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After the [[In Camelot|recent car chase]], [[Tony Soprano|Tony]] meets with [[Johnny Sack|Johnny]] and agrees to pay for the damage to [[Phil Leotardo|Phil]]'s car. To control costs, he has the work done in the late [[Big Pussy Bonpensiero|Pussy]]'s body shop, now run by his widow [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Angie Bonpensiero|Angie]]. Phil demands repairs for non-existent defects.
After the [[In Camelot|recent car chase]], [[Tony Soprano|Tony]] meets with [[Johnny Sack|Johnny]] and agrees to pay for the damage to [[Phil Leotardo|Phil]]'s car. To control costs, he has the work done in the late [[Big Pussy Bonpensiero|Pussy]]'s body shop, now run by his widow [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Angie Bonpensiero|Angie]]. Phil demands repairs for non-existent defects.


Tensions rise in [[New York City|New York]]. [[Little Carmine]]'s yacht is holed, and sinks. His crew attempt to recruit [[Tony Blundetto|Tony B]] through [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Angelo Garepe|Angelo]], his old prison buddy. Angelo and [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Rusty Millio|Rusty]] offer him "a chance to earn": in retaliation for Johnny's hit on [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Lorraine Calluzzo|Lorraine]], "someone has to go". Tony B, knowing that Tony wants to keep his family out of New York hostilities, refuses. But he is short of money: Tony is not giving him any more opportunities at present, and his young sons envy the Sopranos' standard of living and are discontented with their own. He agrees. The person who has to go is [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Joseph "Joey Peeps" Peparelli|Joey Peeps]]. He finds him in his car outside a New York [[brothel]] where he has just collected a payment, and shoots him along with the girl, a prostitute, he is giving a lift to. Tony B's foot is injured when Peeps's car rolls over it, and he hobbles back to his own car.
Tensions rise in [[New York City|New York]]. [[Little Carmine]]'s yacht is holed, and sinks. His crew attempt to recruit [[Tony Blundetto|Tony B]] through [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Angelo Garepe|Angelo]], his old prison buddy. Angelo and [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Rusty Millio|Rusty]] offer him "a chance to earn": in retaliation for Johnny's hit on [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Lorraine Calluzzo|Lorraine]], "someone has to go". Tony B, knowing that Tony wants to keep his family out of New York hostilities, refuses. But he is short of money, and his young sons envy the Sopranos' standard of living and are discontented with their own. Tony B agrees. His assigned target is [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Lupertazzi crime family#Joseph "Joey Peeps" Peparelli|Joey Peeps]]. Tony B finds him in his car outside a New York [[brothel]] where he has just collected a payment, and shoots him along with the girl, a [[prostitute]], he is giving a lift to. Tony B's foot is injured when Peeps's car rolls over it, and he hobbles back to his own car.


[[Carmela Soprano|Carmela]] is planning a surprise party for her father [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Hugh De Angelis|Hugh De Angelis]]'s 75th birthday. Nudged by her mother [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Mary Pellegrino De Angelis|Mary]], she tells Tony that, because of the separation, it would be better if he did not attend. Tony is taken aback, but consents. Mary does not want him there because she thinks his vulgar behavior will embarrass her in front of an old friend, Russ Fegoli, who will be attending with his wife. Mary has enormous respect for Fegoli, who had a modest career in the Foreign Service. [[Junior Soprano|Junior]] tells Hugh about the party, intentionally ruining the surprise. Hugh insists that the "man of the house" attend. Carmela reluctantly invites Tony at short notice.
[[Carmela Soprano|Carmela]] is planning a surprise party for her father [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Hugh De Angelis|Hugh De Angelis]]'s 75th birthday. Nudged by her mother [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Mary Pellegrino De Angelis|Mary]], she tells Tony that, because of the separation, it would be better if he did not attend. Tony is taken aback, but consents. Mary does not want him there because she thinks his vulgar behavior will embarrass her in front of an old friend, Russ Fegoli, who will be attending with his wife. Mary has enormous respect for Fegoli, who had a modest career in the Foreign Service. [[Junior Soprano|Junior]] tells Hugh about the party, intentionally ruining the surprise. Hugh insists that the "man of the house" attend. Carmela reluctantly invites Tony at short notice.

Revision as of 16:19, 11 January 2020

"Marco Polo"
The Sopranos episode
File:Sopranos ep508.jpg
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 8
Directed byJohn Patterson
Written byMichael Imperioli
Cinematography byAlik Sakharov
Production code508
Original air dateApril 25, 2004
Running time53 minutes
Guest appearance
see below
Episode chronology
← Previous
"In Camelot" 		Next →
"Unidentified Black Males"
The Sopranos (season 5)
List of episodes

"Marco Polo" is the 60th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the eighth of the show's fifth season. Written by Michael Imperioli and directed by John Patterson, it originally aired on April 25, 2004.

