Down Neck (21 Feb. 1999)

Anthony has disciplinary problems at school, prompting Tony to recount memories of his childhood with Dr. Melfi.

Director:

Lorraine Senna

Writers:

David Chase (creator), Mitchell Burgess,

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
Vincent Pastore	...	Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero
Steven Van Zandt	...	Silvio Dante
Tony Sirico	...	Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri (credit only)
Robert Iler	...	A.J. Soprano
Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Meadow Soprano
Nancy Marchand	...	Livia Soprano
Joseph Siravo	...	Johnny Boy Soprano
Laila Robins	...	Young Livia Soprano
Rocco Sisto	...	Young Junior Soprano
David Beach	...	Dr. Peter Galani

Storyline

When AJ gets into trouble at school - he and two other boys steal sacramental wine from the church - Tony and Carmela are told he my have ADD. He's suspended from school for three days and is told to visit his grandmother where he lets it slip that Tony is seeing a psychiatrist. The situation causes Tony to reflect on his own times at that age. It was in 1967 that he learned something about his father when he sees his Dad and his brother Uncle Junior beat someone up to collect a debt. As a child, Tony thought his father also showed favoritism to his sister Janice by taking her to a fun fair every Sunday. He decided to find out what exactly they were doing. In fact, his father was conducting business with other mobsters who were also taking their daughters with them as a cover.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | reference to the madonna

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1999 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Newark, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Grey Television, Chase Films, Soprano Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title refers to a Newark, New Jersey neighborhood known as The Ironbound. It is also referred to as "Down Neck" because of how the Passaic River curves around it looking somewhat like a neck.

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Goofs

When in front of the amusement park, a sign is seen with a 718 area code. The scene is set in 1967 while the 718 area code would not come into use until 1984.

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Quotes

Johnny Boy Soprano: After Rocco gets the book up, he's gonna open a new supper club. He wants me to run it.
Young Livia Soprano: A supper club? Are you drunk?
Johnny Boy Soprano: Oh, bella Madonna, Jesus Christ Almighty!
[hits the wall]
Johnny Boy Soprano: Fucking albacore around my neck! Every time I try to do somethin'! Me and the kids will go without ya!
Young Livia Soprano: They are not going anywhere! I'd rather smother them with a pillow than take them to Nevada!
Johnny Boy Soprano: Always with the drama!

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Connections

Features The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

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Soundtracks

"Carrie-Anne"
Composed by Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, Graham Nash
Performed by The Hollies

User Reviews

Painful memories

"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.". It's hard not to think of that classic line from Goodfellas when Tony Soprano starts recounting childhood memories to Dr. Melfi: unlike Herny Hill, the New Jersey boss's ambitions were entirely different, but fate decided to intervene.

The source of this reminiscing is a family problem: after being caught drunk in class (he and his friends stole some church wine), A.J. faces expulsion from school, and is punished by his parents by being forced to spend time with his grandmother every afternoon. While discussing the matter with his therapist, Tony recalls his own upbringing: Livia being a huger pain in the ass then than she is now, his dad and Uncle Junior going out regularly to collect money from people, and the old man getting arrested one nice day while having fun at a carnival.

Aside from exposing the parallels between father and son, Down Neck serves another important purpose: to show Livia's firm and authoritarian personality, which will reemerge in later episodes to shocking effect. But this story is also riveting for how it deals with an old stereotype (you join the mafia 'cause you were born into it) without pandering to conventions: Tony may have had it in his DNA (though he concedes in another episode that perhaps he was too lazy to seek a different occupation), but the look on his face when he sees who his father really is indicates everything but happiness or pride. Then again, he might have reconsidered when he learned how much you can earn...

Exceptional