History Recap / TheSopranosS5E9UnidentifiedBlackMales

Tony S goes to dinner with A.J., Finn, and Meadow. He gets angry at Finn for paying the restaurant bill when he felt that he, as the man of the house, needed to. But he afterward gives respect to Finn for being thoughtful.

Finn meanwhile struggles with the pressures of being a new graduate not yet firmly established in his career, while Meadow herself is still a starving student. Tony S steps in with a no-work job for Finn, which at first seems like a godsend. But Finn finds himself in for a shock when he witnesses the brutally violent and homophobic subculture of the mobsters.

Tony S eventually explains the background with Tony B to Dr. Melfi. Both Tonys were to hijack a truck of Betamax players in TheEighties. Prior to the hijacking, Tony S got into a fight with his mother, Livia, which brought on a panic attack, causing Tony to injure his head upon collapsing. He thereby avoided getting busted for the hijacking, even if unintentionally, and went on to climb the ranks of the Jersey mob. Tony B went through with the job and got busted, spending 17 years in prison.

** Apparently it's Dr. Melfi's fault that Tony S still suffers from panic attacks.

* WhamShot: Finn arrives early at work in the construction yard and notices a security guard in his car who is obviously receiving oral sex from somebody. Finn nods his head at him... and the person rises and is revealed to be none other than Vito.

** Felicia tries to explain to Finn that a wedding ring makes a real difference between just living together and actually being married, that the ring "has this strange power".

** Forensic accountants refuse to go anywhere near Tony S' and Carmela's DivorceAssetsConflict for similar reasons.

* CorruptTheCutie: An interesting, [[DownplayedTrope not-in-your-face]] male example with Finn across the episode, that's ultimately made void by the OutsideContextProblem Vito slams him with. He starts out considering honest options for work and is happily perplexed when Tony gets him a job at the construction site for $20/hour. While there, he actually puts the work in; this is juxtaposed by the mobsters he befriends, who spend their time shooting the shit and sleeping the day away. He is horrified when he witnesses violence between them, but they're able to draw him back into their sphere of comfort and he even joins them slacking off and eating doughnuts after Vito ensures he won't actually have to do any work. He also flirts lightly with Felicia, to whom he is clearly attracted. After he happens upon Vito going down on a security guard and feels threatened by his behavior, however, the entire experience is torpedoed and the question of whether his personal ethics are really so lofty is suddenly the least of his issues.

** What prompted Eugene's GrievousBottleyHarm and CurbStompBattle on Little Paulie is that the latter cracked a joke implying that Eugene was homosexual. Vito remarks "I saw that coming'" while Eugene is kicking a down and out Little Paulie. The sequence establishes that homosexuality is severely frowned on within the subculture of TheMafia. It also provides the background for the arc based on Vito's homosexuality [[{{Foreshadowing}} that starts]] this episode.

* DisposableSexWorker: The Jersey mobsters may have been outraged if Joey's wife or [[TheMistress Goomah]] had been killed with him. A prostitute? Not so much. Little Paulie even cracks a joke about how [[{{Pun}} "silicone must have been everywhere"]].

* TheDreaded: Forensic accountants won't go anywhere near Tony S' finances once his name is mentioned.

* GuiltComplex: Tony S still feels some guilt over the fact that his rise in the Jersey Mob was made possible by avoiding getting busted for a hijacking through an uncanny instance of UnluckilyLucky, while Tony B got jailed for 17 years and hasn't been doing so well since he got released.

** Both Tony's were to hijack a truck of Betamax players in the 80s. The only reason Tony S avoided getting busted and jailed was that a fight with his HateSink of a mother, Livia, brought on a panic attack. Tony S went on to climb the ranks of the Jersey mob, making the incident itself a case of UnluckilyLucky for him. Tony B went through with the job and got busted, making him a member of the Class of 04.

* LivingLieDetector: Johnny Sack does not buy Tony S' [[TheAlibi false alibi]] for Tony B for even a second.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Jason from Tony S's crew is tasked with purchasing the gravestone for Joey's funeral. Problem is that Joey is known as Joey "Peeps". So much so that the name "PEEPS" shows up on the gravestone instead of the proper "Pepperelli".
* OhCrap: Tony S has one when Johnny lets on that his CorruptCop interviewed a witness, a witness who saw the shooter 'limpin' away'.

* {{Pride}}: Tony S gets touchy about Finn paying the bill instead of him.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Tony S tries to warn Johnny that he's stopped being one since the SuccessionCrisis has started.

* SnarkToSnarkCombat: The guys at the construction site pass time with it. The inevitable is bound to happen sooner or later.

