Lots of things come to a head. Some plot lines are wrapped up and others roll on in the final episode of the first season.
Tony decides that something has to be done about Jimmy Altieri. Uncle Junior agrees and gives his blessing. Silvio and Chris are tasked with dealing with Jimmy. They lure him to a hotel room with the help of a hooker and kill him, execution-style.
Artie Bucco finds out from Livia that Tony is the one responsible for the fire that destroyed his restaurant. This happens just as Artie and Charmaine are opening their new restaurant, in large part due to the insurance payout. Artie loses it and confronts Tony, with a hunting rifle. Tony talks him down by lying to him, telling him that he had nothing to do with the fire and that his mother is going senile. Artie doesn't know what to do. He tries talking to Father Intintola, who recommends that he tell Charmaine and go to the police.
FBI agents bring Tony in and have him listen to a recording of his mother and his uncle talking about him. They are talking about the fact that he is seeing a psychiatrist. What isn't stated explicitly but is implied is that he will have to be killed. Tony is smart enough to read between the lines. The FBI agents want him to cut a deal with them but he refuses once again. He leaves and starts to plot against his uncle.
Tony visits Dr. Melfi's office a couple times during the episode. During the first visit he gets enraged when she suggests that his mother is the one behind the recent attempt on his life. That occurs before his meeting with the FBI agents. After he finds out that Dr. Melfi was right he goes back to see her. She locks the door and threatens to call 911. She is scared after what he did the day before. He promises not to harm her. She accepts his promise. They talk. He explains as much as he can to her and encourages her to get out of town. He is worried that her life may be in danger because she is his psychiatrist. She balks at the idea of leaving town at the drop of a hat but by the end of the episode she takes his advice.
Christopher and Paulie are sent after Mikey Palmice. Then catch up to him while he is jogging. They chase him through the woods. He's fast but eventually he trips and falls in a creek. He begs but they aren't about to show him any mercy. Paulie is pissed off because he ran through poison ivy while they were chasing him and Christopher still holds a grudge against him for killing Brendan in 1.03 (Denial, Anger, Acceptance).
Uncle Junior is next on the hit list but before Tony can get to him the FBI does. Junior and a bunch of other mafioso get arrested and indicted. The district attorney in charge of the prosecution wants Junior to testify that Tony is the real head of the Soprano family but Junior isn't willing to play ball.
Tony levels with Silvio, Paulie, and Christopher about seeing a psychiatrist. They aren't sure how to take it. Tony insists they tell him how they feel about it. Paulie admits to having seen a psychiatrist himself a year or two before, to help him with anger issues.
Carmella finds out that Father Phil Intintola has also been talking to Rosalie Aprile. Carmella feels like a fool for thinking that she had something special with Father Phil. She confronts him about it when he invites himself over one night. He tries to bluff his way past her anger but it rings a little too true. Father Phil doesn't stay for dinner.
Tony confronts his mother at the nursing home near the end of the episode. She continues to act senile. I've got to say that I find the act to be very convincing. Maybe it is just an act but there's no real hint (other than Tony's insistence that she's faking it) that she might not actually be losing her marbles.
This season didn't end the way I thought it did. I remembered something else, which must happen in the second season. I recalled the death of Mikey Palmice but the rest was for the most part like watching it for the first time. It was an excellent episode. It sets things and resets things nicely for the next season. It makes me hungry for more but I think that I will wait a while before I take a swing at watching season two.
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