a reverence for times past
. Tony tells Dr. Melfi a story about a family of duck
s landing in his pool and nesting there. He has a little stress in his home life with his daughter, Meadow
, associating with a friend, Hunter Scangarelo, whom his wife feels is a bad influence. Later he mentions that his wife and daughter are not getting along. Tony also tells Dr. Melfi about the stress of training his "nephew" in the family business. After establishing the ground rules of what will fall under doctor-patient confidentiality
, Tony opens up about his career, but keeps the violent details from the doctor.
Tony details the stress of caring for his aging mother, Livia
, who is relentlessly pessimistic and cynical, at once demanding and resentful of assistance. He also mentions his wife's relationship with her priest, Father Phil Intintola, as a minor stress. By the end of their first session Dr. Melfi succeeds in making Tony admit he feels depressed
, but he storms out when she presses him further about the ducks.
Livia's derisive outburst when the family visit Green Grove, a 'retirement community'
in which Tony is attempting to place his mother, prompts a second panic attack. This sends Tony back to Dr. Melfi. She prescribes Prozac
for him. Tony does not attend their next appointment, but when he bumps into her at a restaurant, he tells her the "decorating-tips" she gave him really work. Dr. Melfi's date is impressed by Tony and the fact he was able to get them a table after the hostess had initially indicated that there would be a substantial wait.
At their next session, Tony is still reluctant to face his own psychological weaknesses though he is quick to credit the medication for his improved mood, but Dr. Melfi tells him it cannot be that as it takes six weeks to work—she credits their therapy sessions. Tony describes a dream
where a bird steals his penis
. Dr. Melfi extrapolates from this to reveal that Tony projected his love for his family onto the family of ducks living in his back pool. This brings him to tears, to his consternation. She tells him that their flight from the pool sparked his panic attack through the overwhelming fear of somehow losing his own family.
Throughout the episode, the audience learns more about Tony's life than he is telling Dr. Melfi, through action shown in flashbacks that is inconsistent with his dialog with her. Besides the violence, one of the major things he does not expressly tell Dr. Melfi is that his wife knows he has been unfaithful and is resentful. When dining out with his comáre
Tony is greeted by the restaurant manager, who tells him it is good to see him and it has been ages since he has eaten there. He later gives the same speech when Tony arrives with Carmela
, aiding Tony in covering up his infidelity. At this dinner, Tony confesses to Carmela that he is taking Prozac and seeing a psychiatrist. Carmela, who thinks Tony is about to confess to more adultery, is overjoyed and tells Tony she is proud of him. Tony stresses that he only told her because she is the only one he is absolutely honest with, causing Carmela to scoff at him.
Tony's nephew and mob underling, Christopher, devises his own means of settling a dispute with a Czech
waste management company, Triboro Towers garbage, that rivals the Soprano family's own front business, Barone Sanitation. He lures out and kills the company's heir, Emil "Email" Kolar, in the back room of Satriale's Deli. Originally planning to dump the body in a Kolar family garbage dumpster as an example, Christopher instead takes the advice of longtime family soldier Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, who advises him to bury the body and avoid police investigation, while tacitly intimidating the Kolars. The Kolars drop their rival bid following Emil's disappearance.
Tony shows his chops as an inventive mob leader by beginning a new enterprise inspired by his MRI
scan. Mahaffey, a compulsive gambler who is in debt to Tony, is intimidated into making false claims to pay out to the organization in order to cover his debts. Herman "Hesh" Rabkin, an old Jewish friend of Tony's father, advises Tony on this scheme and of some problems with his Uncle Junior
, who feels jealous of Tony's (and Tony's father's) ascendancy in the organization.
Tony's Uncle Junior wants to kill turncoat "Little Pussy" Malanga in Artie Bucco's restaurant, Vesuvio. Tony, a friend of Artie since childhood, fears that a mob hit in his friend's establishment could damage Artie's business. However, Junior refuses to move the assassination to another location, explaining Malanga will not meet with Junior unless it is a place he finds safe and familiar. In an attempt to have Artie close Vesuvio's for a time, thereby forcing Junior to kill Malanga somewhere else, Tony offers Artie two tickets for a weeklong cruise. However, Charmaine, Artie's wife, not wanting her husband to get mixed up with the Mafia, demands that he reject Tony's offer. Unable to sway Artie, Tony has his trusted right-hand man, detonate an explosion
in Artie's restaurant, in the hopes that Artie can claim insurance
money without becoming any the wiser of the gangland conflict. Tony instructs Silvio Dante about this plan at their daughters' volleyball game.
