How would you grade this episode on a 1-10 scale (10 being the best possible quality)

Total votes: 0

Grade This Episode

2
8 - I stated my feelings ad naseum in the "favorite episode of season 1" thread, so I am just going to copy them from there. During the course of watching the episodes (yet) again, I didn't enjoy it as much as I remembered from past viewings. However, I would say that the reason I voted for this episode would be that it compiled the major storylines from the past season and addressed them all fairly organically. I especially liked Carm putting Father Phil in his place as well as Tony coming to the realization the extent that his mother went to (i.e. working with Jr. to have him clipped), Tony telling the guys about Melfi, and some just laugh-out-loud moments (such as Mikey Palmici yelling at his life, "Hey! Go take some Midol!!!" in a completely mysoginist manner) and then the way the camera focuses on Carm while she is watching the tv interview of Mikey's wife after his murder (shown to emphasize Carm's concern for Tony and ultimately being in the same situation at some point).

The ending of the episode is especially nice seeing the Soprano family together in Vesuvio's surrounded by Tony's "friends". In retrospect, this is a bit too cliche an ending, but I do enjoy it and it also was a good representation of pulling all parts of Tony's life together, which essentially is what this scene, episode and season focused on.

However, there are some parts that didn't bode well with me (after probably the 8th or 9th time viewing this episode). Because this was the season finale, it seemed abundently clear that Chase wanted to include some bang-up action. Some of which might have been better paced in other episodes or even saved until next season.

An even bigger problem however, at least in my mind is Chase's directing. While it isn't horrible, there are some small things that bothered me. During the Jimmy hit at the beginning, there is a slow-down technique that Chase uses, and it completely takes me out of the episode. There is also an odd zoom technique that is used during the Mikey P. hit. It again taks me out of the episode. One of The Sopranos strong points is it's realism. No other show depicts real life quite in the way The Sopranos does. That is what makes the action and violence so brutal and hard-hitting. So when these slight editing techniques are used during violent scenes, the impact is deadened, as suddenly I realize I am watching a television show. The writing seems a bit forced at times as well. One of Bracco's lines is actually, "People are going to be murdered, aren't they?" It seems to me that Melfi would not necessarily jump to that conclusion, over a style of life she knows so little about. Also as Tony is sitting on the bed with Carm, he has a great interaction about what kind of a person could he be when his own mother wants him dead. Just following that interaction he tells her how he will "take care of Jr. and Mikey P. and get some satisfaction." That line was just a bit over the top, especially when we look at how little Tony & Carm talk about his business in recenet seasons. I like the dialogue, just sounded like Tony should have been telling that to Paulie or Chris. Maybe that was the point, that Tony's different lives were merging together. Bracco also seems to be over-acting at times. I can't tell if this is from Bracco or from Chase's directing with Bracco.

There is an odd bit of sound editing after Tony kills one of Jr's men on the boat with "It's Bad You Know" (by R.L. Burnside) which comes to an abrupt stop with the next scene.

I am picking on some small parts, but when a show is this great, why shouldn't we look at what could be improved? I probably was extra hard on this episode, knowing I had already voted here for my favorite episode. I know many of you will probably give me a hard time for being so hard on my "favorite episode" from Season 1 (if I had to choose again, I would go with "Isabella", "Denial, Anger, Acceptance", or "Boca", but probably the former).

EDIT: Upon checking things, it was, in fact, the late John Patterson who directed this episode. Patterson directed all the season finales, except the sixth season's. Not sure why I thought Chase directed it. So I would imagine most of my complaints should be with Patterson's directing and not Chase. Although Chase is hands on, anything is possible

Re: Grade This Episode

3
I am going to go for a 9 on this one, but for much of the same reasons garthman mentioned. I can't put it much better than that as he hits pretty much all the same points I might. I would suggest the directing is not Chase but Patterson, but no doubt Chase is involved in the editing and he did write the script.

And I do think it is strange how much Tony mentions or alludes to in front of Carm in this season where he does not in later years. It doesn't distract me, but is a curiosity.

