Marco Polo (The Sopranos)
"Marco Polo" | |
---|---|
The Sopranos episode | |
Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 8 |
Directed by | John Patterson |
Written by | Michael Imperioli |
Cinematography by | Alik Sakharov |
Production code | 508 |
Original air date | April 25, 2004 |
Running time | 53 minutes |
"Marco Polo" is the 60th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the eighth of the show's fifth season. Written by Michael Imperioli and directed by John Patterson, it originally aired on April 25, 2004.
Starring
- James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
- Lorraine Bracco as 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
- Johnny Sack
- Artie Bucco
- Charmaine Bucco
- Tony Blundetto
* = credit only
Guest starring
- Little Carmine
- Hugh De Angelis
- Allison Bartlett as Gwen McIntyre
- Chris Caldovino as Billy Leotardo
- Angie Bonpensiero
- Joe Maruzzo as "Joey Peeps"
- Angelo Garepe
- Father Phil Intintola
- Mary De Angelis
- Phil Leotardo
- Rusty Millio
- Rosalie Aprile
- Finn DeTrolio
- Bruce Kirby as Dr. Russ Fegoli
- Brian Cammarata
- Joanne Moltisanti
- Dennis Aloia as Justin Blundetto
- Kevin Aloia as Jason Blundetto
- Quintina Blundetto
- Devin Pillsbury
- Jerry Basile
- Barbara Caruso as Lena Fegoli
- Samrat Chakrabarti as Dr. Onkar Singh
- Allison Dunbar as Nicole Lupertazzi
- Louis Mustillo as Sal Vitro
- Frankie Cortese
- Erin Stutland as Heather
- Philip Larocca as Edward "Duke" Bonpensiero
- Sammy Semenza as Carmine III
- Vic Martino as Muzzy Nardo
Synopsis
After the
Angie
. When the work is finished, Phil demands further repairs for non-existent defects.
Tensions continue to rise in
prostitute
by his side. Tony B's foot is injured when Joey's car rolls over it, and he hobbles back to his own car.
Mary, she tells Tony that, because of the separation, it would be better if he didn't attend. Tony is taken aback, but consents. Mary does not want him present because she thinks his vulgar behavior will embarrass her in front of an old friend, Russ Fegoli, who will be attending with his wife. Mary has enormous respect for Fegoli, who had a modest career in the Foreign Service. Junior
tells Hugh about the party, intentionally ruining the surprise. When Hugh insists that the "man of the house" attend, Carmela reluctantly invites Tony at short notice.
At the party, Mary is duly embarrassed by Tony's behavior. He presents Hugh with a Beretta Giubileo shotgun, but Fegoli observes that the best ones are not exported. At the end of the evening, Tony roughly puts the now-devalued shotgun in the trunk of the car. As the Fegolis are leaving, Mary apologizes to them for Tony's conduct. Carmela is furious at her mother's snobbery, commending Tony for his gift to Hugh and his courtesy to the guests.
As
A.J.
grab Carmela and throw her into the pool. Eventually, Tony and Carmela find themselves alone. They kiss in the pool and spend the night together. He leaves in the morning before she wakes.
Deceased
- Joseph "Joey Peeps" Peparelli: shot by Tony Blundetto on Little Carmine's orders
- Heather: prostitute with Joey Peeps; shot by Tony Blundetto
Title reference
- After Hugh's birthday party, a game of Marco Polo breaks out in the Sopranos' pool.
References to previous episodes
- Sal Vitro is seen landscaping at the Sacrimoni residence per the deal that was set up in the episode "Where's Johnny?"
- Tony says to Fegoli, "A doctor in the house? That's good, because somebody usually goes down at these affairs." In "The Sopranos", Tony had a panic attack while barbecuing.
- Tony is wearing shorts, even though the late Carmine told him, in "For All Debts Public and Private", "A don doesn't wear shorts."
Other cultural references
- The movie Junior is watching when !"
- When Tony arrives at the house for Hugh's party, he responds to Carmela's complaints about his tardiness by reciting, "Pins and needles, needles and pins." This is a line from a ditty frequently recited by Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners, which in turn references the nursery rhyme: "Needles and pins, Needles and pins. When a Man marries his Trouble begins."[1]
- Johnny Sack buys a Maserati Coupé with Grigio Touring paint color, and takes Tony for a drive.
- At Angelo's urging, Tony B does a Jackie Gleason impersonation for Rusty, who does not seem to be impressed.
- Angelo, Rusty Millio, and Tony B meet at The Four Seasons Restaurant, a subtle nod to The Four Seasons (band) of which Frankie Valli(the entertainer who plays Rusty Millio) was the lead singer.
- The sign for the Bada Bing says "Holyfield vs Lewis, Sat Nov 13." This is a reference to the heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, which took place on Saturday, November 13, 1999.
- The shotgun Tony gives to Hugh is a 12 gauge shotgunwith hand-engraved sideplates, a straight stock, and 28-inch barrels.
Music
- The song on the radio in the opening scene is Mason Williams' "Classical Gas."
- The song playing on Sal Vitro's radio as he tends to Johnny Sack's garden is "Come Go With Me" by The Del-Vikings.
- One of the songs played at Hugh's birthday party is "Bandstand Boogie," best known as the original theme of American Bandstand.
- Another song played at the party is "Perez Prado.
- The song played toward the end of the party while Tony S is talking to Tony B is "Allegheny Moon" by Patti Page.
- The song being played on saxophone when the party is closing is "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael.
- Toward the end of the episode, as Joey Peeps is about to leave the brothel with a prostitute, Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" (from 1986's Slippery When Wet album) is playing in the background.
- The song playing when Joey Peeps, and which continues over the end credits, is "Bad 'n' Ruin" by Faces, sung by Rod Stewart, from their 1971 album Long Player (it is also played at the Bada Bing! when Tony Sopranoand Tony Blundetto have their meeting).
References
- ^ J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps (1843). The Nursery Rhymes of England: Obtained Principally from Oral Tradition (2 ed.). London. p. 122.
External links
- "Marco Polo" Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine at HBO
- "Marco Polo" at IMDb