Junior hosts a meeting of his top capos at Satriale's. After Jimmy once again asks pointed questions about past mob business during the meeting, Junior meets with Tony afterward and confirms that Jimmy is The Mole, then tells him to make an example out of the latter.
That night, Jimmy is invited to a hotel by Christopher, supposedly to meet with a pair of Russian prostitutes. He becomes suspicious after one of the prostitutes enters a different room and Chris tells him to sit down. Silvio enters the room holding a silenced gun, and Chris removes a hidden gun strapped to Jimmy's ankle. When he calls them out, they bring up his duplicity, and Silvio executes him on the spot by shooting him in the back of the head. Soon after, a random bystander walking past a nearby alley discovers Jimmy's body with a dead rat stuffed into his mouth.
Meadow is on the couch kissing a boy named Jeremy as they watch Howling III: The Marsupials, while A.J. is masturbating in his room. Their intimacy is interrupted when it's revealed that Livia has walked from Green Grove to the Soprano home, and is wandering around outside while speaking about her dead relatives. They bring her inside, where she continues to display signs of senility, and eventually send her back to the retirement home with a police officer.
Tony meets with Melfi the next day and brings up the incident. He tells her that they're transferring Livia to a nursing unit, and she reasons that his recent hallucinations of Isabella are a way of his subconscious alerting him to issues his mother is facing. Tony realizes that Melfi is suggesting that Livia may have had something to do with the "carjacking" he's referencing and that she may have borderline personality disorder. He goes berserk and smashes her glass table before threatening her and saying that he's quitting therapy. He storms out of the office as she reels from what happened.
Artie has just reopened his revamped restaurant, Nuovo Vesuvio, and Carmela and Jackie Aprile's widow, Rosalie, enjoy a large lunch with his compliments. After reminiscing about Jackie and Carmela saying that Livia may have Alzheimer's, the pair are interrupted by Father Intintola, who also dropped in for lunch and talks with them for a few minutes. Artie visits Livia with a pasta dish, only for her to subtly reveal to him that it was Tony who burned his restaurant down. Outraged, Artie has a conversation with Father Intintola about his lingering feelings of anger regarding how the restaurant originally burned down. After Artie hints that Tony may have had something to do with the arson, Intintola advises him to turn Tony into the police. Artie confronts Tony (at rifle point) with this information afterward, but the latter passionately denies his involvement and Artie storms off in a huff. Artie tells Intintola afterward that he's decided not to push the matter, because he considers the constantly negative Livia to be an unreliable source.
Agents Harris and Grasso invite Tony to a meeting with their supervisor and the man in the charge of the Soprano case, Frank Cubitoso. In an attempt to gain his cooperation, they reveal that they had wiretaps on Livia's room at Green Grove. Tony hears audio recordings of Junior and Livia's private conversations, including the plot to have him killed. He reels in shock in response and leaves the meeting to inform Paulie, Silvio, and Chris about what happened.
They set into motion a plan to get revenge against Junior and his loyal underlings, starting with Chucky Signore. Tony visits Chucky at a local marina and executes him with a small pistol, hidden in a fish, then buries Chucky's body at sea with Silvio's help.
Tony goes back to Melfi's office and apologizes for his outburst, realizing that she was right about Livia's symptoms. He tells her that due to his line of work, she might be in danger. He tells her to leave town for a few weeks. Despite her objections, he tells her she's involved whether she likes it or not. Later Tony admits to his friends he's seeing a psychiatrist, but all of them react calmly to it, much to his relief.
Carmela stops by the church to drop off some spaghetti to Father Intintola but discovers him attempting to woo and seduce Rosalie, who has also brought food to him. Outraged, she leaves in a huff and throws the spaghetti into the trash. Later that night, Intintola appears at the Soprano house while Tony is still at work, and tries to seduce Carmela by bringing over a movie to watch and making small talk with her. After passively offering him wine and hospitality, she calls him out on his hypocritical actions, pointing out that he manipulates women who are looking for religion, that he is actually getting his kicks from deliberately skirting close to the line of sexually inappropriate behavior without crossing it, and that he's a parasite. Father Intintola, sullen and shocked as he realizes he was outmaneuvered, storms out of the house in shame.
The next morning, Mikey goes out running. He is tailed by a car driven by Chris and Paulie. After Mikey catches onto what's happening, he begins to run through the woods. Both men pursue him, and Mikey eventually trips and falls into a ravine. As he begs for his life, Chris brings up Brendan Filone's murder and calls him out for shooting his friend. Both men empty their guns into him and leave his body in the forest.
Just before Tony can order his men to assassinate Junior, the latter is arrested by the FBI, along with several other associates including Larry Barese and Beppy Sasso. Tony learns after the fact that they were arrested for running a completely unrelated stock-fraud scam, and that he wasn't tied to it in any way. He worries about the FBI's ongoing investigation into the family, and worries about whether any of the arrested informants will flip...
