Watching Too Much Television
"Watching Too Much Television" | |
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The Sopranos episode | |
Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 7 |
Directed by | John Patterson |
Story by |
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Teleplay by | |
Cinematography by | Alik Sakharov |
Production code | 407 |
Original air date | October 27, 2002 |
Running time | 54 minutes |
"Watching Too Much Television" is the 46th episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos and the seventh episode of the show's fourth season. Its teleplay was written by Nick Santora and Terence Winter from a story by Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, Terence Winter, and David Chase. It was directed by John Patterson and originally aired on October 27, 2002.
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 Sigler as Meadow Soprano
- Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva
- Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano
- Furio Giunta
- Johnny Sack
- Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
- Ralph Cifaretto
* = credit only
Guest starring
- Rosalie Aprile
- Irina Peltsin
- Little Paulie Germani
- Benny Fazio
- Maurice Tiffen
- Brian Cammarata
- Vito Spatafore
- Agent Deborah Ciccerone Waldrup
- Patsy Parisi
- Joanne Moltisanti
- Richard Maldone as Ally Boy Barese
- Anna Mancini as Donna Parisi
- Liz La Cerva
- Bureau Chief Frank Cubitoso
- Harold Melvoin
- Ronald Zellman
- Agent Dwight Harris
- Dr. Ira Fried
- Liz DiLiberto
- Gabriella Dante
- Terri
- Agent Robyn Sanseverino
- Malcolm Barrett as Angelo Davis
- Nichelle Hines as Felicia
- Victor Matamoros as Attorney
- Sally Stewart as Lenore Tiffen
Synopsis
Adriana gets the idea from a TV crime drama that spouses cannot be forced to testify against each other, so she surprises Christopher by proposing that, after two years' engagement, they should get married. But when she confesses that she might not be able to have children, he storms out. Tony and Silvio urge him to marry her regardless. Fortified by heroin, Christopher apologizes for his outburst and tells her he will marry her. But she learns from a lawyer that the TV drama was wrong: in a major trial, she can be made to testify. At her bridal shower, she cheerlessly unwraps her presents.
Paulie is released from jail. There is a big welcome-back party and an envelope of cash from Tony. But Paulie is still resentful that Tony never contacted him when he was in prison, and speaks of this to
Zellman diffidently informs Tony that he is having a serious relationship with his ex-mistress
Final appearances
- Ronald Zellman– Newark assemblyman, and associate of Tony Soprano.
Title reference
- Adriana watches the TV series Murder One and learns that she doesn't have to turn state's evidence against Christopher if they get married. But, her friend tells her that according to an episode of Murder, She Wrote, that is not always the case.
Other cultural references
- Silvio makes a reference to the movie Papillon to Paulie when they first meet each other after he gets out of jail.
- Paulie tells Johnny Sack he missed Good & Plenties while in prison.
- In separate scenes Adriana watches Murder One and The A-Team on television.
- The watch Tony presents to Brian is a Patek Philippe white gold and diamond, annual calendar, Ref. 5037/1G
- Tony listens to WCBS-FM.
- Paulie and Johnny eat at the River Caférestaurant in Brooklyn.
- Maurice Tiffen's line "Nobody said anything about violence. We renounced it, remember? When Eldridge went into the codpiece business." refers to black radical Eldridge Cleaver and his codpiece-revival "virility pants" from the 70s.
- Maurice Tiffen makes a reference to the .
Connections to prior episodes
- Like he did with Corrado Soprano, Sr. built when he first came to the U.S. from Avellino.
Music
- The song played to welcome Paulie back ("Paulie's song") is "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" by Frank Sinatra; it's never explained why it's significant to him.
- The song which is played over the end credits is "Oh Girl" by The Chi-Lites. The song was also heard earlier at the Russian bathhouse, where Tony, Zellman, and Tiffen discuss it.
- In the diner scene where Brian, Tony, and Ralph discuss the HUD scam, a muzak version of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" by Steely Dan plays in the background.
- When Zellman and Tony are talking in the changing room after the sauna, the Booker T. & the M.G.'s song "Green Onions" is playing.
- During a discussion between Tony and Christopher, the Foghat song "Slow Ride" is playing in the background.
- On Tony's car radio, en route to Assemblyman Zellman's house, "Oh Girl" is preceded by "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman–Turner Overdrive.
- At the Bada Bing, the song "Drive" by Nashville Pussy is playing.
External links
- "Watching Too Much Television" Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine at HBO
- "Watching Too Much Television" at IMDb