** Finn was previously associated with an awkward discussion of homosexuality when he and Meadow defended a homo-erotic interpretation of ''Literature/BillyBudd'' to Tony and Carmela at dinner in "[[Recap/TheSopranosS4E12Eloise Eloise]]".

* CloseToHome: Carmela pretends to feel ecstatic for Meadow becoming engaged to Finn. But the news, combined with the sight of Tony in the swimming pool, both only serve to remind her that she's become an IneffectualLoner in her own house.

** [[CallBack Remember when]] Meadow was really angry at Tony for his [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocrisy]] in giving DueToTheDead to Jackie Jr. even as [[Recap/TheSopranosS3E13ArmyOfOne he had ordered]] [[FinishHim Jackie Jr.'s death]]? Meadow had seen right through the [[BlatantLies cover story]] of Jackie Jr. being killed by Black drug dealers. Now Meadow herself spins those very same lies to Finn. Episode to episode, inch by inch, Meadow comes closer and closer to becoming DaddysLittleVillain.

* DisposableSexWorker: The Jersey mobsters may have been outraged if Joey's wife or [[TheMistress Goomah]] had been killed with him. A prostitute? Not so much. Little Paulie even cracks a joke about how [[IncrediblyLamePun "silicone must have been everywhere"]].

* TantrumThrowing: Carmela throws her groceries in the parking lot once she realizes that Tony S' reputation and his LoopholeAbuse tactics

* LivingLieDetector: Johnn Sack does not buy Tony S' [[TheAlibi false alibi]] for Tony B for even a second.

* GrievousBottleyHarm: Eugene starts his CurbStompBattle on Little Paulie by smashing a bottle over his head. Also doubles as a ContinuityNod for when the same thing happened to Little Paulie during the [[Recap/TheSopranosS4E3Christopher Native American protests]].

** Vito is present when the guys are sitting around "breaking balls" at a construction site and Eugene says Little Paulie's girlfriend's mustache is so thick "...it must have been like kissing a fireman". A volunteer fireman with one hell of a mustache will become a love interes later in the series.

Emboldened, Carmela meets Tony for lunch at Artie's restaurant to inform him of her decision. Tony, who was expecting to hear more positive news, angrily calls out Carmela for trying to get money from his hard work and sweat, her hypocrisy in ignoring ''how'' he earned that money, and lets her know he will not submit willingly to her threats of using forensic accounting. When she tells Tony she wants what she is "entitled to", Tony tells her "You're entitled to shit", leaving angrily. A few days later, the lawyer calls her back with bad news. None of the accountants are willing to look at Tony Soprano's finances and the lawyer remembers he has a full docket. Realizing Tony has her beat, she throws her groceries down in the parking lot in frustration. Later, as she watches Tony lounge in the pool she is driven to tears from a mixture of Meadow's engagement and being outplayed by her estranged husband.

Tony S eventually explains the background with Tony B to Dr. Melfi. Both Tony's were to hijack a truck of Betamax players in TheEighties. Prior to the hijacking, Tony S was in a fight with his mother, Livia, which brought on a panic attack. He thereby avoided getting busted for the hijacking, even if unintentionally, and went on to climb the ranks of the Jersey mob. Tony B went through with the job and got busted, spending 17 years in prison.

Finn begins packing up, fearing for his life, which leads to a huge fight with Meadow. He ends up taking Felicia's previous advice about the ring 'having a strange power' and proposes to Meadow, in a last-ditch effort to avoid a breakup.

Finn meanwhile struggles with the pressures of being a new graduate not yet firmly established in his career, while Meadow herself is still a starving student. Tony S steps in with a no-work job for Finn, which at first seems like a godsend. But Finn finds himself in for a shock when he witnesses the brutally violent, and homophobic, subculture of the mobsters.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Meadow and Finn accuse each other of putting themselves first during their arguments with each other.

* TantrumThrowing: Carmela throws her groceries in the parking lot once she realizes that Tony S' reputation and his LoopholeAbuse tactics are preventing her from getting any kind of professional assistance.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Finn ends up becoming one for Vito by witnessing him going down on a security guard. Vito's [[YourDaysAreNumbered days will end up running out]] in the homophobic underworld of TheMafia.

** Vito is present when the guys are sitting around "breaking balls" at a construction site and Eugene says Little Paulie's girlfriend's mustache is so thick "...it must have been like kissing a fireman". When Vito is eventually outed he runs off to New Hampshire and dates a volunteer fireman with one hell of a mustache.

* BreakUpMakeUpScenario: Finn and Meadow argue so intensely that it looks like a break-up is inevitable. Then Finn proposes to her [[WithThisRing with a ring]], and avoids the break-up. They're engaged, [[{{Foreshadowing}} for now ...]]