Junior is placed in lockup and questioned by a prosecutor, who tells him that his sentence will be reduced if he admits that Tony was the true mastermind behind the Soprano family, and is running the whole operation with the help of Johnny Sack. Junior stubbornly tells the man that he, and not Tony, is the true leader of the Jersey crew and that no one tells him what to do...
Tony goes to the nursing wing of Green Grove and steals a pillow on his way in, with the clear intention to suffocate his mother. He's stopped by a nurse on his way to Livia's unit, who tells him that Livia had a stroke after watching the news. She's wheeled out, but Tony whispers that he knows what she did and reveals that Junior was arrested. Security guards drag him off, while Livia smiles as she's wheeled away.
Afterward, Tony decides to take a vacation and drive the family to their Aunt Patti's, but they find that there's a serious storm that's impairing their driving ability. They decide to stop at Artie's restaurant and he agrees to let them inside. When they come in, they find Paulie, Chris (who is sitting with Adriana, who has been hired by the restaurant as a waitress), and Silvio also eating at the restaurant. The family sits down and Tony gives a toast to his family, while wondering what the future holds for them...
Tropes:
- Accidental Misnaming: After Tony asks Melfi how much she knows, she mistakenly refers to Pussy as "Booty", prompting an exasperated reaction from Tony.
- Actually Pretty Funny: When A.J. is making fun of Livia after her "Who's Artie Bucco?" question, he mockingly hums the theme from Jeopardy!, prompting Meadow to suppress a laugh.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Mikey when he gets his leg shot and cornered by Chris and Paulie. Doesn't do him an ounce of good.
- Assassin Outclassin': Tony and his crew reason that Chucky, a reputed hit man, will be selected by Uncle Junior to finish the job on Tony. Therefore Tony ambushes Chucky before the latter can even start to make a move.
- Avenging the Villain: While it's not the motive for the murder, Christopher clearly enjoys getting revenge on Mikey for his earlier killing of Brendan.
- Being Good Sucks: Played with in that the choice is available to Artie, but he doesn't take it. Artie goes to Father Intintola about the revelation of Tony burning down his old restaurant. The priest counsels him that the good and lawful thing to do is go to the police and the insurance company with what he has learned. The problem with doing it is that it risks Artie losing his insurance money and the replacement restaurant. He struggles with whether to go through with it, including telling Charmaine, but ultimately backs out and decides to Keep the Reward.
- Berserk Button: Tony loses it at Melfi's office after she tells Tony that Livia has borderline personality disorder, describing it with symptoms that apply to him just as much.
- Berserker Tears: Artie is absolutely enraged when he confronts Tony (bearing a loaded hunting rifle) over the burning down of the old Vesuvio restaurant. It's telling that even Tony is genuinely scared that Artie might actually pull the trigger, and does his utmost to talk his way out of it. Artie barely holds back the tears while he's got his gun trained on Tony, but they come out in full once he decides not to pull the trigger and starts smashing the gun apart on his car.
- Bilingual Bonus: Uncle Junior calls Tony a 'strunz' during his conversation with his lawyer, which amounts to referring to Tony as a "piece of ..."
- Book Ends:
- Much like the pilot, part of the plot deals with Artie's involvement in a restaurant (Vesuvio in the pilot, and Nuovo Vesuvio here), and the subject of the mysterious arson that claimed the former.
- The episode also resolves the Father Phil plotline, which was set up in the pilot and "College" and is finally dealt with by Carmela when she figures out his game and shames him with a devastating "The Reason You Suck" Speech after he once again tries to seduce her.
- Boom, Headshot!: How Silvio takes out Jimmy.
- Call-Back: Father Intintola uses the Yiddish word "schnorrer" (parasite, bum), just as he did in "College."
- Celebrity Crush: A throwaway line by Junior after he's been arrested by the FBI and they're trying to get him to turn federal witness:Junior: I want to fuck Angie Dickinson. See which one of us gets lucky first.
- Cement Shoes: Subverted. You are led to believe that, since Tony plans to have Chucky Signore whacked on or around a boat, cement shoes or something like it are in the offing; it turns out that no, Tony shoots him in port and then he and Silvio take him out to sea to dispose of the body.
- *Click* Hello: Silvio appears from the bathroom and puts the gun to the back of Jimmy's head, surprising him.
- Condescending Compassion: Cubitoso practices this during the scene in which the Junior-Livia tapes are played to Tony.
- Confess in Confidence: Discussed. Melfi claims that she couldn't tell specific details of her encounters with Tony to the FBI, even if she wanted to. Tony tells her that Junior's associates don't care whether or not she's said anything, and will kill her if they find her.
- Continuity Nod:
- Artie references the arson that claimed his original restaurant (Vesuvio) in the pilot episode while talking to Father Phil.
