86 Days of The Sopranos
Season 2, Episode 13: Funhouse
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 2, Episode 13: Funhouse. Below are my impressions. Please provide your feedback in the replies, and try to avoid any big spoilers for those that are watching this iconic series for the first time…
** We open the season finale with Tony and Barbara meeting with Livia to get her living situation sorted. Barbara’s husband won’t allow her with them (smart move) and she’s definitely not going to Tony’s place. Tony grabs a couple of those stolen plane tickets and tells Livia to go to Tucson to live with Aunt Gemma. He storms out.
** Tony eats dinner with his crew. They’re selling prepaid phone calling cards and has a working relationship with some Indian mobsters. Tony says things are good and “all my enemies are smoked.”
** Tony comes home and tries to make small talk with Carmela, but she’s mostly ignoring him until he brings a fur out of a suit bag. She loves it. Tony gets her to try it on in the buff. She looks hot and they make sweet love.
** Tony dreams that he has a terminal illness and has decided to light himself on fire instead of letting the disease run its course. All his buddies are there at the boardwalk to watch including a dead one. He pours gas on himself, gets the lighter and just as Christoper asks, ‘Hey Tony, what if the doctors are wrong,’ we see a big explosion, and then Tony wakes up.
** Tony is half awake and half asleep and says he’s never been so depressed and life is a big nothing and everything is black. Carmela tells him that’s his mother speaking and everything is alright. He realizes he’s sick to his stomach and runs to the bathroom where he pukes.
** Tony cleans out his system and gets back in bed. Another dream starts with him back at the boardwalk. He looks through a viewfinder and sees himself shoot Paulie while they’re playing cards, and then he wakes up.
** Tony meets with Dr. Melfi and tells her about his dreams, but it turns out he’s dreaming again and Annalisa shows up in Dr. Melfi’s chair. He wakes up and throws up again. Sounds like it’s coming out both ends.
** Artie visits and Tony blames him for serving bad mussels, but Artie and Carmela think it was from the Indian restaurant. Artie checks with Big P, who also had the mussels, and Big P is mostly fine. Tony is still sick.
** Livia and her sister are taken away at the airport due to those tickets Tony gave them.
** Tony is dreaming of meeting with Dr. Melfi again. Dream Melfi asks if Big P is his friend. Tony tells dream Melfi he’s always wanted to F her and she tells him she finds him attractive. He starts nailing her on a desk. Tony wakes up again, and the doctor is there.
** Tony is back on the boardwalk talking to a fish who is speaking in Big P’s voice. He tells Tony he’s been working with the government. Tony: “Don’t say it.” Big P fish: “Come on, Ton, sooner or later you’ve got to face facts.” Big P fish tells Tony he passed him over for promotion, says he’s given the government a lot. Tony: “F of a way for it all to end.” Big P fish: “These guys (dead fish) on either side of me, they’re asleep.” Tony tips over the fish display and wakes up.
** Tony gets dressed, and is in a hurry to leave. Carmela is worried about Meadow’s graduation party tomorrow, but Tony leaves to go pickup Big P with Silvio to go look at a boat he might buy. Big P is nervous. He knows something is up. Silvio and Big P go down for coffee, while Tony, who pretended he was sick again, goes through Big P’s stuff. He finds a recording device and tapes under some cigars.
** They show up at the docks and Paulie is already there. Paulie says the Cuban that is selling the boat is meeting with the harbor master but they’re free to take it out for a spin. Big P looks worried.
** They go below decks and tell Big P to take a seat. Tony: “Why are you making me do this you fat, ****er, miserable piece of shit.” Tony asks Big P when they flipped him. Big P breaks, looks at Tony, Paulie and Silvio, and says: “They had me Tony. I was going away for pushing H.” Big P says it’s been going on for a year and a half, which enrages Paulie and Silvio.
** Big P says he fed the FBI disinformation so he could survive and did nothing to put Tony in harm’s way. Big P thinks his disinformation campaign (so he says) is an ace. Big P asks for some good tequila. He’s doing shots in quick succession and talking about a chick. Tony asks, “did she even exist?”
** Big P: “Not in the face, OK. Give me that. Keep my eyes?” Paulie: “You were like a brother to me.” Tony: “To all of us.” Big P just stands there while they pull out their guns. He’s about to collapse, asks to sit down, and then they shoot him. Paulie takes his necklace and watch, stares into his open eyes.
** They drag Big P’s body on deck. He’s in a bag with chains and weights attached. They toss him into the sea, Big P’s body slips into the abyss and they head back to the docks.
