Cold Stones

"Cold Stones" is the 76th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the 11th of the show's sixth season. Written by Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, and David Chase, and directed by Tim Van Patten, it originally aired on May 21, 2006.

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
• Janice Soprano Baccalieri
  *
• Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
• Phil Leotardo
• Rosalie Aprile
• Vito Spatafore
• Patsy Parisi

* = credit only

Guest starring

Synopsis

• Jim Witowski – Owner of a local diner in Dartford, New Hampshire, and Vito's ex boyfriend.

Deceased

• Vito Spatafore
  : Beaten to death with a pool cue by Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello and Gerry Torciano on orders from Phil Leotardo.
• Dominic "Fat Dom" Gamiello
  : Stabbed to death by Carlo Gervasi while being held by Silvio Dante in the back room of Satriale's.

Production

• During the shoot in Paris,
  flu which rendered her voice almost inaudible. Sharon Angela had difficulty reacting to Carmela's dialogue when filming the scenes, and Carmela's lines had to be replaced in post-production with Falco recording them only once she had gotten well, already back in the U.S.^[1]
• Sharon Angela is billed in an individual credit during the opening sequence for the only time. For other episodes, she is paired with another cast member. This may be due to her key role in this episode.
• The motel where Vito is beaten to death was filmed on location at the former Howard Johnson's motor lodge in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
• Carmela believes that Adriana left Christopher but her dream suggests that Adriana is dead. In Season 2, Tony's dream reveals the truth about
  Tony Blundetto
  .
• The
  Star-Ledger
  article reporting Vito's death contains more text than was read out by Vito Jr. to his sister. DVD freeze frame reveals that the same paragraphs are just repeated over and over with the exception of the last. The final paragraph is unique and mentions that the owner of the Fort Lee Motel where Vito is murdered is a Fort Lee resident named Miriam Shapiro who was unavailable for comment.
• Former series regular Drea de Matteo makes her final appearance as Adriana La Cerva in this episode.

References to prior episodes

• Carmela mentions the time A.J. was being nihilistic and denying God's existence at the time of his confirmation, which happened in the season 2 episode "D-Girl."
• Carmela mentions the time she and Rosalie planned to travel to Italy ("The Knight in White Satin Armor").
• Carmela reads about
  Robert Wegler prominently talked to Carmela about a book about Abelard and Heloise in the season 5 episode "Sentimental Education
  ."
• Carmela remembers what Tony spoke immediately after he woke up from his coma: "Who am I? Where am I going?" ("Join the Club").
• In Carmela's dream, Adriana tells her that she found her dog Cosette (in the afterlife). Cosette was accidentally killed in the season 4 episode "The Strong, Silent Type."
• When Tony asks his crew's opinion on Vito's offer for silence; Silvio references Richie Aprile disowning his son after discovering he was gay.

Other cultural references

• Carmela wanted to rent Cinderella Man.
• A.J. calls
  NC-17 films; Blockbuster also famously refused to rent out The Last Temptation of Christ.^[2]
• Tony jokes that Blockbuster has
  Rhesus monkeys
  working as managers.
• A.J. and friends drink Cristal.
• When he and his crew are in the Bing, Tony points out Mickey Rooney on TV as a very hyper band leader in the movie Strike Up the Band. He calls him a "walyo," from the Neapolitan guaglione, "boy."
• Phil and Tony meet at the Lou Costello statue in Paterson.
• In the same scene above, Paulie mentions how ashamed "Salvatore Lucania" would probably be of him and his cohorts. This was the birth name of Mafia boss Lucky Luciano.
• When Carmela tells Tony about her plans to visit Paris, he is watching Is Paris Burning? (1966) on television. Later, when Carmela calls from Paris, Tony jokes, "Is Paris burning?" When he hears it's been raining over there, he replies "When it drizzles!", a line from the 1953 Cole Porter song "I Love Paris."
• She notes that the French call French toast and French fries by other names (pain perdu and pommes allumettes respectively).
• Tony calling Phil "Carnac the Great" is a reference to Carnac the Magnificent, a comedic, soothsaying character played by Johnny Carson during his tenure as host of The Tonight Show.
• The sights seen in Paris besides the
  St. Eustache. The women have dinner at Le Grand Véfour restaurant. Rosalie consoles Carmela at the Thermes de Cluny. Additionally, Carmela says they should visit the Louvre. Later they discuss Chloé, Dior and Kelly bags. Rosalie buys Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
  placemats.
• Carmela is mockingly compared to Napoleon.
• Tony mentions the 1010 WINS station. Later he listens to Q104.3.
• Carmela says that Tony was like Ricardo Montalbán with his Spanish.
• Phil wears Zanella slacks.^[3]
• Rosalie Aprile sees a ferry in the Seine and says, "Look! Just like Charade!"
• Silvio Dante reacts to the repeated news of Vito's death by responding that Carlo Gervasi is a "regular Jimmy Olsen," a reference to Superman's photographer friend at the Daily Planet.
• Tony tells Silvio that "
  Joe Bananas" fought a Mafia war with Carlo Gambino of retribution killings for seven years. This probably refers to the conflict of 1963–68, triggered by Joseph Bonanno's attempt to assassinate several members of the Mafia Commission. Tony also uses the expression "on the mattresses," derived from The Godfather
  .
• Silvio refers to bleach as Biangaline.^[4]
• Ramon Navarro
  's murder is mentioned as being similar to Vito's.

Music

• "Summer Rain" by Gritty Kitty plays as Vito and Marie Spatafore talk while their kids skate at the Rockefeller Center.
• "Ouvre Les Yeux" by PM (from their 2000 album Les Petits Chefs), a French rap group from the Paris suburbs, plays during the first scene in Paris.
• "Knights in White Satin" by Giorgio Moroder is played while Tony is in the Bada Bing!
• "
  Back In Black" by AC/DC is playing on the car radio while Tony is receiving fellatio from a stripper while driving. That song was followed immediately by Lynyrd Skynyrd
  's "Simple Man" as Tony speaks to Vito on the phone.
• The melody to "
  La Vie En Rose
  " is hummed by Rosalie as she consoles Carmela at the Gallo-Roman baths.
• The ringtone of "Fat Dom"'s phone is Für Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven.
• "Home" by Persephone's Bees plays at the beginning of the credits.
• "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca plays through the rest of the closing credits. The city of Paris plays an important role in both Casablanca and this episode. This particular rendition is sung by Dooley Wilson.

References