By Kim
Tony's gambling losses are getting out of control. Phil is officially named boss of the New York family, and Nancy Sinatra helps him to celebrate. Tony goes to Hesh, complaining that Phil is copping an attitude. Hesh asks about the $200,000 bridge loan, and Tony grudgingly gives him the vig. Finding no sympathy there, Tony goes and bitches to Melfi that no one will cut him some slack. Melfi proceeds to give Tony a speech about how she can't cut him any slack when it comes to missing appointments, and that he needs to decide if he's going to continue therapy seriously or not. Tony continues to taunt Hesh with anti-Semitic remarks and intimidation, while grudgingly making payments, causing Hesh to worry about his future. Then, Hesh's girlfriend dies (in her sleep? Or not?), and Tony shows up with the loan payoff in a shopping bag and weak condolences. Cold-blooded. Vito's son, Little Vito, is acting out and dressing like a goth. Vito's widow, Marie, goes to Tony and asks for $100,000 so that she can move away from the area. Tony says that he'll talk to the kid, but takes the problem to Phil, figuring it's a family issue and not a Family issue. Phil says he'll talk to the kid himself. He takes Little Vito out for ice cream and encourages him to stand up and be a manly man. Little Vito continues to act out, so Tony has a sitdown with the kid and takes a gentler approach, acknowledging that Little Vito loved his father, no matter what, but then out of frustration resorts to physical intimidation. Little Vito gets bullied in the shower after gym class, and decides to take a shit in the shower and then step in it. Tony decides to send Little Vito to a camp in Idaho, which Marie reluctantly agrees to. They kidnap Little Vito from his bed in the middle of the night, which seems a little dramatic. Carmela finds a buyer for her spec house â her cousin Brian and his wife, Janine -- even though Carmela worries that the construction on the house isn't up to snuff. Carmela makes a bundle, and Tony tries to convince her to bet some of it on the Jets. Carmela's upset that Tony considers the money partially his. Tony wins on the Jets and blows up at Carmela for preventing him from winning more. He insults her business acumen and accuses her of stealing from him again, so she throws a vase at him and gives him the cold shoulder. Tony finally sits her down and admits that he's been losing money gambling, but promises that if anything happens to him, she'll be fine. Carmela sobs that she can't help worrying about him every day, because of all the possibilities out there. Tony tries to convince her that, cosmically, after surviving a gunshot wound, he's up. AJ proposes to Blanca and she says yes, reluctantly. A few days later, Blanca breaks up with him because she doesn't "feel it." I don't blame her, but what in the hell was that whole relationship about?
Tony and the guys are at a casino, playing roulette, and Tony hits big. There is much cursing in both shock and disappointment from the other guys. I do like how they all wear suits to go to the casino, since most people were jean shorts and t-shirts with flip-flops these days. It seems classy to do it mobster-style. Tony decides to let his winnings ride. All of it. The rest of the guys seem a little nervous about that decision, except Silvio, who supports his boss. The wheel spins and...Tony loses. He tries to hide how much losing that much money hurts him as the guys commiserate.
Cut to a cemetery, where two boys are breaking bottles and generally causing mayhem while dressed as goths (still? really?). One of the boys is Little Vito, son of Marie and the late Big Gay Vito. Little Vito steps things up by knocking over the headstone for one David Hackel (the real-life writer/producer of Becker, among other shows), to the amusement of his friend, who looks like The Crow crossed with Adrien Brody. But then, cheese it! The cops! The two boys run away.
Tony and Silvio sit in the front room at Satriale's as Tony checks the odds for that day's horse races. Silvio spots Marie Spatafore walking in and grumps, "Ooof. Look at this mezza-morta." Marie enters, and Sil leaves to let her speak to Tony alone. Marie -- played by Elizabeth Bracco, whose voice is distractingly like that of her sister, Lorraine -- thanks Tony for all he's done for her since Vito's death. She sniffles through a rundown of Little Vito's troubles, including an accusation that he killed a cat, and that he's now seeing a social worker. Tony looks taken aback at exactly how messed up the kid is. Tony reassures, "Well, in a way, it's to be expected with Vito passing and all that entrailed [sic]." Marie gets to the heart of the matter: she wants to move to Maine, and needs $100,000 to make it happen. She reminds Tony that he promised to help her if he could. Tony asks if she's talked to Phil, and Marie downplays the family connection (she and Phil are second cousins). Tony offers to talk to Little Vito, and fill in the father role he's missing. That's not the answer Marie wanted, but it's the answer she's getting.
