Remember When (22 Apr. 2007)

Paulie shows up at Tony's house to tell him he's learned the Feds are looking into a murder case from the early 1980s. In fact it was Tony's first killing where he made his 'bones'. Tony ... See full summary »

Director:

Phil Abraham

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 (credit only)
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 (credit only)
Jamie-Lynn Sigler	...	Meadow Soprano (credit only)
Aida Turturro	...	Janice Soprano Baccalieri (credit only)
Steve Schirripa	...	Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri (as Steven R. Schirripa)
Frank Vincent	...	Phil Leotardo
Jerry Adler	...	Hesh
Vincent Pastore	...	Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero
Ken Leung	...	Carter Chong

Storyline

Paulie shows up at Tony's house to tell him he's learned the Feds are looking into a murder case from the early 1980s. In fact it was Tony's first killing where he made his 'bones'. Tony decides he and Paulie need to lay low for a while and they head off on a road trip to Florida. They reminisce about the old days but Paulie is definitely getting on Tony's nerves. They also find that many things along the route have changed over the years. Tony is particularly interested in knowing who may have told Johnny Sack about the fat joke directed at his wife. Uncle Junior meanwhile has taken to organizing a poker game with his new friend Carter Chong. Junior's as grumpy as ever but continues to suffer from memory loss from time to time. Carter likes Junior's rebellious attitude but things change when the doctors change Junior's meds and he becomes far more docile.

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Plot Keywords:

mob hit | reference to gary cooper | fbi | reference to ebay | boat | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

22 April 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Broward County, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Grey Television, Chase Films, Park Entertainment, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

56 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: Hey, Tone. Remember when we all rented that house down the Shore? With the bedbugs? Heh, heh.
Tony Soprano: [nods]
Peter 'Beansie' Gaeta: Summer of '78. Carlo, Silvio, Frankie Napoli.
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: Place up the beach. Sonny Spits from the Bronx rented it? That's where that hippie kid "mysteriously" drowned during that party. Heh, heh.
Tony Soprano: [glares at Paulie]
Peter 'Beansie' Gaeta: Hey, Tony. You OK?
Tony Soprano: Yeah, yeah.
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: You sure, T? You're being kinda quiet.
Tony Soprano: Well, it's 'cause, uh, "remember when" is the lowest form of conversation.
Tony Soprano: [gets up and leaves]

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Connections

Features Storm Stories (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Touch Me in the Morning"
Composed by Michael Masser, Ronald Miller
Performed by Diana Ross

User Reviews

I remember when...

I remember when I saw The Sopranos for the first time: I was struck by its brilliance, just as I was amazed by the likes of Six Feet Under, Deadwood or, to stray from HBO territory, Desperate Housewives and Lost. But David Chase's mob show always had something more than all the other great programs American TV has spawned. Even the 80th episode of the series, Remember When, is much better than the title would suggest (the first time I heard it, I assumed it was a clip show, like the 100th episode of Seinfeld).

The title is actually very ironic, the center of the story being Uncle Junior, whose ability to remember is seriously compromised by Alzheimer's. Stuck in a psychiatric hospital ever since he shot Tony at the beginning of the season, he lets life pass by without complaining. That is, until he meets a young, angry Asian man (Ken Leung), who strives to bring his worse side back.

In the episode's other storyline, "remember when" is frequently said by Paulie, who is on vacation with Tony to avoid a possible indictment. As they run into old friends and see things that remind them of past actions, he tries to engage in a memory-themed discussion with Tony, only to be told by the latter that "remember when" is the lowest form of conversation.

That may be true, but Remember When is also one of the most affecting episodes of the series: Dominic Chianese, whose presence is quite limited in the final season (four shows in Part One, two in Part Two), does a job that can't be described as anything less than astonishing, with terrific support from Leung, while the other half of the plot adds real tension to the so far unbreakable bond between Tony and Paulie. How it pays off, I won't reveal, but I can say with absolute certainty it is one of the most chilling moments in the show's history. An applause-worthy effort.

Remember when...?