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University (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
"University" is the thirty-second episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos
and the sixth of the show's third season. The teleplay was written by Terence Winter
and Salvatore J. Stabile from a story idea by David Chase
, Terence Winter
, Todd A. Kessler, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
. It was directed by Allen Coulter
and originally aired on Sunday, April 1, 2001.
, Tony
receives a "thank you" gift from one of the strippers, 20-year-old Tracee. She thanks Tony for advising her to take her sick son to the doctor. When she presents Tony with some homemade bread, he is gratified by the gesture but explains that he cannot accept gifts from employees, since strippers are not supposed to make friends with their bosses, and because of Ralphie.
Meanwhile at Columbia University
, Meadow
is becoming closer to her boyfriend, Noah Tannenbaum. As they draw close to becoming intimate, Meadow's roommate, Caitlin, walks in and interrupts. Meadow asks if she needs to use the room, but Caitlin says she was feeling lonely and scared after seeing the horror film
, Freaks
, with friends, exhibiting something similar to the Mean World Syndrome
. Meadow and Noah try to calm her down and remind her that she has been warned in the past not to see things that frighten her. Caitlin proceeds to pull her hair out as a sign of nervousness. Noah makes up an excuse to leave, and after a few moments of discomfort between Caitlin and Meadow, Meadow decides to go up to Noah's room, making sure she takes her X-Acto
knife in case Caitlin grows more depressed. Noah empathizes with Caitlin and suggests they be patient with her. Meadow thus comes to adore Noah even more and loses her virginity to him. Later, Noah and Meadow plan to cheer Caitlin up by taking her out for her birthday. After an evening out with Caitlin, they spot a homeless woman babbling, which induces Caitlin to give her money. As she approaches the woman, Caitlin discovers a newspaper in her rear instead of underwear. Caitlin is more shocked and upset than ever and sobs in the dorm room. Meadow becomes tired of Caitlin's growing homesickness and seeks solace at the Soprano home. She tells her mother that she is in love with Noah and subtly hints that she has been intimate with him. Meanwhile, Caitlin visits Noah and pesters him for company. He is irked by this, as he is writing a term paper, for which he eventually receives a C-. Noah attributes his poor grade to repeated interruptions by Caitlin. Meadow tries to console him about it, but his father has already filed a restraining order
against Caitlin because of it. Meadow meets Noah's father, Len, for dinner one evening and they discuss his profession and that of her father. The following day, Noah breaks off his relationship with Meadow, telling her that she is too negative and cynical. Meadow becomes extremely upset and takes it out on her parents.
Tracee continues to get closer to Tony as she shows off her new braces. As she dances, Tony and Silvio
remark that she is a good looking "thoroughbred" and has a great, natural body, but her "horse" teeth are a "train wreck" and that Silvio's "juicing
" her on the loan. One afternoon as Tony leaves the club, she follows him to his car where she tells him that she is pregnant with Ralphie's baby. She seeks advice on whether to have an abortion
or to keep the baby. Tony warns her that because her son has experienced domestic abuse (at her hands) and that, as the child is Ralphie's, "You'd be doing this kid and the next three generations a favor" by aborting the baby.
Unfortunately for Tracee, Ralphie does not seem to help the problem. As he becomes obsessed with the 2000 film Gladiator
, he begins to shout out quotes from the film and plays around roughly with Georgie at the VIP lounge. After constantly making wise remarks and loud outbursts, things become tense when Ralphie finds a chain and proceeds to swing it at Georgie, injuring his eye. Tony sends Ralphie to take Georgie to the emergency room. A few days later, Silvio is shocked to find that Tracee has not shown up for work. Silvio then finds her at Ralphie's home. He forces her to get dressed and slaps her as she is entering his car. Ralphie watches and laughs from the window as she is dragged into the car.
