Full Leather Jacket

Infobox Television episode | Title = Full Leather Jacket
Series = The Sopranos
Season = 2
Episode = 21
Guests= "see below"
Airdate = March 5, 2000 (HBO)
Production = 207 (2-8)
Writer = Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Director = Allen Coulter
Episode list = Episode chronology


Prev = D-Girl
Next = From Where to Eternity

"Full Leather Jacket" is the twenty-first episode of the HBO original series "The Sopranos" and was the eighth of the show's second season. It was written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, directed by Allen Coulter and originally aired on Sunday March 5 2000.

Guest Starring roles

* Tom Aldredge as Hugh De Angelis
* Lillo Brancato Jr. as Matthew Bevilaqua
* Federico Castelluccio as Furio Giunta
* Joseph R. Gannascoli as Vito Spatafore
* Paul Herman as Peter "Beansie" Gaeta
* Patty McCormack as Liz La Cerva
* Saundra Santiago as Jeannie Cusamano and Joan O'Connell
* Steve Schirripa as Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri
* Suzanne Shepherd as Mary De Angelis
* Chris Tardio as Sean Gismonte

Episode recap

Matt Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte begin working extensively with Christopher Moltisanti, breaking safes in a factory. Matt and Sean are perhaps over-enthusiastic about moving up in the criminal organization. They also visit Richie Aprile, introduce themselves, and listen to him make fun of Christopher and his large nose. At the Bada Bing, Matt and Sean try to introduce themselves to Tony Soprano in the bathroom but are nervous and get into too much detail about their job with Chris. Tony calls Sean a "shit-eating twat" since he did not take precautions about wiretaps.

Matt and Sean quickly become nervous when Furio Giunta comes for Tony's ten percent "cut" and adds another thousand dollars for himself. They realize that they are small players and worry about their future potential. Later while waiting for Christopher, Matt brings up the idea of doing something drastic in order to be recognized (as what happened in the Unrest of 1983 to Pussy). As Christopher exits the Skyway's Diner in Kearny, he is ambushed by Matt and Sean and shot three times as he pulls out his own weapon. Sean is killed by Christopher after failing to remove his seat belt. Matt manages to get away and escape to Richie's hangout, where he confesses to Richie and claims that they did it to prove themselves to Richie. This causes Richie to become furious by saying: "It's all I need now from that two-faced ungrateful fuck to think I had any part in this" and chasing Matt down the street with a baseball bat.

Meanwhile Carmela and Tony are worried that Meadow might attend the University of California, Berkeley. Carmela tells Tony that in order to get ahead with college acceptance in the modern world, one has to "know someone or donate five buildings". Carmela then remembers that her neighbor, Jeannie Cusamano's twin sister, Joan O'Connell, is a prestigious alumna of Georgetown University, which is on Meadow's top list of colleges. When Jeannie fails to persuade Joan to write a letter, Carmela sees to the matter personally by presenting her with a ricotta pie and a folder of Meadow's high school transcripts and teacher recommendations. Joan initially refuses to write the recommendation but then Carmela tells her she is not asking for it, she "wants" it. Joan asks Carmela if she is threatening her and Carmela insists she is not. Carmela says "thanks for this" and proceeds to leave. Later, Jeannie Cusamano visits Carmela to bring back the plate and to inform her that Joan has looked at Meadow's transcripts and has written a letter of recommendation. Carmela asks for a copy, and Jeannie promises to provide a copy to Carmela.

Before his shooting, Christopher goes to Adriana's mother's home, where he apologizes for abandoning her at the restaurant weeks prior and for abusing her. Christopher then proposes marriage to Adriana and presents her with a ring. Adriana automatically says "Yes" but her mother warns Adriana that if she gets hurt again "this door is closed to you".

Silvio Dante and Paulie Walnuts pressure Richie Aprile to help Beansie Gaeta out by sending his nephew, Vito Spatafore, and several construction workers out to make Beansie's house more wheelchair accessible. Richie refuses at first; however, after hearing that the request was from Tony, Richie sends both Vito and an associate over to make sure the job gets finished. Tony then hears from Gia Gaeta that the job was half-finished and the workers never came back. Richie says they will complete the work eventually, but he is currently re-renovating Livia Soprano's home. As a sign of friendship, Richie gives Tony a leather jacket from the 1970s that was taken off of tough guy Rocco DiMeo. Richie brags about how Rocco was considered the toughest person around and now is nowhere to be seen after Richie got through with him. Tony hesitatingly accepts the gesture but then passes the gift to a mechanical engineer from Poland (currently a taxicab driver) — the husband of his cleaning woman, Liliana. Richie sees Liliana's husband wearing the jacket when he drops off some food he had made for Carmela. This makes Richie depressed and very angry.

Soon after hearing of Christopher's shooting, Tony and the remainder of the family arrive at the hospital and take vigil at Christopher's bedside. As Christopher lies in a coma, Tony sits in a chair and asks, "How could this happen?"

First appearances

* Liz La Cerva: The mother of Adriana La Cerva.

Deceased

* Sean Gismonte: shot in defense by Christopher.

Title reference

* The episode's title is a play on the 1987 film "Full Metal Jacket", where it refers to metal jacketed bullets. Here it alludes to the leather jacket that Richie gave to Tony. After Christopher is shot, the camera pans the sidewalk showing the metal cartridges that have been expelled from the weapons.

Production

* Saundra Santiago plays a dual role portraying twin sisters, Jeannie Cusamano and Joannie O'Connell, in this episode.
* Although the episode was the eighth of the second season, it was the seventh to be produced.
* Unlike most other episodes, there is no song played over the end credits. Instead, all that is heard is the sound of Christopher's ventilator and the electrocardiogram machine.
* This is the shortest episode of the series, running just under 43 minutes.
* Sean Gismonte is killed by Christopher because he was restrained in the car by a seatbelt. This is similar to Livia's story to A.J. of how seatbelts can kill from the previous episode, D-Girl.