Chasing It

• The title refers to Tony's gambling addiction. "Chasing the vig" is common parlance in gambling vernacular for when one loses a bet(s) and then makes further wagers in order to either make up for the losses and/or keep up with any loan interest (the vig) accrued.
• It could also refer to Hesh having to actively look for Tony's debt money.
• It could also refer to the tendency of Tony to chase the thrill of winning in dangerous activities, as hypothesized by Dr. Melfi.
• It could also refer to AJ's pursuit of Blanca.

Production

• Benny Fazio
  ) is promoted to the main cast of the series and billed in the opening credits but only for this episode.
• The character of Vito Spatafore Jr. was recast for this episode with Brandon Hannan replacing Frank Borrelli.
• John Cenatiempo, a stuntman on The Sopranos since its first season, joins the ranks of the show's actors as well, appearing as a mostly background Soprano crime family mobster character
  Anthony Maffei
  , beginning with this episode.
• This episode is unique in that it almost throughout its entirety employs the shaky camera style, with the exception of Dr. Melfi's scenes and scenes in Tony's car. The style may represent the episode's theme of Tony's feverish gambling and losing spree.
• The casino scenes were filmed at
  Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel and Casino
  .
• The headstone that Vito Jr. knocks over in the cemetery is for "David M. Hackel". Episode writer
  David Hackel as a writer for the sitcom Becker.^[2]
• The
  Southside Johnny Lyon, an underground legend of New Jersey's music scene. He has worked extensively with Little Steven Van Zandt, who portrays the character of Silvio Dante. Van Zandt has written, produced and performed on four of Lyon's albums and was a founding member of his band, the Asbury Jukes, before leaving to join Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band
  . Both Springsteen and Van Zandt appear on the Asbury Jukes' Better Days album, on the song "It's Been a Long Time".
• The Tampa Bay-Buffalo football game being watched at the Bing that Tony loses money on is actually footage from the film The Replacements.

Connections to prior episodes

• While Tony lectures Vito Jr., he tells him he "goes about in pity for himself", which was the phrase he became intrigued with while in the hospital, and the same thing he said to
  Artie Bucco in the Season 6, Part I episode "Luxury Lounge
  ."
• "Johnny Boy" Soprano once, after he cut off Satriale's (who owed him money) finger, told Tony to never ever gamble for the debts could get a man into serious trouble. (A flashback in the Season 3 episode "Fortunate Son")
• Tony brings up to Carmela that she stole money from his bird feed stashes, which happened in the Season 4 episode "Mergers and Acquisitions."
• Tony also reminds her about his leaning on her spec house building inspector ("Kaisha").
• The ornament that Carmela throws at Tony and smashes against the wall is the
  Everybody Hurts
  ".
• Tony tries to give Hesh a cap from Cleaver, which was Christopher's movie from "Stage 5".
• Hesh has to drop Eli off at physical therapy; he was badly beaten in "Members Only."

Other cultural and historical references

• Marie wants to move to Orono, Maine, near the University of Maine.
• Silvio Dante is seen reading a newspaper with an advertisement for Filene's Basement.
• Hesh calls Tony boychik, a Yiddish term of endearment.
• The horse race Tony lost big on in Atlantic City was portrayed as being simulcast from Batavia Downs.
• Phil tells Nancy Sinatra that he attended Jerry Lewis's 1976 telethon where her father, Frank Sinatra, arranged for the reunion of the comedy duo Martin and Lewis.
• Christopher says Vito Jr. is probably planning another Columbine.
• The guys watch
  JP Losman scores a late touchdown to win the game 28–24 for Buffalo. No such result ever actually occurred.^[3]
• When Tony and Bobby drop by to take him for a ride, Hesh lies and tells Tony he was watching a piece on the Hezbollah on CNN.
• The Twilight Zone episode that Carlo attempts to explain to Tony is titled "A Nice Place to Visit." In that episode, a dead gangster, Rocky Valentine, finds himself unable to lose when gambling and able to have any woman or any other pleasure he desires.
• Tony loses an
  NBA wager when Jerry Stackhouse hits a buzzer beater
  .
• When Tony switches channels from the basketball game he was betting on as Carmela comes into the bedroom, the TV station shows a clip of then-president George W. Bush meeting the visiting Abdullah bin Abdulaziz then-Saudi king.

Music

• Nancy Sinatra sings "Bossman", a track off her 2004 album Nancy Sinatra, to a gathering of the New York and New Jersey families celebrating Phil Leotardo becoming boss.
• The song played in the Bada Bing! when the football game is on TV is "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation.
• The guitar instrumental "Cavatina" is playing in the restaurant when A.J. proposes to Blanca.
• The music A.J. listens to in his car, while driving to the Puerto Rican parade day, is "Rompe" by Daddy Yankee.
• The music heard in the background when Blanca breaks up with A.J. is an instrumental version of
  Livin' La Vida Loca
  ".
• Song playing when Tony is driving in the Escalade is Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk."
• When Tony is in the back room of the Bing, talking to Silvio about Vito, Jr., "Peppermint Twist" (1961) is playing. It is by Joey Dee & The Starlighters (from New Jersey).
• The song played during the casino scene and over the end credits is "Goin' Down Slow" by Howlin' Wolf.

References

External links

• "Chasing It" Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine at HBO
• "Chasing It" at
  IMDb