So now its time for the second part of my pick of 10 more favourite scenes from The Sopranos and we will see what scenes made it on the list.
And I will give a warning below:
PLOT SPOILERS AND STRONG LANGUAGE ARE AHEAD!!!
6. "Free spirit, Janice! Rebel without a cause!" - Season 5 "All Happy Families"
Tony confronts Janice over Junior's mental illness.
So, at No.6 is this great scene from Season 5 where after Junior shows signs of dementia as he wanders off during the day to find his brother Johnny (i.e. Tony's dad who died years ago) and is later brought him by police officers. So, afterward, Janice pays Tony a visit to let him know about Junior's condition but he is not interested and still offended after Junior said in front of Tony and his family that Tony "never had the makings of a varsity athlete".
So, in the scene, Janice tells Tony that Junior wandered off and was looking for Johnny and Bobby, who is with Janice, says "He may have Alzheimers" and Tony smiles and says "Good, maybe he'll forget my phone number". Janice however tries to reason with Tony and says that he is the only one that Junior can relate to and Tony tells her "Fuck him. You reap what you sow!". Janice however tells Tony "You sure did. Do you think there's a reason why you're living here by yourself without your family?" and Tony smiles and says "Whoa! Whoa! You're gonna give me advice on marriage?". Janice however becomes annoyed and says "You know, there's a lot I could say I'm NOT gonna say" but Tony shouts back "Say it! Fuck it! Who gives a fuck?!".
Tony then angrily says to Janice "Don't you think I don't see what you're trying to do here, Janice? Pawn this shit off on me?! You're whole fuckin life, you either shirk your duties or run the fuck away!". Janice defensively says "I didn't run away" and Tony reminds her "Savannah, Berkley!" and Janice shouts "I was 18 years old!". Tony however becomes more angry and shouts back "And I was 16 when you left me with our headcase of a mother! Who you suddenly relate to so fuckin well! Free spirit, Janice! Rebel without a cause! While I was left to mire in her bullshit, while you were off dropping acid and blowing roadies!" and Bobby looks surprised and asks "Roadies??!" and Tony says to him "Oh, you don't wanna know!". Janice then angrily says to Tony "Tony, that's not true! You, you tell him that's not true!".
Tony however then gets off his seat and get's in Janice's face and says with increasing anger "Poor fuckin Janice! She's so fuckin depressed! Poor fucking Janice, she's so tired from her Epstein Barr! Poor fuckin Janice! Vafuncul!". Janice starts to hurt and offended as Tony continues "Maybe you were the smart one as you got out here for a while. But then sooner or later, your hippy string ran out and you're gonna to do this man (i.e. Bobby) what you do to every one of them...". Janice then furiously smacks Tony in the face and shouts "FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!!" and the two of them struggle. And Tony shouts at her "You're just like your mum! And you can do him what she did to daddy!" and in the ensuing struggle, Artie, who is staying with Tony tries to intervene but she accidentally elbows him in the eye and Janice screams runs out in a hysterical state. And the scene finishes with Tony saying to Bobby "You want more responsibility? Start with controlling your wife!" and Bobby shakes his head and walks out.
So, its a great scene and one of my favourites partly because it is so funny with some great dialogue and again it highlights the tension between Tony and Janice perfectly and his resentment for her trying to pawn Junior's situation off on him and it definitely deserves a place here on the list.
7. "40 grand on the stock market!" - Season 6b - Episode "Chasing It"
Tony angrily rows with Carmela after he misses out on a sporting bet to make a lot of money.
So, next up is this great scene between Tony and Carmela, which ranks as one of their best rows in the series and one of the best moments from the Sixth Season. The scene sees Tony furious at losing out on making a lot of money from a sports bet as a result of Carmela refusing to bet her spec house investment money on it.
So, the scene begins with Tony reading a newspaper that reading "Jets bomb Chargers 42-10" and he shouts "God fucking damn it!" and Carmela comes down the stairs and asks "What?" and Tony shows her the paper and points to the sports headline. Carmela then says "That's good right?" but Tony trying to contain himself says "No, I only bet 10". Carmela says "But you won" but Tony seething says to her "What did I tell you? Its a sure thing!" and Carmela irritated by Tony's attitude says "You talk about this crap as if it was a science, Tony!" and Tony angrily says "I lost a lot of fuckin money!". Carmela then tries to calm him and says "You didn't lose!" but Tony trying to hold back his anger says "We could have turned your bullshit into a million fuckin dollars!". Carmela is now really annoyed and tells Tony "My bullshit?! That spec house was MY investment for MY future!" and Tony feeling lectured says "Here we go!". Carmela then continues "Ginny Sack had to move in with her fucking daughter, Tony!" and Tony angrily says "Again with Ginny Sack, huh?! John provided for her! She's a fuckin hysteric!" and Tony angrily shakes the newspaper at her "DON'T YOU EVER THINK I MIGHT KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING?!!".
