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The Sopranos/I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano

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I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano
"That restaurant was like my child!"
Season 1, Episode 13
Airdate April 4, 1999
Production Number S113
Written by David Chase
Directed by John Patterson
Produced by Allen Coulter,
Ilene S. Landress
← 1x12
Isabella 		2x01 →
Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist's Office
The Sopranos — Season One

I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano is the thirteenth episode of the first season of The Sopranos, and the thirteenth episode overall.

Starring: James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano), Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi), Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano), Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti), Dominic Chianese (Junior Soprano), Vincent Pastore (credit only), Steven Van Zandt (Silvio Dante), Tony Sirico (Paulie "Walnuts"), Robert Iler (Anthony Soprano, Jr.), Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow Soprano)

And: Nancy Marchand (Livia Soprano)

Guest Starring: John Ventimiglia (Artie Bucco), Katherine Narducci (Charmaine Bucco), Frank Pellegrino (Frank Cubitoso)

Also Guest Starring: Al Sapienza (Mikey Palmice), Paul Schulze (Father Phil), Drea de Matteo (Adriana), Tony Darrow (Larry Boy Barese), George Loros (Raymond Curto), Joe Badalucco, Jr. (Jimmy Altieri), Sal Ruffino (Chucky Signore)

Co-Starring: Sharon Angela (Rosalie Aprile), John Aprea (U.S. 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 (Newscaster), Michele Santopietro (JoJo Palmice), Matt Servitto (Agent Harris), Candy Trabucco (Ms. Giaculo)

Contents

Plot Overview

The capos meet at Jimmy Altieri's request to discuss the forthcoming indictments, and in private, Junior and Tony agree Jimmy has turned rat. Junior gives his blessing on any action Tony might take, so Tony has Christopher take Jimmy to a session with a Russian goomar in New York, but when Jimmy is alone, Christopher and Silvio execute him. His body is later found with a rat stuffed in his mouth as a message.

Shortly afterward, Livia shows up at Tony's house while he and Carmela are away, babbling incoherently about her long-dead sister. Tony tells Melfi about it, and she suggests—as Junior already suspects—this may be a cover for the fact that Livia was behind the attempted hit on Tony. Tony becomes angry and violently threatens Melfi, telling her his sessions with her are over.

Carmela, too, is having trouble with her confidante. At the opening of Artie and Charmaine's new restaurant, she sees Father Phil flirting with Rosalie Aprile, and later, she sees them flirting in private. Later, when Phil shows up at her house unannounced, she suggests flirting with married, vulnerable women is a pattern for him, and she suggests he examine himself.

The FBI calls Tony in for questioning and plays a tape which proves positively both Junior and Livia were behind his attempted hit. Tony tells Paulie and Silvio to kill Junior as well as anyone else who might attempt to harm him, which means Junior's consigliere Mikey and his right-hand man Chucky Signore. Although Tony reveals his own guilt in the War of '99 to Carmela in private, in public, he personally kills Chucky and disposes of his body with Silvio's help.

However, Tony knows his problems have arisen because of the revelation of his therapy sessions. He revisits the frightened Melfi and tells her to lam it. She is upset, but he promises her his protection and apologizes for threatening her earlier. He also tells her of an erotic dream he has had of his neighbor, Jeannie Cusamano. Nonetheless, he suggests she disappear for a while, regardless of the effect it will have on her other patients.

At the same time, Artie is having a crisis of faith, as well, although the new restaurant he has opened is a success. While visiting Livia, she tells him how Tony was behind the arson on his original place. Distraught, Artie threatens Tony with a sniper rifle, but Tony lies to his face and says Livia, who is showing signs of dementia, is lying. Artie smashes his gun and turns for help to Father Phil, who suggests he tell the truth to the police and his wife Charmaine. However, when Artie tries to do so, he realizes Charmaine's happiness is not worth ruining, and he later tells Phil he has made peace with whatever involvement Tony may have had in the destruction of his first restaurant.

Tony, too, gets a weight off his chest when he admits to Paulie, Silvio and Christopher that he is in therapy. Paulie admits he also once saw a therapist, and Silvio seems to take the news in stride. Only Christopher seems hurt by the revelation. Nonetheless, Tony's happiness increases when he sends Paulie and Christopher to kill Mikey.

