Mergers and Acquisitions (''The Sopranos'')

"Mergers and Acquisitions"
The Sopranos episode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 8
Directed by	Dan Attias
Story by	David Chase Robin Green Mitchell Burgess Terence Winter
Teleplay by	Lawrence Konner
Cinematography by	Phil Abraham
Production code	408
Original air date	November 3, 2002
Running time	56 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
see below

"Mergers and Acquisitions" is the forty-seventh episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the eighth of the show's fourth season. Its teleplay was written by Lawrence Konner from a story by David Chase, Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess and Terence Winter. It was directed by Dan Attias and originally aired on November 3, 2002.

Starring

• James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
• Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi
• Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
• Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
• Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr. *
• Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante
• Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
• Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr.
• Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano *
• Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva
• Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano
• Federico Castelluccio as Furio Giunta
• John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco
• and Joe Pantoliano as Ralph Cifaretto

* = credit only

Guest starring

Episode recap

Paulie is concerned about his mother Nucci welfare when she finally makes the move to the Green Grove Retirement Home. Nucci is excited to reunite with old friends Cookie Cirillo and Minn Matrone. However, the elderly women inform Paulie that Nucci will not be allowed to socialize with them since they are a set group. On casino night, Nucci is ostracized by Cookie after she misplays a game of blackjack. When Nucci confines herself to her room, an angry Paulie demands that the Green Grove director do more to help his mother. He also visits Cookie's son, Chuckie, asking him to talk to his mother about getting along with Nucci. When relations between the women do not improve, Chuckie is chased by Benny and Little Paulie and has his right arm broken. Chuckie's wife then threatens to take Cookie out of the nursing home if she does not make peace with Nucci.

Meanwhile, seeing Pie-O-My at the stables, Tony meets Ralph's new girlfriend, the Cuban-Italian Valentina La Paz. Valentina convinces Tony to have a portrait made of him with Pie-O-My, eventually leading the two to have sex. Valentina wants to continue seeing Tony, complaining about Ralph's masochistic fetishes. Dr. Melfi suggests that Tony is reluctant to "cuckold" Ralph. Tony continues to push Valentina away until it is confirmed to him that she broke up with Ralph and that her claims about his fetishes were true. Tony starts giving directions to his underlings through pay phone calls to Christopher, and informs his lawyer he is making steps to isolate himself from incriminating discussions.

Carmela empathizes with Furio when he leaves for Naples to attend his father's funeral. While in Italy, Furio discusses his homesickness with his uncle, but mentions that what is pulling him back to America is a woman. When Furio confides that the woman is the boss's wife, he is warned not to pursue the relationship any further or risk getting killed. Furio says that he understands. Meanwhile, Carmela is infuriated when she discovers a broken false fingernail in Tony's clothes. She taking two bound stacks of Tony's hidden money and invests it with several stockbrokers. Tony realizes what's happened and walks downstairs, where Carmela is reading the newspaper. While Carmela makes coffee, the two ask each other if they have anything to talk about, and both reply in the negative.

First appearances

• Valentina La Paz: An art dealer and Ralph's girlfriend, who quickly falls for Tony.
• Minn Matrone: Friend of Paulie's mother, Nucci Gualtieri at Green Grove.

Deceased

• Furio's father: Cancer

Title reference

The phrase mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate finance strategy and management dealing with the merging and acquiring of different companies as well as other assets. In the episode it could allude to:

• Carmela's merging with Tony's cash, putting it into long-term investments according to Tony's directions and her acquisition of Furio's affections.
• Tony's acquisition of Cousin Brian as a financial advisor and involvement of Brian in secrets from Carmela and from Brian's wife, Janelle Cammarata
• Tony's acquisition of Ralph's horse and of Valentina
• Valentina's merging with the symbol of Tony's affections, Pie-O-My

References to other media

• Janice watches Robot Wars on television, with the original commentary from Jonathan Pearce audible.
• Tony watches the 1993 film, The Fugitive (which includes castmate Joe Pantoliano) on his new widescreen television.
• Tony references the film Hud, which starred Paul Newman, when Carmela's cousin mistakenly references the HUD scam to Carmela at dinner.
• When Tony shows Carmela the new media center he has installed in the pool house, she replies that she will pick up the movie, In the Bedroom, for them to watch.
• When lying in bed Carmela is reading The Mists of Avalon, a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
• Under the shower Tony sings "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd.
• In his meeting with Dr. Melfi, Tony talks of how in the olden days mafia men would take their mistresses out on Fridays and their wives on Saturdays. This could be a reference to Goodfellas, in which Lorraine Bracco (Melfi) plays gangster Henry Hill's wife. Tony also almost matches Ray Liotta's dialogue from the film when, as Henry, he is explaining the same custom: ("Friday nights were for the wives, but Saturday was always for the girlfriends"). This is particularly relevant as The Sopranos creator David Chase refers to Goodfellas as his Koran.^[1]
• Ralph refers to Valentina as "my Chiquita Banana" and "the Mambo Queen".
• A distraught Nucci tells Paulie that in an effort to be friendly, she bought Cookie a card from the gift shop (to no effect.) She says "I cared enough, and I sent the very best" a reference to the Hallmark slogan.
• Carmela watches the television show Mario Eats Italy. The ponytail of the host, Mario Batali, sends her into reverie about Furio.

Music

• Tony listens to "Bell Bottom Blues" by Derek and the Dominos on his new entertainment center. He comments that "it's like Clapton's sitting right there in your house."
• The bagpipe music Tony listens to on the entertainment system is "The Inverness Gathering," performed by the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band.
• Tony falls asleep in front of his home theater and wakes up as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon approaches its end. The closing track "Eclipse" is heard when he wakes. Later in the episode, when he is under the shower, he can be heard singing fragments from "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" also by Pink Floyd.
• Parts of "Vesuvio" by Spaccanapoli (previously heard in "The Weight") play whenever Carmela remembers Furio.
• The song played over the end credits is "When the Battle is Over" by Delaney & Bonnie.

References

External links

• "Mergers and Acquisitions" at HBO
• "Mergers and Acquisitions" on IMDb
• "Mergers and Acquisitions" at TV.com