Another Toothpick
"Another Toothpick" | |
---|---|
The Sopranos episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 5 |
Directed by | Jack Bender |
Written by | Terence Winter |
Cinematography by | Alik Sakharov |
Production code | 305 |
Original air date | March 25, 2001 |
Running time | 60 minutes |
"Another Toothpick" is the 31st episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the fifth of the show's third season. It was written by Terence Winter and directed by Jack Bender, and originally aired on March 25, 2001.
Starring
- James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
- Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi
- Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
- Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
- Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr.
- Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante *
- Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
- Robert Iler as A.J. Soprano
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano
- Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva
- Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano
- Artie Bucco
- Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
- Eugene Pontecorvo
- Charmaine Bucco
- Ralph Cifaretto
* = credit only
Guest starring
- Hugh De Angelis
- Jackie Aprile, Jr.
- Johnny Sack
- Charles S. Dutton as Officer Leon Wilmore
- John Fiore as Gigi Cestone
- Vito Spatafore
- Frank Cubitoso
- Ronald Zellman
- Father Phil Intintola
- Agent Harris
- Mary De Angelis
- Mustang Sally
- Tina Francesco
- Bobby Baccalieri, Sr.
- Manager
- Michael Matera as Carlos
Synopsis
Days later, visiting a
Meadow takes the lamp from the basement at home to her dorm at Columbia University, and so unknowingly "neutralizes" the FBI's listening operation.
Junior is diagnosed with stomach cancer.
The last customers have left Nuovo Vesuvio and
Tony wants to go into business with Artie selling Italian food products.
The hit almost goes awry and ends with a struggle, but Bobby Sr. succeeds in killing Sally and his friend. After the killings, his face smeared with Sally's blood, he finds some cigarettes and starts smoking. Still smoking while driving away, he has a coughing fit, cannot reach his inhaler, and slumps onto the steering wheel. The car crashes and he dies.
Deceased
- Febby Viola: died of cancer; Carmela's uncle
- Mustang Sally: shot and killed by Robert Baccalieri Sr. on orders by Tony Soprano and Gigi Cestone
- Carlos: Mustang Sally's friend; shot for being a witness to his murder
- Bobby Baccalieri, Sr.: Crashed his car while suffering a coughing fit brought on by his lung cancer
Title reference
- Janice claims that Livia often described a person who was dying of cancer as "another toothpick."
Cultural references
- When Tony is pulled over by the traffic officer, when he pulls out his wallet and shows his New Jersey Association card the name on his card is "Matthew J. Madonna" this could be a reference to Matthew Madonna a Lucchese captain who went on to serve as the acting boss.
- As Bobby Sr. visits Mustang Sally and Carlos, before their deaths, the two were watching talk showon TV.
- In the scene where Junior tells Bobby he has cancer, the movie playing on the television is The Devil at 4 O'Clock with Frank Sinatra.
- The lawn ornament store that Wilmore works at is "Fountains of Wayne", which was a real store in Wayne, New Jersey that closed in 2009; the store was the namesake of the band of the same name.[1]
- Ralphie repeatedly discusses Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe.
Production
Going into the third season, this episode marks the first time the show's leading ladies, Lorraine Bracco and Edie Falco as Dr. Melfi and Carmela Soprano, spoke to each other face-to-face. Their two previous conversations had taken place over the phone, while they had only caught a glimpse of each other in season 1, when Carmela drove Tony to meet Melfi for a session in her car.
Music
- The song played over the end credits is "Shuck Dub" by R. L. Burnside.
- Meadow Soprano sings along to The Corrs' "Breathless" while listening to headphones.
- The song playing on the radio in Bobby Baccalieri Sr.'s Lumina as he is driving away from the murder scene is "Sister Golden Hair" by America; Bobby Sr.'s car crashes as the line "I just can't make it" was sung in the main chorus.
- The song playing in the restaurant when Artie and Charmaine are arguing and she says she will divorce him is "Jim Dandy" sung by LaVern Baker.
- The piece played while Artie Bucco and Adriana have dinner is "Joaquin Rodrigo.
Filming locations
Listed in order of first appearance:[2]
- Totowa, New Jersey
- Newark, New Jersey
- St. Patrick's Church in Jersey City, New Jersey
- Long Island City, Queens
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Fountains of Wayne in Wayne, New Jersey
- Garfield, New Jersey
- Hackensack, New Jersey
- Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey
References
- ^ Simons, Ted (1997-05-01). "Wayne's World". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
- ^ Ugoku. "The Sopranos location guide - Filming locations for". www.sopranos-locations.com. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
External links
- "Another Toothpick" at HBO
- "Another Toothpick" at IMDb
- "Another Toothpick" review by The A.V. Club
- "Another Toothpick" review by Entertainment Weekly