* BreakUpMakeUpScenario: Finn and Meadow argue so intensely that it looks like a break up is inevitable. Then Finn proposes to her [[WithThisRing with a ring]], and avoids the break up. They're engaged, [[{{Foreshadowing}} for now ...]]
* CavemenVsAstronautsDebate: Eugene Pontecorvo and Patsy Parisi asks Finn whether Creator/MikeTyson or UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli would win a boxing fight if both were in their prime, a question which Finn is afraid to answer for fear of angering Eugene and causing another of his violent outbursts.

* CorruptTheCutie: An interesting, [[DownplayedTrope not-in-your-face]] male example with Finn across the episode, that's ultimately made void by the OutsideContextProblem Vito slams him with. He starts out considering honest options for work, and is happily perplexed when Tony gets him a job at the construction site for $20/hour. While there, he actually puts the work in; this is juxtaposed by the mobsters he befriends, who spend their time shooting the shit and sleeping the day away. He is horrified when he witnesses violence between them, but they're able to draw him back into their sphere of comfort and he even joins them slacking off and eating doughnuts after Vito ensures he won't actually have to do any work. He also flirts lightly with Felicia, to whom he is clearly attracted. After he happens upon Vito going down on a security guard and feels threatened by his behaviour, however, the entire experience is torpedoed and the question of whether his personal ethics are really so lofty is suddenly the least of his issues.

** Even Meadow justifies mob use of violence while properly sanctioned by connecting it the history of oppression under Sicilian nobles. Another sign that she's surely [[CharacterDevelopment becoming]] DaddysLittleVillain.

* ADegreeInUseless: PlayedWith. Dentistry is certainly an employable degree. But Finn is struggling to find work as a new graduate in the middle of a recession, and even contemplates a career change (even if temporarily) towards photography.

** Johnny Sack thought quite highly of Joey Peeps, and was highly invested in Joey as a loyal member. Sack spends a lot of time angry over Joey's death.

* LoopholeAbuse: [[CallBack Remember when]] Sapinsly [[ChekhovsClassroom told Tony]], [[Recap/TheSopranosS4E13Whitecaps during the Whitecaps episode]], about having just an initial consultation with all of the decent family lawyers in town so that they can't represent Carmela either? Tony as a FootDraggingDivorcee puts the advice into motion, preventing Carmela from hiring any divorce lawyer of any worth. [[TruthInTelevision It's based]] on rules against conflicts of interest that prevent lawyers from taking on clients if they already received confidential information from the other party. Carmela is frustrated to say the least.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Jason from Tony S's crew is tasked with purchasing the gravestone for Joey's funeral. Problem is, Joey is known as Joey "Peeps". So much so that the name "PEEPS" shows up on the gravestone instead of the proper "Pepperelli".

* PragmaticVillainy: Tony S may be sincerely trying do right by Tony B by giving him the casino. But it's also partly motivated by trying to keep Tony B away from any future temptations to do things that [[SpannerInTheWorks are both unauthorized and would create problems for Tony S]].

* SpeakIllOfTheDead: The guys certainly enjoy themselves joking of the now dead Joey Peeps.

* TantrumThrowing: Carmela throws her groceries on the parking lot once she realizes that Tony S' reputation and his LoopholeAbuse tactics are preventing her from getting any kind of professional assistance.

* WhamShot: Finn arrives early at work to the construction yard and notices a security guard in his car who is obviously receiving oral sex from somebody. Finn nods his head at him... and the person rises and is revealed to be none other than Vito.

** Finn actually ends up putting Felicia's convictions into use. He proposes to Meadow at the end of a really nasty argument in what he perceives to be a last ditch attempt to avoid a breakup.

'''Season 5, Episode 09'''
!Unidentified Black Males
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vito_blowjob_sopranos_autopsy.jpg]]

Tony S goes to dinner with A.J., Finn and Meadow. He gets angry at Finn for paying the restaurant bill when he felt that he, as the man of the house, needed to. But he afterwards gives respect to Finn for being thoughtful.

Finn nonetheless insists on doing hard labor work on the site, even though he doesn't have to. It leads to him becoming progressively short on sleep. He arrives on site in the early morning hours, and catches Vito going down on a security guard. Vito invites Finn to a baseball game between the Yankees and the Padres, possibly with the intention of killing Finn to keep his homosexuality a secret. Finn is frightened, and does not show up.

Finn begins packing up, fearing for his life, which leads to a huge fight with Meadow. He ends up taking Felicia's previous advice about the ring 'having a strange power' and proposes to Meadow, in a last ditch effort to avoid a breakup.