The following night, Ralphie sees Tracee at the VIP lounge, where she insults him in front of the other associates and capos. Ralphie then follows her out to the deserted Bada Bing parking lot, where he teases her into thinking he will marry and support her, then gleefully calls her a "cocksucking slob". When she punches him and insults his masculinity, Ralph becomes extremely violent and brutally beats her to death. Soon after, Soprano associates find Tracee's body and Tony blames Ralphie for what happened. As Ralphie is placed against the wall, Tony violates a well-established Mafia code and assaults him, a made man
(made men are never to strike one another), but he justifies this by stating that Ralphie disrespected the Bing. Ralphie tries to defend himself yelling, "I'm a made guy!" Tony takes Tracee's death badly and becomes emotional during a therapy session with Carmela and Dr. Melfi. He lies and says that a young male associate from Barone Sanitation died. Days later, the Bada Bing strippers wonder where Tracee went. One of the Bing girls mentions that she actually heard something along the lines of what actually took place (that Tracee left with Ralphie and never came back), but one of her co-workers strongly advises her to keep her mouth shut. As the episode ends, Georgie is training a new stripper to work at the Bada Bing in place of Tracee.
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 sixth of the show's third season. The teleplay 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...
and Salvatore J. Stabile from a story idea by 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,...
, 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...
, Todd A. Kessler, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Mitchell Burgess
Mitchell Burgess is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. He worked extensively on the HBO hit-series The Sopranos. He was a creator and executive producer for Blue Bloods. He frequently works with his wife Robin Green.-Career:...
. It was directed by Allen Coulter
Allen Coulter
Allen Coulter is an American television and film director, credited with a number of successful television programs. He has directed two feature films, Hollywoodland, a film regarding the questionable death of George Reeves starring Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, and Ben Affleck, and 2010's Remember...
and originally aired on Sunday, April 1, 2001.
Guest starring roles
- Ariel Kiley as Tracee
- Suzanne ShepherdSuzanne ShepherdSuzanne Shepherd is an American actress and theater director. She is best known for her portrayal of Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, and Carmela's overbearing mother in the television program The Sopranos. Shepherd studied acting with Sanford Meisner, and later went on to teach...
as Mary De Angelis - Tom AldredgeTom AldredgeThomas Ernest "Tom" Aldredge was an American television, film and stage actor.-Life and career:Aldredge was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Lucienne Juliet and W. J. Aldredge, a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps...
as Hugh De Angelis - Ari GraynorAri GraynorAriel Geltman Graynor, better known as Ari Graynor, is an American actress.-Life and career:Graynor was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was raised in a Jewish family and attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols, a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Trinity College, in Hartford,...
as Caitlin Rucker - Patrick Tully as Noah Tannenbaum
- Sharon AngelaSharon AngelaSharon Angela is an American film, television actress, screenwriter and director. Angela is probably most well known for her portrayal of Rosalie Aprile on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Rosalie Aprile - Jason CerboneJason CerboneJason Cerbone is an actor from Yonkers, New York.He got his start acting at age 4, appearing on a commercial for Sesame Street. He signed with the Ford Modeling Agency in New York City at age 7. Jason later appeared in Bon Jovi's "Silent Night" music video, as well as the title character in...
as Jackie Aprile, Jr.Jackie Aprile, Jr.Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into... - Maureen Van ZandtMaureen Van ZandtMaureen Van Zandt is an Italian-American television actress best known for her small role Gabriella Dante, a close friend to Carmela Soprano on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Gabriella Dante - John FioreJohn Fiore (actor)John Fiore is an American actor from Somerville, Massachusetts.Fiore is probably best known for his recurring role as Detective Tony Profaci on the long-running NBC crime drama Law & Order...
as Gigi Cestone - Dan GrimaldiDan GrimaldiDaniel "Dan" Grimaldi is an American actor who is known for his roles as twins Philly and Patsy Parisi on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.-Career:...
as Patsy Parisi - Frank Santorelli as Georgie Santorelli
- 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... - Michael Garfield as Len Tannenbaum
Episode recap
One afternoon at the Bada BingBada 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...
