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*10 JANUARY 1999* – *10 JUNE 2007*
*’8 YEARS’ / ‘152 DAYS’*
*~8.4 YEARS*
(analogous to beatles ‘ 1962 – 1970 run?)
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*6 SEASONS*
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*SEASON 1*
*EPISODE 1*
“THE SOPRANOS”
*10 JANUARY 1999*
(pilot episode)
*60 MINUTES*
(i was 14)
(my grandfather died a week later)
(and my grandmother died 23 years later)
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*SEASON 6*
*EPISODE #66*
“MEMBERS ONLY”
*12 MARCH 2006*
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“cold stones”
(EPISODE #76)
(21 MAY 2006)
(written by Diane Frolov / Andrew Schneider / David Chase)
(directed by Tim Van Patten)
“March of the Penguins”
After an NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting, Christopher discusses his new relationship with his sponsor Murmur, who feels that this relationship is dangerous because of Boss Tony’s history with the woman as well as her own history with heroin.
He is correct on both counts. A persistent Tony meets with Juliana at the warehouse and inquires about her “fiancee”, prompting her to hastily leave the site. Meanwhile, Christopher presents his movie script “Cleaver” to Juliana at her apartment. She inquires about the Jerry Mathers (“Leave It To Beaver”) connection implied by the title, and wonders aloud whether Tony resembles the boss depicted in the script. Christopher admits that the characters are very similar, noting that both carry a sense of entitlement (“they both think that everything is fuckin’ theirs”). He also notes that “it’s strange being where Tony’s been”, and Juliana emphasizes the fact that they never slept together and becomes offended, exclaiming “I’m not a parking space” before initiating sex. As a parallel with Christopher, Juliana discusses her new relationship with her AA sponsor at a grocery store. Her sponsor is most concerned about Christopher’s Mafia connections. Despite Christopher’s insistence that he and Juliana would help each other stay clean since they knew the dangers of addiction, they enable each other to begin using again. Juliana is bedridden with a respiratory tract infection and Christopher offers to go to the store to pick up cough medicine (which she declines because the medicine contains opiates, a dangerous ingredient for former heroin addicts). She then requests valerian tea, which could be used to create an opiate when 8-10 cups are placed in a single cup. This pattern spirals out of control as they smoke heroin in Christopher’s car. Tony spots Christopher conferring with Juliana at her parked car neared Satriale’s, and Christopher covers up the affair by explaining that Juliana is a friend of his black goomara Kaisha and that she was helping him shop for gifts for “Kaisha’s” upcoming birthday. As they continue to use heroin together, Christopher rationalizes their descent into addiction by admiring how the couple could “control our drug use and integrate it into our lives”. He decides to confess their relationship to Tony in order to avoid raising Tony’s suspicions about his current drug use. At the Bada Bing, Christopher finally admits his relationship to Tony, rationalizing his former deception by claiming that he didn’t know how things ended between Juliana and Tony. A dismissive Tony states that he can do whatever he wants with her. However he is clearly disturbed by the information, as evidenced by the ensuing discussion with Dr. Melfi. Tony complains about his “punishment” for fidelity: a woman he desires winds up in the arms of his “less desirable” nephew. Melfi congratulates Tony for not reacting violently towards Christopher, and interprets this episode as a breakthrough in renouncing Tony’s prior outlook: striving to “sleep with every woman he meets”. Tony realizes that he is attracted to a certain breed of female: “dark complexion, smart, smell a little bit of money” and this breed includes Dr. Melfi. He explains that the only reason he still attends therapy sessions is to spend time with her, as he has not been making progress in the sessions. Meanwhile, Christopher and Juliana delve deeper into freebasing as scenes of their drug use are intercut with scenes of them in a movie theater. While out at a diner with Juliana, his wife Kelli contacts him and reminds him to bring home a pizza for dinner. Christopher discusses his religious doubts with Juliana, explaining that his Mafia vow of omerta initially represented a “higher power” to him. In recent times, Christopher’s belief in this code has begun to disintegrate due to the prevalent violations of the omerta vow in modern Mafia history. She worries that this speech serves as a precursor to a breakup in their relationship, but he assures her that this is not the case. She then suggests that they attend an NA meeting, and they agree (yet he insists that they take separate cars to the meeting, so that she cannot enable him to feed his addiction).
Meanwhile, Carmela is unhappy about her state of affairs. While at the hospital, she discovers that Liz La Cerva (Adriana’s mother) had attempted suicide. Carmela finds out that Liz’s suicidal episode was triggered by a letter from the Salvation Army inquiring about Adriana’s yearly donation (which of course they did not receive). She describes her dreams involving Adriana to Tony, one which occurred in Paris and involved a French policeman informing Carmela that Adriana is dead. Tony puts his foot in his mouth with a dismissive remark about Adriana moving away because “she couldn’t stand her mother”; this is 2 weeks after their daughter Meadow moved to California. Carmela complains about the failure of her spec house, and Tony tries to cheer her up by reminding her that AJ is on the right track with the construction job. Carmela is persistent in her quest to discover Adriana’s whereabouts, suggesting to Tony that they hire a private investigator to track her down. Again, Tony is dismissive. He immediately heads to the Bada Bing and instructs Silvio to muscle the building inspector so that progress on the spec house can resume: “for all our sakes, my wife needs a career”. Later in the episode, Tony and AJ are putting the Christmas tree up when Carmela receives a letter from the building inspector in the mail. She is delighted to find out that she will not have to knock the house down and start over again, and she thanks Tony since she understands his implicit involvement in the matter.