Tony heads to the back room, where Silvio is busy gluing a lamp back together. Was this the end result of one of Tony's rages? Or does Silvio just enjoy simple home repair? You make the call. Tony reports on his conversation with Marie, and Silvio agrees that a move won't help matters. Silvio thinks they should get a dog. Tony, probably thinking about the cat rumors, quickly says that's not a good idea. Silvio stays silent as Tony bitches that he doesn't know why this is his problem, and that he thinks Phil is responsible, since he whacked Vito in the first place. Tony gets to what may be the heart of the matter: that he's taken a real financial hit, since Vito was his best earner. Silvio continues calmly brushing glue onto ceramic pieces as he agrees that Marie's troubles are not Tony's problem.
The guys hang out at the Bing, watching naked ladies and football while drinking beer. The Bills are down 24-21 against the Buccaneers, and for someone who lives in Upstate New York, I got a real kick out of Benny saying, "[The Bills will] choke. That's what they do." So, so true. Tony bet on the Buccaneers plus three, so the Bills can get a field goal here and he'll break even, but if they score a touchdown, Tony loses. Some schmo near the bar starts cheering for Buffalo. In the final play of the game, Buffalo fumbles, then recovers the ball and runs it in for a touchdown, winning 28-24. The schmo near the bar starts celebrating obnoxiously, making Tony angry, so he announces that he's going in the back for a nap. When he gets in back, he throws a huge temper tantrum, smashing things all over the place. This is why I think Silvio has had to become an amateur lamp fixer.
It's Phil's coronation as boss, since all of the other contenders have been whacked. There's a dinner to celebrate, featuring a performance by Nancy Sinatra, who is making the sexy eyes at Phil as he sits at the head of the table. She knows where her bread is buttered, even if that bread is kind of old and creepy. And so is the butter. And...I just grossed myself out, and I'm not even sure where I was going with that. The entire New Jersey contingent is there as well. Phil watches Nancy sing like he feels he deserves to be worshiped, and Tony notices.
After the dinner, Christopher talks to some guy about how they're looking for distribution for his film. Silvio asks Tony if he's ready to take off; Tony is more than ready. He walks over to say his goodbyes to Phil, who excuses himself from the intimate conversation he's been having with Nancy Sinatra. Things start out well, as Tony congratulates Phil, but then Tony wants to talk business. Phil preemptively asks, "A favor already?" Wow. Nothing like trying to pull rank on the first day you're made boss. Phil wants Tony to take a night off and celebrate, but Tony launches right into the troubles Little Vito has been having. Phil muses, "I guess the turd doesn't fall far from the faggot's ass." He doesn't know how prescient that is. Phil promises to talk to Little Vito, since he doesn't want to give Marie money either.
Tony goes to visit Hesh, and he complains about Phil's smug attitude at the dinner, and how Tony thinks it's still due to Phil's brother getting whacked by Tony B. Hesh thought that was resolved, but clearly he doesn't know how long Phil can hold a grudge. Tony muses that his key guys might have an agenda other than Tony's or the Family's best interests. Hesh asks, "Lonely at the top, boychik?" Tony thinks it's nice being with Hesh, since there's no pressure, no one asking him for anything. Tony suddenly sits up, remembering that he has something for Hesh, and pulls out a Cleaver baseball cap. How many of those did they have made? Hesh says carefully that he was actually hoping for a payment on the $200,000 bridge loan. Not a good move right after Tony talked about how Hesh never pressures him for anything. Hesh tries to backtrack, saying that he knows Tony's good for it. Tony starts getting pissed off, and offers $3000 as an interest payment, sarcastically noting that he doesn't want Hesh eating cat food while gesturing around to Hesh's well-appointed home. Hesh tries to refuse the money, realizing that he's offended Tony, but Tony presses it on him, tries to make nice, and then leaves.
