Kaisha

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The Sopranos episode
“Kaisha”
Episode no. Season 6
Episode 77
Guest star(s) see below
Writer(s) Terence Winter and
David Chase & Matthew Weiner
Director Alan Taylor
Production no. 612
Original airdate June 4, 2006 (HBO)
Episode chronology
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"Cold Stones" "TBA"

Episode chronology

"Kaisha" is the 77th episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos. The episode was written by Terence Winter and David Chase & Matthew Weiner and was directed by Alan Taylor. It was the 12th episode for the show's sixth season. It originally aired on June 4, 2006.

Contents

[edit] Guest starring

[edit] Episode recap

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Carlo Gervasi disposes of the head of Fat Dom by kicking it into a drain in Connecticut. He calls Silvio Dante to let him know he has disposed of the last part of the body and asks if “the barbecue in Sheepshead Bay” is still on. Sil is unsure of Tony Soprano's wishes.

Phil Leotardo arrives with a woman at the wire room, which is fronted with the sign Sheepshead Hair Design. As they approach the building, it explodes, knocking them to the street. Benny Fazio calls Tony to let him know the operation was a success and Tony is pleased that Phil was so close when the bomb went off.

Tony completes the Jamba Juice real estate deal and apologises to realtor Julianna Skiff about his behavior when they last met. He makes another pass at her, but she politely turns him down.

Christopher and Kelli Moltisanti discuss decorating a nursery for their expected child. Chris worries they are counting their chickens before they hatch. Kelli asks him to put aside superstition and enjoy the time, reminding him she does not have the health worries of his ex, Adriana La Cerva.

Carmela visits Liz La Cerva at the hospital to find that she is restrained in her bed, having apparently attempted suicide. Carmela returns home and tells Tony that Liz was set off by a letter from the Salvation Army, to whom Adriana made annual donations. Tony suggests that Liz is an alcoholic who cannot accept the reality that Adriana moved away because she could not stand her mother. Carmela takes offense at that suggestion, on the heels of Meadow moving away two weeks prior. Carmela again complains about her spec house being stalled and her life in general, and Tony attempts to comfort her by pointing out that A.J. is doing better.

Tony, Christopher, Bobby, and A.J. watch football on Thanksgiving. Tony questions Chris about his secret phone calls, and Chris admits having a new goomar, "Kaisha". Tony criticises Chris’ timing in starting an affair while he has a pregnant wife at home, but sympathises when Chris complains that the "playground is closed" and he has unmet sexual needs. When Bobby asks why Chris has not brought Kaisha around, Chris explains that she is black, and cites Paulie's racism as the reason he has kept her away.

While working at a construction site, A.J. watches Paulie make a collection from Blanca, an administrator there. A.J. is struck by the woman and introduces himself. A.J.'s attempt at conversation with Blanca is cut short, however, when his boss urges him to get back to work. Blanca glances back and smiles at A.J. after walking away.

Chris is at his girlfriend's apartment having sex with her. It turns out the girlfriend is actually Julianna Skiff. She asks how he could like a person who would sleep with a married man. He tells her he rushed into marriage with Kelli and does not want a family with her, as she “has no idea who [he is]”.

Little Carmine hosts a "meeting of minds" between New York and New Jersey with Tony, Silvio, Phil, Gerry Torciano, and Butch DeConcini. His rambling introduction is criticised by Phil who then makes a joke about Vito, which seems to offend Tony. Tony reminds Phil that Vito was one of his captains and mentions Vito’s earning ability. Phil brings up the "disappearance" Fat Dom. Silvio and Tony feign knowing nothing about it. Little Carmine brings them back to the subject, and offers the confused statement “a pint of blood costs more than a gallon of gold,” indicating that the dispute is costing both men money. Tony and Phil agree to a truce, but Little Carmine continues to talk and mentions Phil's brother, which sends Phil into a rage. Phil storms off, after insulting both Tony and Little Carmine.

While having drinks with his coworkers, A.J. notices Blanca dancing. She approaches him to continue their aborted conversation at the construction site and encourages A.J. to take her out, though warning him that she has a three-year-old son, Hector. A.J. is not deterred, and Blanca gives him her phone number, missing the final digit, which she tells A.J. to find on his own to prove his interest in her.

Tony calls Julianna on the pretense of making a deal on a warehouse, piquing her interest by appealing to the businesswoman in her. This prompts a flashback to an AA meeting Julianna attended shortly after Tony walked out on their attempted tryst, which led to her relapsing. Chris, who attends the same meeting, approaches her afterwards. He invites her for coffee, and they have sex in his car.