- Tony references how he never should have embarrassed Junior about his affinity for cunnilingus, which helped lead to the civil war in the first place.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: A remorseful Tony discusses with Carmela that if he hadn't teased Junior about going down on his girlfriend, he likely wouldn't have gotten angry enough to put out a hit on him.
- Diabolus ex Machina: Just before Tony can assassinate Junior, the latter (along with Larry Barese and a number of other mob associates) is arrested by the FBI on a completely unrelated stock-fraud scam.
- Disposing of a Body: Tony and Silvio determine that it's necessary to get rid of Chucky first, but in a way that won't alert Uncle Junior and Mikey to the game plan.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Jimmy, with the Russian prostitutes, just before he's killed.
- Et Tu, Brute?:
- Even before the suffocation attempt, the look on Tony's face says it all when he listens to the FBI tape of Livia all but outright telling Uncle Junior to put out the hit on him.
- Defied when Tony believes Artie is the hitman his enemies have contracted to end him. He doesn't dredge up their friendship or appeal to Artie's better nature, but rather challenges him to get it over with. Only when it dawns on Tony that his assailant was set on this path by his mother does Tony try to talk him down.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Tony, once Melfi diagnoses Livia with borderline personality disorder. He very nearly assaults Melfi before storming out in a rage, though he later apologizes afterward once he realizes she was right.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Mikey's wife seems genuinely upset by his disappearance, despite his nasty behaviour towards her.
- Evil-Detecting Dog: Implied when a neighbor's dog barks ferociously at Mikey as he begins his jog.
- Foreshadowing:
- During their bedroom talk, Carmela mentions to Tony that both of his sisters left Jersey when they were much younger, and haven't been back in a long time...
- Tony tells his family during the dinner that ends the episode, "And if you're lucky, you'll remember the little moments like this ... that were good." Those words will take on special meaning during more than one scene in the series finale.
- Gilligan Cut: Carmela and Meadow notice that Tony definitely got up on the right side of the bed in the morning, with a beaming smile. The very next shot is of Mikey about to go jogging. So we pretty much know Mikey's whacking is about to go down.
- Heroic Comedic Sociopath: Paulie, who loudly complains about poison ivy rashes on his face and hands while Mikey is begging for his life. Paulie wastes little time emptying his gun into him after briefly telling him how it itches so much.
- Hidden Weapons: Had Tony approached Chucky while openly carrying a firearm, it would have given Chucky a chance to draw his own gun and fight back. Instead, Tony approaches with a very large fish which would make sense given they're at a marina. Tony pulls the gun out of the fish, gets the jump on Chucky, and blows him away.
- Hot for Preacher: Father Intintola plays off this, as Carmela tells him. He yearns for sexuality but he won't break his vows, so he gets a "whiff of sexuality" and co-dependence from assorted mob wives.
- Hypocrite: Carmela points out that Father Intintola is this, considering that he looks down upon Tony's lifestyle but secretly enjoys Tony's food and entertainment center, all while enjoying an improper (although never consummated) relationship with his wife.
- Interrupted Intimacy: Meadow is kissing a boy who is on top of her on the family couch, but their intimacy is interrupted when Livia is revealed to be wandering around outside ranting to no one in particular.
- Jerkass: Such is Livia's misery that when she realizes that her multiple attempts on Tony's life haven't worked, she'll settle for verbally getting under his skin at the dinner table, and to the maximum degree possible, as a second-best alternative.
- Joggers Find Death: Mikey is killed by Chris and Paulie in the middle of his jogging routine.
- Karmic Death: Mikey gave Brendan Filone a Moe Green Special while he was lying in his bathtub. Chris and Paulie riddle Mikey with bullets as he's lying in a large puddle in the woods.
- Kick the Dog: After Jimmy is executed, Christopher calls in a bomb scare to Jimmy's wake, just For the Evulz. Even Silvio says that was extreme.
- Loophole Abuse: Tony swears on his mother's life that he didn't burn down Artie's restaurant, something he might have hesitated to do if he wasn't planning to murder his mother.
- Also, Tony himself did not set the fire: he gave the order to Silvio, who actually did it.
- Manipulative Bitch: The episode gives an early reminder when the FBI plays a tape of Livia playing Uncle Junior like a fiddle and convincing him to put out a hit on Tony. When that doesn't work, she tries it again by informing Artie of Tony putting the old Vesuvio restaurant to the torch through arson, banking on Artie becoming angry enough to take a gun to Tony over it. That almost works too. Plus, while the question of whether her stroke was faked is left ambiguous, she nonetheless very clearly relishes the way it allowed her to avoid the wrath of both Tony and the Feds.
- Masochism Tango: Mikey's relationship with his wife has this in spades. They're almost always shown arguing or insulting each other, even when he leaves the house to go for a jog. Ironically, she's the only person shown to be sad when he disappears.