Once Tony's gone, Hesh walks into his bedroom, where his girlfriend, Renata, is sleeping. In a nice piece of continuity, Renata is African-American, because we know Hesh has a predilection. Hesh complains that he's only asking for the money he's owed, and yet Tony made him feel like a schmuck. Hesh points out, as Renata makes sympathetic noises, that Tony throws away his money on stupid things like his boat.
Tony glances at his watch during a session with Melfi, so clearly it hasn't been all that productive. Tony wants to talk about how Jews are good with money, which Melfi isn't going for. Tony veers onto the subject of his gambling, and his losses of late. Melfi wonders why he keeps gambling if he's losing so much money. Good question, Melfi. Tony says that he needs the risk, and Melfi wonders, "What are you chasing? Money, or a high from winning?" Tony doesn't answer. Right when they might be getting somewhere, Melfi moves on to talk about how Tony has missed a lot of appointments, and even though he does call ahead or pay for his time, it's not acceptable, and she's let it slide for far too long. Tony admits that his time with Melfi is "an oasis in [his] week," which Melfi doesn't really like to hear, since therapy shouldn't really be comfortable and pleasant if it's working. Melfi wants Tony either to make a commitment to continue seriously, or stop coming to see her. Tony seems to realize that all of his support systems are crumbling -- Christopher is more interested in his movie than anything else, Bobby beat the crap out of him, Paulie's got a big mouth, he feels he can't rely on the rest of his crew, he's loath to involve his family in the Family business, Hesh seems to just want his money, and Melfi is withdrawing her unconditional support as well. And not that Tony doesn't deserve it; you can't treat people like your servants all of the time and then expect they'll always be there. I'm just pointing out how things are unraveling for Tony, because I think it explains some of his actions later in the episode.
Carmela shows her spec house to her cousin Brian and his wife, who's pregnant. A home inspector shows up, and Brian introduces them to Hugh and Carmela, their cousins/builders. The inspector looks less than thrilled about the family connections, but heads off with Brian and his wife to start his work. Carmela and Hugh look nervous, like they don't want anything to upset this delicate sale.
Phil takes Little Vito out for ice cream and a chat. Little Vito is sullen and in full goth drag, and Phil accuses him of looking "like a Puerto Rican whore." Vito tries to act tough, and Phil says that he knows that part of growing up is rebelling, but that Vito needs to stop upsetting his mother. Phil announces, "Your family's had enough shame. You should set things right. You understand me? Jesus Christ. Be a man! Be the kind of man she needs -- strong, masculine." The camera cuts to Vito's pudgy, feminine face, covered in makeup. Yeah, I don't think that strong, masculine thing is happening.
Tony's barbecuing for the family, including Meadow, AJ, and Blanca. Tony announces that they need to celebrate Carmela selling her house. Meadow and AJ look legitimately happy for her. Blanca asks if the house is kind of big for two people. AJ says that it's a mansion, and Blanca looks...upset? Disappointed? Not happy. Meadow adds that Brian and his wife are expecting. Blanca eyes Carmela shrewdly, but I have no idea what's going on in that head of hers. I wanted to add that the light was beautiful in that scene -- the golden hour.
Carmela calls Hugh in the middle of the night and tells him to look outside, where it's raining pretty hard, implying that it might screw something up with their house. Hugh complains that Carmela is worrying about nothing, and that he's not losing any sleep over it. Carmela clearly is, though.
The guys eat lunch in the Satriale's back room. Hesh walks in and says he was in the neighborhood, and thought he'd check in. Paulie invites Hesh to join in their card game. Tony keeps making little anti-Semitic cracks, like calling Hesh "Shylock." Tony makes a big show of pulling his money out and tossing it to Hesh. Everyone is uncomfortably silent until Tony claims that it was a joke, and they turn back to their card games.
Hesh gets his blood pressure checked by his daughter, who announces that everything's fine. Hesh thinks that whatever problem's he's having are caused by Tony, and his son-in-law Eli asks what's going on. Hesh explains that Tony's got a bug up his ass about repaying his loan, and is making "hostile remarks." Eli wonders what Hesh thinks the fallout will be, and Hesh admits that he's worried for his own safety because Italians, when cornered, can become animals. Nice to see that Tony's not the only one with some sweeping generalizations to make about ethnicity. Eli is sure that Tony wouldn't do anything, and that he can afford to pay the loan. Hesh estimates that Tony is, bottom line, worth "under six." Million? Figures? Eli is shocked, and Hesh says that Tony spends money like water; he wonders "at what point is it cheaper for him to settle it another way?" Eli has no response to that, but he looks worried.
