The FBI gets a warrant to bug the Soprano's basement. They don't want the family to find out about it so they have to install it when no one is home. They figure out that the best time is on Tuesday afternoons when everyone, including Lilian, the maid, is out of the house. They have agents tail everyone as they leave the house just in case someone comes back early.
The FBI has to break in first to case the joint and figure out the best place for the listening device. They focus on the basement but they do wander a little bit into the kitchen. Everything goes pretty smooth.
The reason why the FBI want to bug the house goes back to something they learned from Big Pussy Bonpensiero. He told them that Tony doesn't like to talk business in the house but if he ever does he does it in the basement.
Tony has problems of his own. Gigi Cestone, one of his men, knows that Patsy Parisi has been drinking too much. Gigi killed Philly, Patsy's twin brother, in 2.01. Patsy used to work for Uncle Junior. Gigi suspects that Patsy knows that Tony ordered the hit.
The FBI has some trouble getting back in the following Tuesday to install the device. Something happens but they aren't sure what it is. Carmella comes home early from her tennis lesson. Tony also comes home in the middle of the day. The FBI doesn't learn until later that the water heater broke and flooded the basement.
Patsy experiences some anguish over his feelings about his murdered twin brother. It becomes clear that Gigi's suspicion that Patsy blames Tony is accurate. Patsy shows up at Tony's place drunk and carrying a gun, ready to shoot Tony. The only ones to see him are a couple of FBI agents, even though Tony was home at the time. Patsy changes his mind before anyone else sees him. He pisses in the pool and leaves. The next day Tony asks him about how he is feeling. Patsy is reticent to say it but ultimately says he's over his brother's murder.
The FBI gets back in the basement and installs the listening device. They start using it and can hear every word of every conversation transpiring in the basement. One of the first conversations they hear is between Tony and Stasiu, Liliana's husband. Tony hires him to build some sort of a drainage system in case the new water heater breaks.
Thoughts
The title is a reference to the plumber who replaces the water heater. Agent Harris is the one who uses the line in an offhanded kind of way.
Dr. Melfi, Uncle Junior, and Janice are all in the credits but do not appear in this episode. There are a number of other regulars that do appear in this episode but don't play a big role.
This is a decent episode. It focuses for the most part on the FBI, as if it is a police show. I don't recall how pivotal a role the listening device winds up playing this season. I've got a hunch that Stasiu is going to break it by accident while installing the drainage system.
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