My review/recap of the April 4, 1999 first season finale after I learn some coping skills.
What a season finale. Tony is able to get rid of all of his problems, even with new ones coming up in the episode. In the end though everything works out for Tony and his two families.
The episode starts with the captains have a meeting with Junior. At the end, Junior tells Tony that he agrees that Jimmy is an informant and that Tony should kill him. That night, Christopher brings Jimmy to a hotel, telling him that he's got two Russian women for him. When they get to the room, Silvio comes and shoots Jimmy in the back of the head. His body is later found with a rat stuffed in his mouth.
At therapy, Melfi tells Tony that with his life being in danger, and his dream of Isabella, that maybe his mother is behind the the decision to attempt to kill him. Tony becomes furious, breaks the table and gets in Melfi's face and yelling at her that they are finished.
Agents Harris and Grasso bring Tony to a meeting with FBI Chief Frank Cubitoso (Frank Pellegrino). They play a tape for Tony that they recorded at Green Groves, to convince him that his life is in danger and to get him into the Witness Protection Program. The tape has Junior and Livia discussing the plan on killing Tony and about Tony's visits to a psychiatrist.
Artie goes to visit Livia after she is taken to the hospital for Alzheimer's tests. As she is confused, she tells Artie that Tony was the one who burned down his old restaurant. Artie confronts Tony with a gun, demanding to know why he burned down the restaurant. Tony denies it, says his mother is senile and confused, and swears on her life that he did not burn down the restaurant. Artie smashes the gun to pieces on his car.
Tony then tells Paulie, Silvio, and Christopher that it was Junior who planned his killing and they plan their retaliation. The first victim is Chucky Signore, who Tony and Silvio kills on his boat.
An apologetic Tony returns to Melfi's office to tell her that she was right about his mother. Tony then tells her that her life may be in danger and that she needs to go on vacation. She says that she can't just go "on the lam," but when Tony visits her later, the cleaning guy tells her she went away.
Tony decides to tell Paulie, Silvio, and Christopher that he has been seeing a psychiatrist, and that Junior knows about it and is using it against him. Silvio doesn't seem to mind, and Paulie says that he once went to a psychiatrist because he had issues. Christopher asks if it's like marriage counseling, then gets upset and storms out.
Mikey Palmice goes out for a morning jog. Paulie and Christopher chase him into the woods, where Mikey falls into a stream. Both of them then empty their guns, killing Mikey.
The FBI arrests Junior, Larry Barese and 14 others on a calling card scam, that Tony was not involved in. Junior is offered a deal if he says that Tony is the real boss of Jersey with the help of some New York families through Johnny Sack. They say that Johnny Sack and two other people are their real targets. A prideful Junior refuses to admit it, and says that he is the boss.
Tony goes to Green Grove to confront his mother, but on the way she suffers a stroke. The EMTs are wheeling her on a gunnery, and Tony is yelling at her that he knows what she did. She appears to smile and Tony has to be restrained by the staff.
That night, a rain storm erupts and the Soprano family are forced to go to Artie's new restaurant for dinner. Paulie (with lotion all over because of poison ivy) and Silvio are eating together, as are Christopher and Adriana. Tony raises a toast to his family, saying that they need to savor and enjoy "the little moments."
Sign of the times:
- Mikey's huge cell phone
- Tony calling one of the EMTs "George Clooney"
A good end to a great season of television. There were some slow parts (anything to do with Father Phil), but it gave an ending to all of Tony's problems. Junior is in jail, his mother had a stroke, and currently the FBI doesn't have enough to indict him. The only worry Tony has now is if any of the people arrested turn informant. But that's for another season.
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