Watching Too Much Television

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“Watching Too Much Television”
The Sopranos episode
Episode no. Season 4
Episode 46
Guest stars see below
Written by Nick Santora and Terence Winter
Directed by John Patterson
Production no. 407
Original airdate October 27, 2002
Episode chronology
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"Everybody Hurts" "Mergers and Acquisitions"
Episode chronology

"Watching Too Much Television" is the 46th episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos. It was the seventh episode for the show's fourth season. The episode's teleplay was written by Nick Santora and Terence Winter with a story by Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess, Terence Winter and David Chase and directed by John Patterson. It originally aired on Sunday October 27, 2002.

Contents

[edit] Guest Starring roles

[edit] Episode recap

Paulie gets out of prison and has a huge party thrown for him at the Bada Bing! Tony and Ralphie get an idea from Brian Cammarata the next day - defrauding the HUD fund with bogus housing deals. Tony recruits Zellman and a friend of his, Maurice Tiffen, the formerly idealistic head of a non-profit low income housing program, to put the plan into action. They also recruit Dr. Fried to initially buy the property. Zellman confesses that he has started seeing Irina - Tony initially gives his blessing but later storms into Zellman's place and beats him with a belt in front of Irina.

Adrianna's surreptitious meetings with FBI continue. Believing that the FBI will stop hassling her if they can't use her testimony, she asks Christopher to finally set a date for their wedding. Later, during a casual conversation, she finds out that marital privilege may not apply after all. She secretly goes to a lawyer, who tells her that marital privilege will only apply to conversations that take place after they get married, are not in the presence of a third party, and do not further any criminal enterprise. Since every conversation she's ever had with Christopher violates at least one of these rules, marriage will not solve her legal problems. This is reinforced in a separate scene, where the FBI agents on the case voice no serious objection, and, in fact, are marginally in favor of the proposed union.

Elsewhere, Carmela and Furio's tentative flirtation continues as he calls her looking for his sunglasses. Ade continues to meet with the FBI but Paulie is giving up more information in his meetings with Johnny Sack. They meet for a meal and he divulges the HUD scheme also seeking assurance from Johnny that their discussions are private.

[edit] Title reference

Refers to Adriana watching the TV series Murder One and learning that she doesn't have to turn state's evidence against Christopher if they get married (which turns out to be untrue). Perhaps a reference to David Chase's views on the falseness of network TV programming.

[edit] Miscellaneaous

  • Paulie told Chris he had been watching too much television because he appeared paranoid when picked up to go to his ceremony for becoming a made man.
  • Like he did with Meadow in the Pilot, Tony takes AJ to see the church his grandfather built when he first came from Avelino. However, unlike Meadow, AJ is bored with the whole experience: his favorite part of the expedition comes when he and Tony drive through his great-grandfather's old neighborhood, and are solicited by drug dealers. Upon realizing who they are, AJ points and exclaims, "So that's a crack ho!"
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