"Revenge is like serving cold cuts."
— Tony Soprano
Janice is in attendance at her stepdaughter Sophia's soccer game. She becomes enraged when she feels a player for the other team is deliberately playing dirty towards Sophia and ends up assaulting that player's mother. The scene of her getting arrested becomes the subject of several local news broadcasts. It becomes a source of consternation and distress for Tony, who fears heightened public awareness of him being a mob boss. Bobby himself gives Janice an ultimatum of bringing her anger under control or facing divorce.
Carmela drains the pool to retaliate against Tony's maneuvering against her in the divorce. They have a brief argument, but still agree to have an engagement party for Finn and Meadow. Later, Carmela tells AJ's principal she is moving back in with her husband, seemingly without thinking. She later denies this to Rosie Aprilie.
Dr. Melfi helps Tony realize that anger over even the smallest slights or setbacks is an issue that plagues the Soprano family as a whole.
Uncle Pat Blundetto is selling his farm in anticipation of a move to Florida. That obliges Tony S, Chris, and Tony B to dig up several bodies from past murders and dispose of them elsewhere. Chris and Tony B begin the initial work and start to bond with each other over their shared resentments towards Tony S. The dynamic completely changes once Tony S arrives to help out with the bodies of the Johnson brothers. Both Tonys resume picking on Chris, as they did when they were all younger. The bullying continues into the next morning. Chris declines to go on a hunting trip with them and drives away from the farm in tears.
Johnny Sack has Phil Leotardo steal a shipment of Vespa motor scooters that they were supposed to share with the Jersey mob. Sack is motivated by his suspicions that Tony B murdered Joey Peeps, and that Tony S at least condoned it. Tony S is worried at the prospect of Sack likely stealing an incoming shipment of Provolone cheese as well.
Tony S, while at the farm, watches a documentary that suggests that it would be very easy for Middle Eastern Terrorists to exploit the commercial shipping system to sneak in everything needed for an attack of mass destruction. His worries continue to the next day, and even when he returns to the Bing. He ends up beating Georgie for making a remark that, from Tony S' view, was insensitive towards the repercussions. Georgie quits working at the Bing, even as Tony offers to cover his medical care.
Janice seems to be making progress with anger management, seeming to have become a happier and more subdued person. But Tony S, during a family dinner, deliberately provokes her with hurtful comments about her missing son, Harpo. Janice eventually cracks, lunging at Tony S with a fork and screaming. Tony S leaves with a satisfied grin on his face.
Tropes:
- Alas, Poor Yorick: Chris has a reflective moment staring at Emil's skull in his hands, before smashing it to pieces with a mallet.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Sophia is extremely embarrassed by Janice's antics on the soccer field, and why wouldn't she be?
- Awful Wedded Life: Bobby hints that his home life with Janice has become such on account of Janice's issues with anger, certainly in comparison to having been Happily Married with Karen.
- Bad Boss: Tony S gives Georgie a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown, yet again, just for expressing a different viewpoint from himself.
- Bearer of Bad News: It's with a certain glee that Carmela tells Tony about Janice losing it at the soccer game and getting arrested.
- Berserk Button: It turns out that Janice has unresolved issues over her missing son, Harpo. And Tony presses it multiple times to Yank Her Chain.
- Best Served Cold: Tony recognizes that other past mobsters were better at The Mafia game than he is because they could control their emotions, throw their enemies off with the Cheshire Cat Grin, and then wait patiently for the right moment for "servin' the cold cuts". Tony admits that his own anger issues get in the way of emulating that model of successful criminal.
- Blatant Lies:
- Tony B denies killing Joey Peeps to Chris.
- Chris in turn denies having the Green-Eyed Monster and being The Resenter towards Tony B.
- Tony S to Janice: "I'm happy for you".
- Call-Back: Chris has to move Emil's remains a second time.
- Commonality Connection: Both Tony B and Chris have their resentments against Tony S, so they bond when Tony B starts to crack fat jokes about Tony S that Chris appreciates. It all ends the moment Tony S also shows up at Uncle Pat's farm.
- Continuity Nod:
- Christopher and Tony Blundetto dig up and dispose of Emil Kolar's skeleton, moving his body for the second time. Christopher shoots and kills Emil in the Pilot episode. Then, he and Pussy Bonpensiero unsuccessfully try to put Emil's body into a dumpster. Later, they bury the body under a bridge somewhere. But, as the burial gives Christopher nightmares, Christopher and Georgie later dig up the body and relocate it in "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti."
- When Tony confronts Janice over the assault, she tells him that the woman is lucky she didn't kill her. Tony responds, "Oh, we all know that." This refers to the killing of Richie Aprile by Janice in "The Knight in White Satin Armor".
- The woman Tony sleeps with was previously encountered in "Irregular Around the Margins" as an employee of the dermatologist's office where his cancerous mole was removed.