- Matricide: Subverted. After Tony's faction wins the civil war against Junior, Tony tries to smother Livia with a pillow, but he's prevented by Livia having had a stroke.
- Mood Whiplash: Chris' angry response to Mikey regarding the latter killing the defenseless Brendan is not as powerful as it should be, considering Chris' statements are interspersed with Paulie's flippant complaints about being hit with poison ivy all over his face and hands.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Agent Cubitoso uses his and Tony's shared Italian heritage as a bargaining chip during a conversation with him.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Tony and the rest of the family come to believe that Livia's apparent senility is a trick and that she's far smarter than she's letting on.
- Oh, Crap!:
- When Jimmy realizes that the prostitutes were a trick, he still seems to be confident... until his hidden revolver is snatched by Chris when he tries to pull it out. Jimmy freaks out in the moments just before Silvio kills him.
- When chasing Mikey with Chris, Paulie freaks out when he realizes he has come into contact with poison ivy. By the end of the episode, his hands and parts of his face are covered with lotion.
- Uncle Junior (and several other mafiosos) when the FBI comes knocking.
- Parting-Words Regret: Parodied. Mikey Palmice's last words to his wife as he is leaving for a jog are "go take a Midol", to which she responds by giving him the finger. Later, after he has been killed, his widow is being interviewed on TV, tearfully saying that his last words were to tell her how much he loved her.
- Pet the Dog:
- Tony goes back to apologize to Melfi after destroying her table and physically threatening her, and gives her the knowledge to get out of town before any of Junior's men go looking for her.
- He seeks no retaliation on Artie for pointing a gun at him and is very quick to bury the hatchet with his old friend.
- Plot Armor: Even though things do play out in a certain logical way, Tony still shouldn't have survived the multiple attempts on his life.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner:Christopher: He didn't have time to put on anything decent.
- Pride: Uncle Junior, after he's arrested, turns down an offer of no jail in return for testifying that Tony was the real boss of the family. Technically, he was observing the code of silence that Omertá demands. But it's obvious that his real motivation is that he's still angry over Tony managing the capos and the family behind his back, and to take that offer and provide the desired testimony would only rub salt in the wound.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Carmela gives a blistering one to Father Phil, accusing him of being a Hypocrite on multiple levels:
- He morally condemns Tony's lifestyle, yet enjoys the perks that Tony's money brings in (i.e. the food and the entertainment center).
- He also teases the boundaries of his oath of celibacy with multiple women, to manipulate "spiritually thirsty women" and enjoy the "whiff of sexuality" but stops just short of being a serial adulterer and breaking his vows.
- Ridiculous Counter-Request: During Junior's interrogation by the FBI, where they try to convince him to flip against the New York families:FBI Interrogator: We want Johnny Sack. But more than him, we want Mangano and Teresi.
Junior: I wanna fuck Angie Dickinson, let's see who gets lucky first. - Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Melfi decides to leave town after Tony tells her that her life may be in danger from Junior's associates.
- Shear Menace: Dr. Melfi hides a pair of scissors in her sleeve to protect herself in case Tony attacks her once again.
- Shout-Out:
- A character named Gene Conigliaro is seen on TV and interviews Junior in jail soon after. The character's name is a reference to the Rockford Files episode "Just a Coupla Guys", which had a character named "Eugene Conigliaro". Notably, series creator David Chase wrote both of these scripts.
- Tony calls a hospital worker "George Clooney", a reference to the actor's role on ER.
- Slasher Smile: Livia wears a really disturbing one, more so for her being an elderly woman AND Tony's own mother to boot, when he tells her he listened to the FBI tapes and knows what she tried to do.
- Spotting the Thread: Tony and Junior figure out that Jimmy is an informant because he requested a meeting to discuss issues that had already been covered before.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Chris and Paulie completely empty their guns into Mikey.
- Too Dumb to Live: Jimmy proves to everyone that he's The Mole after he calls a meeting with the capos (and Junior) just to discuss mob business that had already been handled in the past.
- Vorpal Pillow: Tony grabs a pillow and is clearly going to smother his mother, but he gets interrupted.
- Wham Episode: Tony hears evidence that his uncle and mother conspired to have him whacked. Tony retaliates by having Junior's key men, Mikey Palmice and Chucky Signore, murdered. Artie is informed that Tony was behind the arson attack at his restaurant and briefly holds Tony at gunpoint. Junior is arrested by the FBI. Livia has a stroke just before Tony has the opportunity to smother her to death.
- Women Are Wiser: Charmaine indicates to Artie that they shouldn't invite mob associates in so often, as they could set a bad reputation for the restaurant. However, she later concedes that their livelihood depends on them anyway, and they allow most of Tony's core group into the restaurant at the end of the episode during the storm.
