"The Sopranos" Another Toothpick (2001)

Director:

Jack Bender

Writers:

David Chase (creator)
Terence Winter (written by)

TV Series:

"The Sopranos" (1999)

Original Air Date:

25 March 2001 (Season 3, Episode 5)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Tony and Carmela try a therapy session together, which ends in an angry dispute. Artie, meanwhile, tries to move in on Adriana.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Psychiatrist | New Jersey | Mafia | Female Nudity

Cast

James Gandolfini	...	Tony Soprano
Lorraine Bracco	...	Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Edie Falco	...	Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli	...	Christopher Moltisanti
Dominic Chianese	...	Junior Soprano
Tony Sirico	...	Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri
Robert Iler	...	A.J. Soprano
Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Meadow Soprano
Drea de Matteo	...	Adriana La Cerva
Steve Schirripa	...	Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri (as Steven R. Schirripa)
Aida Turturro	...	Janice Soprano
Federico Castelluccio	...	Furio Giunta
John Ventimiglia	...	Artie Bucco
Kathrine Narducci	...	Charmaine Bucco (as Katherine Narducci)
Joe Pantoliano	...	Ralph Cifaretto

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Silvercup Studios - 4222 22nd Street, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Brad Grey Television

Goofs:

Continuity: When Junior is throwing stuff around his living room after he hears about Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri dying, there is a quick scene of him throwing something with his glasses off, and then it flashes back and he's still wearing his glasses.

Quotes:

[at the hospital, visiting Bryan Spatafore who has been beaten into a coma by Mustang Sally]
Tony Soprano: All right, obviously you told the cops you don't know who did this?
Vito Spatafore: I'm upset, but please... I know how to keep my mouth shut.
Ralph Cifaretto: Unless of course there's a salami sandwich around.

Movie Connections:

References Gladiator (2000)

Soundtrack:

Jim Dandy

A pause for breathing

After the emotionally loaded Employee of the Month, the series calms down a little, with a simple, lean episode that contains nothing really exceptional, apart from the birth of two new subplots. However, the show is so great even the "irrelevant" moments are unmissable.

The overall darkness of the previous chapter is graciously compensated by the opening sequence, with Tony and Carmela trying a therapy session together and the whole thing ending in the least friendly of ways. To top everything, Tony receives a speeding ticket from a rigorous cop (Charles S. Dutton) and discovers Uncle Junior has stomach cancer. Meanwhile, Artie Bucco is heartbroken after learning Adriana is quitting her job at his restaurant, and makes a few bad decisions that result in his wife filing for divorce.

Normally, a show like this would be sub-par compared to the rest of the season, given the really important stuff occupies less than half of the running time. But hey, this is The Sopranos, which means the writers know how to exploit every plot thread, no matter how thin, to the best possible effect. So while Dominic Chianese's swearing is as show-stealing as ever, and John Ventimiglia gets a chance to bring back the dramatic stamina he showed in the Season One finale, efficiently backed up by on-screen spouse Kathrine Narducci, the best scenes in Another Toothpick belong to the conflict between Tony and the policeman, all thanks to the great chemistry that Gandolfini shares with Dutton. HBO aficionados might recognize him from Oz (he was Emmy-nominated for his appearance in the Season Two premiere) and therefore expect more of the same, only this time the actor tones down the anger, adding a layer of subtlety to the already high tension. His work qualifies as a superior guest spot: the one where it's the character that matters, not the guy playing him (although a famous face can help occasionally).