After a brief pause, Tony then continues to rant at Carmela "You and the furniture and the clothes and cars! You would have spent everything I made! If I let you!". Carmela then angrily tells him "You know what?! The next time you win, I'll take a cut and I'll roll the fucking dice!" and Tony furiously says to her "You already took your cut from bird feeder and don't fucking deny it again! What, 40 grand on the stock market! I'd ask for my piece but wait there's nothing!".
Carmela gives Tony a disgusted look and walks off but Tony chases after her and roughly grabs her arm and tells her with mounting anger "And that spec house??? I made the down payment. I bought the materials. I leaned on that building inspector while you had your thumb up your ass! So, stop talking about your money!". Carmela angrily frees herself from Tony's grip and shouts "Let go of me you piece of shit!" and Tony says spitefully "Fact is your a shitty business woman, who built a piece of shit house that's gonna cave in and kill that fucking unborn baby any day! And now you can't sleep!". Carmela, really hurt and furious with Tony, grabs a nearby vase and throws it him, which narrowly misses Tony and Carmela yells "GO FUCK YOURSELF!!" and runs up the stairs, sobbing. And Tony shouts after her "AFTER I'M GONE, YOU CAN LIVE IN A FUCKIN DUMPSTER FOR ALL I CARE!!!" and he storms off.
So, this scene definitely is a favourite for me and features some great acting particularly from James Gandolfini here but almost equally from Edie Falco as the two of them row over Tony's gambling addiction, it also highlights Tony the darker and meaner side of Tony's personality perfectly.
8. "He said I looked like I lost some weight" - Season 5 - Episode "The Rat Pack"
Tony agonizes over his decision whether or not to whack Jack Masserone at the Bing.
So, at No.8 is this short but still great scene where Tony returns from having just met with business associate, Jack Massarone, who Tony suspects might be an FBI informant but he couldn't tell if he was or not after meeting with Massarone.
So, Tony returns to the Bing and slams the doors and says to his crew "I couldn't tell shit! What the fuck am I? A mind reader?!" and he sits down frustrated. After a pause, Christopher asks "What's the next move here, Ton?" and Tony gives his crew a look as something dawns on him and Sil asks "What?" and Tony says of Massarone "He said I looked like I lost some weight". And there is an awkward pause as Tony's crew say nothing and Sil says "Oh..." and Tony looks angry and says "Motherfucker!.
Then the phone rings and Sil answers it and says to the caller "Yeah?" and after a pause Sil says "Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy! Yeah yeah yeah. Hold on..." Sil then says to Tony "Its that Korean, Kim, something about your cousin, I don't know...". Tony sighs deeply and takes the phone and says to the caller "Yeah" and after a pause, Tony looks annoyed and asks "Its your fuckin linen truck, what do you want me to do about it?". And after another beat, Tony angrily responds "Yeah, ok, go ahead! Fire him! Put on the fucking street for all I care!" and he angrily slams down the phone without hanging up and we hear Kim's voice on the other "Hello! Hello!" and Sil takes the receive and puts it back on its cradle.
Christopher then makes a suggestion to Tony about Massarone "If Tony B wants to pick up some scratch, he could do this Massarone thing...if it goes". Tony however becomes suddenly angry at Christopher yells in his face "What the fuck is wrong with you?! THE MAN IS TRYING TO GO STRAIGHT!! DON'T YOU GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR COUSIN?!". Christopher looks away from Tony's glare and apologizes "Sorry, T. You're right. That was a great party the other night" referring to Tony Blundetto's homecoming party. Tony however says "Fuck him. Fucking guy is useless to me!" and he walks out. Christopher then looks at Sil and asks "Was that a yes on Massarone?" and Sil says "Tony's got his own processes" and Christopher asks "What's to process here?".
So, its a short scene but its another fine one, which I really enjoy in parts thanks to the comedy of it from the phone call that Tony has with the Korean launderette owner, Kim, who Tony leaves hanging and we hear Kim's voice on the other end of the line. Its a priceless moment and also another example of the great little details that the show offers. James Gandolfini also once again does a great job at showing Tony's frustrations at dealing with different situations all at once. So, it might be short but its still a great one worth putting on the list.
9. "They're a glorified crew!" - Season 4 - Episode "Eloise"
Carmine and his son, Little Carmine along with Johnny try and reach an agreement on a business dispute with the New Jersey family.
So, at No.9 is for once a scene that doesn't involve Tony or even indeed any of the New Jersey crew but instead high ranking members of the New York family, Carmine Lupertazzi Sr and his son, Little Carmine and Johnny Sack, the family's under boss. And they meet as Little Carmine tries to reason with his father regarding a business development dispute between Tony and New York.
So, in the scene, it takes place on a golf course and begins with Little Carmine and Johnny Sack waiting for Carmine to show up. So, Johnny says to Little Carmine "Anything you can do to change your fathers mind?" and Little Carmine tells him "I'm gonna try, John. I came all the way up here for that". At this point, Carmine arrives on his golf buggy, get's out and says to the two men "Did you put you sun cream on?".
