411 Retro TV Review: The Sopranos – Episode 31
Posted by Mike Gorman on 04.24.2008
Paulie from “Rocky” visits New Jersey in a episode filled with actions and consequences. Uncle Junior’s health takes a turn for the worst as Carmela finally joins Tony in Dr. Melfi’s office. The most unexpected twist of all comes from Meadow when she stops by to do her laundry.
Cast:
James Gandolfini ... Tony Soprano
Edie Falco ... Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli ... Christopher Moltisanti
Drea de Matteo … Adriana La Cerva
Dominic Chianese ... Corrado 'Junior' Soprano
Steve Van Zandt ... Silvio Dante
Tony Sirico ... Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri
Jamie-Lynn Sigler ... Meadow Soprano
Federico Castelluccio …Furio Giunta
Jason Cerbone …Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Joseph R. Gannascoli …Vito Spatafore
Steve Schirripa …Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri
Joe Pantoliano …Ralph Cifaretto
Lorraine Bracco …Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Burt Young …Bobby "Bacala" Sr.
Charles S. Dutton …Officer Wilmore
Peter Riegert …Assemblyman Zellman
” I may be upset, but I know how to keep my mouth shut.” - Vito
“Unless there's a salami sandwich around.” - Ralphie
I expected this week’s episode to continue the startling plot developments of last week, ie. Dr. Melfi’s assault. Yet, as usual, I should know better than to place expectations on this show. This week opens with a quick scene in front of a deli. Two guys from Vito’s construction crew are talking about their lunch orders. One goes inside to get the food and the other remains by the truck. Nearby a man and woman argue. She leaves her boyfriend’s car and approaches Vito’s guy for a ride. Her boyfriend overreacts and smashes this guy over the head with a golf club leaving him unconscious in a spreading puddle of blood. We then cut to funeral which it turns out is for Carmela’s uncle who had cancer.
At the funeral, Bobby’s dad, Bobby Sr., makes his presence known to Tony. They speak like old friends and we learn that Bobby Sr. is a retired hit man for the New Jersey families. He has lung cancer and is town to visit his son. Junior is also at the funeral (man he gets out a lot for a guy on house arrest!) and seems a bit out of sorts. Branching out from the funeral the web of a spider, this week’s plot will follow all of these characters on separate yet intertwining roads.
After a visit with Vito and other members of the family in the hospital, Tony will ask Bobby Sr. to make one last hit for him. He wants the old man to take down the guy who beat up Vito’s worker. It turns out that Bobby Sr. is the guy’s godfather and therefore will be able to get closer to him than anyone else at the moment. Bobby Jr. and Junior do not like this idea but eventually must defer to Tony’s decision.
Meanwhile, Carmela joins Tony for a therapy session and comes out of it feeling targeted and attacked by both Tony and Dr. Melfi. She is not used to the questioning and gets very defensive. As they argue on the way home Tony speeds and is pulled over by a black cop. Tony attempts to talk his way out of the ticket but is unable to and therefore decides to call his Assemblyman friend to have the cop addressed. Tony soon learns that his action has caused the cop to be shifted to desk duty and to have lost his overtime pay. He sees this because the cop is now also working at the local garden store. Tony’s ever present racist side seems torn over the consequences of his action.
This theme of consequences rears its head as Bobby Sr. attempts to make the hit. Now in the midst of all this serious action I had to laugh when he pulled up to his Godson’s house. Outside and inside there are staircases Bobby Sr. will have to climb. Earlier we learned that even a few steps over taxes his weakened lungs. The stairs toss a bit of a monkey wrench into the plan by Bobby Sr. keeps going. The kill is almost botched as his godson’s friend catches him about to pull the trigger. In a very bloody firestorm of bullets, the godson and friend are killed and Bobby Sr. can feel that his time is near too from the exertion. He lights a cigarette and drives off eventually passing out and crashing into a sign post. He is dead and Bobby Jr. is devastated.
When the time comes for the funeral, Junior refuses to go. This angers Bobby and forces Junior to reveal that he has been diagnosed with cancer. He had just previously shared this fact with Tony and did not want anyone else to know. He throws his diagnosis at Bobby like a dagger hoping to mentally wound him for urging Junior to attend the funeral. Bobby is somewhat overwhelmed by it all and hugs Junior. At the same time, Tony has told Janice of Junior’s diagnosis and the two commiserate over several bottles of wine. It is interesting how much like in real life; the onset of such a tragedy can bring together family members who otherwise would not really say two words to each other.
The consequences of actions and nature abound this week be it Carmela’s reaction to Tony’s therapy, the cop’s consequences for crossing Tony, or even Bobby Sr. consequences for smoking. The question truly asked is how does one take responsibility in the light of these actions. For Tony he attempts to see if he can correct the action taken against the cop but after another run in, he decides to let the punishment stand. Only to revisit it again come the end of the episode. He tries to give the cop a generous tip for a purchase and it is refused. Tony decides then that he did the “right” thing. This episode also leaves the question open in the case of Junior. What will his consequences or future hold? It is in this that I see the potential of this episode. Overall it was quite average and dealt with characters mainly on the perimeter of the show but it excels when it moves forward the stories of its main characters. Junior’s health will impact everyone. That is important. The cop’s job will not really change anyone’s lives it seems.
Before I close, I must mention one small plot point that again had me chuckling come episode’s end. Meadow comes home to do laundry and decides she needs a desk lamp for her room. She takes one from the basement and it seems like it is not a big deal. It turns out she took the lamp where the FBI had placed their wire tap in the basement. The cat and mouse game of several episodes back was all for naught. The Soprano’s home is again free from the FBI interference… for now. What will the consequences of this action bring?
The 411: A par for the course episode. Not the highest point dramatically but more than enough of the usual character introspection to keep your attention. Several plot threads introduced this week will have serious consequences as the season progresses specifically those involving Junior and Meadow's looting of the basement.