But this is a strong finale for season one and leaves many questions left unanswered for season two - the fate of Junior, will Tony ever make up with his mother, what of Melfi? And where oh where is Pussy? Well, we now know the answers, but I imagine that was a hefty wait to find them at the time. I had not started watching it yet, but I certainly did in the following season.

Overall, season one was pretty strong, but it did have some weak moments in the middle. But every character was defined well and by season two, we were totally invested in their outcomes.
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Re: Grade This Episode

4
This episode is actually my favorite episode ever, although "Whoever Did This" episode with Ralphie and "Long Term Parking" with the conclusion of the Adriana story rank right up there. Anyways, this episode is about Tony's revenge after the hit on his life came up short. First he takes care of some buisness in his own camp, by signing off on the hit on Jimmy Altieri for thinking he was a rat. I love the line from Silvio just before they shoot him, when he says "why don't you yell for help in your radio mike" A sad scene when re- watching since he wasn't really the rat, Pussy was. Then Tony pretty much wipes out Junior's crew in one felt swoop. The scene where he pulls the gun from the large bass fish to waste Chucky was one of my favorites as well as Paulie and Christopher shooting down Mikey Palmice in the woods. Between Paulie and the poison ivy and Christopher's line after Mikey tells him it was Junior who whacked Brendan. " Yeah right, it was Junior, Mr Magoo" That followed by the arrests, fully put Tony in the drivers seat in the family. Who at this point had been jolted out of his state of depression. You gotta love how on the news they speculate that Mikey had fleed the area after the indietments and Tony says, "lucky him" Funny. Also how Tony, still trying to protect the buisness and his family, in front of his kids as Uncle Jun is arrested on TV says, "Look at that they got the old man doing the perp walk, a legitimate buisness man"
Great scene towards the end when Tony confronts his unconcious mother about trying to have him whacked. "Look she's smiling, she's got a smile on her face" I swear she does too.
Just a phenomenal episode, although I wish Mikey Palmice didn't get whacked. I loved his character and wish he was still around. He was such a creep.

Re: Episode 1.13: I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano - Grades & Gen

5
Whistling, I would argue that Jimmy was a rat. I never thought that it was a case of mistaken identity. I just figured both Pussy and Jimmy were both rats. Jimmy's reaction after Silvio's line is something to the effect of, "Oh Jesus". That line speaks volumes. Through the actor's tone we can tell that he has just been found out. Maybe I am completely off my mark here, but I never thought it was mistaken hit.

Re: Episode 1.13: I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano - Grades & Gen

6
I agree Garth and I think that they both were rats unaware of each other as rats. They way he almost surrenders to them like he was admitting his guilt. But I cant remember if there was for sure evidence.... There must have been because a made guy doesnt get hit without fool proof evidence. Well most of the time anyway.....
You know, Vito called me “skip” the other day. Slip of the tongue, no doubt. But I noticed he didn’t correct himself.

Re: Episode 1.13: I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano - Grades & Gen

7
Oh yeah I give it a nine,

This episode is genuine and has a little it of everything in it. Gosh Ive been watching season six so much, dont they look so much younger??? This episode epitomizes much of what the show was at that point and then became. I agree with the other posts as well. Alot of references to this episode and season from the same charecters in season six. Beautiful episode. Be interesting to look and post references to future events\plotlines that can be found in this episode and the previous ones to season one.
You know, Vito called me “skip” the other day. Slip of the tongue, no doubt. But I noticed he didn’t correct himself.

Re: Episode 1.13: I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano - Grades & Gen

8
As I remember it, there was no "hard evidence" The hit was ordered by Tony based on the fact that Jimmy was out of police custody very quickly after he was arrested, and that when Jimmy came round to Tony's house and went downstairs, it seemed like Jimmy was trying to get Tony to talk about activities that could result in Tony being indicted, which Tony realised very early into the conversation. Although there was no hard evidence, the way those two things were portrayed in the episode certainly left me in no doubt that Jimmy was a rat.
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