"The Sopranos" College (1999)

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Director:

Allen Coulter

Writers:

David Chase (creator)
James Manos Jr. (written by) ...

TV Series:

"The Sopranos" (1999)

Original Air Date:

7 February 1999 (Season 1, Episode 5)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Mafia | Psychiatrist | New Jersey | Racial Slur

Cast

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)
Steve Van Zandt	...	Silvio Dante (credit only) (as Steven Van Zandt)
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

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Brad Grey Television

Trivia:

All of the scenes taking place in Maine were actually filmed in rural New Jersey. The scenes taking place in Maine's Bowdoin College were filmed at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tony carries Meadow to her room, the number on the door is 22. But the next morning they leave room 20. Earlier Fred Peters read on the cleaning lady's list that Meadow was staying in room 20 and Tony in room 21.

Quotes:

Tony Soprano: [regarding Father Phil] What you guys do for twelve hours? Play, uh, "Name That Pope"?
Carmela Soprano: He gave me communion.
Tony Soprano: Oh, I bet he gave you communion.
Carmela Soprano: Excuse me?
Tony Soprano: Well, Carmela, the guy spends the night here with you and all he does is slip you a wafer?
Carmela Soprano: That's verging on sacrilege.
Tony Soprano: Oh, I didn't mean to verge.

Movie Connections:

References "The Thorn Birds" (1983)

Soundtrack:

Gold Leaves

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.