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...To Save Us All From Satan's Power (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
"...To Save Us All from Satan's Power" is the thirty-sixth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos
and was the tenth of the show's third season. It was written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
, directed by Jack Bender
and originally aired on Sunday April 29, 2001.
flashes back to Christmas
1995 when he first discovered Pussy was acting strangely. When Tony, who obviously is conflicted and feeling quite guilty over murdering his good friend, asks if Paulie feels guilty about the shooting, Paulie claims he does not regret it for a second and would do it again. When Tony brings the topic up again at the pork store, Silvio Dante
begins having nightmares regarding Pussy. Further reminiscence is prompted when Silvio and Paulie have to find a replacement for their former friend to play Santa Claus
at the Satriale's
Christmas party. They decide to choose Bobby Bacala
because of his weight, but soon regret their choice when Bobby proves a terrible Santa, on account of his shyness
. After a child swears at Bobby, Tony tells Bobby to be a little more cheerful. Later, Silvio jokingly recommends that next year Bobby "goes to Santa School."
Tony, still mulling Pussy's betrayal and his subsequently being forced to murder his previous very close—if not best—friend, decides that when Pussy missed a sitdown with Uncle Junior
, that it was the night where the FBI coerced him into cooperation and to wear a wire
. Tony also comes to the conclusion that because Pussy got dressed as Santa (and refused to let anybody touch his costume) before coming to the party that year, that he already had a wire on, and expresses another surge of anger about the traumatic situation.
Meanwhile, Janice Soprano
announces that she will cook Christmas dinner since she feels guilty about always being served by Carmela
. When Janice tells Tony that her wrist is becoming hard to manage he asks her when it started. Janice replies that the pain began right after her encounter with the Russian mobster who arrived to retrieve Svetlana's prosthetic leg. Janice is a notoriously bad cook, and usually ends up requiring more help than desired by those who end up giving it to her. For example, Carmela is clearly angry about how she is now forced to run a few extra errands for Janice. In addition, Janice's kitchen is a mess and Tony tells her that he won't eat there unless she tidies up, but she uses her wrist as an excuse, and says the Percodan
aren't even helping anymore. Tony adds to his list of Christmas gifts: "Janice's Russian". As a favor to Tony, the boss of the Russian mob gives Tony the name of Janice's attacker (Igor) and his occupation. The following evening, Tony and Furio
get into Igor's taxi, beat him badly and leave him behind a Christmas mall display. The following day on the news, the reporter suggests that a youth street gang was responsible. Janice sees this on the news and knows the truth. She shouts and wakes her narcoleptic
boyfriend, Aaron, up and mentions that what's missing from their song is the "brother concept," and her boyfriend asks "He Ain't Heavy
?" She then adds another verse to her CCM
song praising brotherhood.
At Nuovo Vesuvio, the newly separated Charmaine Bucco has started to wear revealing clothing and has worked on her now toned figure, attracting compliments from several mob associates. As Tony, Paulie and Silvio eat dinner, Charmaine walks over to the table where she jokes to Tony that she believes the people at the next table are FBI. Silvio becomes offended by this, and Artie apologizes. The following day, Tony meets up with Charmaine at the coat check where she tells him that she does not want him and "his boys" there all the time and that he ruined their marriage. Tony becomes angry and he, Silvio and Christopher leave. The trio head for a new strip club where they spot Jackie Aprile, Jr.
getting a very sensual lap dance
from a stripper. Infuriated at Jackie's infidelity, Tony drags him into the bathroom where he shoves, punches and slaps him, drawing a little blood around his nose. After confiscating Jackie's gun (which he got from Ralph Cifaretto), Tony finally knees Jackie in the groin
and tells him "You bottomed out."
On Christmas morning, the Sopranos open their gifts when Jackie Jr. arrives with gifts from Rosalie. He then presents Meadow
with a necklace with the engraving "To M.S. from J.A.: I will always be true...", to Tony's unspoken disgust at how blatantly false the statement was. As Tony goes to the kitchen, Jackie follows. Jackie tells him that he "flunked out" of Rutgers University
, displaying talent for horrible timing. Tony knew that this may easily happen but he reminds him that his father did not want him to enter the mob life, and Tony has always shown complete devotion to honoring Jackie Sr.'s wishes, only to be completely unable to somehow coax Jackie into using all of the advantages available to him. This is a very upsetting situation for Tony, as he had a great deal of love for Jackie and his father and put forth remarkable effort to get Jackie on track, and see him through his education (specifically medical school, though he said the difficult pre-med classes at Rutgers troubled him). Jackie tells Tony that he still has his priorities in order and still will be supportive and loving to Meadow. Jackie then leaves to drive his mother to a nursing home to visit his grandmother. Returning to his family, Tony is shocked to receive a Big Mouth Billy Bass
from Meadow, which reminds him of the dream that revealed Pussy's treachery to him. Tony is surrounded by reminders of his betrayal
by one deceased friend, and of his desperate failure in honoring another deceased friend's last wishes.