The guys are back at the casino, playing blackjack. Tony seems to be winning this time, and when there's a dealer change, he decides to cash in. He carries his giant stack of chips over the window, but before he gets there, he notices a horse named Meadow Gold with great odds at Batavia Downs. Batavia! I grew up about twenty minutes from there! Sorry, it's rare that my hometown gets noted on national television. Anyway, Tony decides to bet all his money on the horse with the same name as his daughter. Silvio supports the bet, but Christopher seems nervous that Tony bet at least $18,000 on one race. Bobby is stone-faced, and Christopher asks what his problem is. Bobby claims he's excited. I don't know what that exchange was all about. The guys watch the race, and Meadow Gold is winning at first, but ends up in second place. The sound slows down as Tony realizes that he just lost big. The guys commiserate, and Tony pretends it's not a big deal.
AJ and Blanca go out for a fancy dinner. The waiter delivers a dessert that Blanca didn't order, which she complains about, until she lifts the top and finds an engagement ring. Oh, AJ. Bad move. AJ explains that he's not like Hector's dad, and that he'll work his ass off to take care of Blanca and her son. AJ goes on to reveal his future employment plans: he's already night manager at the pizzaria, and he thinks soon he'll be managing in the day. Then somehow he'll make the jump to owning his own chain of nightclubs and restaurants. That's a pretty big leap. Blanca still isn't sure what to say, but admits that she does love him. AJ asks her to marry him, and have children with him so Hector can have brothers and sisters. I wonder if AJ told anyone in his family about his plans, even Meadow. That would have been an interesting conversation. Blanca checks out her engagement ring (which isn't that big by this show's standards), and finally says, "Okay." Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Tony pays a visit to the Spatafore home to have a talk with Little Vito. Tony asks what happened in school today, and alludes to a problem with a "developmentally disabled" girl. Tony wonders if Phil wasted his time in talking to Vito, and adds that Vito was always a good kid. Vito bitches that Tony doesn't even get his name right half the time. Tony says that Vito Sr. loved his son, and Vito wonders if he and Tony were "butt buddies." Tony doesn't take the bait, instead quite sensitively pointing out that Vito probably misses his father a lot, no matter what kind of man he was. Vito yells that he's not moving to Maine, and Tony raises his voice and says that no one wants that. He grabs Vito's face and tells him to "knock this weird shit off or [Tony] will introduce him to a plate glass window." Vito doesn't look that frightened, so maybe he has a death wish. He wishes someone had told his dad to "knock off the weird shit." Tony echoes the phrase pinned on his bulletin board in the hospital: "You go about in pity for yourself. What about your mother? What about what she's been through?" Interesting, since for most of this episode, Tony has bounced from place to place looking for some pity. Tony releases the boy and sits back. He advises Vito that he's the man of the house now, and that he needs to start acting like it. Vito just sits there, stone-faced. Tony pats Vito's arm before he leaves.
Back home, Carmela announces that she just returned from the closing. Tony sweeps her up in a hug, and says he thinks they should do something to celebrate. Carmela doesn't know, because she's still worried about the lumber they used in the construction. Tony assures her that Brian is no angel, so I guess he's implying that Brian deserves whatever he gets? Tony asks what Carmela's take was, and she does the math and announces that it's "close to six." Hundred thousand? Thousand? Tony thinks Carmela should put some money on the Jets, and explains that he has an inside source with info on the game. Carmela isn't going for it, so Tony suggests that they just bet "a piece of [his] half." His half? Carmela seems surprised that he thinks he's getting half. She snaps that he should use one of his own bundles to cover the bet. Tony claims that his cash is for emergencies, and that his other money is "tied up in asset allocation." He assures her that you're supposed to gamble with windfall money. Carmela turns away from him, pissed. Tony softens and congratulates her again. Carmela says, "It's just that...I thought this was my money." Tony tells her that she's right, and kisses and hugs her. Keep that in mind for later.
