Chasing It

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“Chasing It”
The Sopranos episode
Episode no. Season 6
Episode 16
Written by Matthew Weiner
Directed by Tim Van Patten
Guest stars see below
Production no. 616
Original airdate April 29, 2007 (HBO)
Season 6 episodes
Part 1: 12 March 2006 – 4 June 2006
Part 2: 8 April 2007 – 10 June 2007
  1. "Members Only"
  2. "Join the Club"
  3. "Mayham"
  4. "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh"
  5. "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request"
  6. "Live Free or Die"
  7. "Luxury Lounge"
  8. "Johnny Cakes"
  9. "The Ride"
  10. "Moe N' Joe"
  11. "Cold Stones"
  12. "Kaisha"
  1. "Soprano Home Movies"
  2. "Stage 5"
  3. "Remember When"
  4. "Chasing It"
  5. "Walk Like a Man"
  6. "Kennedy and Heidi"
  7. "The Second Coming"
  8. "The Blue Comet"
  9. "Made in America"
List of The Sopranos episodes

"Chasing It" is the eighty-first episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos. It is the fourth episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, the sixteenth episode of the season overall. It was written by executive producer Matthew Weiner and was directed by Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on April 29, 2007.

Contents

[edit] Episode recap

Tony Soprano hits an unlucky gambling stretch and his continuing losses begin to impact his financial obligations as boss. Vito Spatafore's widow Marie turns to Tony for help with her son, Vito Jr., who has reacted negatively to his father's murder. He enters the goth subculture, desecrates a graveyard and constantly misbehaves at school. However, when Marie asks Tony for $100,000 to relocate to Maine, he balks and suggests that Phil Leotardo (Marie's cousin) should get involved. While both Phil and Tony have a man-to-man talk with Vito Jr., neither are willing to step up to help with the move financially. However, when the boy defecates in the school shower, he is expelled. Tony finally acts by paying for Vito to go to a "wilderness therapy" program, having gambled the majority of the relocation money away.

At the same time, Hesh Rabkin begins to regret lending $200,000 to Tony as a "bridge loan". Tony only grudgingly pays Hesh his points, going as far as to goad Hesh in front of his crew with anti-semitic remarks. Hesh later discusses with his son-in-law, Eli Kaplan, his concerns that Tony will find it easier to take other actions than pay him back. In fact, two of Tony's associates, Bobby Baccalieri and Carlo Gervasi, encourage Tony to stiff Hesh. However, Tony responds that if Carlo earned as well as Vito had, he wouldn't be in the financial situation he's in. When Hesh's girlfriend dies of natural causes, Tony steps up and pays a distraught Hesh back the balance out of loyalty.

A.J. proposes to Blanca and she initially accepts, but later ends the relationship during the Puerto Rican Day Parade. A.J. is visibly crushed.

Carmela and her father finally sell their spec house to a relative. During the final inspection, Carmela worries about the sub-standard building materials her father used — but not enough to cancel the sale. When she tells Tony that she's cleared $600K on the house, he tells her about a "sure thing" gambling tip and encourages her to bet some of "his half" on a football game. Carmela and Tony fight about the money — with Tony eventually acknowledging that the money belongs to her, not him. After the tip later pays off, Tony angrily berates her for not allowing him to gamble the profits, challenging her business acumen and character in a heated exchange. The two later reconcile, but Carmela once again expresses her worries about their future.

[edit] First appearances

The episode marks the first appearance of:

  • Jason Gervasi: Son of Carlo Gervasi and a friend of A.J. Soprano. Part of a small-time crew that runs sports book operations at his college.

[edit] Guest starring

[edit] Deceased

  • Hesh's girlfriend, Renata, of a stroke.

[edit] Title reference

  • The title refers to Tony's gambling addiction. "Chasing the vig" is common parlance in gambling vernacular for when one loses a bet(s) and then must make further wagers in order to either make up for the losses and/or keep up with any loan interest (the vig) accrued.

Mistakes AJ Goes to the Puerto Rican day parade which takes place the second weekend in june. however though the entire episode Tony is betting on NFL football which is not in season in any way during June. Also in the beginning while watching the Buffalo bills game on which he bet you can clearly tell it is not a NFL game they are watching when they show the scoreboard and buffalo was suppose to be on offense when they showed the game but the team on offense's jerseys were all white Buffalo has a Blue Jersey with Red and white for home and White with Red and Blue for away games they have never wore an all white jersey.

[edit] Production

  • Max Casella (Benny Fazio) is billed in the opening credits but only for this episode.
  • The headstone that Vito Jr. knocks over in the cemetery is for a "David M. Hackel". Episode writer Matthew Weiner worked for Hackel as a writer for the sitcom Becker. [1]
  • Silvio Dante is seen reading a newspaper with an advertisement for Filene's Basement. On the February 28, 2007 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Steve Schirripa did a special correspondent piece covering Filene's Basement's annual Running of the Brides.
  • Blanca breaks up with A.J. at the New York Puerto Rican Day Parade which is held every year in June. However, Tony wagers on several NFL football games throughout the episode when the NFL season (including preseason) takes place from August to February. Further, he loses an NBA wager when Jerry Stackhouse hits a three-pointer at the buzzer.
  • The casino scenes were filmed at Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel and Casino.
  • Vito Jr. tells Tony that sometimes he has called him Carlo Jr. Carlo is Vito's (financially) disappointing replacement as capo and his son Jason, along with Jason Parisi, welcome A.J. into their college gambling racket in the next episode, "Walk Like a Man".
  • Tony sees Muhammad and Ahmed acting more religious on the street and suspects they may be linked to terrorism, as he tells the FBI agents in "Walk Like a Man". There are two other references to Islamic connections to the "war on terror": When Tony and Bobby drop by to take him fishing, Hesh lies and tells Tony he was watching a piece on the Hezbollah on CNN, and when Tony switches channels from the basketball game he was betting on as Carmela comes into the bedroom, the TV station shows a clip of George W. Bush meeting the visiting Saudi king.
  • At the Bing when the guys are watching a football game Tony has bet on, the footage of the game winning play is from the movie, The Replacements.
  • Last apperances of Hesh Rabkin and Hugh and Mary de Angelis.

[edit] Connections to prior episodes

  • The ornament that Carmela throws at Tony and smashes against the wall is the Lladró figurine that she tells A.J. and his girlfriend is worth $3,000 in the Season 4 episode, "Everybody Hurts".
  • While Tony lectures Vito Jr., he tells him he "goes about in pity for himself", which was the phrase he became intrigued with while in the hospital.
  • After Christopher gets "made" in an earlier episode, he remarks to Paulie Walnuts on the increased pressure to earn, noting how a thin streak of earning can leave one "chasing it."

[edit] References to other media

  • The Twilight Zone episode that Carlo attempts to explain to Tony is entitled "A Nice Place to Visit". In that episode a dead gangster, Rocky Valentine, finds himself unable to lose when gambling and able to have any woman or any other pleasure he desires. Originally, he believes himself in Heaven, until it is revealed he is actually in Hell. Later, in the episode "Kennedy and Heidi", Tony finds himself in a similar situation, winning at roulette and having sex with a beautiful young woman while high on peyote.

[edit] Music

The Song played over the end credits is "Goin' Down Slow" by Howlin' Wolf.

[edit] External links

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