The Sopranos Season 1, Episode 5 - College

Revenge is generally a fantasy we read in a book or see on a screen.  The opportunity to seek vengeance does not often exist in real life, and when it does, it's often through legal remedies - revenge may be best served cold, but in our day-to-day lives, it's usually served quite slow.  Those of us who swallow our road rage and back down from physical confrontation only have sports and art through which to see rights wronged, and then only vicariously.

We'll get to things done vicariously later in this post, but for now I want to say - College portrays revenge, real revenge, and it's not a win for the viewer.  Tony gets to tell a man why he's being murdered, but at the cost of his relationship with his daughter.  He's even given an out by Christopher - Christopher offers to do it himself.  No, Tony says, this is personal.  He risks his own life and this trip with his daughter to ensure that this man who wronged 'this thing of ours' comes to a bad end. The writers wisely have this person be someone we haven't seen or heard about, and the people he wronged are also all off-screen presences.  Tony claims that this is 'for Jimmy', but we know better.  I suppose an argument can be made that this is a message more to Tony's guys - if you think about ratting, we will find you and we will kill you.  Even if, as a result, the ducks are spooked away. 

Meanwhile, Carmela's day of sickness is altered by Father Intintola's unexpected arrival.  They talk about their shared love of movies, they get drunk together, Carmela confesses very emotionally and then takes communion in the sexiest way possible.  In the morning, she pretends nothing happened whereas he thinks he should be apologizing.  This is one incident I feel like I could talk a lot more about if I hadn't seen the show - having seen it already, we know nothing substantial comes of Carmela's confession.  Furthermore, it's obvious that Father Phil really doesn't want to rock this boat - whether he's scared of Tony or whether he's overwhelmed by what Carmela is confessing, he doesn't have a lot to offer when Carmela asks him what she should do.  Perhaps this is what he's apologizing for - he was blinded by his own lust and drunkenness.  I feel like someone pounding sacramental wine is somewhat of a comedy cliche at this point, but Father Phil really goes for it here.

Each character confesses something - Tony, that some of his business involves illegal gambling, Meadow that she was doing speed, Carmela that her husband is involved in terrible crimes and that she considers herself complicit, and Father Phil confesses that he had lust in his heart for Carmela.  Meadow's confession is the only one about an event that appears to be in the past - the rest are ongoing.  It's interesting that Meadow doesn't seem to judge her father; she's just happy enough that he admitted that yes, he's involved in some illegal activities.

I don't have a ton to say about College even though it is one of the great television episodes.  Part of it is that there's a surprising amount of action - Tony is trying to figure out who this guy is, this guy is trying to figure out if Tony knows who he is - there's not a lot of space in there for the psychological drama this show usually trucks in.  The other is that the story is masterfully told on screen. What do you need me for, anyway?

Random thoughts -

This episode was partially filmed in my hometown - the Odenoki Motel is actually the Ramapo Lodge Motel and is not in Maine.  Amazingly it is still there - almost everything else this seedy and rundown has been removed from this area.

I wish I knew more about The Remains Of The Day to know why Carmela was so moved by that moment in the film.

I love the detail that Petrullio does wood carvings and that he can't do lips.  Also love the two Mainers who wander in off a David Lynch set refusing to kill Tony Soprano.

Great production design moments - Anthony overfilling his mother's orange juice such that it almost spills (and comically wobbles as he brings it to her), and the wooden ducks mounted outside Petrullio's travel agency.  Those might've been there anyway but they're a great touch.

I like that they felt compelled to ADR in a line about Nathaniel Hawthorne being Bowdoin's most famous alumnus, or else the audience might think the Sopranos creators just jammed in a quote about this episode's theme.

Malapropism alert - 'Knight in white satin armor'