At his son's birthday party, Tony and his crew comfort Artie about the loss of his restaurant, and Tony tells Artie he will always help him. Christopher becomes angry and storms off; Tony presses him and discovers he is annoyed at not receiving more recognition for his input on the Triboro Towers garbage conflict. Tony agrees and apologizes to Christopher. Christopher quickly regains his good mood, and all seems well with his world.
However, while giving Livia a ride to the party, an embittered Uncle Junior floats the idea of eliminating Tony if he continues interfering in his business. Significantly, his sister-in-law's reaction is to silently look the other way.
award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for his work on this episode and an Emmy for Joanna Cappuccilli for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing in a Series. It was nominated at the Emmys for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for David Chase.
is the pilot episode of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos
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...
, which premiered on January 10, 1999. It was written and directed by series creator/executive producer 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,...
.
Plot summary
New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
-based mobster
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
Tony Soprano
Tony 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...
of the fierce DiMeo crime family unexpectedly becomes short of breath and passes out while barbecuing. After his doctors are unable to find any physical problem with Tony, his collapse is diagnosed as a panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
. He is referred to psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Jennifer 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:...
. In their first meeting, the two discuss the events that led to his collapse.
Presenting himself as a "waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
consultant", Tony begins detailing the day of his attack to Dr. Melfi. Tony is initially uncooperative, expressing scorn for the practice of psychiatry. He tells Dr. Melfi about the stress of his business life—he has a feeling that he has come in at the end of something and describes a reverence for times past
Nostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
. Tony tells Dr. Melfi a story about a family of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s landing in his pool and nesting there. He has a little stress in his home life with his daughter, 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...
, associating with a friend, Hunter Scangarelo, whom his wife feels is a bad influence. Later he mentions that his wife and daughter are not getting along. Tony also tells Dr. Melfi about the stress of training his "nephew" in the family business. After establishing the ground rules of what will fall under doctor-patient confidentiality
Physician-patient privilege
Physician–patient privilege is a legal concept, related to medical confidentiality, that protects communications between a patient and his or her doctor from being used against the patient in court. It is a part of the rules of evidence in many common law jurisdictions...
, Tony opens up about his career, but keeps the violent details from the doctor.
Tony details the stress of caring for his aging mother, Livia
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...
, who is relentlessly pessimistic and cynical, at once demanding and resentful of assistance. He also mentions his wife's relationship with her priest, Father Phil Intintola, as a minor stress. By the end of their first session Dr. Melfi succeeds in making Tony admit he feels depressed
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, but he storms out when she presses him further about the ducks.
Livia's derisive outburst when the family visit Green Grove, a 'retirement community'
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in which Tony is attempting to place his mother, prompts a second panic attack. This sends Tony back to Dr. Melfi. She prescribes Prozac
Fluoxetine
Fluoxetine is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It is manufactured and marketed by Eli Lilly and Company...
for him. Tony does not attend their next appointment, but when he bumps into her at a restaurant, he tells her the "decorating-tips" she gave him really work. Dr. Melfi's date is impressed by Tony and the fact he was able to get them a table after the hostess had initially indicated that there would be a substantial wait.
At their next session, Tony is still reluctant to face his own psychological weaknesses though he is quick to credit the medication for his improved mood, but Dr. Melfi tells him it cannot be that as it takes six weeks to work—she credits their therapy sessions. Tony describes a dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
where a bird steals his penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
. Dr. Melfi extrapolates from this to reveal that Tony projected his love for his family onto the family of ducks living in his back pool. This brings him to tears, to his consternation. She tells him that their flight from the pool sparked his panic attack through the overwhelming fear of somehow losing his own family.
Throughout the episode, the audience learns more about Tony's life than he is telling Dr. Melfi, through action shown in flashbacks that is inconsistent with his dialog with her. Besides the violence, one of the major things he does not expressly tell Dr. Melfi is that his wife knows he has been unfaithful and is resentful. When dining out with his comáre
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 is greeted by the restaurant manager, who tells him it is good to see him and it has been ages since he has eaten there. He later gives the same speech when Tony arrives with Carmela
Carmela 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:...
, aiding Tony in covering up his infidelity. At this dinner, Tony confesses to Carmela that he is taking Prozac and seeing a psychiatrist. Carmela, who thinks Tony is about to confess to more adultery, is overjoyed and tells Tony she is proud of him. Tony stresses that he only told her because she is the only one he is absolutely honest with, causing Carmela to scoff at him.