Tony S notices that Tony B has a limp while they're enjoying grilled cheese and a baseball game together. Tony later plays golf with Johnny Sack. Sack relates that a witness saw Joey Peep's killer 'limpin' away'. The realization that Tony B may have drawn the Jersey family into the civil war overtaking the Lupertazzi family causes Tony S to have his first panic attack in a long time. He confront Tony B with the accusation, along with the knowledge that he was sighted at the scene with his limp, but Tony B maintains his innocence. Tony S decides to give Tony B a casino to remove any incentive for unauthorized work. He also covers for Tony B against Johnny Sack with a false alibi.

Tony S eventually explains the background with Tony B to Dr. Melfi. Both Tony's were to hijack a truck of Betamax players in TheEighties. Prior to the hijacking, Tony S was in a fight with his mother, Livia, that brought on a panic attack. He thereby avoided getting busted for the hijacking, even if unintentionally, and went on to climb the ranks of the Jersey mob. Tony B went through with the job and got busted, spending 17 years in prison.

Despite sleeping with Tony at her father's birthday party, Carmella decides to go through with the divorce. She discovers that Tony consulted with all the top divorce lawyers in the area; subsequently none of them can take her on as a client without breaching legal ethics. A sympathetic attorney gives her the name of an associate, a lower tier lawyer Tony hasn't consulted with. At first, the new lawyer is very interested in taking on Carmela as a client. When Carmela mentions unlisted assets on the joint tax returns, stressing [[BlatantLies it is not from illegal activity but her husband working in a cash business]], the lawyer offers to hire a forensic accountant to maximize her divorce assets.

Emboldened, Carmela meets Tony for lunch at Artie's restaurant to inform him of her decision. Tony, who was expecting to hear more positive news, angrily calls out Carmela for trying to get money from his hard work and sweat, her hypocrisy in ignoring ''how'' he earned that money and lets her know he will not submit willingly to her threats of using forensic accounting. When she tells Tony she wants what she is "entitled to", Tony tells her "You're entitled to shit", leaving angrily. A few days later, the lawyer calls her back with bad news. None of the accountants are willing to look at Tony Soprano's finances and the lawyer remembers he has a full docket. Realizing Tony has her beat, she throws her groceries down in the parking lot in frustration. Later, as she watches Tony lounge in the pool she is driven to tears from a mixture of Meadow's engagement and being out played by her estranged husband.

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Whenever Meadow's boyfriend Finn voices his reservations regarding Tony and his associates' work, Meadow justifies on the basis that the poverty and dire conditions of Southern Italy bred their mindset and it can't be helped. Finn finally calls bullshit on this after he's forced to tell the mobsters he saw Vito giving a man a blowjob, telling her that they are generations separated from that environment and nothing their ancestors went through justifies executing a person just because they're gay.

** Also remember the words "kissin' a fireman" as well.

Despite sleeping with Tony at her father's birthday party, Carmella decides to go through with the divorce. She discovers that Tony consulted with all the top divorce lawyers in the area; subsequently none of them can take her on as a client without breaching legal ethics. A sympathetic attorney gives her the name of an associate, a lower tier lawyer Tony hasn't consulted with. At first, the new lawyer is very interested in taking on Carmela as a client. When Carmela mentions unlisted assets on the joint tax returns, stressing [[BlatantLies it is not from illegal activity but her husband working in a cash business]] the lawyer offers to hire a forensic accountant to maximize her divorce assets.

Emboldened, Carmela meets Tony for lunch at Artie's restaurant to inform him of her decision. Tony, who was expecting to hear more positive news, angrily calls out Carmela for trying to get money from his hard work and sweat and lets her know he will not submit willingly to her threats of using forensic accounting. When she tells Tony she wants what she deserves, Tony tells her "You're entitled to shit", leaving angrily. A few days later, the lawyer calls her back with bad news. None of the accountants are willing to look at Tony Soprano's finances and the lawyer remembers he has a full docket. Realizes Tony has her beat, she throws her groceries down in the parking lot in frustration. Later, as she watches Tony lounge in the pool she is driven to tears from a mixture of Meadow's engagement and being out played by Tony.

Emboldened, Carmela meets Tony for lunch at Artie's restaurant to inform him of her decision. Tony, who was expecting to hear more positive news, angrily calls out Carmela for trying to get money from his hard work and sweat and lets her know he will not submit willingly to her threats of using forensic accounting. When she tells Tony she wants what she deserves, Tony tells her "You're entitled to shit", leaving angrily. A few days later, the lawyer calls her back. Later, as she watches Tony lounge in the pool she is driven to tears from a mixture of Meadow's engagement and being out played by Tony.

* BerserkButton: Eugene initiated his GrievousBottleyHarm and CurbStompBattle on Little Paulie because the latter cracked a joke implying that Eugene was homosexual. Ties in with the [[CultureJustifiesAnything Cultural Relativism]] set up in the episode as well.