So, Little Carmine says to his father "You know, Dad, Tony Soprano came to visit me recently. I bought him dinner and we talked. He's an old fashioned guy, pop. Very allegorical. I don't think it was his intention to insult anybody". Carmine however tees off and plays a bad shot and he says to his son "You distracted me. I'm taking a mulligan" (that means take another shot). Little Carmine continues "I'm afraid maybe you backed yourself into a corner with this HUD thing. Your insistence on the 40 percent" and Johnny backs up Little Carmine and says "Remember, Carmine from the beginning. I thought 40 percent was a tad steep". Carmine then says "A real hardhead, this Soprano kid. And the ego! I tell you though when I first met him, as decisive as he is, I would have been proud to have called him my own son". And on saying this, Little Carmine looks pretty offended as Carmine tees off again and hits a better shot.
Little Carmine then says to his father "He's a bit of a poseur if you ask me. Tony, he likes to talk the talk, you know. What did he say? His turf, his appraiser". However at this point, Johnny realises that Little Carmine is putting his foot in it and he tries to ask a question to deflect from it and asks "Did they re-sod this green?". Little Carmine then says "You gotta give him some slack. He's not boss of a family for very long" but Carmine then tells him "Family?! I told you. They're a glorified crew!". Johnny then pitches in and says "Whatever they are, Carmine. The Sopranos bring in a lot of cash. I've been friends with Tony for years". And Little Carmine further puts his foot in it and says to Johnny "On reflection, John, maybe that's the sticking post. Tony sees you as friends and not business associates". And this really angers Little Carmine who says "You see?! I hate this fucking shit!" and he whacks a golf post with his club and Johnny gives Little Carmine a look.
So, its another great scene that also offers a lot of context to it as we see that Little Carmine is definitely not that bright and fails to negotiate well with his father and Johnny Sack also tries to hide his resentment of Little Carmine in the scene also. Not only that but Little Carmine shows great insensitivity towards his own son as he tells him that he would have been proud to have called Tony his own son. So, there is plenty of subtext here for sure and its a great scene for it.
10. "I can't find Pussy anywhere!" Season 1 - Episode "Nobody knows anything"
Tony despairs over Pussy's disappearance.
So, at No.10 to round off the list is this great scene from the first season and the episode "Nobody knows anything" where Tony grows incredibly paranoid about who the rat in his crew is. And its a great example again of the James Gandolfini's powerful portrayal of the complex mob boss that is Tony Soprano.
So, in the scene it begins with Tony storming into the Bing and shouting about how one of his capos, Jimmy Altieri is the FBI informant, who met with Tony at his home. So, Tony shouts at Sil "Its fucking Jimmy! The rat! ITS FUCKING JIMMY!". Sil then asks "What are you talking about?" and Tony shouts "The wire! The wire! Its fucking Jimmy! I should have killed him in my basement!". Tony then asks Sil "Where the fuck is Paulie?" and Sil tells him "He said he's on his way" and Tony anxiously says "Why the fuck isn't he here now??!!". Sil then asks "What if Paulie jumped the gun?" and Tony puts his hand and says "Shut up. God forbid. Don't talk like that!".
Paulie then shows up and says "Hey fellas" and Tony yells at him "Where the fuck have you been?! I'VE BEEN CALLING YOU ALL FUCKING NIGHT LONG!!" Paulie says to Tony "I was at my goomar's. I told Silvio I was coming". Tony puts his hand on Paulie's shoulder and with a deadly serious look tells him with real intensity "You answer me like I'm Jesus Christ and if you lie, may your mother die of cancer of the eyes!". Tony takes a moment and asks "Where's Pussy?" and Paulie tells him "I don't know" and Tony asks "Did you do it?" and Paulie nervously says "Tony..." and Tony asks "Don't fucking lie to me! Did you do it?!" and again Paulie says "No". Tony then grabs Paulie and slams against the wall and shouts "DID YOU FUCKIN DO IT?!!" and Paulie shouts "I SAID NO! Now get your fuckin hands off me!".
Tony then let's Paulie go and he sits down looking wary but also apologetic and he calmly says to Paulie "I'm sorry, Paulie. I can't find Pussy anywhere! Nobody knows anything!". Paulie then calmly tells Tony "I haven't seen him since the schvitz. The last thing he said to me was "go fuck yourself". Tony then smiles a little and asks "Did he at least take the schvitz?" and Paulie smiles and says "He refused to take his clothes off". Tony then seems convinced of Jimmy's guilty and says "The rat...its fuckin Jimmy!".
So, its a great scene and again a very powerful one from James G and his performance is terrific here and he can even deliver the unintentionally funny line of "I can't find Pussy anywhere" with great conviction. So, without doubt its a favourite scene of mine from the series and Tony Sirico also deserves much credit here as Paulie as he deals with Tony's anger very well and stands his ground when confronted on whether he himself was a rat. So, its a great way to round off the list.
Right, so that's it for now and I hope you enjoyed the list and I will be back soon with another post
Till then, its bye for now!
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