Commendatori
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Sopranos episode | |
|---|---|
| “Commendatori” | |
 |
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 17 |
| Guest star(s) | see below |
| Writer(s) | David Chase |
| Director | Tim Van Patten |
| Production no. | 209 (2-4) |
| Original airdate | February 6, 2000 (HBO) |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Toodle Fucking-Oo" | "Big Girls Don't Cry" |
"Commendatori" is the 17th episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos. It was the 4th episode for the show's second season. The episode was written by David Chase and was directed by Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on Sunday February 6, 2000.
Contents |
[edit] Guest Starring roles
- Sofia Milos as Annalisa Zucca
- Federico Castelluccio as Furio Giunta
- Louis Lombardi as Agent Skip Lipari
- Toni Kalem as Angie Bonpensiero
- Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile
- Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante
[edit] Episode recap
While attempting to watch a bootleg version of The Godfather, Part II Tony announces to his crew that he will be travelling to Naples, along with Paulie and Christopher, to make a deal with a local Camorra family (distantly related to the Sopranos) over the smuggling of stolen cars. Although Tony is excited by the prospect of the trip, he downplays its appeal to Carmela, who is upset that Tony will go abroad with his mob associates but not his family. Tony tries to explain to Carmela that it is a business trip and there will not be enough time for leisure activities.
Over lunch with Rosalie and Gabriella, Carmela asks Angie Bonpensiero how her transition with Pussy is going now that he is home. Angie regrets having Pussy home and that she has been sick ever since he got home. Angie then tells the wives that she recently undergone a test for a tumor and Pussy had little sympathy for her. As the other wives listen on in horror, she confesses that she has contemplated suicide but instead will pursue divorce when the results come back. Angie's tests soon come back negative, but she begins to file for the divorce papers as soon as the legal firms return from the upcoming Jewish holiday. Carmela, obviously taking the matter personally, reminds Angie that Pussy is a doting father, and persuades her to stay with Pussy for the sake of their children, who although grown, are in precariously transitional stages in their lives. Angie tells Carmela that when Pussy arrived home after many months of absence, she felt depressed and angry. As she leaves, Carmela seems ambivalent about the reasoning she has presented to her friend. When Pussy arrives home and silently presents flowers to Angie, she smiles for a moment but then swats him with them.
However, the state of his marriage has been the least of Pussy's concerns lately; he has been preoccupied by the pressures of his co-operation with the government, and growing increasingly paranoid. Pussy is unnerved when he is spotted by Jimmy Bones, a professional Elvis impersonator and acquaintance, during a meeting with his FBI handler Agent Skip Lipari. The pair are forced to concoct a cover story on the spot, claiming that Skip is a mob associate from Delaware. Skip insists that Pussy is doing well and has not attracted suspicion, but to no avail. To ensure that Jimmy remains quiet, Pussy visits his house and beats him to death with a ball-peen hammer.
Tony, Christopher and Paulie arrive in Naples and meet Furio Giunta who will be their translator throughout the trip. Furio then informs him that they will be dining with several capos in the Naples family and that Don Vittorio, boss of the family, will be present. Paulie and Tony go to the dinner but find that they are doing business with another made man, Nino, who Tony does not want to talk to. However, upon meeting the Don, it becomes abundantly clear that Vittorio is now senile and incapable of conducting business. Frustrated, Tony is informed that the Don's son-in-law, Mario Zucca, stepped in to replace him, but is in prison serving a life sentence. Tony is surprised to learn that Mario's wife Annalisa has assumed control of the family. On leaving the restaurant, Tony and Paulie are shocked to see Furio and his cohorts mercilessly beat a boy who set off fireworks as the Don passed to gain attention and respect, and even punch his mother when she tries to intervene. The next day, Tony meets Annalisa, but he still has reservations about dealing with a woman, and tensions are further raised by the boss's mutual sexual attraction. Tony's companions from back home prove incapable of offering support; Christopher has spent his time locked in his hotel room, secretly indulging his heroin habit with local prostitutes and junkies, and Paulie has been on a mission to rediscover his roots, only to uncover a distaste for Neapolitan hospitality, cuisine, and plumbing.
The following day, Annalisa calls for Tony and says that they still have some unfinished business to discuss. Tony reluctantly agrees to finish talking to Annalisa and states that in order for their arrangement to work, she has to transfer Furio to his family. Annalisa scoffs at the suggestion, saying that Furio is one of her best men. Tony agrees to trade her the stolen cars at a reduced price in exchange. She agrees and the pair relax, visiting several city landmarks. Tension is also resolved when Tony reluctantly informs Annalisa that to have a sexual relationship with a business partner would be to "shit where he eats". At Newark Airport, Pussy drives up to take the returning trio home; Paulie describes his trip as "fabulous", Tony is still brooding over his unfulfilled attraction to Annalisa, and Christopher, finally waking from his heroin-induced stupor, is busy buying Adriana a gift from the local airport shop.
When Tony enters his home and announces his return home, Carmela is in her bedroom and tries to pull herself together as she goes down the stairs to see him.
[edit] First appearances
- Furio Giunta: a made man from the Naples mob headed by Don Vittorio and Annalisa Zucca. Furio is sent to America after a successful trade between Tony and Annalisa.
- Angie Bonpensiero: Pussy's wife of 24 years who is a "mob wife" and is good friends with Carmela Soprano, Gabriella Dante and Rosalie Aprile.
- Gabriella Dante: Silvio's wife who is a "mob wife" and is good friends with Carmela Soprano, Rosalie Aprile and Angie Bonpensiero.
[edit] Deceased
[edit] Title reference
- The episode's title is an Italian word for commander which is an honorable title in Italian society. Paulie is given this greeting in Italy, which he tries to use throughout the episode.
[edit] Trivia
- Series creator, David Chase is seen in the episode at an Italian patisserie where Paulie Walnuts says "commendatori" to him.
- The song "Con Te Partiro" by Andrea Bocelli is played four times throughout the episode.
- Although the episode aired fourth, it was the ninth to be produced.
- The scene where Paulie attempts to make conversation with the locals on the waterfront was not scripted; Tony Sirico was simply filmed interacting with passersby. In the scene Paulie tells a passerby that he is from America, and the passerby asks whether Paulie is in NATO, and claims that one of his planes cut their ski lift cable. This is a reference to the 1998 Cavalese cable-car disaster.