Hesh sits in his den, reading. He sees Tony and Bobby pull up outside, so he yells to Renata to go up to the bedroom and lock the door. He answers Tony's knock. Tony and Bobby come in, two hulking guys in black leather coats, and invite Hesh to join them at the boat show. Hesh begs off, claiming that Renata has a migraine. Tony reaches inside his coat, and Hesh cringes until Tony pulls out an envelope of cash, his weekly interest payment. Hesh tries to refuse the money, and Tony asks if he's going to do this every time. Hesh can't win here; Tony won't let him refuse the money, but Tony also gets pissed when Hesh accepts it. Tony and Bobby take off, and Hesh breathes a sigh of relief.
Bobby, Tony, and Carlo head to the boat show. Tony bitches about Hesh's attitude. Bobby thinks Tony should just blow off the loan, since Hesh has no way to retaliate. Tony wonders how it would look if he didn't pay his debts. I just watched the episode on A&E the other night where Tony's dad tells him that a man doesn't gamble, and he always repays his debts. Really interesting viewing after watching this episode, where Tony is basically going against everything his father taught him, right or wrong, about the code of manhood. Carlo brings up an episode of The Twilight Zone, and it's really interesting to read that episode description. Basically, the episode is about a guy who gets shot and goes to heaven, where his every whim is satisfied. But soon he gets bored, and he asks to go to hell, which he thinks will at least be more exciting, so he's told he's already in hell. Lots of parallels to Tony this season, no? Anyway, Tony's not interested in hearing it, and explodes at Carlo, suggesting that he should start sucking cock like Vito instead of watching TV, since Vito earned way more than Carlo ever has. That is probably the worst thing Tony can say to Carlo, who was one of the most vocal critics of Vito's sexual orientation in the Family. Carlo looks more worried than offended, though. Tony manages to blame all his gambling debt on his reduced income, instead of, you know, losing money on stupid whims.
Tony, in robe with bedhead, reads the paper and finds that the Jets won big. Carmela thinks that's what they wanted, but Tony is pissed that he didn't bet more, because he could have won even bigger. He claims that he actually lost money, which Carmela calls bullshit on. He refers to Carmela's profits as "bullshit," which pisses her off. She yells, "That spec house was my investment for my future. Ginny Sack had to move in with her fucking daughter, Tony." Tony, out of control, yells, "Do you ever think I might know what I'm doing?" He accuses Carmela of spending all of his money. Carmela suggests that she get a cut of his win, and Tony digs deep and reminds her that she "already took [her] cut, from the bird feeder." He brings up all their past arguments about money, which wounds Carmela deeply, and she tries to walk away. Tony follows her and grabs her shirt, telling her that he's more responsible for the success of the spec house than she is, so it's his money. Carm calls him a "piece of shit," and Tony continues to press the exact right (or wrong) buttons, assuring her that her house is a piece of shit, and that it's going to "cave in and kill that unborn baby any day." He thinks that's why Carm can't sleep at night. So there goes another person who might have served as a support system to Tony. He's really pushing everyone away, isn't he? Not to get all Loveline on you, but I think people that grew up with drama and chaos can't stand it when things are going well, so they have to create drama and chaos consciously or subconsciously. Tony does it. Janice does it. Sometimes I wish we could see more of Barb's home life too. And by the way? Great acting, as usual, by Gandolfini and Falco in that scene.
Little Vito's showering after gym class with the other boys. They actually have dividers, which is better than my school's showers, which were just one big room. Anyway, the other boys persist in calling Vito a fag and worse, so he squats slightly, farts, and then squeezes out a juicy turd. And seriously, he might want to see a doctor, because it's like soft-serve ice cream. The other boys are disgusted -- even more so when Vito proceeds to step in his own feces. Dude. Get that kid into therapy. The other boys all start screaming and yelling in disgust.