Tony's nephew and mob underling, Christopher, devises his own means of settling a dispute with a Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
waste management company, Triboro Towers garbage, that rivals the Soprano family's own front business, Barone Sanitation. He lures out and kills the company's heir, Emil "Email" Kolar, in the back room of Satriale's Deli. Originally planning to dump the body in a Kolar family garbage dumpster as an example, Christopher instead takes the advice of longtime family soldier Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, who advises him to bury the body and avoid police investigation, while tacitly intimidating the Kolars. The Kolars drop their rival bid following Emil's disappearance.
Tony shows his chops as an inventive mob leader by beginning a new enterprise inspired by his MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
scan. Mahaffey, a compulsive gambler who is in debt to Tony, is intimidated into making false claims to pay out to the organization in order to cover his debts. Herman "Hesh" Rabkin, an old Jewish friend of Tony's father, advises Tony on this scheme and of some problems with his 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...
, who feels jealous of Tony's (and Tony's father's) ascendancy in the organization.
Tony's Uncle Junior wants to kill turncoat "Little Pussy" Malanga in Artie Bucco's restaurant, Vesuvio. Tony, a friend of Artie since childhood, fears that a mob hit in his friend's establishment could damage Artie's business. However, Junior refuses to move the assassination to another location, explaining Malanga will not meet with Junior unless it is a place he finds safe and familiar. In an attempt to have Artie close Vesuvio's for a time, thereby forcing Junior to kill Malanga somewhere else, Tony offers Artie two tickets for a weeklong cruise. However, Charmaine, Artie's wife, not wanting her husband to get mixed up with the Mafia, demands that he reject Tony's offer. Unable to sway Artie, Tony has his trusted right-hand man, detonate an explosion
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
in Artie's restaurant, in the hopes that Artie can claim insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
money without becoming any the wiser of the gangland conflict. Tony instructs Silvio Dante about this plan at their daughters' volleyball game.
At his son's birthday party, Tony and his crew comfort Artie about the loss of his restaurant, and Tony tells Artie he will always help him. Christopher becomes angry and storms off; Tony presses him and discovers he is annoyed at not receiving more recognition for his input on the Triboro Towers garbage conflict. Tony agrees and apologizes to Christopher. Christopher quickly regains his good mood, and all seems well with his world.
However, while giving Livia a ride to the party, an embittered Uncle Junior floats the idea of eliminating Tony if he continues interfering in his business. Significantly, his sister-in-law's reaction is to silently look the other way.
Deceased
- Emil "Email" Kolar: Shot in the back of the head by Christopher.
Awards
David Chase won the Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for his work on this episode and an Emmy for Joanna Cappuccilli for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing in a Series. It was nominated at the Emmys for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for David Chase.
Production
- This is the first of only two episodes directed by series creator, David Chase. The other is the series finale, "Made in AmericaMade in America (The Sopranos)"Made in America" is the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and the series finale. It is the eighty-sixth overall episode of the series and the ninth episode of the second part of the sixth season, which was broadcast in two batches with a break...
". Although this episode is titled "The Sopranos" on the DVD release and reruns on A&EA&E NetworkThe A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, it was referred to as "Pilot" when originally aired. Pre-production commenced in the summer of 1997, 1½ years before the series debuted on TV. During this year break, James Gandolfini gained 60 pounds for the role of Tony and underwent voice coaching. - In "Pilot", Siberia Federico and Michael Santoro play Irina and Father Phil respectively. For future episodes, these roles were recast with Oksana BabiyOksana LadaOksana Lada is a Ukraine born actress, probably best known for the role of Irina Peltsin, the mistress of Tony Soprano on the hit HBO TV show The Sopranos. She also had a role as a wedding dress saleswoman in 30 Rock, Season 2, Episode 1, "Seinfeldvision."...
and 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....
. - The pork store used as a meeting place is Centanni's Meat Market, a real butcher shop in Elizabeth, New JerseyElizabeth, New JerseyElizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
. However, because the shop had a steady business and because local business owners were annoyed with the incidental effects of having a television production being shot on a weekly basis, HBO acquired an abandoned location in Kearny, New JerseyKearny, New JerseyKearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
which became Satriale's Pork StoreSatriale's Pork StoreSatriale's Pork Store is a fictional establishment on the HBO series The Sopranos. As told in the television show, during the 1970s, the pork store was taken over by Johnny Boy Soprano, a member of The DiMeo Crime Family, when Francis Satriale failed to make payments on a gambling debt and later...
for use in future episodes. - While touring Green Grove, the theme to The Rockford FilesThe Rockford FilesThe Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
can be heard coming from the television. David Chase was a writer/producer for The Rockford FilesThe Rockford FilesThe Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
for many years.
