The Sopranos: Season 4, Episode 9Whoever Did This (10 Nov. 2002)Ralph's callous behavior finally steps over the line, while Chris gets deeper into his heroin habit. Director:Timothy Van Patten |
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The Sopranos: Season 4, Episode 9Whoever Did This (10 Nov. 2002)Ralph's callous behavior finally steps over the line, while Chris gets deeper into his heroin habit. Director:Timothy Van Patten |
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| Episode credited cast: | |||
| James Gandolfini | ... | ||
| Lorraine Bracco | ... |
Dr. Jennifer Melfi
(credit only)
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| Edie Falco | ... | ||
| Michael Imperioli | ... | ||
| Dominic Chianese | ... | ||
| Steven Van Zandt | ... | ||
| Tony Sirico | ... | ||
| Robert Iler | ... | ||
| Jamie-Lynn Sigler | ... |
Meadow Soprano
(credit only)
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| Drea de Matteo | ... |
Adriana La Cerva
(credit only)
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| Aida Turturro | ... | ||
| Federico Castelluccio | ... |
Furio Giunta
(credit only)
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| John Ventimiglia | ... | ||
| Joe Pantoliano | ... | ||
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Samuel Allen | ... |
Shane Patrzelka
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After Uncle Junior falls on the courthouse steps, he's admitted to the hospital and Tony thinks they have the basis of a mistrial on the basis of diminished capacity. They set him up with home care and rehearse him with the questions government doctors will likely ask him. Ralphie thinks he's figured out who told Johnny Sack of the joke he made at his wife's expense and sets out to even the score. Things turn deadly serious when his son Justin is seriously hurt playing with a friend. Tony brings Carmela to the stables to see Pie-O-My for the first time. Tony is devastated however when he learns that the horse was badly injured in a fire at the stables and had to be put down. He suspects Ralphie had the fire set so he could collect on insurance and they get into a fight. Tony needs Christopher's help to clean up the results but soon realizes he's high on drugs. Written by garykmcd
In a way, the entire season has led to this point, the culmination of the fourth year's excellence. Whoever Did This is painful, vital, shocking and deeply compelling - quintessential Sopranos!
The center of the episode is Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano), who arguably has his most memorable scenes in this show: it starts with him making a prank call to Paulie's mother (obscenely funny) and ends with a violent confrontation with Tony over the death of Pie-o-My. The fight climaxes in Ralphie's own death, which Tony has to cover up with some assistance from the drug-riddled Christopher.
Ever since he made his debut in the series at Livia's funeral, Ralph stood out as one of the show's most colorful, disgusting and oddly charming characters, and much like Pussy Bonpensiero and Richie Aprile he gets the great exit he deserves. Over the course of twenty episodes, Pantoliano rampaged and stole one scene after the other, bringing a whole new edge to the program and winning a well-deserved Emmy for his trouble. Then again, it's hard to deny one to a guy who ultimately gets clipped not because he might have killed a horse (the official explanation for what happened), but for openly calling Tony fat: the result is an emotionally unbearable fistfight whose setting (a kitchen) might have inspired a similar scene in Kill Bill: Vol.1.
"I have come to reclaim Rome!" Ralph bellowed in the sixth episode of Season Three, quoting his favorite movie, Gladiator. Too bad he had to face the scariest emperor of all: Tony Soprano.