Sopranos Season One, Episode 13 - "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano"

Sopranos Season One, Episode 13 - "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano"

The cat's out of the bag, and the rat's in it - a body bag, that is.

Junior agrees with Tony that Jimmy Altieri is wearing a wire; he then gives his blessing for Tony to do what's necessary, "and send a message."

So Jimmy's body, punctuated with bullet holes and a rat stuffed in his mouth, is left in an alley as a clear statement of what happens to made men who make deals with the FBI.

But no sooner is one problem solved than an even bigger, more dangerous one comes along. The FBI brings Tony in to listen to a tape - and it's not Springsteen. They've bugged Livia's room at Green Grove; and they let Tony listen to his mother and uncle planning the hit on him. If that weren't bad enough, Tony now knows that Junior and Livia, and the FBI, know he's seeing a psychiatrist.

So now Tony's got a lot to take care of: he warns Dr. Melfi that her life may be in danger, and that she should get out of town. He tells Silvio, Christopher and Paulie that Junior planned the hit on him so they can "take care of" Chucky Signore and Mikey Palmice.

Oh, and he tells the crew he's seeing a shrink.

Their reaction? Silvio feels it's not a bad thing and Paulie admits he saw a shrink himself for a while. As for Christopher, he's not sure what he thinks. But Tony can't be concerned with that right now, he's got Livia and Junior to contend with.

Before Tony can get to him, Junior's arrested by federal agents who offer him immunity if he'll testify that he was never the boss - Tony was.

And Livia? She's had a stroke - at least that what Tony's told as he show up at Green Grove. But Tony knows Livia better than anyone, and he can see her poor, stroke-stricken face smiling cruelly at him through her oxygen mask.

At the end of the day the only place Tony can find refuge is with Carmela, Meadow, and Anthony Junior at Artie Bucco's Nuovo Vesuvio Restaurant. As Tony raises a glass to his family a storm rages outside, literally and figuratively...

...and we wait for the next season.

Sopranos Season One, Episode 12 - "Isabella"

Sopranos Season One, Episode 12 - "Isabella"

Ever had one of those days when you don't feel like getting out of bed?

Since Pussy disappeared, Tony's had a string of them. Madonn', this is the most depressed he's ever been. He avoided Carmela and the kids, neglected the business - and as for personal hygiene? Fuhgeddaboutit. Dr. Melfi tried to jump start his system by having him take so much Prozac and Lithium it's practically its own food group; but it still looked like nothing would ever get him up and on his feet again.

Until he saw Isabella.

Isabella was a beautiful young Italian woman staying next door at the Cusamano's. Tony saw her through the window one morning and managed to drag himself out to talk to her. She told him she was an exchange student in dentistry, and when she talked to Tony about the old country, it almost made him shake off his haze. But not quite. Shaking the kind of funk Tony was in was going to take a lot more than some pills and a pretty face. He needed a REAL shock to the system.

Like an attempt on his life.

Junior finally made his move, and when Tony stopped to buy some juice at a newsstand, two young would-be whackers went after him with guns blazing.

But Tony Soprano didn't get where he is today by letting people shoot at him. When the smoke cleared, one of Junior's assassins was dead, and the other was tossed from Tony's Suburban like an empty soda can.

While Tony was in the hospital, Agent Harris of the FBI tried to convince him and Carmela that the hit was a sign they should enter the Witness Protection Program. To Tony it wasn't a sign of anything, but it certainly convinced him that he didn't want to die. In fact, he felt a lot better than he had in weeks.

The same can't be said for Junior and Livia. Since the hit on Tony failed, they know he'll be looking for who's responsible. So they experienced more than a little agita.

And what about Isabella? Turns out she never existed. According to Dr. Melfi, she was a side effect of the Lithium, an expression of Tony's need for a nurturing maternal figure.

If there's anyone who ever needed one, it's Tony Soprano.

Sopranos Season One, Episode 11 - "Nobody Knows Anything"

Sopranos Season One, Episode 11 - "Nobody Knows Anything"

Somebody's wearing a wire.

That's the news Vin Makazian had for Tony: New Jersey's got a rat. And it got worse. Makazian claimed the rat is one of Tony's oldest and most trusted friends: Pussy Bonpensiero.

Was it possible? These are the facts:

Should be this: Pussy was busted, along with Jimmy Altieri, in a raid on Jimmy's social club. He tried to run away, and only succeeded in throwing out his back. Since his wife bailed him out, all Pussy's been doing is popping pain pills like M & M's and napping in his La-Z-Boy. He didn't even make his rounds anymore. And with all those tuition bills for his kids - the last place Pussy would want to go is prison. But would he really rat out his fellow "cugines"?

That's what Tony wanted to know. So he told Paulie to check Pussy for a wire, and if--and only if - he saw it with his own eyes was Paulie to take the next step.

Meanwhile, it turned out Makazian was into Pussy for 30 large. But before Tony found out whether that's his motive for fingering the big guy, Makazian got busted at a bordello and committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. So who's going to solve this dilemma for Tony?

Jimmy Altieri, that's who. He showed up at Tony and Carmela's, suddenly needing to talk to Tony - alone - about the safehouse hit. He couldn't have been more obvious if he'd been sporting antennae.

So the news is good - Pussy's not the rat, Altieri is. The only problem is, Pussy disappeared.

Well, not the only problem:

Junior put a contract out on Tony.