The next man on Tony's list, Junior, is spared his wrath when he is arrested by the Feds, along with Larry Boy Barese and others in Tony's circle. Although Tony worries they may flip, Junior prefers prison to admitting he is not the boss of the family. Tony also heads to the nursing home to smother Livia to death, but he misses his chance, as she has had a stroke. He tells her he knows she was behind his failed assassination, but she merely smiles from behind her oxygen mask.

With a storm coming in, Tony tries to visit Melfi, but she has disappeared. He tries to drive his family to their aunt's, but the roads are blocked by debris from the storm, so he runs into Artie's restaurant. Although the power is down, Artie reluctantly agrees to let him and his family in to the restaurant, where Paulie, Silvio, Christopher and Adriana are already eating. By the light of candles and with a storm raging outside, Tony proposes a toast for his family to "the times that were good."

Notes

Music

  • Inside of Me, performed by Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul¹: The capos meet with Junior and Tony at Satriale's.
  • Woodcabin, performed by Saint Etienne: Christopher takes Jimmy Altieri to a hotel room in New York, where he and Silvio kill him.
  • I'll Remember April, performed by Bobby Darin: 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 (background).
  • I've Got You Under My Skin, performed by Frankie Valli: Father Phil joins Carmela and Rosalie for lunch at Artie's new restaurant (background).
  • Groove Me, performed by Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies: Bada-Bing dance music as Tony orders a hit on Junior and his men.
  • It's Bad You Know, performed by R.L. Burnside¹: Tony and Silvio take Chucky Signore's boat to dispose of his body.
  • Theme from Jeopardy!, performed by Robert Iler: A.J. teases Livia at Sunday dinner for her forgetfulness.
  • Rave On, performed by Buddy Holly: Tony is happy at breakfast (background).
  • The Four Seasons (Andrea Parker Mix), performed by Steve Reich: Montage of the Feds knocking on doors and arresting people.
  • El Gorrito, performed by Lucho Argain: Tony comes looking for Dr. Melfi, but she is gone.

¹Included on The Sopranos: Music from the HBO Original Series soundtrack collection.

Whack List

The final fate of Jimmy Altieri.
  • Jimmy Altieri
    • Killed by: Silvio Dante
    • Method of death: Shot in the back of the head
    • Ordered by: Tony Soprano (with consent from Corrado Soprano, Jr.)
    • Notes: With his clumsy questioning of Tony and Junior since his release from jail, it has become clear to them Jimmy has flipped. Christopher invites Jimmy to a date with a Russian Woman at a hotel in New York, but when Jimmy is alone with Christopher, Silvio pops out of hiding and holds a gun to the back of Jimmy's head. Jimmy reaches for a gun he carries on an ankle strap, but Christopher gets to it first. Christopher says Jimmy did not have time to put on his wire, so Silvio shoots him once in the back of the head. His body is later found outside an apartment building with a rat stuffed in his mouth as a message.
  • Chucky Signore
    • Killed by: Tony Soprano
    • Method of death: Shot multiple times in the chest on his boat
    • Ordered by: Tony Soprano
    • Notes: Tony has determined Junior was behind his hit attempt, but his advisors point out Junior is likely to make a second attempt, and this time, he will hire someone he knows. They agree the most likely candidate is Chucky, so Tony catches up with him on his small motorboat claiming to have caught a fish on his yacht. Tony pulls a gun from the mouth of the fish and shoots Chucky in the chest several times, then he and Silvio drive Chucky's boat out into the water to dispose of the body.
The final fate of Mikey Palmice.
  • Mikey Palmice
    • Killed by: Christopher Moltisanti and Paulie Gualtieri
    • Method of death: Shot multiple times in a stream
    • Ordered by: Tony Soprano
    • Notes: With Chucky gone, Tony's next priority is the man most likely to have set up the assassination attempt, Mikey. While Mikey is out jogging, Christopher and Paulie drive up behind him, but Mikey gets suspicious and makes a mad dash for the woods, so Christopher and Paulie take off running behind. They shoot at him several times and miss, but at last Christopher hits him in the leg and causes him to fall into a small stream. Mikey begs for his life, but Christopher reminds him how he shot Brendan Filone while he was unarmed and naked, while Paulie seems more concerned about the fact that he has run through poison ivy. Paulie and Christopher shoot Mikey several times until their guns are empty.

