Sopranos Episode 79 Stage 5
The scene opens like any other Hollywood horror movie, with Sally Boy (the Boss), played by Danny Baldwin, trying to kill Michael again. We have every borrowed cliche, the flickering lights of SAW, the cleaver hand which Chris later tells us came from adapting the hands of Edward Scissorhands, and others. Chris and Little Carmine Lupertazzi are the "Producers" while Carlo Gervase, Larry Boy Barese and the director Morgan Yam discuss the movie.
Johnny Sack's cancer has spread to stage 4 small cell carcinoma - there is no stage 5. He quit smoking when he first got locked up, now with 3 months to live he went back to smoking.
Ginny and his daughter visit him at the Bureau of Prison's Springfield Medical Facility.
Inmate Warren Feldman, an oncologist who killed his wife, gives Johnny Sack some hope, he might live more than a year.
The Feds want Tony's help in rooting out possible Islamic terrorists at the ports. Tony yells at Carmela that he won't go out for the paper anymore - it's too dangerous.
The Cleaver screening has everyone that ever appeared in any Sopranos episode that's still alive - the audience is packed.
Carmela recognizes that Sally Boy is modeled after Tony but is soon dismayed when she sees a scene with Tony making out with Michael's Asian girlfriend. Rosalie gives Carmela the eye, like "Look at this shit!" as if this is supposed to be Tony and Adriana.
All throughout this episode we see that Blanca is already tired of A.J. That it took more than a week for her to realize that A.J. is a worthless piece of crap is amazing.
Malapropism: At the screening, Little Carmine's daughter Alexandra points out the interesting juxtaposition of the crucifix with the corno; Little Carmine: "you're very observant: the sacred and the propane."
Tony is so proud of Christopher that he tells him that long after they are gone people will still be seeing this film. Yeah, right. Despite all that, Christopher is still a thief and boasts to Tony, "You know how much Imperia Vodka I scored, just from this party alone? I had a couple of cases put down in your car." Even at his film's screening, Christopher is still hustling.
Larry Boy Barese is arrested for attending the screening in violation of his bail.
When Tony talks with Phil they discuss their mutual problems of aging and health. Tony is disturbed that Phil is not watching the fort closely, the envelopes getting kicked up are light on the money. Phil implies his heart condition prevents him from keeping close tabs on what's happening with his crew.
Giraldo Rivera and Jerry Capeci discuss the mob vacuum in New York and they discuss several candidates to take over Johnny Sack's position; Faustino "Doc" Santoro (the leading candidate) and Gerry Torciano.
Dr. Melfi's psychiatrist, Dr. Elliot Kupferberg, boasts "this Santoro thing, I called it a year ago," as if he knows what's happening in the Mafia with his brief conversations with Dr. Melfi.
Ginny's brother visits Johnny Sack who, anticipating his death, is now making financial plans for his wife.
Johnny wonders on how he will be remembered. He's told he's well liked in the street despite the allocution. Johnny muses that being a boss is a thankless job.
Back at home, Carmela gives Tony a hard time about Christopher portrayal of Sally Boy and that Sally Boy, meaning Tony, f*cked the guy's fiancee. Tony denies he ever had anything sexual with Adriana. Then Carmela points out that this film is a revenge fantasy, that Michael (Christopher) splits open Sally Boy's (Tony's) head at the end of the movie. Now Tony starts worrying about what Christopher thinks of him.
At the bing, Tony tries to feel out Silvio's opinion of the movie but Silvio wisely hold back. When asked about Christopher he just mentions that he don't come round here no more.
Chris meets his new sponsor, Eddie Dunne, at the Diner. Eddie's advice is to avoid his old friends.
At the hospital, Johnny tells stories about Carmie Lupertazzi to fellow patients. Ginny is disappointed that her husband has gone back to smoking: "I lost 27 pounds. He couldn't quit smoking?" Yeah, like losing ⅓ of a mole on her ass means anything.
Gerry and Silvio with their goomars are having lunch to discuss who should be taking over the New York mob. Gerry Torciano gets whacked on orders from Faustino. By the way, the shooter to me looked like a girl. I could be wrong.
Carmine meets with Tony at the country club and is rather blase about Gerry getting whacked. Tony is upset that Doc used Silvio as a diversion to whack Gerry. When Tony mentions that Carmine has his endorsement as boss of the New York crew, Carmine waves it off - he has no ambitions in that direction. Little Carmine: "It's not about being boss it's about being happy."
At the house, Carmela tells Christopher that she's disappointed with his portrayal of Tony. Asks Chris if he's heard from her. Christopher: "Why would I hear from Ade?" Chris denies he wrote the scene with Sally Boy and Dominique. Chris is insulted by Carmela and storms off.
Inmate Dr. Warren Feldman is surprised by the aggressiveness of Johnny's cancer and has to concur with Dr. Rosen's original estimate that JC will die soon.