, Tony
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...
receives a "thank you" gift from one of the strippers, 20-year-old Tracee. She thanks Tony for advising her to take her sick son to the doctor. When she presents Tony with some homemade bread, he is gratified by the gesture but explains that he cannot accept gifts from employees, since strippers are not supposed to make friends with their bosses, and because of Ralphie.
Meanwhile at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, 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...
is becoming closer to her boyfriend, Noah Tannenbaum. As they draw close to becoming intimate, Meadow's roommate, Caitlin, walks in and interrupts. Meadow asks if she needs to use the room, but Caitlin says she was feeling lonely and scared after seeing the horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, Freaks
Freaks
Freaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins' 1923 short story "Spurs"...
, with friends, exhibiting something similar to the Mean World Syndrome
Mean World Syndrome
"Mean world syndrome" is a term coined by George Gerbner to describe a phenomenon whereby violence-related content of mass media makes viewers believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is. Mean world syndrome is one of the main conclusions of cultivation theory...
. Meadow and Noah try to calm her down and remind her that she has been warned in the past not to see things that frighten her. Caitlin proceeds to pull her hair out as a sign of nervousness. Noah makes up an excuse to leave, and after a few moments of discomfort between Caitlin and Meadow, Meadow decides to go up to Noah's room, making sure she takes her X-Acto
X-acto
X-Acto is a brand name for a variety of cutting tools and office products owned by Elmer's Products, Inc. Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applications....
knife in case Caitlin grows more depressed. Noah empathizes with Caitlin and suggests they be patient with her. Meadow thus comes to adore Noah even more and loses her virginity to him. Later, Noah and Meadow plan to cheer Caitlin up by taking her out for her birthday. After an evening out with Caitlin, they spot a homeless woman babbling, which induces Caitlin to give her money. As she approaches the woman, Caitlin discovers a newspaper in her rear instead of underwear. Caitlin is more shocked and upset than ever and sobs in the dorm room. Meadow becomes tired of Caitlin's growing homesickness and seeks solace at the Soprano home. She tells her mother that she is in love with Noah and subtly hints that she has been intimate with him. Meanwhile, Caitlin visits Noah and pesters him for company. He is irked by this, as he is writing a term paper, for which he eventually receives a C-. Noah attributes his poor grade to repeated interruptions by Caitlin. Meadow tries to console him about it, but his father has already filed a restraining order
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
against Caitlin because of it. Meadow meets Noah's father, Len, for dinner one evening and they discuss his profession and that of her father. The following day, Noah breaks off his relationship with Meadow, telling her that she is too negative and cynical. Meadow becomes extremely upset and takes it out on her parents.
Tracee continues to get closer to Tony as she shows off her new braces. As she dances, Tony and Silvio
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...
remark that she is a good looking "thoroughbred" and has a great, natural body, but her "horse" teeth are a "train wreck" and that Silvio's "juicing
Vigorish
Vigorish, or simply the vig, also known as juice or the take, is the amount charged by a bookmaker, or bookie, for his services. In the United States it also means the interest on a shark's loan. The term is Yiddish slang originating from the Russian word for winnings, выигрыш vyigrysh...
" her on the loan. One afternoon as Tony leaves the club, she follows him to his car where she tells him that she is pregnant with Ralphie's baby. She seeks advice on whether to have an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
or to keep the baby. Tony warns her that because her son has experienced domestic abuse (at her hands) and that, as the child is Ralphie's, "You'd be doing this kid and the next three generations a favor" by aborting the baby.
Unfortunately for Tracee, Ralphie does not seem to help the problem. As he becomes obsessed with the 2000 film Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
, he begins to shout out quotes from the film and plays around roughly with Georgie at the VIP lounge. After constantly making wise remarks and loud outbursts, things become tense when Ralphie finds a chain and proceeds to swing it at Georgie, injuring his eye. Tony sends Ralphie to take Georgie to the emergency room. A few days later, Silvio is shocked to find that Tracee has not shown up for work. Silvio then finds her at Ralphie's home. He forces her to get dressed and slaps her as she is entering his car. Ralphie watches and laughs from the window as she is dragged into the car.