Total Episode Body Count: 3

Title Significance

The title is a play on the classic TV sitcom I Dream of Jeannie and the fact that Tony tells Melfi he had The Jeannie Cusamano Erotic Dream.

Dream Diary

Tony tells Melfi about The Jeannie Cusamano Erotic Dream. Although she is mentioned in the title, Jeannie Cusamano does not appear in this episode.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

  • War of '99: Tony positively identifies Junior as the man behind his attempted hit and orders the deaths of Chucky Signore, Mikey Palmice and Junior.
  • Artie and Charmaine open their new restaurant. Artie learns Tony was behind the arson of Vesuvio's, but Tony denies it.
  • The federal indictments finally come through, and Junior, Larry Boy Barese and others are arrested, although Tony is spared.

Characters

  • Tony: With Junior arrested, Tony officially becomes acting boss of the family.
  • Tony and Dr. Melfi: Dr. Melfi posits Livia may have been involved in the botched hit of Tony, which angers Tony so much that he physically threatens her and quits therapy. After he has discovered she was right, he comes back to apologize and to warn her that her own life may be in danger.
  • Tony and Livia: Tony learns Livia was indeed behind the attempt on his life, and he comes to Green Grove to kill her, but she has had a stroke and is being taken away to the hospital, although he tells her what he knows as she leaves.
  • Carmela: Carmela confronts Father Phil regarding his attraction to vulnerable, married, middle-aged Italian women.
  • Christopher, Silvio and Paulie Walnuts: Christopher, Silvio and Paulie learn Tony is seeing a therapist. Christopher is the only one to express open disappointment, and Paulie admits to having seen a therapist himself. However, later, Paulie privately admits to Silvio his concerns that Tony's therapist is a woman, which Silvio says demonstrates Paulie's own women issues.
  • Junior: Junior is arrested by the Feds for his involvement in phone card and tech stock schemes. They offer him immunity if he testifies Tony is the boss, but he refuses, because he will not admit he was not the boss.
  • Livia: Livia's worsening dementia—which may or may not be genuine—gets her sent to the nursing wing at Green Grove, where she has a stroke, which again may be a ploy.

Referbacks

  • 1x01 - The Sopranos: When Tony tells Melfi that Livia is being sent to the nursing unit, he talks about the fear she expressed of the unit. Later in that session, while discussing the possibility that Livia may be behind the hit on Tony, Melfi refers to The Duck Dream. Also, Livia tells Artie the truth regarding the arson of his restaurant.
  • 1x03 - Denial, Anger, Acceptance: Christopher tells Jimmy Altieri he did not like Russians after his mock execution at the hands of two Russians hired by Junior. Also, Artie and Tony discuss the investigation insurance companies conducted into the fire at his restaurant, and when killing Mikey Palmice, Christopher talks about the Brendan Filone killing.
  • 1x04 - Meadowlands: At lunch with Carmela and Father Phil, Rosalie Aprile discusses the death of her husband Jackie.
  • 1x05 - College: When Carmela confronts Father Phil, they discuss several incidents which occurred on the night he spent at her house.
  • 1x08 - The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti: When Frank Cubitoso calls Tony in, he refers to a conversation Tony had with Agent Grasso over their Italian heritage. Also, the first conversation he plays for Tony on tape (the part regarding Tony seeing a psychiatrist) includes re-edited elements from the conversation Livia and Junior have at the end of that episode.
  • 1x09 - Boca: Tony privately admits to Carmela his argument with Junior began when he teased Junior for performing cunnilingus.
  • 1x10 - A Hit Is a Hit: Adriana takes a job at Artie and Charmaine's new restaurant to raise money for her music management career.
  • 1x11 - Nobody Knows Anything: After the meeting of the capos, Junior and Tony discuss Tony's discovery that Jimmy has been wired by the Feds, and Junior gives Tony his blessing to eliminate Jimmy. Also later, Rosalie Aprile and Carmela discuss how distraught Big Pussy's wife Angie over her husband's missing status. The third and final tape of a conversation between Junior and Livia which Tony hears on the FBI's tape (the one regarding the capos having their mothers at Green Grove) is also from that episode.
  • 1x12 - Isabella: Much of the plot of this episode revolves around repurcussions from the botched hit attempt on Tony. Also, Melfi discusses The Isabella Hallucinations with Tony when she is suggesting Livia may have been involved in the hit attempt, and the second conversation the Feds play for Tony (the one involving a kid who had a lobotomy) is from that episode.