Starring

* = credit only

Guest starring

Synopsis

After the recent car chase, Tony meets with Johnny and agrees to pay for the damage to Phil's car. To control costs, he has the work done in the late Pussy's body shop, now run by his widow Angie. Phil demands repairs for non-existent defects.

Tensions rise in New York. Little Carmine's yacht is holed, and sinks. His crew attempt to recruit Tony B through Angelo, his old prison buddy. Angelo and Rusty offer him "a chance to earn": in retaliation for Johnny's hit on Lorraine, "someone has to go". Tony B, knowing that Tony wants to keep his family out of New York hostilities, refuses. But he is short of money, and his young sons envy the Sopranos' standard of living and are discontented with their own. Tony B agrees. His assigned target is Joey Peeps. Tony B finds him in his car outside a New York brothel where he has just collected a payment, and shoots him along with the girl, a prostitute, he is giving a lift to. Tony B's foot is injured when Peeps's car rolls over it, and he hobbles back to his own car.

Carmela is planning a surprise party for her father Hugh De Angelis's 75th birthday. Nudged by her mother Mary, she tells Tony that, because of the separation, it would be better if he did not attend. Tony is taken aback, but consents. Mary does not want him there because she thinks his vulgar behavior will embarrass her in front of an old friend, Russ Fegoli, who will be attending with his wife. Mary has enormous respect for Fegoli, who had a modest career in the Foreign Service. Junior tells Hugh about the party, intentionally ruining the surprise. Hugh insists that the "man of the house" attend. Carmela reluctantly invites Tony at short notice.

At the party, Mary is duly embarrassed by Tony's behaviour. Tony presents Hugh with a Beretta Giubileo shotgun, but Fegoli observes that the best ones are not exported. At the end of the evening, Tony carelessly puts the now-devalued shotgun into the trunk of the car. As the Fegolis are leaving, Mary apologizes to them for Tony's conduct. Carmela is furious at her mother's snobbery, commending Tony for his gift to her father and his courtesy to the guests.

As Artie leads the younger guests in a game of Marco Polo, Tony and A.J. grab Carmela and throw her into the pool. Eventually, Tony and Carmela find themselves alone. They kiss in the pool, and spend the night together. He leaves in the morning before she wakes.

Deceased

Title reference

  • After Hugh's birthday party, a game of Marco Polo breaks out in the Sopranos' pool.

References to previous episodes

  • Sal Vitro is seen landscaping at the Sacrimoni residence per the deal that was set up in the episode "Where's Johnny?".
  • Tony says to Fegoli, "A doctor in the house? That's good, because somebody usually goes down at these affairs." In "The Sopranos (The Sopranos episode)", Tony had a panic attack while barbecuing.
  • In "For All Debts Public and Private", the late Carmine told Tony, "A don doesn't wear shorts." Tony is wearing shorts.

Other cultural references

  • The movie Junior is watching when Bobby enters is the Fellini film, La Dolce Vita. Junior references the opening scene, in which the statue of Jesus is flown over Rome by helicopter, with the comment: "You could tell it was a dummy!"
  • When Tony arrives at the house for Hugh's party, he responds to Carmela's complaints about his tardiness by reciting, "Pins and needles, needles and pins". This is a line from a ditty frequently recited by Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners, which in turn references the nursery rhyme: "Needles and pins, Needles and pins. When a Man marries his Trouble begins."[1]
  • Johnny Sack buys a Maserati Coupé and takes Tony for a drive.
  • At Angelo's urging, Tony B does a Jackie Gleason impersonation for Rusty, who does not seem to be impressed.
  • The sign for the Bada Bing says "Holyfield vs Lewis, Sat Nov 13". This is a reference to the rematch between heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, which took place on Saturday, November 13, 1999.

Music

  • The song on the radio in the opening scene is Mason Williams' "Classical Gas".
  • The song played over the end credits is "Bad n' Ruin" by Faces, it's also played at the Bada Bing, when Tony S and Tony B have their meeting.
  • The song playing on Sal Vitro's radio as he tends to Johnny Sack's garden is "Come Go With Me" by The Del-Vikings.
  • One of the songs played at Hugh's birthday party is "Bandstand Boogie", best known as the original theme of American Bandstand.
  • Another song played at the party is "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" by Perez Prado.
  • The song played toward the end of the party while Tony S is talking to Tony B is "Allegheny Moon" by Patti Page.
  • The song being played on saxophone when the party is closing is "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael.
  • Toward the end of the episode, as Joey Peeps is about to leave the brothel with Heather the prostitute, Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" (from 1986's Slippery When Wet album) is playing in the background.

References

  1. ^ J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps (1843). The Nursery Rhymes of England: Obtained Principally from Oral Tradition (2 ed.). London. p. 122.
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