86 Days of The Sopranos
Season 3, Episode 13: The Army of One
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 3, Episode 13: The Army of One. 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 3 finale with A.J. and his buddy sneaking into a school office to get what looks like a test paper and Jackie Jr. hanging out at a sleazy motel where he's hiding out with Omar Little from The Wire/Chalky White from Boardwalk Empire.
** Paulie is dropping his mother off at a retirement home. She starts crying and says, “My son lets me live in a place like this. He’s such a good boy,” which is in sharp contrast to Livia back in the day. Paulie calls her his Queen.
** Paulie thinks Ralphie owes him 50K but Ralphie is stalling and even does a pretend phone call with Tony to say his goodbyes. Paulie and Silvio also wants Ralphie to whack Jackie Jr.
** A crying Jackie Jr. calls Tony, who tells him to talk to his stepfather for help. He tries to appeal to Tony, being best friends with his father, but Tony said that expired last week. Tony tells him never to call him again.
** Ralphie meets with Tony, who tells him he has to make the decision on Jackie Jr. and it has to be done in a timely fashion.
** The principal tells A.J. and his buddy they made 96s on their geometry midterms. He asks if they want him to share the good news with their parents. They both decline. He then tricks them by saying he got their DNA from when they peed in the janitor’s closet and they both give it up, believing they’re busted.
** The FBI have a meeting and decide to target Adriana as a way to get to Tony and his crew. They put a female agent, Debra, on it.
** Jackie Jr. goes for a walk and is immediately shot in the back of the head by Vito. He doesn’t see it coming.
** A.J. is permanently expelled. A.J. makes a smart-ass remark and Tony slaps him hard. Carmela is pissed. Tony yells: “There’s more where that came from. We’re starting a new regime around here.” Tony decides to send him to military school.
** Carmela learns Jackie Jr. is dead. She says he was shot to death by drug dealers. A.J. calls and tells Meadow, who loses it.
** Tony tells Dr. Melfi he doesn’t want A.J. to turn out like Jackie Jr., and wants both his kids to stay away from the mob life. He says A.J. would never make it in his business.
** Meadow says X is not something you get killed over. Carmela asks what she means. Meadow: “Look at who he grew up with. Look at who his father was. Look at everybody we know.” Carmela tells her she’s just looking for boogeymen with Italian names, and that’s not what happened.
** Carmela doesn’t want A.J. to become a soldier but Tony likes the discipline of military school. He’s not backing down, but neither is Carmela, who’s says A.J. is a normal child who makes mistakes and she won’t let Tony send him to a school whose whole reason for being is following orders by instilling fear. Tony says they’ve tried it Carmela’s way for 16 years and he needs to learn to be a man. Carmela tries to take the covers and go sleep on the sofa but Tony takes them and does it himself.
** Christopher apologizes to Tony, but Tony is still pissed. Carmela sees Jackie Jr. at the viewing and that night she cozies up to Tony and says, “Let’s try it your way.”
** They have a sit-down. Paulie says he’s owed 50K for providing an alarm code for a break-in. Ralphie says it should be 5K for a finder’s fee. Tony settles it with Ralphie giving Paulie 12K. Paulie, who is paying 8K a month to put his mom in the retirement home, is not satisfied.
** FBI agent Debra, who now goes by Danielle, suddenly has big hair. She runs into Adriana shopping and they end up bonding over a Starbucks.
** A.J. gets all dressed up in his military uniform. His parents love it, but he says he looks like a jerk-off and starts crying. A.J. then passes out from a panic attack.
** Tony meets with Dr. Melfi and right away we learn their pediatrician said A.J. can’t attend military school because of the panic attacks. Tony: “He’s got that putrid, rotten, f-ing Soprano gene.” Dr. Melfi says when you blame your genes, you’re blaming yourself, and that’s what we should be talking about. Tony: “You don’t understand … we can’t send him to that place. How are we going to save this kid?”
** Silvio and Christopher are arrested at the funeral for gambling. Paulie runs off. Rosalie completely loses it. Afterwards, Jackie Jr.’s sister said her brother’s dream was too follow in his father’s footsteps and was killed by some fat f*ck in see-through socks. Meadow says she has no basis to say that and should drop it. Jackie’s sister: “If my dad still controlled all the crime in north Jersey like your dad does now, I’d probably want to drop it too.” Meadow’s not having it and says she shouldn’t be arguing this in front of an outsider (her cousin).
** Paulie runs into Johnny Sack, complains to him about Tony and not being respected. Sack tells him Carmine has always liked him. Paulie says if there’s ever anything I can do…
** Junior hauntingly sings Core ‘ngrato (Ungrateful heart) during the wake at Artie’s restaurant. There are many knowing glances around the room. A drunk Meadow throws bread at Junior and then rushes out with Tony right behind her. Meadow: “This is such bullshit.” She runs out in traffic and across the street. We fade to black.