Trivia

The Show

  • MIA: Although credited, actor Vincent Pastore does not appear this episode.
  • First Appearance: This episode marks the first appearance of Frank Cubitoso.
  • Continuity Error: Although Cubitoso claims to have gotten the conversations between Livia and Junior because he bugged Green Grove, the second conversation he plays, about a kid who had a lobotomy, did not happen at Green Grove but rather, as seen in episode 1x12 - Isabella, outside a movie theater. Either this is a continuity error, or Cubitoso bugged more than just the retirement community. Also, the part of the first conversation he plays where Livia discusses Tony seeing a psychiatrist does not match to the actual dialogue from episode 1x08 - The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti.
  • Look Twice: The shots of Tony driving to Melfi's office as the rain starts mimic shots from the opening credits with the establishing shots of New York and views of Tony in his rearview mirror.

Behind the Scenes

  • Awards and Nominations: Re-recording mixers Adam Sawelson, Todd Orr and Ron Evans and production mixer Mathew Price won the Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Television Series for their work on this episode. Also, supervising sound editors Ray Spiess and William H. Angarola, dialogue editors Robert Guastini, Benjamin Beardwood and Anna MacKenzie, adr editor Mike Marchain, sound effects editors Rick Hinson, Bruce Swanson and Mark Cleary, sound editor Cindy Rabideau, music editor Kathryn Dayak and foley artists Zane D. Bruce and Joseph T. Sabella were nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. Editor William B. Stich was nominated for an Eddie Award for Best Edited One-Hour Series for Television.
  • Seen and Heard: Two of the New Jersey musicians whose songs appear on this episode's soundtrack, Little Steven (with the song "Inside of Me") and Frankie Valli ("I've Got You Under My Skin") would also appear as cast members playing recurring roles on the show. Little Steven, better known as Steven Van Zandt, has already appeared as Silvio Dante, a billed character throughout the show's run, while Vallie would later turn up as mobster Rusty Millio. (The third New Jersey musician, Bruce Springsteen, is one of the state's most famous residents, and prior to The Sopranos, Van Zandt was most famous for being a member of his E Street Band. He is referenced in this episode and makes his first appearance on its soundtrack with the song "State Trooper.")
  • Cast Favorite: Near the end of the show's run, John Ventimiglia would call this his favorite episode because of the scene where his character Artie Bucco threatens Tony with a sniper rifle.

Allusions and References

  • Georgia O'Keeffe: While making out with her boyfriend Jeremy Herrera, Meadow watches a horror movie in which a woman's head bursts into a flower, and she laughs and says, "Georgia O'Keeffe." American artist Georgia O'Keeffe was best known for her up-close paintings of flowers.
  • Bruce Springsteen: Rock star who is one of New Jersey's favorite musical sons. In 1998, he released his boxed set Tracks, which included dozens of recordings previously available only on bootlegs. The first song heard in this episode, "Inside of Me," is by Springsteen bandmate Little Steven, aka Steven Van Zandt, aka Silvio Dante, and the last song heard in this episode, "State Trooper," is by Springsteen himself, his first appearance on the show's soundtrack.
Tony: The Springsteen box set. I already got it.
  • Boyz II Men: All-black soul and R&B singing group known for such hits as "End of the Road," "I'll Make Love to You" and "One Sweet Day."
Christopher: Yeah, and he won't use Boyz II Men this time. He'll go with who he knows.
  • Jeopardy!: When Livia comes over for Sunday dinner, Tony mentions Artie, and Livia—who has talked to Artie recently—asks who Artie is, so A.J. hums the Jeopardy! theme. The popular quiz show has three rounds, of which the third round, called "Final Jeopardy!", has one question which all three contestants must answer in writing. They are timed in writing the answer by a shortened version of the theme song, which is exactly 30 seconds long.
  • Angie Dickinson: American actress who became a major sex symbol in the 1960s and '70s with her appearances in such films as Rio Bravo, Ocean's Eleven and The Killers and the TV series Police Woman.
Junior: I want to fuck Angie Dickinson. See who gets lucky first.
  • The Godfather, Part II: The scene in which Tony comes to Green Grove and picks up a pillow on his way to murder Livia but is stopped because she has had a stroke mirrors a scene from this classic 1974 gangster film in which Michael's Bodyguard (Amerigo Tot) comes to murder Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) for his involvement in an attempted hit on Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) but is thwarted because the aging Roth has had a stroke and is taken to the hospital. The bodyguard follows him there and attempts to smother him with a pillow, but he is caught red-handed by Cuban police and shot to death. Just prior to his attempted murder of Roth, the bodyguard succeeds in murdering Roth's right-hand man Johnny Ola, who was played by the same actor who would later play Livia's co-conspirator in the failed attempt on Tony Soprano's life, Dominic Chianese, known to Sopranos fans as Uncle Junior.
  • George Clooney: American actor who rose to international stardom as a major movie star in the 1990s beginning with his role as a doctor on the hit series ER.
Tony: George Clooney, don't get in the fuckin' middle of this.