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
and was the tenth of the show's third season. It was written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Mitchell Burgess
Mitchell Burgess is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. He worked extensively on the HBO hit-series The Sopranos. He was a creator and executive producer for Blue Bloods. He frequently works with his wife Robin Green.-Career:...
, directed by Jack Bender
Jack Bender
Jack Bender is an American television and film director, actor, television producer and also a screenwriter. Bender was an executive producer and lead director on the ABC television series, Lost. He directed the series finale of Lost. Bender has also directed on other popular shows such as The...
and originally aired on Sunday April 29, 2001.
Guest starring roles
- Jerry AdlerJerry AdlerJerry Adler is an American theatre director, production supervisor and a television and film actor.Adler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Pauline and Philip Adler, who was a general manager of the Group Theatre...
as Hesh Rabkin - Vitali Baganov as Valery
- Joe BaduluccoJoseph Badalucco Jr.Joseph Badalucco Jr. is an American actor, brother of Emmy award-winner Michael Badalucco. His most notable performances include the characters Jimmy Altieri on The Sopranos, and Detective "Jelly" Grimaldi on Third Watch...
as Jimmy Altieri (flashbackFlashback (narrative)Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
sequences) - Jason CerboneJason CerboneJason Cerbone is an actor from Yonkers, New York.He got his start acting at age 4, appearing on a commercial for Sesame Street. He signed with the Ford Modeling Agency in New York City at age 7. Jason later appeared in Bon Jovi's "Silent Night" music video, as well as the title character in...
as Jackie Aprile, Jr.Jackie Aprile, Jr.Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into... - Matthew Cerbone as Young Jackie Aprile, Jr.Jackie Aprile, Jr.Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into...
(flashback sequences) - Andrew Davoli as Dino Zerilli
- John FioreJohn Fiore (actor)John Fiore is an American actor from Somerville, Massachusetts.Fiore is probably best known for his recurring role as Detective Tony Profaci on the long-running NBC crime drama Law & Order...
as Gigi Cestone (flashback sequences) - Robert FunaroRobert FunaroRobert Funaro is an American film and television actor. Funaro is best known for the role of Eugene Pontecorvo in the Emmy Award-winning television series The Sopranos...
as Eugene Pontecorvo - Dan GrimaldiDan GrimaldiDaniel "Dan" Grimaldi is an American actor who is known for his roles as twins Philly and Patsy Parisi on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.-Career:...
as Patsy Parisi - George Loros as Ray CurtoRay CurtoRaymond "Buffalo Ray" Curto, played by George Loros, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. An older Capo in the DiMeo Crime Family, Curto was an FBI-informant throughout almost the entire series....
- Vincent PastoreVincent PastoreVincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor, often cast as a mobster and best known for the role of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.-Early life:...
as Big Pussy Bonpensiero (flashback sequences) - Turk PipkinTurk PipkinTurk Pipkin is the co-founder of The Nobelity Project, an education and action non-profit which seeks to find solutions to many pressing global problems, and which advocates for basic rights for children everywhere...
as Aaron Arkaway - Michael RispoliMichael RispoliMichael Rispoli is an American character actor. He was formerly part of the HBO television series The Sopranos as Jackie Aprile, Sr...
as Jackie Aprile, SrJackie Aprile, SrGiacomo Michael "Jackie" Aprile, Sr., played by Michael Rispoli, was a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. He was the first Acting Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family, after longtime reputed Boss Ercole 'Eckley' DiMeo was sent to prison in 1995...