At the construction site, AJ is startled by the arrival of Paulie, who comes to make a collection from Blanca (a secretary at the construction site). As Paulie flirts with the young Hispanic woman, AJ is instantly smitten as they are introduced. Later in the episode, AJ is out drinking at a bar with his co-workers and he spots Blanca dancing with a friend. The spunky secretary approaches AJ and gives him the first 6 digits of her phone number, explaining that he must work to win her affection. They spend time together in her apartment when they are interrupted by 3 neighborhood thugs playing loud music that wakes up her 3-year-old son. Blanca remarks that her ex-boyfriend used to “kick their asses” so that they wouldn’t bother her. Interpreting this remark as a call to action, a reluctant AJ makes his way outside. Not being an alpha male like her ex-boyfriend (or his own father), AJ utilizes alternative tactics, offering the 3 thugs his new bike in exchange for their permanent departure from the area. Initially puzzled by the tactic, they finally agree to take the bike and leave. AJ is rewarded with sex for his success, with post-coital discussion focusing on their age difference (she is 10 years older than him) and her son (he informs her that “he loves kids”)
Carlo disposes of the severed head of “Fat Dom”, dumping the head in a Connecticut sewer before calling Silvio and asking him whether the bombing of Phil’s “wire room” (used for financial transactions) is on. As Phil and his blonde housekeeper (who he is conducting an affair with) arrive at “Sheepshead Hair Design” (a cover for the wire room), they are blown backwards as the building explodes. “Little Carmine” organizes a meeting between the NY/NJ crime families, mangling the English language left and right in his role as arbitrator in the dispute. Phil makes a disparaging remark about Vito’s homosexuality, and Tony feigns offense at the statement, reminding Phil that Vito earned both of them a great deal of money. When Leotardo brings up the disappearance of “Fat Dom”, Tony and Silvio feign ignorance but Phil suspects their involvement in the affair since Dom was last spotted in New Jersey. Carmine explains that this conflict is costing both families money, and both Mafia leaders seem to move towards a truce UNTIL Carmine unwittingly invokes Phil’s rage with an offhanded remark about the murder of his brother (Tony’s cousin Tony Blundetto murdered him in Season 5) and Phil storms out of the meeting. Phil and his consigliere Gerry discuss war tactics against the NJ family, reasoning that if the murder of “Fat Dom” was payback for Vito’s murder, then the Soprano family had crossed the line with the bombing of the wire room. Just as Tony suspects that Phil is always testing him, Gerry convinces Phil that Tony constantly tests him and that he indulges him too often. They offer up the prospect of murdering Tony, but Phil refuses to whack a boss on account of principle. They finally agree to kill someone close to Tony instead. The NY plan is temporarily disrupted one night as Phil and his wife discuss the death of Vito and the upcoming holiday plans. Phil complains of chest pains, and the couple decides to go to the hospital for an examination. The doctor dispels Phil’s worries, attributing the pain to “gas”. Later that night, Phil awakens hyperventilating, suffering from a coronary. Patty rushes her husband to the hospital, and Phil ends up in a Brooklyn intensive care unit facing a 5-6 month road to recovery. Murmur delivers the news to Tony and the crew at Bada Bing, and Tony’s initial delight is checked by Silvio and Paulie’s view that Phil’s replacement would likely bring about further unrest. Tony visits Phil at the Brooklyn hospital, recounting his own near death experience and traveling to a place he “never wants to go to again”. Tony urges Phil to enjoy his grandchildren and the “good things in life” post-recovery, and states that both crime families “could have it all” and “there is plenty for everybody”. A teary-eyed Phil seems to empathize with this sentiment, but his consigliere’s demeanor is menacing. FBI agent Harris enjoys a lunch at Satriale’s and informs Tony of a rumor circulating about Phil’s plans to murder someone in Tony’s inner circle. Tony is appreciative of this “christmas gift”.
Bobby Bacala visits Uncle Junior at the psychiatric ward, returning an envelope of cash that he had sent to Bobby as a Christmas gift because “it wouldn’t be right” after Junior had shot Tony. A mentally impaired Junior explains that the gift was for Bobby’s deceased wife Karen, and he also remarks that he is working on a defense with an attorney on the hospital facility. Bobby departs and Junior transfers the envelope to a black hospital attendant.
Christmas Eve With The Sopranos…
AJ arrives with Blanca and her son sporting an expensive necklace. Tony remarked that AJ should have checked with him to get a better deal on the necklace, but AJ bites back, “I have a job”. Carmela disapproves of Blanca’s age and ethnic background, but Tony responds,
“At least she’s Catholic”.
Tony criticizes Christopher for “taking all the ice” when making a drink, a reference to the relationship between Chris and Juliana as well as Tony’s own inflated sense of entitlement.
Season “6A” ends with an ideal Soprano gathering, Carmela and her father apparently reconciled, and Blanca complimenting Carmela on her beautiful home…
(‘Carmela’ responds with a smile of affirmation to ‘Tony’)
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*EPISODE #86*
“MADE IN AMERICA”
*SERIES FINALE*
*10 JUNE 2007*
*60 MINUTES*
(i was 22)
(had just moved to the ‘east village’)
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💕💝💖💓🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤❤️💚💛🧡❣️💞💔💘❣️🧡💛💚❤️🖤💜🖤💙🖤💙🖤💗💖💝💘
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*🌈✨ *TABLE OF CONTENTS* ✨🌷*
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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥*we won the war* 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