** Tony is back home. He’s still feeling miserable when Livia calls to tell him she’s in airport security and needs a lawyer. They’ve told her Tony gave her a stolen ticket and they’re going to call the FBI. The FBI show up at Tony’s house with a search warrant. They’ve found the remaining tickets in Tony’s car and he’s arrested. Carmela: “Our daughter is graduating high school. You can’t wait a few days to persecute him, persecute us?” Meadow walks in with her friends as Tony is getting led out in handcuffs. She’s upset and runs up to her room.
** As he’s being booked, Tony tells FBI Frank not to expect in deli trays in the future.
** Carmela comes up to talk with Meadow, who says: “This is who dad is. My friends don’t judge me, and F them if they do. I’ll cut them off.”
** Tony to his lawyer: “I knew I was giving her a bad ticket. That voice. That voice.” Lawyer said if all they have is these 23 tickets, they don’t have bupkes. Tony: “One more minute. If I could have just stood there saying, ‘Yes ma, OK ma, I hate you ma.’ One more f-ing minute, I wouldn’t be in this spot … I beat a homicide … and I blew an easy one.”
** Tony makes bail, leaves through a throng of reporters.
** He meets with Dr. Melfi and immediately blames his mother. Dr. Melfi senses his anger and wonders if there’s something more bothering him. Dr. Melfi says she hasn’t pushed Tony enough on issues with his mother because she became frightened of him. She says rage is a big, flaming self-distraction from feelings that are more frightening, like sadness. Dr. Melfi wants to know what else has happened. Tony tries to change the subject by telling her he dreamed of f-ing her on that desk. Dr. Melfi: “Boy, you threw that at me like a rock.” She continues to press him on the sadness and he gets up and walks out humming a tune.
** Meadow graduates with the class of 2000. Her middle name is Mariangela. Tony tells Christopher afterwards that he’s proposing him to get his button (be a made man). Christopher is excited. Junior shows up and gives Meadow a present before Tony makes sure he leaves quickly. Davey is there too. His kid is going to state college, he’s getting divorced and moving to Nevada to work on a ranch. Angie tells Carmela she’s mad at Big P for not showing up.
** We end season two with a music montage featuring Thru and Thru from the Rolling Stones with Keith Richards on lead vocals. Tony is posing for pictures with the family and there are scenes from the graduation party cut into scenes of decay around New Jersey and of mostly unhappy associates of the Soprano family. We fade to black with Tony smoking a cigar and the the waves rolling in as the sun sets on the Jersey shore.
Murder count: One in episode, 18 in series
What were your impressions of Funhouse…
Season 2, Episode 13: Funhouse
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 2, Episode 13: Funhouse. Below are my impressions. Please provide your feedback in the replies, and try to avoid any big spoilers for those that are watching this iconic series for the first time…
** We open the season finale with Tony and Barbara meeting with Livia to get her living situation sorted. Barbara’s husband won’t allow her with them (smart move) and she’s definitely not going to Tony’s place. Tony grabs a couple of those stolen plane tickets and tells Livia to go to Tucson to live with Aunt Gemma. He storms out.
** Tony eats dinner with his crew. They’re selling prepaid phone calling cards and has a working relationship with some Indian mobsters. Tony says things are good and “all my enemies are smoked.”
** Tony comes home and tries to make small talk with Carmela, but she’s mostly ignoring him until he brings a fur out of a suit bag. She loves it. Tony gets her to try it on in the buff. She looks hot and they make sweet love.
** Tony dreams that he has a terminal illness and has decided to light himself on fire instead of letting the disease run its course. All his buddies are there at the boardwalk to watch including a dead one. He pours gas on himself, gets the lighter and just as Christoper asks, ‘Hey Tony, what if the doctors are wrong,’ we see a big explosion, and then Tony wakes up.
** Tony is half awake and half asleep and says he’s never been so depressed and life is a big nothing and everything is black. Carmela tells him that’s his mother speaking and everything is alright. He realizes he’s sick to his stomach and runs to the bathroom where he pukes.
** Tony cleans out his system and gets back in bed. Another dream starts with him back at the boardwalk. He looks through a viewfinder and sees himself shoot Paulie while they’re playing cards, and then he wakes up.
** Tony meets with Dr. Melfi and tells her about his dreams, but it turns out he’s dreaming again and Annalisa shows up in Dr. Melfi’s chair. He wakes up and throws up again. Sounds like it’s coming out both ends.
** Artie visits and Tony blames him for serving bad mussels, but Artie and Carmela think it was from the Indian restaurant. Artie checks with Big P, who also had the mussels, and Big P is mostly fine. Tony is still sick.
** Livia and her sister are taken away at the airport due to those tickets Tony gave them.
** Tony is dreaming of meeting with Dr. Melfi again. Dream Melfi asks if Big P is his friend. Tony tells dream Melfi he’s always wanted to F her and she tells him she finds him attractive. He starts nailing her on a desk. Tony wakes up again, and the doctor is there.