(flashback sequences) - Maureen Van ZandtMaureen Van ZandtMaureen Van Zandt is an Italian-American television actress best known for her small role Gabriella Dante, a close friend to Carmela Soprano on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Gabriella Dante
Episode recap
Before meeting Paulie Walnuts on the boardwalk at Asbury Park, TonyTony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
flashes back to Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1995 when he first discovered Pussy was acting strangely. When Tony, who obviously is conflicted and feeling quite guilty over murdering his good friend, asks if Paulie feels guilty about the shooting, Paulie claims he does not regret it for a second and would do it again. When Tony brings the topic up again at the pork store, Silvio Dante
Silvio Dante
Silvio Manfred Dante, often referred to as "Sil", played by Steven Van Zandt, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is the consigliere to Tony Soprano in the Soprano crime family. Silvio has one of the lowest profiles on the show. He is usually a behind the scenes figure...
begins having nightmares regarding Pussy. Further reminiscence is prompted when Silvio and Paulie have to find a replacement for their former friend to play Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
at the Satriale's
Satriale's Pork Store
Satriale's Pork Store is a fictional establishment on the HBO series The Sopranos. As told in the television show, during the 1970s, the pork store was taken over by Johnny Boy Soprano, a member of The DiMeo Crime Family, when Francis Satriale failed to make payments on a gambling debt and later...
Christmas party. They decide to choose Bobby Bacala
Bobby Baccalieri
Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri, Jr., played by Steve R. Schirripa, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a Capo and later the acting underboss of the DiMeo Crime Family, as well as Tony Soprano's brother-in-law...
because of his weight, but soon regret their choice when Bobby proves a terrible Santa, on account of his shyness
Shyness
In humans, shyness is a social psychology term used to describe the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people...
. After a child swears at Bobby, Tony tells Bobby to be a little more cheerful. Later, Silvio jokingly recommends that next year Bobby "goes to Santa School."
Tony, still mulling Pussy's betrayal and his subsequently being forced to murder his previous very close—if not best—friend, decides that when Pussy missed a sitdown with Uncle Junior
Junior Soprano
Corrado John Soprano, Jr., played by Dominic Chianese, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually referred to as "Junior" or "Uncle Jun", he is the mentor and surrogate father for capo Tony Soprano. A younger Corrado sometimes appears in flashbacks and is played by Rocco...
, that it was the night where the FBI coerced him into cooperation and to wear a wire
Covert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
. Tony also comes to the conclusion that because Pussy got dressed as Santa (and refused to let anybody touch his costume) before coming to the party that year, that he already had a wire on, and expresses another surge of anger about the traumatic situation.
Meanwhile, Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano Baccalieri, played by Aida Turturro, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is Tony Soprano's elder sister. A young Janice has appeared in flashbacks, played by Madeline Blue and Juliet Fox.-Biography:...
announces that she will cook Christmas dinner since she feels guilty about always being served by Carmela
Carmela Soprano
Carmela Soprano née DeAngelis, played by Edie Falco, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the wife of Mafia boss Tony Soprano and the program's most prominent female character.-Character biography:...
. When Janice tells Tony that her wrist is becoming hard to manage he asks her when it started. Janice replies that the pain began right after her encounter with the Russian mobster who arrived to retrieve Svetlana's prosthetic leg. Janice is a notoriously bad cook, and usually ends up requiring more help than desired by those who end up giving it to her. For example, Carmela is clearly angry about how she is now forced to run a few extra errands for Janice. In addition, Janice's kitchen is a mess and Tony tells her that he won't eat there unless she tidies up, but she uses her wrist as an excuse, and says the Percodan
Percodan
Percodan is a drug marketed by Endo Pharmaceuticals. It is a tablet containing a mixture of 325 mg of aspirin and 4.8355 mg of oxycodone HCl . It is used to treat moderate to severe pain...
aren't even helping anymore. Tony adds to his list of Christmas gifts: "Janice's Russian". As a favor to Tony, the boss of the Russian mob gives Tony the name of Janice's attacker (Igor) and his occupation. The following evening, Tony and Furio
Furio Giunta
Furio Giunta, played by Federico Castelluccio, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was an Italian mobster working for Tony Soprano.-Biography:...
get into Igor's taxi, beat him badly and leave him behind a Christmas mall display. The following day on the news, the reporter suggests that a youth street gang was responsible. Janice sees this on the news and knows the truth. She shouts and wakes her narcoleptic
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by excessive sleepiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as while at work. People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia...
boyfriend, Aaron, up and mentions that what's missing from their song is the "brother concept," and her boyfriend asks "He Ain't Heavy
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
"He Ain't Heavy... He's My Brother" is a popular music ballad written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for The Hollies later that year and again for Neil Diamond in 1970....
?" She then adds another verse to her CCM
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
song praising brotherhood.
