D-Girl (''The Sopranos'')

"D-Girl"
The Sopranos episode
Episode no. Season 2
Episode 7
Directed by Allen Coulter
Written by Todd A. Kessler
Cinematography by Phil Abraham
Production code 207
Original air date February 27, 2000
Running time 56 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

see below

"D-Girl" is the 20th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the seventh of the show's second season. It was written by Todd A. Kessler and directed by Allen Coulter, and originally aired on February 27, 2000.

Starring

* = credit only

Guest starring

Episode recap

Tony and Carmela confront A.J. for damaging his mother's car while driving it without permission. When they lecture him on how he could have killed the girls in the car, A.J. remarks that "death just shows the absolute absurdity of life". He reveals that he has encountered the philosophy of Nietzsche and even asks not to be confirmed because he says there is no God. Tony feels confused about A.J.'s sudden somber outlook and discusses it with Dr. Melfi. While Tony believes it is abnormal to question faith, Melfi thinks that existentialist concerns are a natural phase of adolescence that was repressed by Tony's parents. Melfi then asks Tony how his disconnected relationship with Livia is taking a toll on the children. Tony does not answer but dejectedly admits that A.J.'s concerns could be legitimate.

Tony turns to Pussy for guidance on A.J., since Pussy is both A.J.'s godfather and confirmation sponsor. Pussy then takes A.J. and his own college-age son, Matt, to the batting cages, where the more educated Matt argues that philosophers such as Nietzsche were often mentally disturbed or lacking integrity, and he advises A.J. to study theistic philosophers such as Kierkegaard. When A.J. tells his grandmother how he got in trouble, Livia dismissively concurs that life is meaningless and lonely, telling her grandson that everyone is destined to die alone.

Christopher rediscovers his interest in filmmaking. While having dinner with his cousin Greg, Greg's fiancée Amy Safir invites Chris and Adriana to come on a film set. Adriana tells Chris that she believes in him and has saved a copy of the screenplay he had previously discarded. Chris goes to the set alone and sits in on a film shoot starring Janeane Garofalo and Sandra Bernhard. When Janeane objects to the word "bitch" in the script, the director, Jon Favreau, has difficulty finding a suitable substitute. Chris suggests "pucchiacca" (Neapolitan slang for "cunt"), which is readily accepted by the impressed cast and crew.

The next day over lunch, Chris discusses his screenplay with Jon and Amy, and relates a story about a mobster's violent encounter with a transsexual. Jon and Amy appear impressed and respectful of Chris. Later, Chris and Amy have sex in a hotel room. When having dinner with Carmela and Tony, Chris storms out of the restaurant when Adriana and Carmela pressure him about marriage. An upset Adriana says she supported Chris on his screenplay, unknowingly revealing to Tony that Chris is not focusing on family business. Chris visits Amy for another night of sex, but Amy decides the next morning that they should end their relationship. Chris finds a draft of Jon's screenplay in her room and learns that he used the anecdote Chris had told him in confidence. Irate, Chris searches for Jon, only to find that he has already returned to California. When Chris confronts Amy, she states that Hollywood has lost interest in mob films. Furious, Chris denounces her as a "fucking d-girl", prompting her to curse him and storm off.

Pussy is forced by the FBI to wear a wire at A.J.'s confirmation and the ensuing reception at Tony's house. Hours before the ceremony, Pussy has a violent confrontation with Angie, causing Matt to break up the fight. After the ceremony, A.J. is caught smoking marijuana with two teens in his garage, further dismaying his parents. A.J. then storms to his room, where Pussy tells him his father is a good man. An increasingly emotional Pussy tells A.J. the story of his deceased sister and how Tony always stayed with her in the hospital until her death. Pussy hugs A.J., disrupting the signal from his wire. Elsewhere, Tony tells Chris to either follow his calling or stay in the family and seek no other distractions. Chris thinks it over and re-enters Tony's house, indicating his pledge of loyalty to Tony and the family. A.J., his family, and their priest gather for a photo. When Tony asks where A.J.'s godfather is, the distraught Pussy is revealed to be sobbing alone in the bathroom as the FBI listens in.[1][2]

Title reference

The episode's title is a shortened title for "development girl", used mostly in the film and television industry.

Cultural references

  • The plot device involving Jon Favreau's interest in writing a screenplay for a mafia movie is echoed in his actual film Made (2001), which focuses on the exploits of two would-be wiseguys assigned to a job in New York City. Three cast members of The Sopranos appearing in this episode (Vincent Pastore, Federico Castelluccio, and Drea de Matteo) also play supporting roles in Favreau's film.
  • Christopher refers to the comedy film The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971) when Favreau talks about his passion to make and star in another film about "Crazy Joe Gallo."
  • Amy reminds Christopher that Mickey Blue Eyes (which starred Vincent Pastore and five other Sopranos cast members) is an example of another mob movie that failed to live up to its advance billing.
  • Adriana tells Amy and John that she enjoyed Favreau's film Swingers (1996), with Vince Vaughn.
  • When Carmela and Tony express concern about AJ's existentialist pronouncements, Meadow quotes Mme de Staël: "One must choose in life between boredom and suffering.”
  • When Christopher relates the story of the transwoman whose lover threw acid in her face after becoming intimate and learning that she was actually transsexual, Amy recalls the film, The Crying Game (1992).
  • Amy relates Maslow's hierarchy of needs to Christopher before becoming intimate with him.
  • When Amy tells Christopher they were wrong to have begun a relationship and Christopher responds that he really liked her, Amy observes that the mood has become rather "William Inge".
  • The final scene between Christopher and "d-girl" Amy takes place in the offices of a real-life talent agent, David DeCamillo, who happens to represent Janeane Garofalo, who plays herself in this episode. Coincidentally, in 1997, Garofalo appeared in a Law & Order episode entitled "D-Girl."

Music

References

  1. ↑ "HBO: The Sopranos: S 2 EP 20 D-Girl: Synopsis". HBO. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  2. ↑ O'Connor, Mimi (2007-10-30). "The Sopranos: Episode Guide". In Martin, Brett. The Sopranos: The Complete Book. New York: Time. p. 225. ISBN 978-1-933821-18-4.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.