Tony's decision is relayed through Silvio: "Your Florida thing. And he has Phil killed. The Austrian physicist Erwin Schrdinger famously theorized that if you place a cat into a box with some kind of hazardous material, the cat may live or die, but until you actually open the box to check, the cat is simultaneously dead and alive. There has to be something else going on here, otherwise the scene wouldnt end as it ends, in such a studied inartful way. Which is perhaps something he telegraphed by bringing that cat into it. Professionally, he has just survived a war with New York has, in fact, enough juice that he was able to kill a rival boss with the tacit approval of Phils successor but his organization is in a shambles. Chris assures Eugene he will put in a good word for him to Tony as a favor for doing the hit. In fact, his debut is the same episode where Livia dies, and if I wanted to get really conspiratorial, I might suggest that he was introduced specifically because Nancy Marchand had died in real life between Seasons 2 and 3, and the original plan was for Livia to have been instrumental in Tony's death somehow. As for the fringe theories, the idea that the Pontecorvo family set up Tonys murder doesnt quite hold water. and our Eugene subsequently becomes a made man in the following episode "Fortunate Son" along with Christopher Moltisanti. Maybe, after spending a decade telling stories about this man and having spent a whole lifetime thinking many of the same thoughts as Tony, particularly where their mothers were concerned Chase just couldnt bring himself to direct a scene explicitly killing him, or even one where he asked James Gandolfinis face to point us more blatantly in that direction. At the same time, IFC Center in New York City is hosting The Sopranos Film Festival, a mix of episodes, features, shorts, cartoons, and panel discussions. And its true that, the longer the Holstens scene and the parallel parking go on and on and on and on the harder it becomes to shake the feeling that Tony, or Meadow, or maybe everybody, is about to get whacked. Those who subscribe to the Tony Dies theory universally believe that Tony is killed by a mysterious man we haven't seen before, wearing a tan jacket very similar to Eugene's and referred to in the closing credits only as "Man in Members Only Jacket." So when he walks into the restaurant, judgment has already been passed, or maybe suspended. You might know this fact even if you havent watched the show thats just how maddening it was for many Sopranos fans. La La Anthony, Chloe Fineman Will Play Fashion Correspondents at Met Gala 2023. Eugene killed himself, after all. We know what the scene means, but we dont know what happened. The Sopranos: The Al Green Song David Chase Considered Instead of Dont Stop Believin in the Finale. And the last we see them together, Tony was still acting like a jerk toward Patsy. People are gonna remember you,' Funaro recalled. This is just a guy they found specifically because he looks like Robert Funaro, who plays Eugene. Actors with recurring roles on The Sopranos lived in fear of their characters dying. I just mean that Schrdingers cat is useful if youre applying it to a story that could end either in a radical, art-house movie way, or in a traditional way, but with a fancy wrapping. Although mild-mannered, Eugene has a tendency to lose his temper, similar to Ralph Cifaretto. Why did he choose that place to kill himself? Eugene's basement. Do the Feds show up a week later to arrest him, Carlo having finally given them the missing piece of their RICO prosecution? From there, his character continued growing in prominence. Christopher orders Eugene to kill a fat man -- in this same episode, we see Tony concerned about his ballooning weight, and a slimmed-down Vito makes references to his obesity -- named Teddy Spirodakis, initials TS. Chase lingers on the parking job to raise the question of what terrible thing will happen because its taking her so long. Biography RELATED: The Sopranos: The 5 Tallest (& 5 Shortest) Actors In The Cast. It seems so obvious now. Chase replayed the Bacala death line and laid down so much death imagery throughout the season and this episode, so we will understand that when the scene jarringly cuts to black, its because Tony has just died, either via a bullet from Members Only Guy or a coronary from one onion ring too many. With his wife bitter and his son using heroin, Eugene hangs himself. Meadow continues her relationship with Finn. And, as I said, it proceeds from the speakers need to have Tony die at that moment, not from any evidence in the scene itself. This was Christopher's scene. Alan: Made in America opens on Tony asleep in the safe house. This leads me to believe that a relative of Eugenes, The Man In The Members Only Jacket is the one who killed Tony out of an act of revenge for Eugenes suicide. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Theodore "Teddy" Spirodakis (died 2006) was a Greek-American compulsive gambler from Boston who was murdered by the DiMeo crime family in 2006. Gianluigi ''Gigi'' Cestone portrayed by John Fiore is a member of the DiMeo crime family and former soldier in Junior's Crew, until his defection to the Soprano Crew in 1999. Janice is raising a new daughter with Bobby Baccalieri, who has taken up model railroading as a hobby. Matt: Yes. However, the FBI said that Pontecorvo had to remain in New Jersey to help build a case against Soprano in the wake of FBI informant Raymond Curto's death. Gigi defected to Tony Soprano's crew in August 1999 following the execution of Philly Parisi (Capo of Junior's crew while Junior was incarcerated). Sirico reportedly racked up a total of 28 arrests in his younger life, even if he was only . Eugene is also an informant for the FBI, and has become more valuable to the Bureau since the death of Ray Curto; they, too, will not free him. Eugene Pontecorvo has one of the most tragic arcs of all characters on The Sopranos. He and his wife plan to take the money and retire to Florida, but Tony turns down his request because he's a made man and there's no retiring from that. Its a great show, Chase told him. Matt: Well, this isnt how I thought this would go. I know people generally cringe at "it was all a dream/nightmare!" scenarios, but I like the idea of Tony being in a purgatory state where he's forced to see himself die every day, and worst of all: it all goes black before he can see his daughter one last time. The major clues indicating Tony's death in the final scene from this episode include: (a) Tony is shot in this episode. It could be that Chase simply likes ambiguity and confusion. He and his traveling companions Abraham Ford and Rosita Espinosa were en route to Washington, D.C., before Eugene revealed that he had been lying about being a scientist due to being scared of surviving on his own. But I also think its fair to say that he lived beyond that moment, even to a ripe old age, because ultimately this scene is making us ask, What have we learned? or Where have we been? and Where is Tony, right now, as a person? These are reckoning questions, and they can occur at many different points in a persons life. No. But at the same time it could mean a boost for an actors career, as it was for Vincent Pastore. Professionally, he has just survived a war with New York has, in fact, enough juice that he was able to . Crows are a symbol of death, and have appeared as such on the show, during the ceremony when Christopher and Eugene are made. Historica Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. So does AJ, who luckily fails to kill himself Tony happening to come home at that moment is a Tony caliber stroke of good luck and in this very episode, the kid survives a truck explosion. Does Paulie freaking Walnuts somehow become boss of the Family, or does Butchie throw up his hands at this point and decide to put his own guy in charge of the gang that couldnt shoot straight? When the Soprano family meet at Holsten's diner for a meal, this man enters the diner ahead of Anthony Soprano Jr. and sits at the counter. Michelle Obama and Bruce Springsteen Tore Up the Stage with Glory Days. At times a little too much, but Livia never did at all. He does so by stalking the man, following him into a convenience store where the juror takes a drink and a candy bar. Scan this QR code to download the app now. A man in Tonys business will always have enemies Eric Scatino probably still nurses a massive grudge so its not outside the realm of plot logic that some rando or long-forgotten character could have hired Members Only Guy to do the deed. Matt: If youre lucky, youll remember the little moments, like this, that were good. The end of season one. He was never interested in the Russian, the rapist, the stable fire, or any of the other characters and threads that he left dangling over the life of the series, except as forces that test the main characters and reveal their essence. Alan: Right. And thus, that cat is Christopher and not Christopher at the same time. It is revealed Eugene has been an informant for the F.B.I., though it is unclear for how long. I think you could make a better case for Tony Dies if you assume hes dead before this scene even starts. Vito instructs an overwrought Eugene to take the rest of the day off. This guy lives a charmed life. How do we choose to live it? What does that leave us with, if that cut to black means somebody somewhere shot Tony? Matt: You mean does it matter if Chase knows what happened? Eugene killed himself because of the FBI, more so than because of Tony, right? That bell, to me, is a tolling bell, as in Bring out your dead. It rings every time somebody goes through that door. Alan: Tonys situation as he enters Holstens is complex however you look at it. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. And I think I would have been equally disappointed if hed said, Tony is alive. And thats because I like not knowing, and to me, everything about this ending says, Youre not supposed to know, youre supposed to live in the not-knowing.. But still, it's implied she isn't very well connected herself -- she only assumes that Eugene has killed people, meaning she's out of the loop -- and I can't get over the jacket and the family resemblance. Christopher Moltisanti assigns Eugene the task of taking out a guy named Teddy Spirodakis in Boston who owed Christopher money and failed to pay him. For Robert Funaro, who played Eugene Pontecorvo for 24 Sopranos episodes (seasons 3-6), getting killed definitely had a silver lining. A celebration of life will be held in Redwood City on Wednesday for Pete Liebengood, a longtime Bay Area sportscaster, anchor and author who died in Redwood City on Dec. 22. But while it's the mob and anything can happen, this doesn't really make sense either. I think you and I are in agreement on the larger point of the scene, right, Matt? Before I wrote about television for New York Magazine and Vulture, I wrote about it for the Star-Ledger, New Jerseys largest daily newspaper, sharing a beat with my friend Alan Sepinwall, who is now the TV critic for Rolling Stone. Now? In 2007, he killed himself after both his boss Tony Soprano and his FBI handlers refused to let him retire to Florida. Prior to landing the part of Eugene, Funaro didnt have any screen credits to his name. Both Dr. Melfi and Janice suggest a retirement home or assisted living for him, but Tony forcefully refuses. Most people think the crow was there for Christopher. Of course, these questions occurred to Tony after Junior shot him, and thathis response was to absorb rather shallow lessons like, make better choices in the moment, and try being a better listener while ignoring bigger ones like, Maybe youre depressed all the time because youre a gangster. Melfi steers him toward this realization throughout the series, even in the pilot. Is the Daniel Baldwin script a huge hit at the start of AJs shocking career as a Hollywood tastemaker? When Tonys meeting Agent Harris by the airport, or Butchie is wandering through the last remaining scrap of Little Italy while talking to Phil on the phone, or when Tony and Butchie and Little Carmine sit down to broker a peace in that cavernous truck depot, the cold and wind and snow are all so palpable that the only truly applicable phrase is, Youll catch your death.. Eugene reveals his mean streak once again in the episode "Eloise" when he and another associate engage in jury tampering, in which they are sent to intimidate a juror who is on Junior Soprano's trial. Maybe he left a note warning the wife about what he did, I hope so. The Sopranos was so deliciously bold, fresh, funny, complex and authentic that, for me, it rendered most other dramas on television unwatchable. Its gonna show what you can do. Funaro saw what an opportunity it was going to be for him. He is a prototypical underachiever and a constant source of stress and anxiety for his parents. Then right before the final scene he's looking at the family album. Later, Eugene gives him a cut of the inheritance. I've also seen it suggested that Eugene's wife ordered Tony's murder. Adriana's off-screen death in The Sopranos also shuffles up the character dynamics for the rest of the series. Phil is gone, Butchie made peace with New Jersey, and anyone else who might wish Tony a violent end is out of the picture. Murders committed by Pontecorvo Teddy Spirodakis: Killed at a diner by Eugene on orders from Christopher Moltisanti for failing to pay his debts. That coffinlike image isnt the first major allusion to death of the final season, nor the last of Made in America alone. I mean its a prompt for us to think about death and life, and what weve done with our lives. It could refer to the Mafia code of being a member-only and never a retiree, just what Eugene Pontecorvo attempted to become. And the music is continuous throughout. Chase provides glimpses of all the other customers a scout troop, two unidentified black males at the jukebox, a man in a Members Only jacket like Eugene Pontecorvos at the counter because he wants us to wonder if one of them might be there to take out Tony. For more information, please see our Images of death or a Hell frozen over from overcrowding and neglect by management abound throughout the series finale, as the shows usual fascination with the extremes of weather in the Garden State gets amped up to an almost supernatural degree.
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