OTH: The Sopranos- "Christopher" / "The Weight"
"Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth."
Season 4, Episode 3
Aired September 29, 2002
Directed by Tim Van Patten
Story by Michael Imperioli, Maria Laurino, Teleplay by Michael Imperioli
Synopsis: With Columbus Day approaching, protests are popping up with demands to retire the holiday, noting Christopher Columbus’ cruel treatment to Native Americans. Silvio calls upon members of the DiMeo family (minus Tony, but including Artie for some reason) to interrupt one of these protests. Unfortunately, Silvio’s attempt to raid a protest goes awry, as the formerly peaceful demonstration turns ugly. Between a protester throwing a beer bottle at Little Paulie, while Patsy is arrested for attempting to climb up at the protest to retrieve a display portraying a hanging Columbus. Tony is furious, recognizing that this is bad PR and a terrible move from Silvio, even if Tony agrees with him. Tony makes some calls and while he isn’t able to stop the protest, he’s able to allow both it and the parade to happen without intervention. Silvio is now furious as he laments over the history of his people’s discrimination, while Tony notes that everything Silvio has been able to pull off in his life comes from his own actions, not his heritage.
Anti-Italian rhetoric is the theme of the episode, as Carmela and the wives attend a seminar meant to install pride in Italian women. While the speaker has fair points, she brings up tired cliches of mafioso culture that still define Italian-Americans to the rest of the country, which reads at a not-subtle dig to Carmela and her ladies, especially as the event is hosted by Father Phil. While Carmela is willing to shrug it off, Gabriella Dante is quick to give Father Phil a peace of her mind. However, this isn’t the part of the day the family will remember, as Karen Baccalieri never makes it to receive her crowns- she gets into an accident on her way to the dentist which proves to be fatal. Bobby, one of the only made men to never have a side woman, is heartbroken, as the women in the family agree to check up on him and his kids.
One of those women includes Janice, who is at an impasse. She recognizes that her fling with Ralphie is only taking her back to square one, as many of the men she’s been with have been a part of the family. Janice’s psychiatrist notes that she’s gone from following after her father to her brother and suggests that Ralph will only further take her into that pit of darkness. As she notes this, Ralphie is going through some things himself, which also includes Johnny Sack wanting him out of the picture- it appears that Paulie has been very vocal during his prison stint. That’s an issue which will have to be resolved later, as he has another thing on his mind- Ralphie splits with Rosalie Aprile for good as he tries to move in with Janice, who isn’t thrilled by the idea; during her recent encounter with Bobby, she notes the genuine grief he feels and realizes that this is the kind of man she wants. While her psychiatrist isn’t thrilled by Janice’s comparing Bobby to her brother, she remains firm and pushes Ralph down the stairs when he comes back over.
You know, in Florida, Columbus Day has never really been much of a thing. The only places that recognize it as a holiday are banks- schools and most other businesses treat it like another day. As Columbus Day usually occurs near my birthday, it’s something I’ve always noted but never thought much about.
I may be bringing this up because I’ve been dreading this episode. The Sopranos’ reputation has only grown in years, and few episodes are generally agreed to be blights on its run, “Christopher” being the major exception (I believe “Boca”, another episode I gave a less-than-stellar review to, is also considered lesser). Which is unfortunate, as it is an important episode for the show’s canon, which means I wouldn’t recommend skipping it. At the same time, I wouldn’t recommend skipping any episode- The Sopranos is a series meant to be seen from point A to B. This isn’t a procedural you can just jump right into out of nowhere. It’s important to take the good and the bad- after all, if every episode was “College” or “Pine Barrens”, they wouldn’t be, would they?
Before I get into why “Christopher” remains unpopular, it’s worth talking about what is important about the episode. Bobby Baccalieri’s wife, Karen, dying is a crucial moment for the character, one that gives him necessary weight. While it is unfortunate that the show has to kill an innocent (which may require quotations- the wives on this show are fully aware of their husband’s business) woman for a male character’s story, let’s not pretend that the gender gap in terms of death isn’t a little more balanced in this regard. Men die left and right, sometimes multiple in the same scene. I can still see why Karen’s death can be read as fridging her, and there’s something valid in that.
Still, the idea that Bobby, the nicest DiMeo family member we’ve met, who so delicately dedicates his time to care for Junior, loses the love of his life and shows such genuine remorse is a welcome contrast to characters like Tony and Christopher, who flip between naked emotion and their habitual greed. That this leaves such an impact on Janice, who we’ve seen chase after men who remind her of her father and brother, is equally worth noting, which the episode does a good job of showing as she tries to break the cycle of abuse she receives from Ralphie. This material, especially what we see of Janice in therapy, the emotional wreck she allows herself to be, is good.