At dinner, Paulie is telling one of his old time stories. Tony interrupts to check in with his guys on their upcoming payouts. Bobby asks if everyone heard about Little Vito shitting in the shower, and adds that he's been expelled from school. Tony empathizes with Marie's daughter, Francesca. Christopher agrees that it's "a tragedy; like a pebble in a lake, even the fish feel it." Interestingly, they think Vito is the pebble, when I would argue that Tony is. Anyway, Tony muses that despite his shortcomings, Vito was a Family member, and Phil certainly isn't going to handle the problem. Paulie and Christopher exchange a look like, "Seriously? We're on Vito's side now?" Tony is also pissed that Phil killed Vito without permission. Bobby tells him to let it go. Christopher and Paulie both agree with Tony's idea to help Marie out. Does it seem like the crew is turning into a bunch of yes-men? They agree that Tony should bet all his money. They agree that he should stop. They agree that Phil should help Vito. They agree that Tony should. Whatever whim Tony comes up with, they agree with. And granted, if Tony were my boss, I'd probably agree with whatever he said too, but it seems like these guys used to state their opinions once in a while. Anyway, Tony says he needs to see Slava, to "liquidate some offshore assets."
AJ drives his car, which is festooned with Puerto Rican flags, carrying Hector in the back. He arrives in the city and tells Hector that they are going to enjoy "the Latino Day parade." He meets up with Blanca, accompanied by her brother Jesus. She plops Hector in their car and hands AJ a bag of clothes. AJ doesn't get it. Blanca gives him back his ring and says that she can't keep it, because she doesn't "feel it." The hell? What is her problem? I don't know if it's bad writing, bad acting, or my own stupidity, but I have no idea why she's breaking up with AJ. Then again, he doesn't either. Blanca and Jesus take off, leaving AJ stunned.
Tony opens the safe in his office and takes some bundled cash out of a paper shopping bag to put inside, while making small talk with Silvio about an injured football player and how it will affect the game that Sunday. Tony decides that he's going to put his entire $100K on the game, and that if he wins, he'll give it all to Marie. Christopher looks up sharply, but doesn't comment. Silvio heard that Little Vito "went into the litter box and ate some cat shit." Tony corrects him, but no one tries to persuade Tony that his betting is a bad idea.
Tony rides in his car on Sunday, listening to the game on the radio. Of course, he loses. He takes out his phone, calls Marie, and says he wants to help. Tony thinks they should sent Vito to one of those boot camp situations. Marie protests that those camps "allow corporal punishment," like that's a problem for Tony. He promises to pay the $18K fee, and assures her, "There's no geographical solution to an emotional problem." Marie sighs, and Tony tries to convince her that his idea is for the best. She agrees, because what else can she do?
Tony gets a visit from Slava to deliver some cash. On his way home, he spots some traditionally-dressed Muslims on the street. His driver points out that their Muslim friends from the Bing are among the crowd.
Two guys pop into Little Vito's bedroom in the middle of the night to kidnap him and take him to the camp. Vito resists mightily, but these guys are bigger and stronger. Marie watches it happen, crying and apologizing.
Tony watches a basketball game in his bedroom, which he apparently lost even more money on. Carmela walks through silently, and Tony begs her to come in. He says sincerely, "I'm sorry. I really am. You did real good with that house." Carmela sucks lemons and doesn't give an inch. Tony confesses that he's on a shitty streak with his gambling: "You start chasing it, and every time you get your hands around it, you fall further backwards." He could be talking about happiness, or being a good person, or any number of things, with that statement. Tony assures her that nothing bad will happen to him. Carmela tearfully confesses that she worries about the million other possibilities that could happen to him like "a giant piano hanging by a rope over [his] head, every minute of every day." Tony smiles and earnestly says that he survived being shot, so he figures, cosmically, he's up. Carmela clearly thinks he's being ridiculous, but doesn't say anything.
Hesh returns to bed after peeing once again to find Renata unresponsive, and apparently quite dead. He calls 911, but her eyes are open, so it's not looking good.
Hesh sits in his house, alone, mourning. Tony lets himself in and allows that Renata was "a great girl." He hands over a paper shopping bag filled with cash, and says, "Sorry for your loss." Hesh just sits there. On first viewing, I thought that was a giant fuck you, but on subsequent viewings -- especially coming right after that scene with Carmela -- I think maybe Tony really was trying to make good. Just like on first viewing, I didn't love this episode, but after ruminating and reading the forums and rewatching a few times, I now think it was a great portrayal of just how far Tony is spiraling out of control, and how he has almost no one left to catch him on the way down, and how his downfall is entirely of his own creation. At least, that's my interpretation. We'll see what the five episodes hold.