College (7 Feb. 1999)

While visiting colleges with Meadow, Tony spots a snitch. Carmela, meanwhile, discovers something about Dr. Melfi.

Director:

Allen Coulter

Writers:

David Chase (creator), James Manos Jr.,

Stars:

James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
James Gandolfini	...	Tony Soprano
Lorraine Bracco	...	Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Edie Falco	...	Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli	...	Christopher Moltisanti
Dominic Chianese	...	Junior Soprano (credit only)
Vincent Pastore	...	Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero (credit only)
Steven Van Zandt	...	Silvio Dante (credit only)
Tony Sirico	...	Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri (credit only)
Robert Iler	...	A.J. Soprano
Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Meadow Soprano
Nancy Marchand	...	Livia Soprano (credit only)
Paul Schulze	...	Father Phil Intintola
Tony Ray Rossi	...	Fred Peters / Fabian Petrulio
Oksana Lada	...	Irina Peltsin (as Oksana Babiy)
Lisa Arning	...	Peters' Wife

Storyline

With Carmela home sick with the flu, Tony and Meadow head off to Maine visiting different colleges. They're having a good time and Tony is honest with her about what he does for a living. He's shocked however to see a one-time gangster, Fabian Petrulio, who some 12 years before testified against some fellow mobsters and is now living under the witness protection program. Tony decides he has to do something about it. Carmela gets a visit from Father Phil who ends up spending the night. She also gets a call from Dr. Melfi and learns for the first that Tony's doctor is a woman.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 February 1999 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Drew University - 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Grey Television, Chase Films, Soprano Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was ranked #2 on TV Guide's list of the "100 Greatest TV Episodes of All time".

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Goofs

When Father Phil is hearing the confession of Carmilla, in her living room, the purple strip of material he places around his neck continually changes throughout the scene from above his collar to beneath his collar.

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Quotes

Tony Soprano: There was a time, Mead, when the Italian people didn't have a lot of options.
Meadow Soprano: You mean like Mario Cuomo?
[Tony stares at her]
Meadow Soprano: Sorry.
Tony Soprano: You know I put food on the table. My father was in it. My uncle was in it. Maybe I was too lazy to think for myself. To consider myself... A rebel. Maybe being a rebel in my family would have been selling patio furniture on route 22.

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Connections

References Taxi Driver (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Cadence To Arms"
Traditional
Performed by Dropkick Murphys

User Reviews

I liked it for a different reason...

I know all the critics cite this episode as being one of the best of all "The Sopranos" episodes. I guess I'm a contrarian, but the reason why I like this episode is the portrayal of Father Phil. Modern-day Hollywood tends to show people of faith and clergymen as wild-eyed nuts and naturally the leftist, areligious protagonists are the good guys. People may agree with the previous statement but may have been offended by Father Phil's lust for Carmela. In my opinion, I think this is actually a positive portrayal of a modern-day priest in this sexually suggestive society. Father Phil's discipline wins out in the end, but does admit his desires for Carmela. In the hands of a less competent creator who was trying to make a statement against organized religion, Father Phil would have slept with Carmela. Just remember, the bloodiest regimes in history were not religious ones, but rather areligious, Marxist governments which killed hundreds of millions of people worldwide.