History Recap / TheSopranosS5E9UnidentifiedBlackMales

* InformedAbility: Tony B has an IQ of 158. Tony S is in defensive awe of this, but Tony B isn't convinced it means much and Melfi also seems to that opinion.

* InformedAbility: Tony B has an IQ of 158.

* PetTheDog: Tony S puts Tony B in charge of TheCasino on Bloomfield Avenue. It's partly to address perceived resentments on Tony B's part, party to address his own guilt over having been UnluckilyLucky, and partly to still try to keep Jersey [[WeWait firmly out of]] the New York SuccessionCrisis.

Tony S eventually explains the background with Tony B to Dr. Melfi. Both Tony's were to hijack a truck of Betamax players in the 80s. 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.

** Tony B maintains his [[NotMeThisTime innocence]] of having [[ProfessionalKiller killed]] Joey Peeps.

** Further punctuated when she [[CultureJustifiesAnything justifies]] mob violence so long as it's properly sanctioned according to the rules, by connecting the practice to a history of oppression under Sicilian nobles.

* CurbStompBattle: Eugene [[GrievousBottleyHarm smashes a bottle]] into Little Paulie's face, and then kicks him a few times.

* ADegreeInUseless: Played with. 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.

* DivorceAssetsConflict: Averted. Carmela tries her darnedest to start one with Tony. But a combination of Tony's adroit use of LoopholeAbuse, and his own [[TheDreaded fearsome reputation that precedes him]], take any meaningful options away from her.

* DueToTheDead: Played with for Joey's funeral.

* EmpathicEnvironment: It really starts to rain as Joey's [[DueToTheDead funeral]] concludes. RuleOfSymbolism suggests that the body count has only started.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Tony is outraged that the [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname name "PEEPS"]] appears on Joey's gravestone, and considers it [[DueToTheDead disrespectful]] notwithstanding whoever Joey happened to be. Silvio immediately offers to have the gravestone replaced with the proper last name of "Pepperelli" on it.
* FishOutOfWater: Finn at the construction job, both because the concept of a no-work job is totally lost on him, but also because it's a shocking experience for him to see just how [[CurbStompBattle brutally violent]] the mobsters can be [[HairTriggerTemper with very little provocation]].

** Eugene's GrievousBottleyHarm and CurbStompBattle on Little Paulie establishes the [[CultureJustifiesAnything Cultural Relativism]] of TheMafia, and its accompanying severe intolerance for homosexuality. Just in time for Vito's arc based on homosexuality to get started.

** But it's never made clear if Tony B is TheResenter towards Tony S over that turn of events. He maintains with seeming sincerity that he [[EasilyForgiven truly holds no hard feelings]] towards Tony S over it. But the borderline [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smile]] with which he says it, and his subsequent behavior that is often in explicit defiance of Tony S' orders, raise the question of whether he does in fact harbor lingering resentments and is simply that good at EmotionSuppression when he denies it. AmbiguousSituation indeed ...

* LuredIntoATrap: It's heavily implied that Vito invited Finn to the Yankees-Padres game with the intention of [[YouKnowTooMuch silencing him]], and keeping his homosexuality a safe secret. Finn [[ProperlyParanoid doesn't fall for it though]].

* NotMeThisTime: Tony B adamantly denies [[ProfessionalKiller having killed]] Joey Peeps.

* PetTheDog: Tony S puts Tony B in charge of TheCasino on Bloomfield Avenue. It's partly to address [[ICouldaBeenAContender perceived resentments]] on Tony B's part, party to address his own guilt over having been UnluckilyLucky, and partly to still try to keep Jersey [[WeWait firmly out of]] the New York SuccessionCrisis.
* PragmaticVillainy: Tony S may be sincerely [[PetTheDog 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]].

** Tony initially blamed his not showing up for the hijacking on getting jumped by several 'mulignans'. He didn't want to admit that his [[ParentalIssues Mommy Issues]] on account of Livia caused a [[NervousWreck panic attack]] that made him a no-show.
* SleepDeprivation: Finn hasn't been getting a lot lately since taking on the construction job, which leads to him [[InterruptedIntimacy catching Vito in the act]].
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: The guys at the construction site pass time with it. The [[CurbStompBattle inevitable]] is bound to happen sooner or later.

* StarvingStudent: Finn and Meadow find themselves in this situation together, with the scarcity of summer jobs and both of them being [[{{Pride}} too proud]] to accept assistance from their parents.
* SuddenlyShouting: Johnny Sack numerous times, on account of his anger over [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Joey Peep's death]].
* TantrumThrowing: Carmela throws her groceries on the parking lot once she realizes that Tony S' [[TheDreaded reputation]] and his LoopholeAbuse tactics are preventing her from getting any kind of professional assistance.
* YouDoNotWantToKnow:
** How Tony B tries to add another layer to his [[NotMeThisTime denial]] of killing Joey Peeps, "Even if I was, would you really wanna know?"
** Forensic accountants refuse to go anywhere near Tony S' and Carmela's DivorceAssetsConflict for similar reasons.

** 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.

* LameExcuse: Silvio makes one on behalf of Jason [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname getting the last name on the gravestone wrong]]. "He's dyslexic". Tony S's reply: "What's that got to do with it?"

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: 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.

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 also 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 the 80s. The only reason Tony S avoided getting busted and jailed was that a fight with his mother, Livia, 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.

* CloseToHome: Carmela pretends to feel estatic 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.

* CurbStompBattle: Eugene [[GrievousBottleyHarm smashes a bottle]] over Little Paulie's head, and then kicks him a few times.

** What prompted Eugene's GrievousBottleyHarm and CurbStompBattle on Little Paulie is that the latter cracked a joke implying that Eugene was homosexual. Vito remaks "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.

* ADegreeInUseless: Played with. Dentristy 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.

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

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

* FishOutOfWater: Finn at the construction job, both because the concept of a no-work job is totally lost on him, but also because it's a shocking experience for him too see just how [[CurbStompBattle brutally violent]] the mobsters can be [[HairTriggerTemper with very little provocation]].

* EmbarrassingCoverUp: Tony continues to MaintainTheLie that it was 'mulignans' jumping him that prevented him from showing up for the hijacking job, and not a fight with his [[AbusiveParents abusive mother]]. The former has him valiantly fighting back against multiple attackers, and therefore enhances his status within the [[MenAreTough hyper-masculine subculture]] of TheMafia. Admitting to the latter would have [[{{Unperson}} the exact opposite effect]].

Tony S eventually explains the background with Tony B to Dr. Melfi. 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 mother, Livia, 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 about 20 years in prison.

* 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 20 years and hasn't been doing so well since he got released.

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

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.

* WithThisRing: 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".

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

* LuredIntoATrap: It's heavily implied that Vito invited Finn to the Yankees-Padres game with the intention of [[YouKnowTooMuch silencing him]], and keep his homosexuality a safe secret. Finn [[ProperlyParanoid doesn't fall for it though]].

* YouDoNotWantToKnow: How Tony B tries to add another layer to his [[NotMeThisTime denial]] of killing Joey Peeps, "Even if I was, would you really wanna know?"