Christopher visits J.T.Dolan telling him that he has to take entire responsibility for the sequence of Sally Boy and the fiancee. When Dolan gets miffed and refuses, Christopher whacks him in the head with a crystal Humanitas award warning him never to get snippy with him again.
The next day Dolan goes to the bing pretending to look for Christopher and let's slip not so casually that all the scenes in the film were his idea based on a film Born Yesterday he saw with Broderick Crawford.
Tony asks Dolan where he got the bump on his head and pieces together very quickly what time it is. He's wise now that Christopher is trying to backpedal his horrible view of Tony as an asshole bully.
Paulie lets go with a good line:
Dolan: "William Holden falls in love with Crawford's girlfriend played by Judy Holliday..."
Paulie: "The black girl - the singer?"
Sylvio: "Nah, that's Billie Holiday."
Dolan: "Well, Judy's character in the movie is named Billie too, so I can see why you're confused."
Paulie: "I never seen it - why would I be confused?"
Later at home, Tony watches the Broderick Crawford flick.
At Dr. Melfi's Tony, practically in tears, mentions that he's disappointed in his legacy, in how others, especially Chris, view him. He's hurt because Chris hates him when Tony expected respect and love. He thinks Chris wants to see him dead.
The whole Sacrimoni family is at the prison hospital when Johnny buys that big pizza in the sky.
Ginny's brother Anthony Infante comes to the bing to announce that JC is dead. Paulie makes an asinine remark about how he beat cancer but JC didn't. Tony salutes JC's memory: "Buon' anima" (rest his soul).
Phil celebrates what would have been his brother's 47th birthday. With Johnny Sack gone, all bet's are off on Christopher. Phil feels sorry for himself that he compromised on everything but no more - the gloves are off.
[Music: Chickentown, John Cooper Clarke] The episode ends with the christening of Chris' baby. I half expected to see bloodshed a la the Godfather, but it looks like that's left for the coming episodes.
Cast:
Sydney Pollack (Warren Feldman)
Sharon Angela (Rosalie Aprile)
Peter Bogdanovich (Elliot Kupferberg))
Daniel Baldwin (Himself/Sally Boy)
Christopher McDonald (Eddie Dunne)
Jonathan LaPaglia (Michael the Cleaver)
Geraldo Rivera (Himself)
Matt Servitto (Agent Dwight Harris)
Cara Buono (Kelli Moltisanti)
Dania Ramirez (Blanca Selgado)
Tony Darrow (Larry Boy Barese)
Arthur J. Nascarella (Carlo Gervasi)
greg antonacci (Butch Deconcini)
Maureen Van Zandt (Gabriella Dante)
Lou Martini Jr. (Anthony Infante)
John Bianco (Gerry Torciano)
Denise Borino-Quinn (Ginny Sacrimoni)
Caitlin Van Zandt (Allegra Sacrimoni)
Cristin Milioti (Catherine Sacrimoni)
Michael Kelly (Agent Ron Goddard)
Maulik Pancholy (Dr. Ajit Gupte)
Seth Barrish (Dr. Uri Rosen)
John Wu (Morgan Yam)
Matthew Weiner (Manny Safier)
Jerry Capeci (Himself as a reporter on mafia crime families of New York)
Martin Gobbee (Priest)
Marianne Leone (Joanne Moltisanti)
Geraldine Librandi (Patty Leotardo)
John 'Cha Cha' Ciarcia (Albie Cianflone)
Anthony J. Ribustello (Dante Greco)
Dan Conte (Faustino "Doc" Santoro)
Kevin McKelvy (US Marshal Lunt)
Bruce Falk (US Marshal Rawley)
Maria Iadonisi (Larry Barese's wife)
Ariana DiLorenzo (Alexandra Lupertazzi)
Allison Dunbar (Nicole Lupertazzi)
Sam Semenza (Carmine Lupertazzi III)
Derek Milman (Film Type)
Kobi & Kadin George (Hector Selgado)
Jane Kim (Dominique)
Lenny Ligotti (Nicky)
George Pogatsia (Frankie)
Susan Porro (J.T. Dolan's Girlfriend)
Matt Pepper (Agent Ron Gosling)
Lewis J. Stadlen (Dr. Ira Fried)
Guy Fortt (Guard)
Ralph McCain (another patient)
Anna Mancini (Donna Parisi)
Christopher Caldovino (Billy Leotardo)
Tony Lip (Carmine Lupertazzi)
Jo Newman (Gerry's Goomar)
Julie Rogelstad (Silvio's Goomar)
Bruce Bennetts (Photographer)
Nicholas Mazzeo (Boy #1)
Jacob Lobosco (Boy #2)
Francesco Fusaro (Boy #3)
Justine Caputo (Girl #1)
Gia Bella Adamo (Girl #2)
Tim Daly (J.T.Dolan)
Sopranos' Fan Sites:
the-sopranos.com
sopranoland
tv.com-the sopranos
Meanwhile Meadow has lost some baby fat:
