The Sopranos 3.05

Another Toothpick

Vito Spatafore's nephew gets put into a coma. The man who did it is Mustang Sally. It was a crime of passion but that doesn't matter to Vito or Tony. Gigi Cestone is the captain responsible for dealing with the situation and he suggests to Tony that Bobby Baccalieri, Sr. should be the one to handle the job. He is Mustang Sally's godfather. Bobby, Jr. isn't too happy about the decision and tries to get Uncle Junior to intercede on his behalf.

Tony brings Carmela to one of his sessions with Dr. Melfi. It doesn't go well. Carmela takes most of Dr. Melfi's questions as personal attacks. Tony and Carmela get into an argument in the car after the session, while they are driving home. Tony gets a speeding ticket. He tries to get the cop to look the other way but he won't.

Artie loses it when he learns that Adriana is quitting. He gives Christopher a hard time about it. Chris is ready to kick his ass but Tony is there and gets him to back off. Artie admits to Tony that he is in love with Adriana. Tony tells him to back off and tells him to give him a call the next day.

Bobby, Sr. goes through with the hit, despite Uncle Junior's attempts to get Tony to get someone else to handle it. It does not go well. Mustang Sally isn't alone when Bobby, Sr. goes to visit him. He kills Mustang Sally but then he crashes his car and dies on the drive home.

Tony runs into the police officer who gave him a ticket. He has been reassigned due to a call that Tony made. He is no longer eligible for overtime. Tony feels bad about it at first but after he gets into an argument with Meadow about his racist attitude he changes his mind. He makes one last peace offering to the officer, in the form of a bribe, but the officer doesn't bite.

Tony wants to go into business with Artie, who is more than ready but Charmaine says no. They argue about it in the restaurant, with customers around. Artie insists and Charmaine gives him an ultimatum. He chooses Tony over Charmaine. Artie reaches out to Adriana. They meet in another restaurant for dinner. She thinks it is just a friendly meeting but soon realizes otherwise. 

Uncle Junior tells Tony that he has stomach cancer. He asks him not to tell anyone but Tony tells Janice. They wind up talking about it that night. Bobby, Jr. doesn't take the news very well. He doesn't learn until the morning of his father's funeral.

Meadow ruins the FBI's wire tap by taking the lamp that the listening device is in back to Columbia with her. 

Thoughts

Bobby Baccalieri, Sr. is played by Burt Young who is best known for playing Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law in the Rocky films. He was also in Across 110th Street (1972). The police officer who stopped Tony for speeding is played by Charles S. Dutton whom I have seen in a number of things including Alien 3 but nothing that I have written about in this blog.

I did it again. I watched an episode out of order. I was supposed to watch the previous episode but I goofed, again.

I can see what is good about this show but I am starting to wonder about the reverence in which I hold this show. The main characters are horrible people. I think the first time through there was some curiosity about how things would develop. This time around I know there will be no redemption. It makes the show considerably less fun to watch. I think that I have also lost some of my taste for violence in TV shows and movies. Whether it is cartoonish or realistic it strikes me as repulsive.