Irregular Around the Margins
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"Irregular Around the Margins" | |
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The Sopranos episode | |
Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 5 |
Directed by | Allen Coulter |
Written by | Robin Green Mitchell Burgess |
Cinematography by | Phil Abraham |
Production code | 505 |
Original air date | April 4, 2004 |
Running time | 52 minutes |
"Irregular Around the Margins" is the 57th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the fifth of the show's fifth season. Written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, and directed by Allen Coulter, it originally aired on April 4, 2004.
Starring
- James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
- 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
- Anthony Soprano, Jr.
- Jamie-Lynn DiScala as Meadow Soprano
- Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva
- Janice Soprano Baccalieri*
- Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
- Charmaine Bucco
- Tony Blundetto
* = credit only
Guest starring
- Hesh Rabkin
Also guest starring
- Benny Fazio
- Vito Spatafore
- Eugene Pontecorvo
- Agent Deborah Ciccerone-Waldrup
- Patsy Parisi
- Finn De Trolio
- Stokley Davenport, MD
- Dante Greco
- Phil Leotardo
- Frankie Cortese
- Joey "Peeps"
- Duke Valenti as Corky DiGioia
- Agent Sanseverino
- Quintina Blundetto
- Bureau Chief Frank Cubitoso
- Agent Grasso
- Jason Molinaro
Synopsis
Late at night on the eve of Chris's return, Tony and Adriana drive to Dover to buy cocaine. Tony swerves to avoid a raccoon, and his SUV flips over to the driver's side. Tony is released from the hospital unhurt. Adriana is bruised and has a head injury. Tony suggests a cover story to explain why they were alone together in the early morning: they were going to get something to eat. However, Tony's crew and their associates play an unintentional game of "telephone" with the story of the accident. The details get more elaborate and lurid with each retelling; the final version is that Adriana was fellating Tony when the accident occurred.
Chris learns of the accident from his crew upon his return from North Carolina and quickly becomes suspicious. At
A drunken Chris arrives at the Bing and empties his pistol into Tony's car. He enters the club shouting threats to Tony and brandishing the empty gun, but is easily overpowered. Tony and the crew drive him to the Meadowlands, where Tony prepares to execute him if he doesn't acknowledge that nothing happened between Tony and Adriana. At Tony B's suggestion, Chris is taken to the doctor who treated Tony and Adriana on the night of the accident. Though they are threatening him, the doctor freely acknowledges that Adriana's injuries show that she was wearing her seat belt and sitting upright when the accident occurred. Chris appears to be placated but says that he feels like a laughing stock.
Agent
Tony convinces Carmela that there is nothing between him and Adriana. In a show of unity, Tony and Carmela, Chris and Adriana, and Tony B and
Production
- Tony's burgundy 1999 Chevy Suburban is seen for the last time in this episode (he was last seen driving it in the closing scene of the season 4 finale). He had upgraded to a black Cadillac Escalade at the beginning of season 5 (and drives/is driven in a white 2003 Escalade after crashing his previous Escalade from the middle of this season onwards).
First appearances
- Bada Bingto confront Tony
- Jason Molinaro: a member of the Aprile crew
Title reference
- Tony tells Adriana that he's afraid a mole on his shoulder looks "irregular around the margins," a worry he's had ever since a cancerous mole was removed from his forehead. Well-defined borders typically indicate a benign growth, while melanomas have borders that are not well defined.
Awards
- Allen Coulter was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work on this episode.
- Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green were nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for their work on this episode.
- Drea de Matteo won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in this episode.
- Michael Imperioli won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in this episode.
Music
- The song that plays during the meeting in the Crazy Horse, when Adriana comes in, is "Beat Connection" from LCD Soundsystem.
- The song that plays while Tony and Adriana use cocaine at the Crazy Horse is "Come for Me" by Little Steven and the Lost Boys. The band's singer, Steven Van Zandt, plays Silvio Dante on the show.
- The music that plays during the final restaurant scene and over the closing credits is the aria, "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta?", from Luba Orgonasova. The same aria was used in the pilot episode, when Tony got his first panic attack at the moment the ducks left his pool. The song describes a woman who rejects a king as a suitor in favor of a student.
References
External links
- "Irregular Around the Margins" Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine at HBO
- "Irregular Around the Margins" at IMDb