Connections to future episodes
- "Little Pussy" Malanga, the man Uncle Junior wants to kill in Artie's restaurant, is the same person whom Junior mistakes Tony for when he shoots him in the season six episode "Members OnlyMembers Only (The Sopranos episode)"Members Only" is the sixty-sixth episode of the HBO series The Sopranos, and the first of the show's sixth season. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Tim Van Patten, it aired originally on Sunday March 12, 2006.-Guest starring:...
". - In "Whoever Did This", Tony suspects Ralph Cifaretto of having Pie-O-My's stable torched. He asks if Ralph has heard from Corky Ianucci lately - an expert arsonist who was responsible for setting Artie Bucco's restaurant on fire in the pilot episode.
- Carmela tells Tony that he will go to HellHellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
when he dies. Tony reminds her of this in "WhitecapsWhitecaps (The Sopranos episode)"Whitecaps" is the fifty-second episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos. It is the thirteenth and final episode of the show's fourth season. It was written by series creator/executive producer David Chase, and executive producers Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, and was directed by...
". In "Join the Club", Carmela tearfully tells a comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose Tony that she regrets saying this. - Christopher reminds Tony that his cousin Gregory's girlfriend is a development girlDevelopment girlA d-girl or development girl is a person in a film production company who is responsible for finding and identifying potential movie ideas for their development into a script. Also, they are responsible for writing script coverage for scripts that arrive at a production company. Typically, a d-girl...
; she will eventually feature in the season two episode "D-GirlD-Girl (The Sopranos episode)"D-Girl" is the twentieth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and was the seventh of the show's second season. It was written by Todd A. Kessler, directed by Allen Coulter and originally aired on Sunday, February 27, 2000.-Starring:...
". - Dr. Bruce Cusamano, Tony's neighbor and family physician, is referenced in this episode and he makes his first appearance later in the season in "A Hit Is a Hit". He also appears in "IsabellaIsabella (The Sopranos episode)"Isabella" is the twelfth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It was written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, directed by Allen Coulter and originally aired on Sunday March 28, 1999.-Starring:* James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano...
", "FunhouseFunhouse (The Sopranos episode)"Funhouse" is the twenty-sixth episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos. It is the thirteenth and final episode of the show's second season. It was written by series creator/executive producer David Chase and co-producer Todd A. Kessler, and was directed by frequent The Sopranos director...
", "WhitecapsWhitecaps (The Sopranos episode)"Whitecaps" is the fifty-second episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos. It is the thirteenth and final episode of the show's fourth season. It was written by series creator/executive producer David Chase, and executive producers Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, and was directed by...
", and "Soprano Home MoviesSoprano Home Movies"Soprano Home Movies" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and seventy-eighth episode overall. It served as the midseason premiere to the second part of the show's sixth season, the broadcast of which was split into two...
". - When describing Uncle Junior, Tony tells Dr. Melfi that his uncle embarrassed him by telling all his girl cousins he didn't have the makings of a varsityVarsity teamIn the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
athlete. Uncle Junior repeats that declaration to Tony on multiple occasions in the season five episode "Where's Johnny?". - Carmela wants to take Meadow to the Plaza HotelPlaza HotelThe Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark 20-story luxury hotel with a height of and length of that occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue extends along the east side of Grand Army Plaza...
for a family tradition. Though Meadow declines in this episode, viewers finally see it take place in the season four episode "EloiseEloise (The Sopranos episode)"Eloise" is the fifty-first episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and was the twelfth of the show's fourth season. It was written by Terence Winter, directed by James Hayman and originally aired on Sunday December 1, 2002.-Plot summary:...
". - Tony's ownership of 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....
's sailing hat, that he keeps on his boat The Stugots, is established in this episode. He later shows it off on the season five episode "In Camelot". - A.J.'s birth date is revealed in the season six episode "Kaisha" as July 15, indicating that this episode takes place in the summer. However, Hunter picks Meadow up for school, which would be on summer break at that time; it could be presumed they were attending summer school.
- Before Christopher kills Emil Kolar, he serves him some cocaineCocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
on a meat cleaver. Christopher eventually produces a film titled CleaverCleaver (The Sopranos)Cleaver is a metafictional film within a tv-series that serves as an important plot element toward the end of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos. Although very little film material is actually shown in the series, its planning and development are discussed at large throughout multiple...
in the sixth season, and in episodes, "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" (with Georgie Santorelli's help) and "Cold Cuts" (with Tony BlundettoTony BlundettoAnthony "Tony" Blundetto, played by Steve Buscemi, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show's fifth season. Tony Blundetto first appears as a calm, composed, and reformed criminal ready to pursue...
