In Camelot (18 Apr. 2004)

Tony learns about his father through the man's mistress, while Chris' friend learns that there are habits more harmful to your health than heroin.

Director:

Steve Buscemi

Writers:

David Chase (creator), Terence Winter

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 (credit only)
Robert Iler	...	A.J. Soprano
Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Meadow Soprano (as Jamie-Lynn DiScala)
Drea de Matteo	...	Adriana La Cerva (credit only)
Steve Schirripa	...	Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri (as Steven R. Schirripa)
Aida Turturro	...	Janice Soprano
Vincent Curatola	...	Johnny 'Sack' Sacramoni
John Ventimiglia	...	Artie Bucco
Kathrine Narducci	...	Charmaine Bucco (as Katherine Narducci)

Storyline

While attending a family funeral Tony decides to visit his father's grave and there meets Fran Felstein, his father's mistress. She has many stories to tell him - she claims to have been one of JFK's girlfriends - and Tony takes an interest in her welfare. She claims that her father had promised her his share of a track he owned but that Hesh had cheated her out of her inheritance. When Hesh decides to sell the track, Tony makes sure she gets her share. The sale causes friction with Phil Leotardo, Johnny Sack's right hand man. As for funerals, Uncle Junior has decided that going to funerals is a good way to get out his house arrest, at least for 5 hours on each occasion. He's taken to scanning obituaries to see what might be available. Christopher has been helping a friend he made in rehab, J.T. Dolan, a TV writer. While J.T. has successfully stayed away from drugs and alcohol, he is quickly developing a new addiction - gambling. Christopher arranges for him to play in their high ...

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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:

18 April 2004 (USA)

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Grey Television, Chase Films

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

At Uncle Zio's funeral, as Father Phil gives the eulogy, it's very obvious that the "body" is still breathing.

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Quotes

Dr. Jennifer Melfi: What was it like sitting sitting there with Fran?
Tony Soprano: It was a little weird at first. Here I am comforting my father's mistress, my mother's lyin' there dead.
Dr. Jennifer Melfi: Are you attracted to her?
Tony Soprano: Come on, she's old enough to be my mother.
[Dr. Melfi shrugs]
Tony Soprano: Oh, Jesus Christ, it's an expression. Don't cream yourself. I did not want to fuck my mother! You should have seen her in her housedress with that hairnet. This conversation would be over in two seconds.

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Connections

References The Practice (1997)

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Soundtracks

"The Gypsy Cried (In the Style of Lou Christie)"
(uncredited)
Performed by Lou Christie

User Reviews

"She made all of us suffer instead"

Pine Barrens, Everybody Hurts and now In Camelot: all terrific episodes, all directed by Steve Buscemi, all dealing with relationships gone bad. In the first two, the concerned parties were Tony Soprano and the now deceased Gloria Trillo, now it's Tony's old man who was involved.

Everything kicks off at a funeral Tony attends: at the cemetery, he spots a woman that's visiting his dad's grave, and decides to have a word with her. After discovering she was his father's mistress years before, he starts spending time with her, seeing as she provides enjoyable company and countless anecdotes on her former lover, not to mention priceless details on his strained marriage to Livia (and flashbacks in previous seasons have more or less confirmed what they both think about the late Mrs. Soprano). This story is juxtaposed with the latest misadventures of Christopher, whom Buscemi used quite prominently in Pine Barrens: this time, instead of almost freezing to death in the woods he makes the mistake of introducing an old friend from rehab, J.T. Dolan (Tim Daly), to the world of gambling, with results that mirror Tony's falling out with a childhood buddy (Robert Patrick) in Season 2.

Less overtly quirky than Pine Barrens, In Camelot is actually more alike to the previous episode of this season, Peter Bogdanovich's Sentimental Education, in the sense that it is mostly calm, warm and far away from crime, only to shock us at the right point with some of the worst consequences of belonging to the mafia. That last aspect is duly covered in the J.T. subplot, which obviously recalls a similar story from past years (see above) but also shows the program's makers at their most brilliant: to play Dolan, one of the most tragic individuals in the series, they cast Tim Daly, the actor another character kept complaining about in a Season Three episode. Sheer, unadulterated genius.