The following night, Ralphie sees Tracee at the VIP lounge, where she insults him in front of the other associates and capos. Ralphie then follows her out to the deserted Bada Bing parking lot, where he teases her into thinking he will marry and support her, then gleefully calls her a "cocksucking slob". When she punches him and insults his masculinity, Ralph becomes extremely violent and brutally beats her to death. Soon after, Soprano associates find Tracee's body and Tony blames Ralphie for what happened. As Ralphie is placed against the wall, Tony violates a well-established Mafia code and assaults him, a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
(made men are never to strike one another), but he justifies this by stating that Ralphie disrespected the Bing. Ralphie tries to defend himself yelling, "I'm a made guy!" Tony takes Tracee's death badly and becomes emotional during a therapy session with Carmela and Dr. Melfi. He lies and says that a young male associate from Barone Sanitation died. Days later, the Bada Bing strippers wonder where Tracee went. One of the Bing girls mentions that she actually heard something along the lines of what actually took place (that Tracee left with Ralphie and never came back), but one of her co-workers strongly advises her to keep her mouth shut. As the episode ends, Georgie is training a new stripper to work at the Bada Bing in place of Tracee.
Deceased
- Tracee: Bada Bing stripper murdered by Ralphie in the parking lot
Title reference
- Much of the episode revolves around Meadow's university experiences.
- As the episode parallels the treatment of Meadow and Tracee, "University" is also a reference to the episode's theme
Trivia
- After being introduced to Meadow, Noah's father says he sat next to a talkative Tim DalyTimothy DalyJames Timothy "Tim" Daly is an American stage, screen and voice actor, director and producer. He is best known for his television role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom Wings and for his voice role as Superman/Clark Kent in Superman: The Animated Series, as well as his recurring role of the...
of Wings fame on his flight into New York. Daly would later play the role of J.T. Dolan on The Sopranos, beginning with the episode "In Camelot". - During a scene in the family kitchen, AJ wears a Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
Fragility tourFragility TourFragility Tour was a concert tour in support of industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile album, which took place in late 1999, running until mid-2000, and was broken into two major legs, Fragility v1.0 and Fragility v2.0 respectively...
shirt. - According to actress Ariel Kiley, who plays Tracee, the stripper murdered by Ralphie Cifaretto, a lot of subscribers canceled their HBO service because of the episode.
- After dining with Noah's father, Noah and Meadow see the Francis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
film Dementia 13Dementia 13Dementia 13 is a 1963 horror thriller released by American International Pictures, starring William Campbell, Patrick Magee, and Luana Anders. The film was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Roger Corman...
.
Music
- The song played during Tracee's show and during the end credits is "Living on a Thin Line", from The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' 1984 album, Word of MouthWord of Mouth (The Kinks album)Word of Mouth is a 1984 album by the English rock group, The Kinks.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Ray Davies - guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals*Dave Davies - guitar, background vocals*Jim Rodford - bass, background vocals*Mick Avory - drums...
. According to Terence Winter, it is the series' most asked-about song. - The song playing in the background during the first scene between Noah and Meadow is "The Dolphin's CryThe Dolphin's Cry"The Dolphin's Cry" is a song by the alternative rock band Live. It was released as the first single from their fourth studio album The Distance to Here in 1999. The song was co-produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads.-Music video:...
" by LiveLive (band)Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
. - When the hooker is trying to get into the VIP room of the Bada Bing, "You Shook Me All Night LongYou Shook Me All Night Long"You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of AC/DC's signature songs from their most successful album, Back in Black. The song also reappeared on their later album Who Made Who. It is one of the band's top 40 singles, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in 1980...
" 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. - The song playing when Tracee shows Tony her new braces is Minnie RipertonMinnie RipertonMinnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
's "Inside My Love" (1975).