Carmela again brings up the subject of Adriana with Tony, suggesting they hire a private investigator to track her down. He attempts to dissuade her, but she is not easily swayed. Tony's only recourse is to meet Silvio at the Bing and tell him to lean on the building inspector in order to restart Carmela's spec house project, which he hopes will distract her.

Tony meets with Julianna at the warehouse and makes another move. She again rejects him, this time with obvious irritation.

Julianna and Christopher discuss his "Cleaver" script at her place. Julianna asks whether the mob boss in the script is similar to Tony, and Christopher says there is some "similarness" in that both men think everything is theirs. He expresses reservations about being where Tony has been, which upsets Julianna, who points out that Tony "hasn't been anywhere" because nothing happened between them. Christopher points out that in Tony's mind, he has been there. This upsets Julianna even more, and she tells him she is “not a parking spot” before they have sex again.

Phil discusses Tony with his captains Albie, Gerry, and Butch DeConcini. Butch is particularly critical of Tony and suggests whacking him. Phil refuses to consider this and Butch suggests picking "somebody over there".

Chris leaves an AA meeting with Murmur and discusses his relationship with Julianna and her prior liaison with Tony. Murmur is most concerned with Julianna’s history of drug and alcohol abuse. He tells Christopher the relationship could be enabling ("bad habits shared"), but Chris says that in their case, the "two are stronger than one" school of thought takes precedence. Julianna has a similar conversation with her own sponsor, who is very critical of Christopher's "connected" status, pointing out that people like he and Tony are "sociopaths".

A.J. watches television with Blanca at her house as a group of youths begin playing loud music outside while her son is sleeping. She asks them to move, but they respond with profanity. She tells A.J. her ex used to beat them up, which prompts him to resolve the dispute in his own way; by bribing them with a mountain bike that was a gift from his parents. Blanca rewards him with vigorous sex. During pillow talk, A.J. asks whether their age difference bothers Blanca. She laughs it off, asks him about Hector, to which A.J. responds that he loves kids.

Christopher visits Julianna, who has a serious cough. He intends to get Robitussin, and she criticizes him for being anxious to bring something with dextromethorphan into the place. He resents her implication, but when she goes into another coughing fit, he insists. She stops him again, but this time suggests he buy Valerian tea, 8-10 tea bags of which would be equivalent to one Valium. Christopher accepts this obvious invitation to relapse. In the next scene, they have advanced to freebasing heroin in his car.

A.J. is putting up the Christmas tree at the Soprano house under Tony's watch while Carmela looks through the mail. A letter from the building department informs her that the stop work order on her spec house was lifted. She immediately realizes this is Tony's work, and thanks him profusely.

At the Leotardo house, Phil and his wife Patty discuss Christmas dinner while their housekeeper, who turns out to be Phil’s date on the evening of the Wire Room bombing, works around the house. Phil complains of feeling ill. Phil and Patty go to the emergency room, where the doctor diagnoses Phil with gas, not a heart attack. That night, Phil wakes up hyperventilating, thinking he is dying. She rushes him back to the hospital.

Tony, Silvio, and Paulie are at the Bing, where Paulie complains of erectile dysfunction during a previous encounter with a girl in a Santa hat, which he found distracting. Murmur arrives bringing news that Phil has had a heart attack. Tony is pleased and orders a round of drinks, but Silvio and Paulie are critical of his joy, pointing out that Phil had been a manageable pain, and any replacement could mean further unrest. Tony disagrees, citing the insult-laden exchange at Little Carmine's.

Bobby visits Junior at his care facility and returns his Christmas gift (an envelope of money), saying he cannot accept it after what happened with Tony. Junior is clearly not in his right mind, as he suggests he may not have been acting alone, and that he is "mounting [his] case" with the help of a lawyer, another patient in the institution. After Bobby leaves, Junior gives the envelope to an orderly.

At Satriale’s, Tony notices Christopher talking to Julianna in her car down the block. He questions Christopher, who asks for Tony's version of what happened between them, and then pretends that Julianna is friends with "Kaisha", the black comare he made up at Thanksgiving.

Christopher and Julianna continue smoking heroin, and discuss their (self-deluding) ability to control their use of drugs and integrate it into their lives. Chris tells Julianna he must reveal their relationship to Tony in order to prevent him finding out that he is using again. Christopher catches up with Tony at the Bing, and tells the truth about his relationship with Julianna, placating Tony by saying reason he concealed the relationship was that he was not sure how things had ended between him and Julianna. Tony says Christopher can do whatever he wants with her.

In therapy, Tony discusses his anger at being "rewarded" for his fidelity by Christopher's relationship with the woman Tony desired for himself. Dr. Melfi is pleased that Tony did not react to the situation violently, and that the situation is a corollary to Tony’s view that each day is a gift – he does not need to sleep with every woman he meets. Tony brings up his realization that all the women he has pursued, including Dr. Melfi, share certain qualities, and that this must be the reason he continues seeing her, since "nothing changes with the therapy part."