- Tony previously assaulted Georgie in "46 Long". Exasperated by Georgie's clumsy way of handling a phone call, Tony takes the phone and bashes him over the head with it. He also beats Georgie with a "Big Mouth Billy Bass" in "Second Opinion", and whallops him with a bucket of ice in "For All Debts Public And Private".
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Janice makes short work of the other soccer mom.
- Disposing of a Body: Tony S obliges Chris and Tony B to dig up and rebury several dead bodies from murders past, in the wake of Uncle Pat selling his farm acreage.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Tony beats Georgie bad enough to put him in the hospital over a remark he took offense to.
- The Dog Bites Back: Carmela has the pool drained out. It's partly for the legitimate reason of cutting down expenses. But it's also to spite Tony for previously being a Foot-Dragging Divorcee who freely used Loophole Abuse to kill Carmela's Divorce Assets Conflict before it could even start.
- A mild example. After multiple instances of abuse at the hands of Tony over the years, Georgie the bouncer has finally had enough and quits the Bada Bing, telling Paulie that he'd prefer Tony didn't reach out to him.
- Double-Meaning Title: Tony tells Dr. Melfi that "revenge is like serving cold cuts" (inadvertently mangling the adage "Revenge is a dish best served cold"). In the episode, Johnny Sack continues to interfere with Soprano's business in retribution for the murder of "Joey Peeps." In a scene at Uncle Pat's farm, Christopher, Pat, and Tony B eat cold-cut sandwiches for lunch. The title may also refer to the dead bodies Tony B and Christopher are looking for in this episode.
- Double Speak: The dead bodies on Uncle Pat's farm are referred to as 'canned peaches'.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Chris doesn't appreciate jokes about his struggle with sobriety.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Chris ends up feeling betrayed by Tony B, after the latter switches teams to Tony S, even though both initially bonded over their shared resentments towards Tony S.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Uncle Pat suddenly remembers which part of the farm the Johnson brothers are buried in.
- Everything Is Racist: Possibly, but never confirmed one way or the other. Evelyn, a member of Janice's anger management group, feels her employer gave her special scrutiny just for being black. Of course, we don't have the employer's side of the story.
- Evil Is Petty: The motivations for Tony S being a Jerkass to pretty much everyone around him can range from no reason at all to he can't stand to see others around him happy.
- Foreshadowing: Tony S watches a documentary setting out that less than 2% of all ships coming into port are ever inspected. He develops concerns and fears that Middle Eastern Terrorists could cause massive death and destruction with the, from his point of view, high likelihood of preparing for it without ever being detected. The perceived threat becomes pervasive in Tony S' mind. His newfound fear will become relevant to a crucial dramatic turn as the series nears its end.
- Freudian Excuse:
- Janice cites her Abusive Father as a factor in her anger issues when Bobby calls her out on her behavior.
- Tony B himself has one for being a bully and a Snark-to-Snark Combat specialist. He himself used to be bullied, particularly with the nickname Ichabod Crane.
- Gang of Bullies: Tony S arrives at the farm, with the result that both he and Tony B have a lot of fun at Chris' expense.
- Green-Eyed Monster:
- Chris really doesn't like to see Tony B raking it in through the casino.
- A major factor in Tony provoking Janice with comments about her son Harpo is his resentment at her seeming ability to keep her anger issues under control while he has been struggling with his.
- Henpecked Husband: How Tony sees Bobby, "Get control of your wife!" But anyone who's been watching the show, this episode included, will know that Bobby is willing to take it to Janice when it matters enough to him.
- Hypocrite:
- Paulie points out that Chris really can't complain about Tony B receiving Nepotism benefits from Tony S when he himself has done so many times over.
- Tony S chides Janice for losing her temper at the soccer game, and yet gives Georgie a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown over a relatively innocuous comment.
- I Won't Say I'm Guilty: Janice is adamant, at least initially, that she'll fight the assault charge. Tony on the other hand much prefers that she quietly plead out to avoid negative publicity for himself.
- Irony: Tony S develops concerns and fears about the possibility of Middle Eastern Terrorists exploiting the low customs inspection rates of ships coming to port in order to pull off an attack of mass destruction. Tony S has been trying to exploit those same gaps in commercial shipping, within this very same episode, as part of his criminal enterprise.
- It Runs in the Family: Dr. Melfi identifies depression and anger as an issue for all the Sopranos, "the Soprano temper."
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Benny and another Jersey thug use it on the pier security guard to learn that Phil lifted the Vespa scooters.
- Jerkass: Tony S is always one, but he's worse in this episode. Especially towards Chris, Georgie and Janice.
- Kick the Dog: Annoyed at seeing Janice improve herself while he struggles with his anger, Tony cruelly brings up Janice's son, Harpo, mocking her parental skills. Janice's newfound control shatters and she's reduced to an angry sobbing wreck.
- Kids Are Cruel: Chris was on the receiving end from both Tonys when they were all younger.
- Locked Up and Left Behind: Chris reminisces to Adriana about how, among teasing him when they were younger, the two Tonys chained him to a tree one afternoon as an “initiation” and left him there until two in the morning.
