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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 1 "Pilot"
Antony Soprano attempt to be a good family man on two fronts - to his wife, kids and widowed mother - and as a capo in the New Jersey mob. The pressures of work and family life give him anxiety attacks, so Tony starts seeing a psychiatrist. What caused all this stress? On the home front his marriage is shaky and his mother needs to be put in a nursing home. Uncle Junior wanted to use Tony's childhood friend's restaurant to whack a guy named Pussy Malenga, but Tony prevented the hit by blowing the place up. When a Czech mob attempted to move in on the Sopranos' waste management business, Tony's hot-headed nephew Chris "handled the problem" by murdering their representative and dumping him on Staten Island without getting the permission of the administration.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 2 "46 Long"
The acting boss of the family, Giacomo "Jackie" Aprile is deathly ill with cancer - and Tony's about to get into a power struggle with Uncle Junior he doesn't even want. Tony finally gets Livia to live in the retirement community after much fuss. When the car belonging to Anthony Jr.'s teacher is stolen, Tony sends lieutenants Big Pussy and Paulie Walnuts to work over the thieves and get the car back. After Christopher and his associate Brendan agree to pay Uncle Junior a 15K "tribute" for accidentally jacking a Junior-protected truck full of DVD's, the none-too-bright Brendan hits the same trucking company again.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 3 "Denial, Anger, Acceptance"
Christopher and Brendan returned the stolen goods to Comley Trucking like he demanded, Comley thanked Tony for it, not Junior. Now Mikey Palmice is telling him that if Tony won't do something about those two guys. Tony is worried about Jackie Aprile, who's in the hospital with inoperable cancer. He feels guilty about Artie and Charmaine Bucco, who are broke and going through a second arson investigation for the Vesuvio fire. And he's uneasy about Carmela using their home to host a big hospital benefit. If that weren't enough, he's having trouble with a new business partner: a Hasidic man who agreed to give Tony 25 percent of his motel in return for "persuading" his son-in-law to give his daughter a divorce. Junior visits Livia at Green Grove.
| | | | | | | "Complicated Shadows" Elvis Costello & the Attractions | | | |
| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 4 "Meadowlands"
Tony Soprano didn't dream about the ducks; they've been replaced by Dr. Melfi. Tony called in Vin Makazian to get information on Jennifer Melfi, but didn't tell him why. So Makazian, assuming Melfi was one of Tony's goomahs, did Tony a "favor" by beating up a guy she was on a date with. Tony decided to resolve his issues with Junior. Over lobsters at the Bada Bing, he and the other capos decide that, with Jackie Aprile in a coma and not long for this world, Tony should take over as Boss. But they also agree that Junior should be allowed to think he's running things. When Tony tells Carmela he wants to quit therapy, she tells him she'll leave him if he does. Anthony, Jr. is getting into fights at school, and Meadow complicated things by telling him what their dad really does for a living.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 5 "College"
Tony escorted Meadow on a series of visits to colleges in Maine, and the trip went pretty well. Tony and Meadow even talked about Tony's "business." But then Tony spotted an old "friend" at a gas station, and everything changed. The "friend" was Fabian "Febby" Petrulio, made man turned rat, who entered and then dropped out of the Witness Protection Program. So Tony spent the better part of his trip to Maine dropping Meadow off at college interviews and then trying to get the drop on Petrulio. When he finally did catch up to him at the travel agency, Tony sent Febby on a one-way trip by means of a wire around his neck. When Tony and Meadow returned, Carmela came clean about Father Phil spending the night. But before Tony could get too worked up about it, she let him know that "Jennifer" Melfi called for him.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 6 "Pax Soprana"
Junior Soprano finally became the new Boss of New Jersey and proceeded to drive everybody crazy. Not only did he refuse to honor any deals made during Jackie Aprile's reign, he also didn't let any of his newfound wealth trickle down to the guys below. Junior decided to tax Hesh. Tony arranged a meeting between Hesh, Junior and New York capo Johnny Sack. Tony and Carmela celebrat their 18th anniversary. Carmela knows Tony's therapist is a woman, and she realizes that she's jealous of Dr. Melfi.Tony's been suffering a side effect of his Prozac - impotence - and to put it delicately, the dreams about Dr. Melfi are the most stimulating thing in his life right now. But at least Tony got Junior under control, and he even proposed a loving toast to the new Boss at his initiation dinner. The whole thing was recorded by the FBI.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 7 "Down Neck"