What I don’t like about “Christopher” is the material about the title character. Not Moltisanti, as despite being another Michael Imperioli script (which he cowrites with writer and Jersey-native, Italian-American Maria Laurino in a one-time contribution), Chris is MIA. Rather, the episode focuses on the long-standing belief that Columbus Day is evident of racial prejudice towards Native Americans, celebrating the colonizer who first set to take the land from its indigenous people by undeniably brutal means. This wasn’t a new conversation at the time, and it only becomes more prevalent today, as attempts towards replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day is still coming up short.
In this regard, “Christopher” arguably feels timely, yet the episode can’t seem to make up its mind if it supports the Native protestors or our usual gang of lovable rogues (and Artie for some reason, who for some reason is hanging with the family outside of Tony). The problem I think is worth noting about “Christopher”, and The Sopranos crew at large, is that I don’t think it’s equipped to handle such a topic. On the one hand, it should be, as The Sopranos has successfully tackled serious themes and allegory thus far, but philosophy is one thing- race it out of its depth. The episode turns out so disappointing because it doesn’t really have an answer to whether Columbus Day should become Indigenous People’s Day, and lets the conflict end on the laziest resolution possible. This might be funny if this was meant to be ironic, but I’m not sure if that’s the case. The Simpsons and even Buffy the Vampire Slayer could pull that off (I say that, even though Buffy had its own highly problematic portrayal of Native culture in “Pangs”, and The Simpsons is no angel when it comes to race, itself), but those are entirely different shows.
“Christopher” is often seen as the show’s weakest hour, which I can’t really argue with. This isn’t an episode devoid of merit, I’ve detailed its importance to the series at large and its high points, but it’s no classic, and I don’t think either Imperioli, his writing partner, or even the excellent Tim Van Patten are qualified to tackle. A rare, but notable misfire.
Despite the episode’s reception, “Christopher” was one of two Joe Pantoliano submitted to the Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, an award he’ll win.
Season 4, Episode 4
Aired October 6, 2002
Directed by Jack Bender
Written by Terence Winter
Synopsis: Johnny Sack is still furious over Ralphie’s remark, to the point that he brutally beats a member of his crew when he hears the young man crack a similar joke at a bar. As Tony has to deal with the damage, he decides enough is enough and demands that Johnny and Ralph settle their differences, but John refuses. Tony at least learns why, as he comes clean about the remark and admits that his wife, Ginny, has struggled with her weight ever since giving birth; Johnny is adamant that he still loves and is attracted to her, and any crack about his wife will not be tolerated. On the one hand, Tony has no love lost for Ralphie, but on the other, he recognizes Ralph as not only a capo, but one of his best-serving, so he’s intent on making this work. Tony asks for the name of who told Johnny about the joke. He refuses to snitch, which only further berates the point, and leaves Tony with no choice- he has to put a hit on John. Junior gives Tony advice and recommends an old squad in Rhode Island to do the job, as John frequently visits his father in the area and has a trip coming up; at the same time, Johnny calls for a hit on Ralphie as he goes down to Florida at Tony’s insistence, waiting for the heat to cool down. Plans change when Johnny catches his wife cheating on her diet and decides that enough is enough- he calls off the hit and tells Tony that he’s willing to accept Ralph’s apology, only asking for an end to jokes about weight. Tony agrees and calls off his own hit.
Carmela feels underappreciated by Tony, who continues to not take her interest in the family’s financial situation seriously. Instead, her attention turns to Furio, as her crush only blossoms as he further works on his new house. Her infatuation hits a new peak at his housewarming party, when the two have a playful dance session that she finds to be more passionate than he realizes. Tony later apologies to Carmela and brings her a new lingerie one-piece, which fits just perfectly. Their love-making session, however, is interrupted when Meadow starts blasting the song she, along with Carm and Furio, were dancing to. Meadow shuts it off and her parents go back to business, but Carmela is still hearing the Italian music in her head while Tony gets to work.
We don’t see Tony meet with Dr. Melfi this week, but rather spend time with her in Dr. Kupferberg’s office, where we hear Jennifer lament about her son’s recent behavior, as he’s showing disinterest in furthering her education and has become distant with his father. They both believe that Jason, Dr. Melfi’s son, still feels guilt and weakness over his mother’s rape, which Dr. Kupferberg insists is normal and suggests that Jennifer shouldn’t blame him for his actions, or herself for what happened. It’s also worth noting that Dr. Kupferberg runs into Tony Soprano in Columbia’s parking lot while both are visiting their daughters. The men don’t recognize each other or their connections to Dr. Melfi, but Elliot gets on Tony’s nerves by taking his time to get out of his way. Tony has his own problems with one of his children, however, as Meadow joins a legal aid organization, which has Tony concerned that she may be switching from pre-med to pre-law.