- Lonely at the Top: Chris and Tony B see Tony S in this way, and they're pretty much right about him.Tony B: He's got the world by the balls and acts like everything's a big imposition.Chris: Being at the top, he's isolated himself.Tony B: Yeah, it's just him and his money.
- Mama Bear: Janice invokes this trope to defend her actions after attacking the mother of a child who supposedly cheated her stepdaughter Sophia. For her part, Sophia doesn't buy it.
- Manly Tears: Chris drives away from Pat's farm in tears after getting picked on by both Tonys.
- Married to the Job: Adriana tries to test Chris' willingness to relocate, again. Chris' reply: "I'm a soldier, Adriana. When are you gonna understand that?" Also doubles as Foreshadowing for when Adriana will up the ante.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Tony S on Georgie, yet again.
- No Honor Among Thieves: Johnny Sack has Phil steal the entire shipment of Vespa Scooters instead of sharing the profits with Tony S' crew as originally agreed. A form of Revenge motivated by Sack's assumption that Tony S' condoned the hit on Joey Peeps.
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No Such Thing as Bad Publicity: Subverted hard. Tony really loses it when he sees the news story of Janice beating up another soccer mom. And it doesn't help that Janice's connection to The Mafia is explicitly mentioned in the news stories either. - Oh, No... Not Again!: When Georgie continues to unknowingly push Tony's buttons, Silvio gives a silent, downward shake of the head, almost coming off like an Implied Facepalm, when he knows that Tony is going to beat the shit out of him again.
- Percussive Therapy: Tony S smashes a pool cue over the table when it sinks in that Johnny Sack is likely to lift the incoming shipment of Provolone cheese as well.
- Pet the Dog: Bobby tells Tony to look on the bright side of Janice's soccer mom fight, because she referred to Sophia as her daughter. Tony angrily retorts that he doesn't a fuck. When he sees Bobby immediately wilt in disappointment, Tony rescinds his statement to say he actually does give a fuck, but, regardless, he demands that Bobby keep Janice under control better.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Janice initially presents herself as less racist than other members of her family during an anger management session, only to prove she's no different with "Blastin' that rap shit? And you can't say anything because they might have guns?" Evelyn is of course offended.
- Pun: The news reporter describes the fight between Janice and the other soccer mom as a 'Mafia-related hit'.
- Sassy Black Woman: Evelyn, the woman at Janice's anger management class.
- Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: How both Tonys treat Chris now isn't any different from when they were all kids.
- Shout-Out: Chris likens Uncle Pat's "Eureka!" Moment to Johnny Mnemonic.
- Smug Smiler: Tony S, after pressing Janice's Berserk Button over Harpo multiple times and enraging her.
- Suddenly Shouting: Janice, after Tony Yanks Her Chain by pressing her Button multiple times over Harpo.
- Suspiciously Apropos Music: Tony leaves Janice's house as "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" by The Kinks is playing. The opening lyrics include "And make out a smile, though I wear a frown." The overall lyrics themselves emphasize being different from everybody even as the camera focuses on Tony S.
- Take That!: Of Johnny Sack's belief that Tony Blundetto killed "Joey Peeps," Silvio comments that Sack should be "out looking for the real killers, instead of spending all his time on the golf course." This line is a not-so-subtle jab at O. J. Simpson, who in the years after his acquittal on murder charges claimed to be seeking "the real killers" while he was often criticized for spending much of his free time playing golf.
- Take This Job and Shove It: Georgie quits the Bing after getting his last No-Holds-Barred Beatdown from Tony S.
- Tall Poppy Syndrome: Tony has it on full display in this episode. He admits to a considerable degree of frustration over his issues, and lack of progress with them, to Dr. Melfi. So he just can't help himself when he sees Chris making apparent progress overcoming his addictions, or Janice making progress managing her anger. He goes out of his way to Yank the Dog's Chain on both of them. If he can't be happy and make progress, why should they?
- Tame Her Anger: Zigzagged by Janice throughout the episode. She initially doesn't see anything wrong with her behavior early in the episode. But then she starts to take anger management classes after getting an ultimatum from Bobby, and seems to make progress. But then Tony presses her Berserk Button multiple times with hurtful comments about her missing son, Harpo, in a deliberate attempt to derail her seeming progress.
- Title Drop: Tony reframes the classic "Revenge is a dish best served cold" to "servin' cold cuts".
- Troll: Tony deliberately and maliciously brings up Janice's estranged and homeless son Harpo to antagonize her and disrupt her newly good attitude.
- Wound That Will Not Heal: Georgie loses hearing in one of his ears after getting the No-Holds-Barred Beatdown from Tony S.
- Yank the Dog's Chain:
- Both Tonys mock Chris for staying clean.
- Janice appears to make progress with anger management training, but then Tony mocks her multiple times with comments about her missing son, Harpo, in a deliberate attempt to derail her seeming progress.
- You're Not My Mother: Sophia, embarrassed by Janice's behavior, tells her this.
