Saluti.
As always, if you have any questions about the show (background, history, etc.), or wish to share your opinions of a specific episode/character/plotline/etc, or if you vehemently disagree with one of my conclusions or opinions — please email me by clicking my name in the column title at the top of page. I’ll answer everything here in the column the next week.
First things first: if you aren’t familiar with The Sopranos, or if you need a refresher course on the history of the show (since it has been 21 months since the last episode), please read my column on the background of Tony Soprano. It concentrated on Tony’s character, but touches just about every large storyline that we’ve seen over the first 5 seasons. You should be able to find links to the recaps to the past few episodes at the bottom of the page.
Nothing much to cover from last week, so let’s get into this thing we do:
Previously on The Sopranos:
- Junior gets a competency hearing, and has no memory of shooting Tony
- Johnny Sack, still in jail, looks at pictures of his daughter’s bridal shower
- Tony tries to talk Jason Barone out of selling his father’s trash business
- Tony tells Phil Leotardo that he needs the W-2 and health insurance from Barone Sanitation
- Paulie finds out that his “Aunt Dottie” was actually his Mother
- Paulie warns Jason that any financial losses Tony takes will come out of Jason’s end
- Jason’s Mother pleads with Tony not to let anything happen to her son
- Paulie takes a lead pipe to Jason’s knees, and warns him not to say a word to Tony
- Carmela warns Tony to keep an eye on Paulie and especially Vito
- Tony comes home, and gets a visit from Phil, where they come to an agreement on the Barone deal
Episode 70: Mr. and Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request:
Directed by: Steve Buscemi
Written by: Terence Winter
We see an invitation to the wedding of Johnny Sack’s daughter. Then, “6 Weeks Later”, Johnny gets a hearing in order to get permission to attend the wedding in person. The DA is against it, but the judge rules he can go: for 6 hours, with a couple of U.S. Marshalls as escort, and he has to cover all of the costs for those Marshalls out of his own pocket, as well as the costs for metal detectors at the reception.
We meet Perry Annunziata, Tony’s new bodyguard/driver, a very well-built young man. Carmela is happy that Tony has someone who can “protect” him. In the car, Tony asks Perry about his workout regimen, and states that “At one point, I could bench over 300 lbs. With a major head cold.” (Hmm – doubt it, but maybe.) A truck cuts off their car, so Perry pulls up next to them and asks, “What, you don’t signal?” Their response (“Fuck you!”) almost causes Perry to get out of the car after them, but Tony stops him. Perry apologize: “My mom says I should count to 10, but… I never remember.”
And our first visit back to Dr. Melfi’s office. “So let me ask you right off — is there any chance of a mercy f*ck?” Melfi asks him if he’s talked to Junior, and Tony says he hasn’t, and he won’t. Melfi presses him about his feelings, but Tony refuses to get into it, admitting that he’s probably repressing it – but he’s okay with that. THey move onto the topic of AJ, with Tony complaining about him dropping out of college. Melfi reminds him that Tony himself dropped out of Seton Hall after less than two semesters. “Alright, fine, but… why can’t he copy some of the good things about me?” They discuss his new job at Blockbuster, which Tony doesn’t have a very high opinion of — but Melfi reminds him that there are definitely worse ways to make money. (Nice one – I believe Tony is terrified of AJ getting into the “family business.”)
In the back room of the pork store, the boys are having a poker game – with Christopher taking a decent-sized pot from Paulie (and Paulie giving him the evil eye). Tony walks in, and all of the boys get up to greet him (Benny is first in line – still trying hard to make an impression.) He and Christopher compare surgery scars, and Tony repeats a long string of medical jargon that he obviously picked up on his way out of hospital.
On a competency exam, Junior is judged have “signs of dementia”, and is sentenced to a psychiatric facility. Luckily for him, his lawyer is able to argue successfully for putting him into a private hospital. Junior spends the entire meeting staring at a packet of Tic Tacs.
