I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano

"I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano"
The Sopranos episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 13
Directed by John Patterson
Written by David Chase
Cinematography by Phil Abraham
Production code 113
Original air date April 4, 1999
Running time 60 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

see below

"I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" is the 13th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the finale of the show's first season. Written by David Chase and directed by John Patterson, it originally aired on April 4, 1999.

Starring

* = credit only

Guest starring

Also guest starring

Episode recap

At a meeting of Junior and his capos, Jimmy inadvertently confirms the family's suspicions that he is the FBI informant. At Junior and Tony's behest, Christopher takes Jimmy to a hotel room where he is ambushed and executed by Silvio. In therapy, Dr. Melfi tells Tony that his dream of Isabella indicates that his subconscious is alerting him to problems with Livia, and suggests that she may have been involved in the decision to take his life. Tony lashes out and leaves, telling Melfi he is finished with therapy.

Carmela and Rosalie have lunch at Artie's re-opened restaurant, Nuovo Vesuvio. They are soon joined by Father Phil, who details how Rosalie gave him Jackie's watch (a two-tone Rolex Daytona) after his death. Tony meets with FBI agents Harris, Grasso and Cubitoso, who play recordings of Junior and Livia discussing Tony's visits to a psychiatrist and plotting to have him killed. Meanwhile, Livia informs Artie that it was Tony who burned down his restaurant. Artie confronts Tony with a loaded rifle outside Satriale's, causing Tony to swear "on his mother" that he did not set the fire and insist that Livia was confused and senile. Artie angrily speeds off, leaving Tony dumbfounded.

At the Bada Bing, Tony informs Chris, Silvio, and Paulie that it was indeed Junior who took out the hit on him. It is decided that Chucky should be made to "disappear without setting off any alarms" to prevent another hit. Tony and Silvio visit Chucky as he prepares to go boating. After starting a conversation with Chucky about a large fish that he caught off the pier, Tony suddenly pulls a small pistol out of the fish's open mouth and kills Chucky. Tony and Silvio then use cement blocks and chains to dump the body at sea.

Now knowing about his mother's betrayal, an apologetic Tony convinces Melfi to see him again. He warns Melfi that she might be in danger and should leave town for a few weeks. Melfi tries to give him pragmatic reasons why it would be unnecessary for any of Tony's enemies to come after her, but Tony tells her she is involved whether she likes it or not. At the Bing, Tony admits to Silvio, Paulie and Chris that he's been in therapy because of his "passing out," and that Junior is using the situation to justify killing Tony. Silvio and Paulie are understanding, but Chris seems upset by the news and storms out.

Artie visits Father Phil and consults with him about the anger he feels towards Tony, saying that he cannot tell Charmaine about the arson because she would be distraught. Father Phil advises Artie to tell her and turn Tony in to the police. Later, Charmaine hires Adriana as a hostess at Nuovo Vesuvio and tells Artie that she is very happy with the new restaurant. Artie returns to Father Phil and confesses that he never informed his wife because she is happy and his source of information was unreliable. Carmela visits the church to pay a surprise visit to Father Phil, but observes him engaged in intimate discussion with Rosalie. A shocked Carmela leaves without speaking to Father Phil. When the priest visits Carmela, she calls him a hypocrite and accuses him of manipulating "spiritually thirsty" women. Crushed, Father Phil departs, uttering only one word: "Whoa."

Paulie and Chris intercept Mikey during his mid-morning jog. After chasing him into the woods, Chris shoots Mikey in the leg and confronts him about Brendan's murder. The two men then empty their guns into Mikey, killing him. However, before a hit on Junior can be carried out, he is arrested by the FBI along with Larry, underboss Beppy Sasso, and thirteen other New Jersey mobsters. Tony learns from his lawyer that he was not indicted because the charges relate to scams in which he was not involved. Junior is offered a deal if he confesses that Tony is the de facto boss of the family, aiming for the Lupertazzis in New York. Junior stubbornly refuses and is remanded to federal lockup.