Memorable Moments

"Listen, you fuckin' bitch. That's my mother we're talkin' about, not some fuck-up in Attica, stab you in the shower." Tony registers his objections to Melfi's suggestion that Livia may have borderline personality disorder.
  • Melfi suggests Livia may be behind the hit on Tony, and describes to him borderline personality disorder. He suddenly throws aside the glass table between them, shattering it. He runs up to her and calls her a "fuckin' bitch." Spitting in her face, he says, "We're through, you and I. We're finished, and you're lucky if I don't break your fuckin' face in 50,000 pieces." He storms out, and she locks the door behind him and shoves furniture up to barricade herself inside.
  • Tony comes back to Melfi's office to warn her of the danger she is in for being his therapist.
  • Artie threatens Tony with a sniper rifle.
  • The U.S. Attorney offers to cut Junior a deal if he will testify Tony, and not he, was boss of the family, but Junior refuses to testify anyone but himself—least of all Tony—was boss.
  • Tony comes to the hospital to kill Livia, but he arrives just in time to see her wheeled out to the hospital for a stroke. He catches her on the gurney and tells her he knows she was behind his attempted hit. The EMT tells him to back off, so he punches him in the face and keeps on threatening her. After he is restrained, he finally backs down.
  • Tony proposes his toast to "the times that were good" in Artie's restaurant, surrounded by members of both his families—the ones by blood (Carmela, Meadow and A.J.) and the ones by crime (Paulie, Silvio and Christopher).

Quotes

  • Jimmy Altieri: You fuckin' punk-ass pieces of shit. What'd you forget I'm a captain?
    Silvio: Why don't you call for help in your radio mic, you fuckin' rat?
  • Dr. Melfi: It's been a long odyssey with your mother, hasn't it?
    Tony: Oh, these last 500 years just seem to race by.
  • Artie: When are you gonna get it into your head that a certain amount of that kind of patronage creates buzz?
    Charmaine: Artie, that kind of buzz we should avoid in droves.
  • Paulie Walnuts: Altieri's wake is tonight.
    Christopher: I phoned in a bomb scare.
    Silvio: You know, that's over the top.
  • Tony: Uncle Jun and I, we had our problems about the business, but I never shoulda razzed him about eatin' pussy. This whole war coulda been averted. Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this.
  • Dr. Melfi: Do I have your word that I'm in no physical danger?
    Tony: Yes, I am humbled that you would take my word, yes.
    Dr. Melfi: What?
    Tony: Oh, fuck me. Yes, you got my word!
  • Tony: We got bigger things to talk about than Jean Cusamano's ass.
  • Dr. Melfi: I have patients who are suicidal.
    Tony: Well, they're not gonna feel any better about their life if you get clipped.
  • Tony: Oh, look, I know. I'm sorry, OK? I'm gonna work on this problem with the people that pose a threat to you, and I'll take care of it, and you'll be able to come back.
    Dr. Melfi: My God. People are gonna get murdered, aren't they?
    Tony: Don't worry about those distractions. You keep your eye on the ball.
  • Meadow: Dad, hello, we're not gonna make it to Aunt Patty's.
    Tony: Why did I buy a goddamn off-road vehicle?
    A.J.: To waste petro-chemical resources.
  • Tony: I'd like to propose a toast. To my family. Someday soon, you're gonna have families of your own, and if you're lucky, you'll remember the little moments. Like this. That were good. Cheers.
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