The Sacrimoni family finds themselves arguing over seating arrangements for the wedding in jail (I feel for him – this is a painful enough conversation, even in the comfort of your own home). This is also the first time we meet Johnny’s two daughters: Allegra, who is getting married, and seems well on her way to reaching her Mother’s weight; and Katherine, who looks practically anorexic. )(Obviously, the parent/sibling relationship in that household pretty much matches the Sopranos.) Johnny: “We are going to get through this as a family. Dignified, proud, despite all the persecution and road blocks.”
Back at Satriale’s, Tony decides to leave, and tells his driver “Penne Arrabiatta” to get the car ready. Christopher finds the nickname funny, and Tony jokes good-naturedly he has “red pepper flakes up his ass — a f*ckin’ hothead.” Phil comes to visit, and asks Tony for a favor: “Our friend there, the Mayor of Munchkinland? John wants him gone.” John is worried that Rusty (played by Frankie Valli, btw), will try to find someone else to back for a coup, since Little Carmine is out of the picture. Tony decides not to do it: “Tell him no. Time and again I’ve done his bidding. Time to set some limits.” Phil leaves, seeming less than pleased.
Back at home, Tony haves some obvious trouble getting up the stairs, and lies down for a nap with Carmela. “God this feels great.”
Christopher gets a visit from the two Muslims he talked to back in episode 6-2 at the Bada Bing, Achmed and Mohammed. They pay him for 120 stolen credit card numbers, and ask him if he knows where they can get “a couple of Tach-9 semi-automatics, extended magazines”, which they say is for “a family problem”. Christopher appears to understand that this is probably a bad idea, hopefully remembering the conversation he had with the FBI a couple weeks ago. (I just don’t see this ending well for Chris – if these guns get used in any sort of terrorism activity and then get traced back to him, he’ll be wishing he took the Witness Protection offer last season.) We switch scenes before he gives an answer.
Carmela comes down her driveway, on her cell phone with Rosalie Aprile. She picks up the newspaper, and throws away the local New Jersey section, which has a front-page article on Junior, with a headline of “Cushy psych lock-up for ‘Don Squirrel-Leone'”. Heh.
Johnny Sack meets his two U.S. Marshall escorts, as his lawyer brings his tuxedo for him to change into. Johnny looks at his shoes: “Patent leather?” Lawyer: “It’s a tuxedo.” Johnny: “Have you read an issue of GQ in the past 3 or 4 years.” Alright, Johnny – way to go. Glad to see the jail stay hasn’t made you forgot what a snappy dresser you were.
Carmela and Tony are talking about the wedding, with Carmela expressing disbelief it’s happening already: “Weren’t we just at her Christening?” Tony: “1980. Fifty pound bundle of joy.” (Ouch.) The conversation causes them to interrogate Meadow about when her marriage is going to happen, which she reacts somewhat hostile towards. Tony: “It’s just, what I been through – it changes the way you think. Holding my grandkids, your kids, in my lap — all of a sudden, it’s very important to me.” I had some trouble reading Meadow’s reaction to that: somewhere between being really touched, and really annoyed. Carmela, however, positively beams at Tony.
The entrance to the church is somewhat held up, due to the police presence. Yes, there is an actual metal detector at the door. Tony: “You’d think Bin Laden was getting married in there.” Tony sets off the detector twice, and then collapses while trying to take off his shoes after being wanded. The embarrassment and frustration on his face is almost painful to watch.
Inside the church, we get our next installment of Amusing Christopher Conversation of the Week:
Chris: “Allegra. Ain’t that a cold medicine?”
Paulie: “It means ‘happiness’ in Italian.”
Chris: [pause] “The f*ck’s that gotta do with cold medicine?”
We get a few contrasting views of couples in the church: Johnny and Ginny Sack, beaming with pride; Tony and Carmela, with Tony looking either bored, or having some trouble breathing; Finn and Meadow, with Finn starting at… someone – I don’t think it was actually at Meadow; Allegra and her husband Eric, exchanging vows and looking about as happy as a couple can; and Vito and his wife, with Vito staring at their clasped hands, and giving a look that just screams “What am I doing?”
The reception is in one seriously swank place, which we soon find out cost Johnny about $425K. Drinks come for the Soprano family: Pinot Griggio for Carmela, Rum and Cokes for Meadow and Finn, and a club soda for Tony (he doesn’t appear to appreciate it). Vito does a meet and greet, and after complimenting Meadow, continues his badgering of Finn: “And look at this young dentist – all handsome in his Calvin Klein.” Finn looks ready to make a run for it at any moment.