's help) he disinters and moves Emil's remains. - As Tony prepares to tell Carmela about his therapy and Prozac prescription, she overreacts before he has a chance to explain, to which he replies, "Always with the drama". In the series finale, "Made in America", Carmela explains what could happen to A.J. if he joined the army, to which he also replies, "Always with the drama". In the season one episode "Down Neck", Johnny Boy Soprano utters the same line to Livia in Tony's flashback.
- In this episode, when Christopher is first introduced, he is seen wearing a baseball cap and driving Tony around. In season six's "Kennedy and HeidiKennedy and Heidi"Kennedy and Heidi" is the eighteenth episode of the two-part sixth season—the sixth episode of the second part—of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and the show's eighty-third overall episode. It was written by Matthew Weiner and series creator and showrunner David Chase,...
", right before Christopher dies, he is wearing a baseball cap and driving Tony around. According to an article in TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, Michael Imperioli states that he does not know if this is intentional or a coincidence.
Music
- The song played in the car, when Christopher first appears, is Fred NeilFred NeilFred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
's "The Other Side of This Life", performed by The Jefferson Airplane. The cut is from the album Bless Its Pointed Little HeadBless Its Pointed Little HeadBless Its Pointed Little Head is a live album by Jefferson Airplane recorded at both the Fillmore East and West in the fall of 1968 and released in 1969. Five songs on the album had not appeared on any of the band's previous studio recordings. The songs that did appear on previous albums, however,...
. - The song played in the scene wherein Christopher and Tony are chasing Tony's debtor is "I Wonder WhyI Wonder Why"I Wonder Why" is a doo-wop song, written by Melvin Anderson and Ricardo Weeks, and first recorded by Dion and the Belmonts in 1958. It is sung from the point of view of a man telling to his girlfriend that he neither knows nor ultimately cares to know the reasons for his love for said other...
" by Dion and the BelmontsDion and the BelmontsDion and the Belmonts was a leading American vocal group of the late 1950s. The group formed when Dion DiMucci, lead singer , joined The Belmonts - Carlo Mastrangelo, baritone , Freddie Milano, second tenor , and Angelo D'Aleo, first tenor , in late 1957.-History:After an unsuccessful first single,...
. Within the commentary track on the DVD release, David Chase states his regret about choosing this song for the scene. This song is also on the soundtrack to the film, A Bronx TaleA Bronx TaleA Bronx Tale is a 1993 American crime drama film set in The Bronx during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young Italian-American teenager as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri...
. - The background music playing while Tony is in the pool with the ducks is "Who Can You Trust?" by MorcheebaMorcheebaMorcheeba are a British band, mixing influences from trip hop, rock, R&B, and pop.They have produced 7 albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten.-Biography:...
(from their album of the same name). - The song played in the kitchen during the breakfast scene, while Tony plays with the ducks, is "Shame Shame ShameShame, Shame, Shame (Shirley & Company song)"Shame, Shame, Shame" is a 1974 hit song written by Sylvia Robinson and performed by American disco band Shirley & Company. The single hit number one on the soul singles chart for one week, and number one on the disco/dance charts for four weeks.The track was one of the first international disco...
" by Shirley & CompanyShirley & CompanyShirley & Company was an American disco group, consisting of Shirley Goodman , Jesus Alvarez, Walter Morris, Bernadette Randle, Seldon Powell, Jonathan Williams and Clarence Oliver....
. - The song played in the kitchen during the breakfast scene, as Tony and Carmela speak, is "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop CryingI'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" is a song written and recorded by English rock singer Sting. It was released from his 1996 album Mercury Falling. The song was also released as a single, and reached #94 and #54 on the U.S. and UK singles charts, respectively. Sting also recorded the song as a...
" by Sting. - The song played in the scene outside the cafe is "Rumble" by Link WrayLink WrayFred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
and His Men. - The song played during Tony's first attack is "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from La RondineLa rondineLa rondine is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert...
, by Giacomo PucciniGiacomo PucciniGiacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
. This song is also played at the end of the episode "Irregular Around the Margins". - The song played during the barbecue scene at the end is "No More I Love You'sNo More I Love You's"No More I Love You's" is a song written by Joseph Hughes and David Freeman and was first released by their band, The Lover Speaks, in 1986. The song was later covered by the Scottish singer Annie Lennox and became a hit for her in 1995.-The Lover Speaks version:"No More "I Love You's"" was the...
" by Annie LennoxAnnie LennoxAnnie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
. - The song played over the end credits is "The Beast in Me" by Nick LoweNick LoweNicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
. Its use helped popularize his version of the song.