Anthony Soprano Jr. is proving to be a regular chip off the old block, and Tony's not sure he likes it. He especially doesn't like that he and Carmela are called to the Verbum Dei principal's office because A.J. and his posse stole some sacramental wine and showed up drunk for gym class. Unfortunately the school psychologist thinks Anthony Jr. may have Attention Deficit Disorder, and it means Special Ed if he does. Tony's cheerful childhood memories include his dad and Uncle Junior beating up the guy who lived across the street and his mother threatening to put a fork in his eye. He tells all this to Dr. Melfi, who assures him that biology isn't destiny and Anthony Jr. isn't doomed to live the wiseguy lifestyle of his father and grandfather. But Tony's not so sure. Meanwhile, as part of his punishment, Anthony Jr. can't watch TV or play Nintendo.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 8 "Legend Of Tennessee Moltisante"
All the wiseguys at the wedding of Larry Boy Barese's daughter, talked about were the indictments coming down and how half of New York has already left for Fort Lauderdale. The decision was for everyone to do a little "housecleaning" in case anyone shows up on the doorstep in an "FBI" jacket. There's a television broadcast naming everybody in the Soprano crew as possible subjects of a grand jury investigation. Christopher got upset because he's not named. To put it mildly, Christopher had nightmares about Emil Kolar. Just as Christopher is about to hit bottom, he's named in the newspaper as a "reputed gangster." Life is good and he's got a new lease on it. Meanwhile, Junior drops in to visit Livia and gets more family news than he bargained for: she tells him that Tony is seeing a psychiatrist.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 9 "Boca"
Junior decided to get away from it all for awhile and headed to Boca Raton with his ladylove, Roberta. Junior and Roberta have been together for sixteen years. Even so, Junior warns her that if she ever told anyone about their sex life, the two of them will "go ten rounds." Meadow knows a secret about one of her girlfriends. Their soccer coach had sex with a girl and Meadow told Tony and Carmela about it. But before he could, the cops arrested the coach and Tony found himself actually relieved that, for once in his life, he didn't have to hurt anybody. Tony and his uncle know each other's deepest and most dangerous secret, and during a golf game they got annoyed with each other and started making not-so-veiled references. Junior dumped Roberta by shoving a lemon meringue pie in her face. In Italian "boca" means "mouth" and it pays to know when to keep yours shut.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 10 "A Hit Is A Hit"
Tony and Carmela started socializing with the neighbors. They went to backyard barbecues and Tony was invited to play golf with "the guys" at Dr. Cusamano's country club. Christopher and Adriana struck up an acquaintance with a gangster rap star, Massive Genius, and were inspired to try their hand at the music business. Adrianna's old boyfriend, Richie Santini, just so happened to have a band called Visiting Day, and Christopher agreed to put up the money for Adriana to produce a demo for them. Unfortunately, Richie never fully recovered. Christopher realized that the only reason Massive G is encouraging Adriana is because he wants into her pants. But when Christopher told Adriana this, she accused him of trying to hold her back. So she walked out on him. On top of all this, Massive G tried to shake down Hesh for $400,000.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 11 "Nobody Knows Anything"
Makazian claimed the rat is one of Tony's oldest and most trusted friends: Pussy Bonpensiero. Pussy was busted, along with Jimmy Altieri, in a raid on Jimmy's social club. But would he really rat out his fellow "cugines"? Tony told Paulie to check Pussy for a wire, and if he saw it with his own eyes was Paulie to take the next step. Meanwhile, it turned out Makazian was into Pussy for 30 large. But before Tony found out whether that's his motive for fingering the big guy, Makazian got busted at a bordello and committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. Jimmy Altieri showed up at Tony and Carmela's, suddenly needing to talk to Tony about the safehouse hit. Pussy's not the rat, Altieri is. The only problem is, Pussy disappeared. Well, not the only problem: Junior put a contract out on Tony.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 12 "Isabella"
Tony is the most depressed he's ever been. Dr. Melfi tried to jump start his system by having him take so much Prozac and Lithium. Until he saw Isabella. Isabella was a beautiful young Italian woman staying next door at the Cusamano's. Tony saw her through the window one morning. Junior finally made his move, and when Tony stopped to buy some juice at a newsstand, two young would-be whackers went after him with guns blazing. But Tony Soprano didn't get where he is today by letting people shoot at him. When the smoke cleared, one of Junior's assassins was dead, and the other was tossed from Tony's Suburban. Since the hit on Tony failed, Junior and Livia know he'll be looking for who's responsible. According to Dr. Melfi, Isabella was a side effect of the Lithium, an expression of Tony's need for a nurturing maternal figure.