Vito and Tony walk off to discuss business: Vito met with a guy from the local planning division, who also happens to be “a degenerative horse player.” Tony: “So he’ll play ball?” Vito: “He’s f*ckin’ Joe DiMaggio.”
Johnny visits Tony at his table, and they quickly catch up. Johnny brings up Phil’s recent visit, and they switch to a table filled with old folks, including Johnny’s father. Tony explains he still doesn’t want to do it, but Johnny is insistent that Rusty is “a cancer” that needs to be removed, and that he can’t risk his position being threatened while he’s away in jail. Johnny asks for a favor “as a friend”, and Tony finally relents.
Junior arrives at the psyche ward, coming into a waiting room filled with leftovers from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “13 Monkeys”. He checks into his room, and continues to insist to his lawyer that he didn’t shoot anybody. “If I did it, the f*cking gun malfunctioned! It was old, okay? I should’ve cleaned it!”
Allegra and Johnny dance to “Daddy’s Little Girl”, and we catch a meaningful glance and smile between Tony and Meadow.
Tony suggests to Christopher that they bring in someone from Naples to take care of Naples, with Chris disagreeing rather strong: “You ask me, farming it out is a pussy-ass move.” Christopher also suggests telling Johnny “No”, but Tony tells him that Johnny asked him personally. This leads to a conversation I’ve been waiting for since the beginning of the episode, where they discuss the first Godfather movie. Unfortunately, Christopher forgets that the deal is that a man can’t say “No” on the wedding day of his daughter (he thinks it’s the other way around), and they both forget that the whole deal is specifically said only about Sicilians. (I’ve seen that movie approximately 100 times, so trust me on the wording.)
Vito leaves the wedding early, practically shoving his family out the door even before the cake gets cut. He also ends up leaving Phil and his wife alone at the table, which causes at least a fair amount of irritation in Phil. (Man, when Phil finally finds out that Vito is gay, he’s going to flay him alive.”
While said cutting of the cake is going on, the Marshall tell Johnny to wrap things up soon, explaining that the 6 hours included transportation time back and forth. Ginny asks if he can at least have some cake, and the Marshall tells him to pack some up.
Out front of the hotel, Allegra and Eric get into their limo (a Rolls Royce), but are cut off by the Marshalls’ SUV. And of course, they have the lights and siren going. Johnny pleads with them to at least let his daughter go, but they aren’t listening to any of it. Johnny gets cuffed right in front of everyone – and actually breaks down and cries. Phil looks shocked, Tony looks sympathetic, and Ginny faints dead away.
Back inside, the wiseguys form a circle to discuss the recent events:
Phil: “My estimation of John Sacrimoni as a man just f*ckin’ plummeted.”
Tony: “Give him a break, will ya? It’s an emotional day…”
Phil: “To cry like a woman? It’s a f*ckin’ disgrace.”
Paulie: “His f*ckin’ coach turned into a pumpkin. Heh heh.”
Phil: “But even Cinderella didn’t cry.”
Tony: “When it comes to daughters, all bets are off. I’ve seen tougher guys than John cry at weddings.”
Phil: “Let me ask you this: if they can make him cry, and if he’s that weak, what the f*ck else can they make him do?”
Chris: “I gotta agree with Phil, Tone”
Tony: “Oh you do, do ya?”
Random guy walking by: “Terrible out there, huh? Poor guy.”
Phil: “He’s an emotional man. Loves his daughter.”
Meanwhile, Vito leaves his house later that night, claiming that he has to make some collections. After a quick detour to watch Tony and Carmela settle down to bed, and Johnny returning to his cell, our next scene is in… uh-oh, a gay bar. Gee, I wonder who me might know in this place? Two wiseguys walk in and make a collection from the bartender, and on their way out, bump into – yes, it’s Vito. Why yes, he is indeed wearing a leather vest, bracers and a policeman’s hat – thanks for asking. And of course he’s leading another guy to bar to buy him a drink, with that guy wearing nothing more than a couple of leather straps on his upper body. This should go well.
