Being the most critically-acclaimed of the show's run, I approach my review with caution but realise it is an episode of firsts. This is the first episode in which the Scorsesian theme of Roman Catholic redemption was tapped upon, the first time we witnessed Tony's pure and unhinged hatred of snitches but also the first time we saw how much his daughter mattered to him. The episode also presents an oddity in terms of 'The Sopranos' format, as it's order in the season is essentially irrelevant: it contains no allusions to key events in the story arcs of the first season, before it's presentation.
The A story follows Tony and his daughter's tour of New England's historic colleges in search of a suitable one for Meadow, while Tony finds a 'rat' who now busies himself making cheese (Chaaase!) and volunteering as a fireman in some rural Maine town. Meanwhile, the B story concerns a flu-ridden Carmela's search for spiritual cleansing when Father Phil the 'schmora' pays a visit on a stormy night. Up to this point we know they share a friendship from the Pilot episode, but not much more.
Both Carmela and Melfi seem to be down with the flu in this episode. However, Carmela seems to overcome the virus after truly confessing her sins for the first time in twenty years. "I have forsaken what is right... for what is easy", she tells Father Phil Intintola, before taking a supposedly challenging wafer and wine (Chase's cynicism towards religion apparent as ever). "Allowing evil into my home {because, for my children} I wanted a better life, better schools, this house, money in my hand..." she says as guilt creeps into Father Phil's eyes, knowing that he too has enjoyed the Ziti, the DVD players and the posh Chianti Tony's blood money pays for. By the end of the episode, all the adult characters have came down with some sort of sickness due to Tony's toxicity -be it Melfi with her unintentional complicity, Carmela usurping Tony's wealth for her extravagant lifestyle, or Father Intintola with his penchant for Emma Thompson on DVD.
In fact, the only adult who seems healthy and isn't Tony throughout, is the Rat who left the crew to live an honest life. "One thing about us wiseguys, the hustle never ends", Tony whispers into his ear as he garrotes him with the most intense hatred we've seen of him (unless you watched them back-to-front) so far. And because of this constant hustle, the ducks (his family) will only grow more and more distant as Tony sees. At Bowdoin College, Tony reads a Nathaniel Hawthorne quote while waiting for Meadow: "No man... can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which one may be true." An interesting lesson in the 'college of life'.
The A story follows Tony and his daughter's tour of New England's historic colleges in search of a suitable one for Meadow, while Tony finds a 'rat' who now busies himself making cheese (Chaaase!) and volunteering as a fireman in some rural Maine town. Meanwhile, the B story concerns a flu-ridden Carmela's search for spiritual cleansing when Father Phil the 'schmora' pays a visit on a stormy night. Up to this point we know they share a friendship from the Pilot episode, but not much more.
Both Carmela and Melfi seem to be down with the flu in this episode. However, Carmela seems to overcome the virus after truly confessing her sins for the first time in twenty years. "I have forsaken what is right... for what is easy", she tells Father Phil Intintola, before taking a supposedly challenging wafer and wine (Chase's cynicism towards religion apparent as ever). "Allowing evil into my home {because, for my children} I wanted a better life, better schools, this house, money in my hand..." she says as guilt creeps into Father Phil's eyes, knowing that he too has enjoyed the Ziti, the DVD players and the posh Chianti Tony's blood money pays for. By the end of the episode, all the adult characters have came down with some sort of sickness due to Tony's toxicity -be it Melfi with her unintentional complicity, Carmela usurping Tony's wealth for her extravagant lifestyle, or Father Intintola with his penchant for Emma Thompson on DVD.
In fact, the only adult who seems healthy and isn't Tony throughout, is the Rat who left the crew to live an honest life. "One thing about us wiseguys, the hustle never ends", Tony whispers into his ear as he garrotes him with the most intense hatred we've seen of him (unless you watched them back-to-front) so far. And because of this constant hustle, the ducks (his family) will only grow more and more distant as Tony sees. At Bowdoin College, Tony reads a Nathaniel Hawthorne quote while waiting for Meadow: "No man... can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which one may be true." An interesting lesson in the 'college of life'.