For All Debts Public and Private (15 Sep. 2002)

Chris puts a ghost from his past to rest, while Carmela grows uneasy about her future.

Director:

Allen Coulter

Writers:

David Chase (creator), David Chase

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
Steven Van Zandt	...	Silvio Dante
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
Vincent Curatola	...	Johnny 'Sack' Sacramoni
Joe Pantoliano	...	Ralph Cifaretto

Storyline

Tony's income is down thanks to a slowing economy but it's having an effect on everyone. He makes sure his capos know they're supposed to be earners. Uncle Junior meets Tony and he's worried about his trial that's starting in jut over a week. He's also going broke because of lawyers fees and wants Tony to give him a bigger cut of the pie. Tony won't hear of it. Carmela is shocked to see Angie Bompiensero working in a grocery store and begins to worry about her own future should anything happen to Tony. She wants him to do a little estate planning. Tony however wants to start investing in property. FBI agent Deborah Ciccerone is still undercover working as Adriana's BFF. Christoper isn't keen on driving Tony around instead of Furio. He's also taken to using hard drugs. Tony has an important piece of information for him. Janice takes an interest in Ralph Cifarello. Junior puts Bobby Bacala in charge of his business affairs during the trial. Paulie is in jail on a gun charge but still ...

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Plot Keywords:

reference to nostradamus | reference to the hunchback of notre dame | gangster

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 2002 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Grey Television, Chase Films, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode was the first one to be aired after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The shot of the Twin Towers in Tony's rearview mirror was removed from the opening credits.

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Goofs

Paulie Walnuts calls Johnny Sack's cell phone collect from prison. Most cell phones cannot receive collect calls. There are pre-paid services that can forward a call onto a cell phone, but we only see Paulie dialing "0" on the jail's phone, which is the usual way to make a collect call.

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Quotes

[Tony complains to his assembled captains who aren't bringing in more and more money]
Tony Soprano: And I don't want to hear about the freaking economy either! I don't want to hear it. Sil, break it down for them. What two businesses have traditionally been recession proof since time immemorial?
Silvio Dante: Certain aspects of show business...and our thing.
Tony Soprano: Now that's it. That's all I've gotta say. Frankly, I'm depressed and ashamed.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits for this episode play over a close-up of the $20 bill that Christopher sticks to his mother's refrigerator instead of the standard black background.

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Connections

Features Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)

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Soundtracks

"I Remember You"
Music by Victor Schertzinger
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Dominic Chianese

User Reviews

New season, new trouble

It begins with Carmela having an argument with her son. Nothing new. The following scene is the familiar sight of Tony picking up the paper in his underwear. Still nothing new. Does this mean Season Four will be business as usual? Hell, no. Sure, it's still violent, complex, riveting and casually sweary, but with half the series nearly over it's time for some major changes that will define the last years of the show.

First of all, the situation between Tony and Uncle Junior reverts to sour when it turns out the old man doesn't have enough money to pay his medical procedures and the upcoming trial. Unfortunately, Tony can't help him out since the cash flow has diminished significantly, a fact that upsets Carmela as well. And yet the bigger problem has yet to manifest itself, and it involves Chris and Adriana: the former still has trust issues with Tony, although the chance to finish an unresolved matter from his past seems to put a damper on that, and gets more hooked on heroin as each day passes; the latter has made friends with a woman named Danielle, not knowing that she is in fact an undercover FBI agent.

As a season starter, For All Debts Public and Private is quite calm: it doesn't have the strongly foreboding tension of Season Two's opener or the playfulness of the first Season Three episode (apart perhaps from the casting of comedian Will Arnett in the serious part of Danielle's husband - he does a good job, actually). That it maintains the exceptional level of the rest of the series is entirely due to smart writing and even better acting. The Tony-Junior conversation, in particular, is a cracker, in what promises to be the first of another 13 excellent stories.