Wiseguy: “Vito? What the f*ck?”
Vito: “Sal, hey…”
Sal: “What the f*ck you doin’?”
Vito: “Nothin’.. I was here. It’s a joke!”
Sal: “You’re a f*ckin’ fag?”
Vito’s date: “Watch it buddy!”
Other wiseguy: “You f*ckin’ watch it, cupcake!”
Vito: “Guys, c’mon, it’s okay…”
Sal: “You think so?”
Vito: “Sal, please – it’s a f*ckin’ joke!”
Sal: “Right. Sure. Say hi to your wife.”
Vito: “I’m serious. Sal… Sal, please.” [wiseguys leave] “Don’t say nothin’ Sal!”
Vito sneaks into his bedroom, and takes a pistol out of his nightstand, telling his wife to go back to sleep. We then seem him check into what could rather accurately be called “a sleazy motel”. He sits down and calls Sil, waking him up at 3:00 AM just to check in. Well, that shouldn’t raise any suspicions later, right? Vito hangs up, stares at his gun…
Tony explains to Melfi about passing out at the entrance to the church, and why he feels worried now. “People misinterpret – they think you’re weak, they see an opportunity.” Melfi suggests acting as if nothing has changed: “People see only what you allow them to see.” Tony: “Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing. Thanks for the advice.”
Tony gets driven to Satriale’s by Perry, and immediately we see him sizing up the other guys as soon as he steps out of the car: Christopher, Paulie, Bobby (T: “What you weighing this days?” B: “Don’t ask. 265?” Me: BWAHAHA). The camera takes his viewpoint, as he starts looking at the arms and muscles of each guy in turn. This continues inside, where we find that nobody has heard from Vito in a couple of days. Tony continues to scan the room, staring at each of the guys there, obviously preparing to do something. Now, from the preview last week, we saw that Tony was going to get physical with somebody in this episode. And, if you’ve been paying attention, you know there are only a couple of guys he can lay hands on this room, since a made guy can’t hit another made guy (remember the flare-up with Ralphie?). So Christopher, Paulie, Sil and Bobby are all definitely out. That only leaves a couple of choices, and we don’t take long to get there…
Tony tightens up his pinkie ring, and confronts Perry about slamming the refrigerator door. Perry is very confused, since he didn’t even open the door. Tony continues to get into his face, until Perry stands up and tries to defuse the situation. Tony is having none of it, and to the shock of the entire room, hauls off and punches Perry in the jaw. Perry gets up and charges Tony (Paulie: “Don’t do it!”), but Tony is ready for him, and continues the beatdown. Right afterwards, Tony walks into the bathroom, where he promptly vomits — twice. But he manages to get a good look at himself in the mirror, and the look in his eyes isn’t tough to read: he’s back, baby.
Cue credits.
What did we learn this week?
– Steve Buscemi is still my favorite Sopranos director.
– Christopher has grown rather quickly into his leadership role, and has no problems challenging Tony’s decisions. At some point in the near future, Tony is going to need to have a Michael Corleone-type “Don’t ever side against the family” discussion with him.
– Despite his loyalty so far, Phil seems ready and capable of moving Johnny Sack out of the picture whenever he wishes.
– Considering the looks between them at the wedding, and the talks she had with her father, it seems safe to say that both Meadow and Finn are having serious second thoughts about the engagement.
– In the “Gee, color me shocked” category, Sil seems to be having no problems with asthma since Tony came back into power.
– There’s been some discussion about whether or not Vito committed suicide. Personally, I think he’s planning on taking out the two wiseguys who saw him in the bar ASAP. Eventually, he’s going to have to deal with Finn, of course.
Next week on the Sopranos:
- There’s much discussion about “whacking somebody, anybody”
- Vito still isn’t answering his phone
- Carmela walks in on some kind of business with a few of the boys
- Christopher seems to be contracting out the Rusty hit
- Tony: “You gonna take care of his kids, after he’s gone?”
- Paulie: “How much more betrayal can I take?”
- Chris (to Tony): “You are not… going to believe this.”