At Nuovo Vesuvio, the newly separated Charmaine Bucco has started to wear revealing clothing and has worked on her now toned figure, attracting compliments from several mob associates. As Tony, Paulie and Silvio eat dinner, Charmaine walks over to the table where she jokes to Tony that she believes the people at the next table are FBI. Silvio becomes offended by this, and Artie apologizes. The following day, Tony meets up with Charmaine at the coat check where she tells him that she does not want him and "his boys" there all the time and that he ruined their marriage. Tony becomes angry and he, Silvio and Christopher leave. The trio head for a new strip club where they spot Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into...
getting a very sensual lap dance
Lap dance
A lap dance is a type of sex work performed in some strip clubs in which a naked or topless dancer performs an erotic dance either in immediate contact with a seated patron, or within a very short distance. With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact...
from a stripper. Infuriated at Jackie's infidelity, Tony drags him into the bathroom where he shoves, punches and slaps him, drawing a little blood around his nose. After confiscating Jackie's gun (which he got from Ralph Cifaretto), Tony finally knees Jackie in the groin
Groin attack
A groin attack is an attempt to cause pain to the groin area of one's opponent. The technique can be quickly debilitating, due to the large number of sensitive nerve endings in the penis and testicles of males, as well as the highly innervated vulva of females. A sufficiently powerful blow may...
and tells him "You bottomed out."
On Christmas morning, the Sopranos open their gifts when Jackie Jr. arrives with gifts from Rosalie. He then presents Meadow
Meadow Soprano
Meadow Mariangela Soprano , played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Character:Meadow is the first-born child of Tony and Carmela Soprano...
with a necklace with the engraving "To M.S. from J.A.: I will always be true...", to Tony's unspoken disgust at how blatantly false the statement was. As Tony goes to the kitchen, Jackie follows. Jackie tells him that he "flunked out" of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, displaying talent for horrible timing. Tony knew that this may easily happen but he reminds him that his father did not want him to enter the mob life, and Tony has always shown complete devotion to honoring Jackie Sr.'s wishes, only to be completely unable to somehow coax Jackie into using all of the advantages available to him. This is a very upsetting situation for Tony, as he had a great deal of love for Jackie and his father and put forth remarkable effort to get Jackie on track, and see him through his education (specifically medical school, though he said the difficult pre-med classes at Rutgers troubled him). Jackie tells Tony that he still has his priorities in order and still will be supportive and loving to Meadow. Jackie then leaves to drive his mother to a nursing home to visit his grandmother. Returning to his family, Tony is shocked to receive a Big Mouth Billy Bass
Big Mouth Billy Bass
Big Mouth Billy Bass is an animatronic singing prop, representing a largemouth bass, popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The fish is made of rubber stretched over a mechanical frame; at first glance it appears to be a mounted game fish...
from Meadow, which reminds him of the dream that revealed Pussy's treachery to him. Tony is surrounded by reminders of his betrayal
Betrayal
Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations...
by one deceased friend, and of his desperate failure in honoring another deceased friend's last wishes.
Title reference
- The episode's title is taken from a verse of the Christmas carol "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen".
Production
- Tony's deductions about Big Pussy's betrayal timeline conflict with prior information: in Season 2, FBI Agent Skip Lipari reminds Big Pussy that he's been working for them since 1998, not 1995 as suggested in this episode by Tony. Also, just before his execution in 2000, he admits to Tony (perhaps truthfully) that he has been working for the FBI for a year-and-a-half. It is possible that Tony was just being paranoid about the events of 1995.
Music
- The song played over the end credits is "I've Got a Feeling" by the American Sacred SteelSacred Steel (musical tradition)Sacred steel is a musical style and African-American gospel tradition that developed in House of God churches in the 1930s. Members and nonmembers refer to the church as the House of God. Its full name is the House of God Which Is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and Ground of the Truth...
gospel group, The Campbell BrothersThe Campbell BrothersThe Campbell Brothers are an American Sacred Steel gospel group from Rush, New York composed of three brothers and one son.The ensemble features prominent pedal steel guitar and began as the house band for a House of God Keith Dominion congregation. The pedal steel player, Chuck, uses his own...
with Katie Jackson. - During the 1995 Christmas flashback at Satriale's, the jukebox was playing "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"The Chipmunk Song " is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian , the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore...
", by The ChipmunksThe ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
. - The song Silvio has turned off in the Bada Bing is "The Cycle" from Virgos MerlotVirgos MerlotVirgos Merlot was an American hard rock band formed in 1998. Prior to the formation of Virgos Merlot, many of the band members were in the group The Devine, which later disbanded...
's Signs of a Vacant SoulSigns of a Vacant SoulSigns of a Vacant Soul is Virgos Merlot's first and only album. It was released on March 2, 1999 by Atlantic Records. The album's only single, "Gain," had moderate radio play and reached #40 on the U.S...
album.