Murder count: One in episode, 25 in series
What were your impressions of The Army of One…
Season 3, Episode 13: The Army of One
In our 86 Days of The Sopranos we’re up to Season 3, Episode 13: The Army of One. 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 3 finale with A.J. and his buddy sneaking into a school office to get what looks like a test paper and Jackie Jr. hanging out at a sleazy motel where he's hiding out with Omar Little from The Wire/Chalky White from Boardwalk Empire.
** Paulie is dropping his mother off at a retirement home. She starts crying and says, “My son lets me live in a place like this. He’s such a good boy,” which is in sharp contrast to Livia back in the day. Paulie calls her his Queen.
** Paulie thinks Ralphie owes him 50K but Ralphie is stalling and even does a pretend phone call with Tony to say his goodbyes. Paulie and Silvio also wants Ralphie to whack Jackie Jr.
** A crying Jackie Jr. calls Tony, who tells him to talk to his stepfather for help. He tries to appeal to Tony, being best friends with his father, but Tony said that expired last week. Tony tells him never to call him again.
** Ralphie meets with Tony, who tells him he has to make the decision on Jackie Jr. and it has to be done in a timely fashion.
** The principal tells A.J. and his buddy they made 96s on their geometry midterms. He asks if they want him to share the good news with their parents. They both decline. He then tricks them by saying he got their DNA from when they peed in the janitor’s closet and they both give it up, believing they’re busted.
** The FBI have a meeting and decide to target Adriana as a way to get to Tony and his crew. They put a female agent, Debra, on it.
** Jackie Jr. goes for a walk and is immediately shot in the back of the head by Vito. He doesn’t see it coming.
** A.J. is permanently expelled. A.J. makes a smart-ass remark and Tony slaps him hard. Carmela is pissed. Tony yells: “There’s more where that came from. We’re starting a new regime around here.” Tony decides to send him to military school.
** Carmela learns Jackie Jr. is dead. She says he was shot to death by drug dealers. A.J. calls and tells Meadow, who loses it.
** Tony tells Dr. Melfi he doesn’t want A.J. to turn out like Jackie Jr., and wants both his kids to stay away from the mob life. He says A.J. would never make it in his business.
** Meadow says X is not something you get killed over. Carmela asks what she means. Meadow: “Look at who he grew up with. Look at who his father was. Look at everybody we know.” Carmela tells her she’s just looking for boogeymen with Italian names, and that’s not what happened.
** Carmela doesn’t want A.J. to become a soldier but Tony likes the discipline of military school. He’s not backing down, but neither is Carmela, who’s says A.J. is a normal child who makes mistakes and she won’t let Tony send him to a school whose whole reason for being is following orders by instilling fear. Tony says they’ve tried it Carmela’s way for 16 years and he needs to learn to be a man. Carmela tries to take the covers and go sleep on the sofa but Tony takes them and does it himself.
** Christopher apologizes to Tony, but Tony is still pissed. Carmela sees Jackie Jr. at the viewing and that night she cozies up to Tony and says, “Let’s try it your way.”
** They have a sit-down. Paulie says he’s owed 50K for providing an alarm code for a break-in. Ralphie says it should be 5K for a finder’s fee. Tony settles it with Ralphie giving Paulie 12K. Paulie, who is paying 8K a month to put his mom in the retirement home, is not satisfied.
** FBI agent Debra, who now goes by Danielle, suddenly has big hair. She runs into Adriana shopping and they end up bonding over a Starbucks.
** A.J. gets all dressed up in his military uniform. His parents love it, but he says he looks like a jerk-off and starts crying. A.J. then passes out from a panic attack.
** Tony meets with Dr. Melfi and right away we learn their pediatrician said A.J. can’t attend military school because of the panic attacks. Tony: “He’s got that putrid, rotten, f-ing Soprano gene.” Dr. Melfi says when you blame your genes, you’re blaming yourself, and that’s what we should be talking about. Tony: “You don’t understand … we can’t send him to that place. How are we going to save this kid?”
** Silvio and Christopher are arrested at the funeral for gambling. Paulie runs off. Rosalie completely loses it. Afterwards, Jackie Jr.’s sister said her brother’s dream was too follow in his father’s footsteps and was killed by some fat f*ck in see-through socks. Meadow says she has no basis to say that and should drop it. Jackie’s sister: “If my dad still controlled all the crime in north Jersey like your dad does now, I’d probably want to drop it too.” Meadow’s not having it and says she shouldn’t be arguing this in front of an outsider (her cousin).
** Paulie runs into Johnny Sack, complains to him about Tony and not being respected. Sack tells him Carmine has always liked him. Paulie says if there’s ever anything I can do…
** Junior hauntingly sings Core ‘ngrato (Ungrateful heart) during the wake at Artie’s restaurant. There are many knowing glances around the room. A drunk Meadow throws bread at Junior and then rushes out with Tony right behind her. Meadow: “This is such bullshit.” She runs out in traffic and across the street. We fade to black.
Murder count: One in episode, 25 in series
What were your impressions of The Army of One…