In a rage, Tony goes to Green Grove to confront Livia and picks up a pillow to smother her. However, he is informed by the staff that his mother has suffered a stroke. As she is being wheeled away on a gurney, Tony discards the pillow but tells her he knows what she has done. When he perceives her to be smiling, he loses his temper and has to be restrained by staff before storming out. Tony tries to visit Melfi, only to be told by the cleaning staff that she has gone on a sudden vacation. Later, Artie reluctantly lets Tony and his family into Nuovo Vesuvio to wait out a thunderstorm. With Paulie, Silvio, Chris, and Adriana nearby, Tony raises a toast to his family and reminds them to "enjoy the little moments that were good."

First appearance

  • Agent Cubitoso: The FBI agent in charge of investigating the Soprano crime family and Tony Soprano.

Deceased

Title reference

  • In a session with Dr. Melfi, Tony relates a dream he had involving neighbor Jean Cusamano.

Cultural references

  • Episode title is a nod to the 1960s I Dream of Jeannie TV series, as well as to the 19th-century Stephen Foster song.
  • When A.J. is making fun of Livia after her 'Who's Artie Bucco?' question, he mockingly hums the theme from Jeopardy!.
  • Meadow and Jeremy watch Howling III together.
  • Father Phil brings Carmela a DVD of One True Thing, starring Renée Zellweger.
  • When Mikey Palmice fingers Junior for shooting Brendan Filone, Christopher expresses disbelief, calling Junior "Mr. Magoo".
  • When the FBI offers to play Tony portions of surveillance tape in an informal sit-down, he jokes that if it's the Springsteen CD box set, he's already got it.
  • The U.S. attorney who offers Junior a deal is named Gene Conigliaro. His name's an inside joke by David Chase—as Eugene Conigliaro was a character on a sixth-season episode of The Rockford Files, "Just a Coupla Guys." Chase wrote both scripts. Greg Antonacci, who played Conigliaro, would eventually join the show in the sixth season as New York mobster Butch DeConcini.
  • Tony calls a hospital worker "George Clooney", a reference to the actor's role on ER.
  • When advising Dr. Melfi to leave town for her safety, Tony suggests that she tell her patients that "August came early." This is a reference to the practice of psychoanalysts to vacation in the month of August.
  • Being questioned while under arrest, Junior jokes to his interrogator that he would like to have sex with Angie Dickinson. This is a reference to the actress who was reputed to have had an affair with John F. Kennedy, with whom Junior is obsessed.
  • During the final dinner scene Paulie calls Silvio Pat Cooper a reference to the famous comedian.

Music

  • The song playing at the beginning of the episode during the meeting at Satriale's is "Inside of Me" by Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul (Little Steven is the musical pseudonym of Steven Van Zandt, who plays Silvio Dante in the show).
  • The song played during the hotel killing scene is "Wood Cabin" by Saint Etienne.
  • The song played when Carmela and Rosalie have lunch at Artie's new restaurant and discuss Rosalie's grief over her husband Jackie and Carmela's fear for her own is "I'll Remember April" by Bobby Darin.
  • The song played when Father Phil joins Carmela and Rosalie for lunch at Artie's new restaurant is "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Frankie Valli.
  • The song played at the Bada Bing is "Groove Me" by Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies.
  • The song played just after Tony kills Chucky is "It's Bad You Know" by R. L. Burnside.
  • The choir music heard when Carmela walks in on Rosalie and Father Phil in church is "Illumina Faciem Tuam" By Carlo Gesualdo, performed by the Oxford Camerata.
  • The song played when Tony is happy at breakfast is "Rave On!" by Buddy Holly.
  • The song played during the montage of the Feds arresting Junior, Larry Boy, Sasso and the other mobsters is "The Four Seasons (Andrea Parker Mix)" by Steve Reich.
  • The song played when Tony comes looking for Dr. Melfi is "El Gorrito" by Lucho Argain.
  • The song played over the end credits is "State Trooper" by Bruce Springsteen.
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