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| | | | | The Sopranos series 1 episode 13 "I Dream Of Jeannie Cusamano"
Junior agrees with Tony that Jimmy Altieri is wearing a wire; he then gives his blessing for Tony to do what's necessary, "and send a message." So Jimmy's body, punctuated with bullet holes and a rat stuffed in his mouth, is left in an alley as a clear statement of what happens to made men who make deals with the FBI. The FBI brings Tony in to listen to a tape. They've bugged Livia's room at Green Grove; and they let Tony listen to his mother and uncle planning the hit on him. Tony warns Dr. Melfi that her life may be in danger and that she should get out of town. He tells Silvio, Christopher and Paulie that Junior planned the hit on him so they can "take care of" Chucky Signore and Mikey Palmice. Junior is arrested by federal agents who offer him immunity if he'll testify that he was never the boss.
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The Sopranos television series is created and produced by David Chase. It premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10, 1999 and ended its original run of six seasons and 86 episodes on June 10, 2007. The show has also been broadcast on A&E in the United States and internationally. Set in New Jersey, where it also was produced, the series revolves around mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. A major commercial and critical success, The Sopranos is the most financially successful cable series in the history of television and is acknowledged as one of the greatest television series of all time. The series is noted for its high level of quality in all aspects of production and has been particularly recognized for its writing and the performances of its lead actors. The show has been credited for bringing a greater level of artistry to the television medium and paving the way for many successful drama series that followed. It also won numerous awards, including twenty-one Emmys and five Golden Globes. Two soundtrack albums containing music from the series have been released. The first, titled The Sopranos: Music from the HBO Original Series, was released in 1999. It contains selections from the show's first two seasons and reached 54 on the U.S. Billboard 200. A second soundtrack compilation, titled BillboardThe Sopranos: Peppers & Eggs: Music from the HBO Original Series, was released in 2001. This double-disc album contains songs and selected dialogue from the show's first three seasons. It reached 38 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Creator David Chase's drama series stars three-time Emmy winners James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Edie Falco as Tony's wife Carmela, plus Lorraine Bracco as therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi, Emmy winner Michael Imperioli as Tony's nephew Christopher Moltisanti, and Dominic Chianese as Uncle Junior. Also Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr., Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano, Tony Sirico as Paulie Walnuts, and Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante. Aida Turturro, who plays Tony's sister Janice, returned to the show as a series regular, as well as Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri, John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco, and Vincent Curatola as Johnny Sack. Other cast members of The Sopranos are Ray Abruzzo as Carmine, Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo, Peter Bogdanovich as Dr. Elliot Kupferberg, Vincent Pastore as "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, Joe Gannascoli as Vito Spatafore, Max Casella as Benny, Lenny Venito as Murmur, Carl Capotoro as Little Paulie, Dan Grimaldi as Patsy, Katherine Narducci as Charmaine Bucco, Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile, Maureen Van Zandt as Gabrielle Dante and Toni Kalem as Angie Bompensiero. Guest stars include Daniel Baldwin, Sydney Pollack, Nancy Sinatra, Jonathan LaPaglia, David Margulies, Geraldo Rivera, Ken Leung, Frank John Hughes, Jerry Adler, Tim Daly, Ben Kingsley.
Games: "Turnpike Trivia Game" is loaded with questions about The Sopranos, the characters, the stories, and the people who created them. "Road To Respect" your task is simple: protect the family; one wrong move and you may get whacked. But if you're crafty enough, you might just get "made."
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The Sopranos Pilot