There’s something about Furio, isn’t there? The accent is doing a good share of the lifting, Federico Castelluccio does terrific work recalling his Neapolitan roots, but he’s such a commanding figure in his own right, trading James Gandolfini’s bulking presence for quaint intensity, he appears just as formative on his own.
I get why Carmela’s panties melt for him, although I wonder if her recent infatuation with Furio matches her brief fling with Victor Musto in season 2 and her almost-affair with Father Phil- she likes the idea of putting the ball in her court after years of Tony cheating on him rather than truly needing her own guy. But at the same time, there’s at least one difference with Furio vs Musto and the priest- both of these men have their own place in their home and feel some form of contentment. Furio is a fish out of water, a soldier from the DiMeo’s Italian front moved to the states with little warning. With Furio, I see Carmela finding herself a project, in particular a way in, as she starts making his house her project.
Carmela’s growing infatuation with Furio works as a welcome contrast to “The Weight”’s core theme, what you see vs what you hear, with the bulk of the episode being about Johnny Sack demanding restitution for Ralph’s joke toward his wife.
This makes for a frustrating position for Tony, who agrees that Ralphie was out of line, but wouldn’t be above a similar joke despite his own weight problem. Even more conflicting is that while Johnny may have seniority and is a closer friend, Ralphie. who usually gets under Tony’s skin, is the better earner, and with Johnny refusing to pull his- for lack of a better term- weight and name who gave him the info, Tony has to make a tough decision. However, this works in showing off Tony’s decision-making skills, as he’s able to put his personal feelings aside and go where the money’s at. Calling it an ethical decision is wrong- there’s no ethical decision either way, we’re talking about a hit here- but on paper, it seems smart.
It should feel like a cop out that Johnny settles things with Ralphie before either of them has to die, but at the same time, I welcome the change of pace. The Sopranos is famously trigger happy, so I like seeing it subvert expectations when it can. The show clearly has more to do with both characters. I also think the scene in Florida is brilliantly paced- is Johnny’s guy going to follow his instructions and drop the hit?
Still, it’s worth something how fiercely devoted to his wife Johnny Sack is, especially when we see how Tony all but ignores Carmela half the time. If anything, Tony might be the worst husband of his circle- what we’ve seen with Silvio and Bobby with their spouses, or even Christopher and bride-to-be Adriana, they’re all more loving than he and Carm are. I see this being why she’s so willing to give Tony a taste of his own medicine- still, it’s worth noting that we only really see things from his family’s perspective. We seldom see what life for Silvio and the others is like outside of work. This only really happens with Christopher, and he’s far from an angel, himself.
After largely sitting out the previous episode, “The Weight” focuses heavily on Dr. Melfi, returning to her mindset after last season’s violent rape episode. While I still think that using rape as a character-developing moment is an uncomfortable plot device, I appreciate that at least this wasn’t done to the benefit of the male cast rather than for Dr. Melfi herself… although I say that when this week, it’s her son who’s feeling guilt over her tragedy.
Not that it isn’t valid for your loved ones to feel remorse or shame after someone so close deals with such an earth-shattering event, but it’s a choice to have much of Dr. Melfi’s time in this episode focusing on her son’s reaction to her rape as opposed to her own aftermath. It’s a near even split, which is a little too close for my preference.
All this, and Dr. Kupferberg meets with, but doesn’t recognize Tony Soprano. I guess Peter Bogdanovich requested a scene with Gandolfini and got it. While I joke, I do want to discuss this before wrapping things up- for as much as Dr. Kupferberg has judged Tony and his lifestyle during his sessions with Dr. Melfi, it’s apparent that he doesn’t know that much about Tony at all. This is probably his greatest indictment of such- he’s a pretty memorable, recognizable figure, but Elliott doesn’t put two and two together because his head is up his ass.
After a bump in the road with “Christopher”, it feels like we’re back to classic Sopranos with “The Weight”. High stakes that take us down the right road with a welcome new turn or two. This is how I want the show.
Dr. Melfi’s Notebook:
I don’t know what’s more notable, that Janice is a domme or that Ralphie’s ringtone is the Rocky theme. Is his Gladiator phase over?
We don’t see much of Adriana in these episodes, either. Thus far, it appears that she’s trying to keep her distance after her recent deal with the FBI.
The most of-its-time reference in “Christopher” is naming “Rudolph” Giuliani as an example of upstanding Italian-Americans. I mean, this was right after 9/11…
Funny how Tony and Silvio talk about Frankie Valli, when he will later appear on the show as a notable character.
We meet another important character in “Christopher”- Pie-O-My. This little racehorse will become crucial later in the season.
Not much for AJ in these episodes, but I like the bit in the latter when he traps Bobby’s kids in Furio’s garage.
Next Time: Speaking of which, Tony becomes very close to Pie-O-My, and a tragic event gives Tony a change in attitude.