Pax Soprana (14 Feb. 1999)

Tony tries to balance Junior against the other capos, while Carmela reasserts herself as the woman in Tony's life.

Director:

Alan Taylor

Writers:

David Chase (creator), Frank Renzulli

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 (credit only)
Tony Sirico	...	Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri (credit only)
Robert Iler	...	A.J. Soprano (credit only)
Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Meadow Soprano (credit only)
Nancy Marchand	...	Livia Soprano
John Heard	...	Det. Vin Makazian
Jerry Adler	...	Hesh
Al Sapienza	...	Mikey Palmice
Paul Schulze	...	Father Phil Intintola

Storyline

Tony gets another report from the cop who's been keeping an eye on Dr. Melfi. He's still having erotic dreams about her but is suffering from erectile dysfunction and a distancing from Carmela. He tells Jennifer Melfi how he feels about her but she has an explanation for his emotions. Uncle Junior is the new boss and he's making his presence felt. He decides to tax Hesh who had a special arrangement with his predecessor. Hesh doesn't mind being taxed, it's the amount that he doesn't like. The other captains are unhappy as well as Junior is stepping in on some of their money earning schemes without even having the courtesy of telling them about it. Tony approaches New York boss Johnny 'Sack' Sacramoni to find a solution to the situation.

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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:

14 February 1999 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Grey Television, Chase Films, Soprano Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is a reference to Pax Romana, the long period of relative peace in the Roman Empire from the beginning of Augustus Caesar's reign in 27 B.C. to the end of Marcus Aurelius' in 180 A.D.

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Goofs

When Tony toasts Uncle Junior, he lifts his glass from the table twice (from two different angles).

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Quotes

Corrado 'Junior' Soprano: I always thought you could make the pros. You could have done it. You had a swing like Joe D.
Tony Soprano: You're crazy.
Corrado 'Junior' Soprano: What? You think I'm fucking you?
Tony Soprano: Yeah, I could barely hit .250.
Corrado 'Junior' Soprano: That's because you didn't want it. Too busy chasing skirt. Chasing skirt, your average was .500.

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Connections

References Gunga Din (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Paparazzi (Instrumental)"
Composed by Thayod Ausar, Xzibit

User Reviews

Junior's big moment

After scaring the crap out of Chris Moltisanti and having Brendan Filone killed in Episode 3, Corrado "Junior" Soprano finally steps into the spotlight, quietly dominating the events of Pax Soprana.

The title originates from Pax Romana, a political move by Emperor Augustus (a constant reference point in The Sopranos - see the name Livia) that kept the Roman Empire together without useless bloodshed for over a century. The similarities are obvious: Tony must prevent his uncle from disrupting the Family, and therefore agrees with the other captains to name Junior new boss of the NJ branch, while secretly pulling the strings behind the "capo" 's back. This is a smart move, as the FBI will focus on Corrado instead of Tony, but the plan comes close to backfiring when Junior sends his henchman Mikey Palmice (Al Sapienza) out to whack "uncomfortable" individuals. Things don't fare much better on the domestic front, either: not only is Carmela angered by the discovery that her husband's shrink is a woman, she also has to deal with the slight trouble of Tony being temporarily impotent because of his medication. On top of that, she demands he rely on her for emotional support rather than Dr. Melfi. In other words: be it one family or the other, they will both bite you in the ass at some point.

In the end, though, despite all the attention that's given to personal problems, it's the business aspect that matters the most in this episode, all thanks to the sublime double act between Gandolfini and Chianese: the former, normally a package of volatile primal energy, is very subdued and calm, pacing his words slowly in order to win sympathy and exposing the more calculating side of his character; the latter, a veteran of gangster epics (he played Johnny Ola in The Godfather: Part II), sidelines the hotheaded ex-thug seen in previous episodes, revealing a more ambitious, authoritarian figure, one that looks suited to be boss but will inevitably screw things up due to his old-fashioned view of the world. He is Vito Corleone to Gandolfini's Michael: a respectable but ultimately inadequate leader who no longer understands the dynamics of Family affairs. He is frightening as hell, too. How he never got an Emmy for his work on the show remains a frustrating mystery.