“I was planning a different subject for this week’s Best Episode Ever when the news of James Gandolfini’s passing broke last week. As I was already midway through a different story, Blair Marnell has stepped in to write about “The Sopranos” in Gandolfini’s memory.
That’s not to say we will always devote a Best Episode Ever to a memorial. Already, Gary David Goldberg’s passing has come before I could possibly get to a “Family Ties” column, but we will get there someday. Gandolfini is a legend we wanted to honor, so here is Blair’s pick for Best Sopranos Episode Ever. I will be back next week with a happier column.” – Fred Topel
Shortly before James Gandolfini’s recent demise, “The Sopranos” was named the best written TV series of all time by the Writers Guild of America. And it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Back in 1999, HBO wasn’t the powerful force in original TV dramas that it is today. Before “The Sopranos” came along, HBO’s original series were almost exclusively comedies.
Right out of the gate, “The Sopranos” changed the game for TV dramas. Gandolfini was far from a conventional leading man and Tony Soprano was unlike any other protagonist on television. Tony was a family man, with a wife and kids… and he was also a mob boss in one of the most powerful organized crime families in New Jersey. Tony lived in shades of grey that his TV forerunners couldn’t have imagined. And I highly doubt that Vic Mackey, Walter White, Dexter Morgan and Don Draper could have been leading characters without Tony Soprano paving the way for darker, more complex protagonists on television.
There are so many great episodes of “The Sopranos” that a compelling argument can be made for the majority of the series. Personally, I’ve always thought that the pilot episode of “The Sopranos” was as immaculate as TV gets. “Pine Barrens” was another favorite that followed Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) and Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) as they fruitlessly chased a Russian man through the winter wilderness. And the penultimate episode of the series, “The Blue Comet” had a very powerful sense of dread as Tony came to fear for his own life and the lives of his family.
But the best episode of “The Sopranos” is “College;” which was also the fifth episode of the entire series. Of course, “College” is well known for one of the most memorable murder scenes in the history of the series. But that’s not why it’s the best. Instead, “College” deserves the honor because of the fascinating way it made Tony split his time between his two families while exploring Tony’s relationship with his daughter, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler).
While on a road trip to potential colleges, Tony and Meadow unexpectedly open up with each other. Tony admits that he’s actively involved with illegal activity and Meadow confesses that she experimented with speed. And while Tony is initially angry about Meadow’s confession, they bond over their honesty with each other.
The conflict comes when Tony spots Fred Peters (Tony Ray Rossi) at a gas station and he recognizes him as Fabian Petrulio, a former member of the mob who ratted out to the FBI before getting kicked out of the witness protection program. Tony is so intent on finding Fred and confirming his identity that he weaves into and out of oncoming traffic to get a better look at Fred’s plates.
None of this goes unnoticed by Meadow, who is initially alarmed by her father’s reckless driving and his weak excuses to cover his absence while he tries to track Fred down. It’s no spoiler to say that Tony got his man, but at the end of the episode, Meadow knows that he’s lying to her. Bless her heart, but Meadow doesn’t even think that Tony killed Fred. She just assumes it was a fight that he won’t talk about. But the damage to their relationship is clear in her face as she tells Tony that she loves him. Meadow does love Tony, but she also got a glimpse of who he really is.
It’s not like Fred didn’t deserve to die. Whatever his history with Tony or his fears for his family, Fred steps over the line when he nearly guns down Tony and Meadow at the hotel and when he tries to set up a hit on them during their return trip. That alone paints this guy as a total scumbag. Even so, it was extremely unsettling to watch Tony choke Fred to death. This was not a fast murder and the violent discoloration of Fred’s head made the murder seem even more intense.
Back on the homefront, Tony’s wife, Carmela (Edie Falco) had a terrific subplot opposite Father Phil Intintola (Paul Schulze) in the otherwise empty Soprano home. I was always surprised that Father Phil didn’t play a very large role in the series after the first season, especially after this episode almost brings him and Carmela together in a decidedly unwholesome way.
The thing about Father Phil is that he is tempted by Carmela, but he seems more enticed by the comforts that she enjoys, the food that she eats, the wine and the DVD player. Father Phil even rationalizes his obvious crush on Emma Thompson by arguing that admiring her beauty is the same as admiring a sunset or anything else created by God. As for Carmela, Father Phil is almost like a surrogate husband who enjoys spending time with her, drinking with her and curling up for The Remains of The Day. He gives her the attention that she can’t get from Tony.
Where Falco shines is a great scene in which Carmela confesses her fears that she has embraced the easy and convenient life that Tony has provided for her while turning a blind eye to the terrible things that he does on a near daily basis. She’s worried for his soul, but far more concerned about her own salvation and that of her children.
Carmela is also not above some irrational jealousy when she gets a call from Tony’s therapist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) and finds out that Tony lied about Melfi being a man. It was an amusing way to work in a cameo appearance by Melfi in the episode that paid off in subsequent episodes.
Another great scene takes place near the end of the episode, as Tony seems shaken by a quote from Nathaniel Hawthorne “No man… can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which one may be true.” It was a little on-the-nose for this series, but the point was well made. Prior to that, Tony felt like he had gotten away with being the loving dad to Meadow and the ruthless instrument of vengeance of his other family. Suddenly, he didn’t look so sure about himself.
“College” was so well crafted that it made Tony, Meadow and Carmela into more fully realized characters… only four episodes after they were introduced! That’s a rare achievement in of itself. “College” also reveals more about the characters on subsequent viewings. And you can catch the exact moment that Meadow’s heart breaks when she knows her dad is lying.
Like most episodes of “The Sopranos,” “College” lent itself to deeper analysis, with layers upon layers of meaning. But it wouldn’t have been so fondly remembered if it wasn’t exceptionally entertaining as well. Among “The Sopranos” episodes, “College” deserves to be called the Best Episode Ever.
