Writer: David Chase
Director: John Patterson

Guest Stars:

John Ventimiglia – Artie Bucco
Katherine Narducci – Charmaine Bucco
Frank Pellegrino – Agent Cubitoso
Al Sapienza – Mikey Palmice
Drea de Matteo – Adriana
Tony Darrow – Larry Boy Barese
George Loros – Raymond Curto
Joe Badalucco, Jr. – Jimmy Altieri
Sal Ruffino – Chucky Signore
Sharon Angela – Rosalie Aprile
John Aprea – US Attorney
George Bass – Janitor
Gene Canfield – Police Officer
Frank Dellarosa – EMT
Santiago Douglas – Jeremy Herrera
Militza Ivanova – Russian Woman
Frank Pando – Agent Grasso
Annika Pergament – News Anchor
Michele Santopietro – JoJo Palmice
Matt Servitto – Agent Harris
Candy Trabucco – Ms. Giaculo

The first season finale!

The capos have a meeting at Satriale’s and afterwards Tony gets Uncle Junior’s permission to take out Jimmy Altieri. Junior thinks they should send a message, too. Christopher leads Jimmy into the trap so that Silvio can shoot him. His body is discovered with a rat stuffed in his mouth.

While Meadow and her boyfriend are making out on the couch, Livia appears in the back yard. She calls everyone by the wrong name and insults the security officer that noticed her wandering the neighborhood. Is it just another part of her crazy act or has she really developed Alzheimer’s? Dr. Melfi points out to Tony that Livia’s memory loss conveniently coincides with the attempted hit. She believes Tony’s mother suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder and this information sends him into a rage. He smashes the glass table and threatens her before storming out of her office. She is completely terrified.

Carmela and Rosalie Aprile are having lunch at the new Vesuvio when Father Phil drops in, so they invite him to join them. Carmela finds out that Rosalie has given him Jackie’s watch. Artie is thrilled with the positive response the new restaurant is getting, but Charmaine doesn’t want it to become a mobster hangout like the old place. And she is still avoiding Carmela. Later Carmela discovers just how close Father Phil and Rosalie have gotten, when she drops by the church to bring him some pasta. She ends up dumping it in the trash and later she figuratively does the same thing to Father Phil himself when she finds him waiting in her kitchen. She accuses him of manipulating spiritually needy women for his own benefit.

Artie brings Livia lunch and she proceeds to tell him that Tony set the Vesuvio fire. So he tracks down Tony at Satriale’s and threatens him with a hunting rifle. Tony looks Artie right in the eye and tells him that Livia doesn’t know what she’s saying and he did not burn down the restaurant. Which really isn’t a lie, Silvio actually burned it down. During a very quiet Sunday dinner, Uncle Junior barely speaks a word and Liva claims she doesn’t remember an Artie Bucco.

Tony reluctantly agrees to talk with the FBI when they tell him they’ve got something he should hear. They still want him to testify, but all the tape really does is provide the necessary evidence that it was Uncle Junior and his own mother who tried to have him whacked. Now it’s time to move on Junior and Mikey P. They can’t make any mistakes because Junior could try to finish off Tony first, so they’ve also got to make Chucky Signore disappear.

As the plan rolls into action, Tony surprises Chucky at the marina, and shoots him. Then he and Silvio use his boat to dispose of the body. The next morning Tony’s in a right jolly mood because he knows that Paulie and Christopher are in the process of eliminating Mikey. They chase him into the woods while he is jogging, and empty two clips into him while he begs for his life (somehow all those bullets miss the cell phone, too). Before they can get to Uncle Junior, he is indicted, along with a bunch of other mobsters. The feds make him an offer to avoid sentencing. All he has to do is admit it was really Tony running things, but he’s too proud and has waited too long for the position of power to give it up that easily.

Now that he’s heard the tapes, Tony needs to talk to Dr. Melfi again. When she spots him in her waiting room, she locks herself in her office and dials 911. Only after him promises that she’s in no physical danger does she agree (against her better judgement) to talk with him. He informs her that she’s in danger and must get out of town until he takes care of things. She is outraged, but doesn’t have any other choice. Tony also confesses to his crew that he was in therapy because he wants them to hear it from him, not out on the street. Paulie also admits he saw a therapist because he lacked some coping skills, but he could never see a woman therapist.

At Green Grove they tell Tony that Livia has suffered a stroke. He’s onto her tricks now, so he refuses to believe it’s true. He threatens her and punches an EMT as they wheel her to the ambulance. As the storm breaks, Tony goes to see Dr. Melfi but is told she’s on vacation. Later, the whole family ends up at Vesuvio where they have to dine by candlelight, and Tony proposes a toast to his family.