Agent Harris visits Satriale’s and asks to talk to Tony. He warns him that Phil and his crew may be targeting someone close to him, for retaliation to recent events. Tony thanks him for the warning.

Christopher and Julianna discuss his taking omerta and his difficulties getting into the higher power part of the recovery program. She realises that he is disappointed that the people in his crime family have let him down by failing to follow the oath. She worries he is leaving her, but he denies it. She suggests they go to a meeting; when he says he is unsure, Julianna decides for them. When she suggest they take one car, Christopher tells her he will follow her.

Tony visits Phil at the hospital in Brooklyn. Several of Phil's captains and soldiers are keeping vigil in the hallway, and Patty and Ginny Sacrimoni are at Phil’s bedside. After they leave, Tony tells Phil about his coma, revealing that he went to a place that he never wants to visit again. Tony tells Phil to take his time recovering and enjoy his grandchildren and the good things in his life when he is better.

At home, Carmela is going through paperwork and preparing Christmas dinner. Tony's hope that the spec house will distract her pays off, as she discards the business card of the PI she wanted to hire to find Adriana, and instead calls the roofing subcontractor. The family is hanging out before dinner. A.J. arrives with Blanca and Hector. Hugh remarks on Blanca’s necklace, which A.J. bought for her. In another room, Carmela and Tony discuss Blanca. Carmela does not approve of her age or race, but Tony seems much more accepting, seemingly glad his son is acting more grown up. When Tony suggests to A.J. that he could have helped with the necklace, A.J. responds, “I have a job”. Blanca compliments Carmela on their beautiful home, and she thanks Blanca and agrees. The entire extended family is gathered peacefully around the tree with Christmas music playing.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Title reference

  • The episode's title "Kaisha" has many different meanings which include:
    • Christopher's fake African-American comàre, is named Kaisha.
    • Kaisha is also the Japanese word for company or corporation.
    • Used in Japanese slang, "Uchi no kaisha" means "Don't mess with my buddies" or "I've got my pal's back."
    • "Kaisha" was also the name of the girlfriend of Credenzo Curtis, a killer that Christopher hired in Season 4 to assassinate Carmine Lupertazzi, and who was murdered by Benny and Petey after the assassination was called off; she was never shown, but Credenzo asked his partner Stanley Johnson not to mention the money they got from Christopher to Kaisha or she'd be hounding him for child support.

[edit] Trivia

  • Bobby Jr. is seen watching the film Casablanca at the Christmas gathering. In the previous episode, Cold Stones, Casablanca's signature song, "As Time Goes By" plays over the closing credits.
  • The episode opens and closes with the The Rolling Stones song, "Moonlight Mile". (The line, "with a head full of snow", accompanies Carlo's transport of Fat Dom's frozen head.)
  • In what appears to be a joke towards writer Terence Winter , Christopher mentions that the "50 Cent movie" aka Get Rich or Die Tryin' was being given away free at the car wash. Winter wrote the script for that film and co-wrote this episode.
  • AJ shares a birthday with Jesse Ventura. The professional wrestler turned actor turned politician was born on July 15.
  • The episode was dedicated to the late John T. Patterson, who directed every season finale for the first five seasons and was a regular director.
  • Sentimental Journey was the working title for this episode.
  • This episode is the second Christmas-themed episode with episode 3.10, ...To Save Us All From Satan's Power, being the first. In this episode, characters who don't celebrate Christmas mention its arrival. Christopher asks Julianna about Christmas but she states that she is Jewish and watches bad movies on Christmas eve, Mohammed and Ahmed (non Christians) wish Tony a happy holiday.
  • The lead in fictional film project "Cleaver" is called Michael - the character of Christopher is played by actor Michael Imperioli. This might also be a reference to the protagonist/antagonist in the Godfather series, Michael Corleone. On one occasion, Christopher has described "Cleaver" as mix between The Godfather and Saw.
  • The second part of the sixth season will follow in March 2007, dubbed Season 6B, as opposed to Season 6A respectively.
  • The episode ran 61 minutes with previously segments included.
  • Christopher's comments about penguins spending a long time guarding an egg only to lose the chick inside refer to the film March of the Penguins.
  • Christopher initially claims his comare is black and that the reason he does not bring her around is due to Paulie's "racial bullshit." Paulie himself has a girlfriend of Dominican heritage in episode 2.9, "From Where to Eternity".
  • The exploding storefront is an actual location in the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood on Fresh Pond Road (one of the two main local shopping streets).
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