…To Save Us All from Satan's Power

Infobox Television episode | Title = ...To Save Us All from Satan's Power
Series = The Sopranos
Season = 3
Episode = 36
Guests= "see below"
Airdate = April 29, 2001 (HBO)
Production = 310
Writer = Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Director = Jack Bender
Episode list = Episode chronology


Prev = The Telltale Moozadell
Next = Pine Barrens

"...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.

Guest starring roles

* Jerry Adler as Hesh Rabkin
* Vitali Baganov as Valery
* Joe Badulucco as Jimmy Altieri ("flashback sequences")
* Jason Cerbone as Jackie Aprile, Jr.
* Matthew Cerbone as Jackie Aprile, Jr. ("flashback sequences")
* Andrew Davoli as Dino Zerilli
* John Fiore as Gigi Cestone ("flashback sequences")
* Robert Funaro as Eugene Pontecorvo
* Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi
* George Loros as Ray Curto
* Vincent Pastore as Big Pussy Bonpensiero ("flashback sequences")
* Turk Pipkin as Aaron Arkaway
* Michael Rispoli as Jackie Aprile, Sr ("flashback sequences")
* Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante

Episode recap

Before meeting Paulie Walnuts on the boardwalk at Asbury Park, Tony 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, he 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. After a child cusses at Bobby, Tony tells Bobby to be a little more cheerful. Later, Paulie 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 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 Christian rock song praising brotherhood.

At Nuovo Vesuvio, the newly separated Charmaine Bucco has never looked sexier and begins to receive 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 aggravated 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 and beats him savagely. He 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 in reminders of his betrayal 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 prior to 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 which is played over the end credits is "I've Got a Feeling" by The Campbell Brothers with Katie Jackson.