** Tony is back on the boardwalk talking to a fish who is speaking in Big P’s voice. He tells Tony he’s been working with the government. Tony: “Don’t say it.” Big P fish: “Come on, Ton, sooner or later you’ve got to face facts.” Big P fish tells Tony he passed him over for promotion, says he’s given the government a lot. Tony: “F of a way for it all to end.” Big P fish: “These guys (dead fish) on either side of me, they’re asleep.” Tony tips over the fish display and wakes up.
** Tony gets dressed, and is in a hurry to leave. Carmela is worried about Meadow’s graduation party tomorrow, but Tony leaves to go pickup Big P with Silvio to go look at a boat he might buy. Big P is nervous. He knows something is up. Silvio and Big P go down for coffee, while Tony, who pretended he was sick again, goes through Big P’s stuff. He finds a recording device and tapes under some cigars.
** They show up at the docks and Paulie is already there. Paulie says the Cuban that is selling the boat is meeting with the harbor master but they’re free to take it out for a spin. Big P looks worried.
** They go below decks and tell Big P to take a seat. Tony: “Why are you making me do this you fat, ****er, miserable piece of shit.” Tony asks Big P when they flipped him. Big P breaks, looks at Tony, Paulie and Silvio, and says: “They had me Tony. I was going away for pushing H.” Big P says it’s been going on for a year and a half, which enrages Paulie and Silvio.
** Big P says he fed the FBI disinformation so he could survive and did nothing to put Tony in harm’s way. Big P thinks his disinformation campaign (so he says) is an ace. Big P asks for some good tequila. He’s doing shots in quick succession and talking about a chick. Tony asks, “did she even exist?”
** Big P: “Not in the face, OK. Give me that. Keep my eyes?” Paulie: “You were like a brother to me.” Tony: “To all of us.” Big P just stands there while they pull out their guns. He’s about to collapse, asks to sit down, and then they shoot him. Paulie takes his necklace and watch, stares into his open eyes.
** They drag Big P’s body on deck. He’s in a bag with chains and weights attached. They toss him into the sea, Big P’s body slips into the abyss and they head back to the docks.
** Tony is back home. He’s still feeling miserable when Livia calls to tell him she’s in airport security and needs a lawyer. They’ve told her Tony gave her a stolen ticket and they’re going to call the FBI. The FBI show up at Tony’s house with a search warrant. They’ve found the remaining tickets in Tony’s car and he’s arrested. Carmela: “Our daughter is graduating high school. You can’t wait a few days to persecute him, persecute us?” Meadow walks in with her friends as Tony is getting led out in handcuffs. She’s upset and runs up to her room.
** As he’s being booked, Tony tells FBI Frank not to expect in deli trays in the future.
** Carmela comes up to talk with Meadow, who says: “This is who dad is. My friends don’t judge me, and F them if they do. I’ll cut them off.”
** Tony to his lawyer: “I knew I was giving her a bad ticket. That voice. That voice.” Lawyer said if all they have is these 23 tickets, they don’t have bupkes. Tony: “One more minute. If I could have just stood there saying, ‘Yes ma, OK ma, I hate you ma.’ One more f-ing minute, I wouldn’t be in this spot … I beat a homicide … and I blew an easy one.”
** Tony makes bail, leaves through a throng of reporters.
** He meets with Dr. Melfi and immediately blames his mother. Dr. Melfi senses his anger and wonders if there’s something more bothering him. Dr. Melfi says she hasn’t pushed Tony enough on issues with his mother because she became frightened of him. She says rage is a big, flaming self-distraction from feelings that are more frightening, like sadness. Dr. Melfi wants to know what else has happened. Tony tries to change the subject by telling her he dreamed of f-ing her on that desk. Dr. Melfi: “Boy, you threw that at me like a rock.” She continues to press him on the sadness and he gets up and walks out humming a tune.
** Meadow graduates with the class of 2000. Her middle name is Mariangela. Tony tells Christopher afterwards that he’s proposing him to get his button (be a made man). Christopher is excited. Junior shows up and gives Meadow a present before Tony makes sure he leaves quickly. Davey is there too. His kid is going to state college, he’s getting divorced and moving to Nevada to work on a ranch. Angie tells Carmela she’s mad at Big P for not showing up.
** We end season two with a music montage featuring Thru and Thru from the Rolling Stones with Keith Richards on lead vocals. Tony is posing for pictures with the family and there are scenes from the graduation party cut into scenes of decay around New Jersey and of mostly unhappy associates of the Soprano family. We fade to black with Tony smoking a cigar and the the waves rolling in as the sun sets on the Jersey shore.
Murder count: One in episode, 18 in series
What were your impressions of Funhouse…
