10 Best Scenes of The Sopranos Season 4
Season four of The Sopranos slows the action to a crawl. As a result of the minimal aesthetic, every emotion feels more impactful than ever before, and every moment of triumph and tragedy has extra resonance. Here are the 10 best scenes of The Sopranos season 4.
10. Dean Martin Blares from the Boat (Episode 52, “Whitecaps”)
“Whitecaps” is an episode filled with heartache and anguish, yet its final scene ends the season with laughs instead of tears. Prideful attorney Alan Sapinsly won’t let Tony Soprano out of the beach house sale, and so Tony decides to (non-violently) torment him until he relents. The solution is to anchor his boat in front of Sapinsly’s home and blare Dean Martin records all through the night. Even though the scene shows that no one is free from Tony’s toxic influence (even when Tony’s not physically there), it’s also a humorous reminder that Tony occasionally dishes out justice to those who deserve it. And hearing Martin slur his words at 100 dBs is bound to make us smile, even if it leaves Sapinsly screaming his head off.s
9. Tony’s Tirade Against Christopher Columbus (Episode 42, “Christopher”)
“Christopher” might be the worst Sopranos episode ever, but the final scene is good enough to somewhat redeem the installment’s flaws. After Silvio Dante has tried and failed to extoll the virtues of Columbus Day, Tony unleashes a memorable tirade that tears apart everything Silvio has been fighting to preserve, while also delivering some of the series’ most famous quotes in the process:
- “Whatever the fuck happened to Gary Cooper? That’s what I’d like to know.”
- “He was gay, Gary Cooper?”
- “Columbus was so long ago he might as well have been a fucking movie.”
- “You’ve got a wife who’s a piece of ass. At least she was when you married her.”
The episode then abruptly concludes with “Dawn (Go Away),” a playful reminder that Frankie Valli is a much better role model for Italian-Americans than Christopher Columbus.
8. “World Destruction” (Episode 40, “For All Debts Public and Private”)
After mercilessly murdering a retired cop who may or may not have killed his father, Christopher Moltisanti pays a sentimental visit to his unloving mother. The attempted emotional bond goes nowhere, and so Chris leaves his childhood home — but not before taking the $20 bill he took from the officer’s wallet and pinning it on the fridge, as if it’s some trophy to proudly display.
This is the only episode of the series that does not end with a fade to black, as Andrew Jackson’s eye remains fully in view for the duration of the end credits. As we stare at the root of all evil, the lyrics to “World Destruction” voice the obvious: “The human race is becoming a disgrace.” Once again, The Sopranos passes judgment on its characters and the audience who watches them.
7. Johnny Sack Loves His Wife (Episode 43, “The Weight”)
Chivalry isn’t dead. Case in point: Johnny Sacrimoni wants to murder Ralph Cifaretto for a fat joke made about his Rubenesque wife. As strange as it may sound, this is The Sopranos at its most romantic. Late in the episode, when John discovers Ginny sneaking candy in the basement, he professes his undying love to her — possibly the most heartwarming moment in the entire series. Even though it’s only a short scene, it’s rare for The Sopranos to lift our spirits in such a tender way.
6. Tony Is Blinded by the Light (Episode 48, “Whoever Did This”)
Tony surprisingly murders Ralph halfway through “Whoever Did This” (an episode that surprisingly occurs midway through season four). The rest of the episode is concerned with the painstaking cleanup. After dismembering Ralph’s corpse and disposing the various body parts on a secluded farm in the middle of the night, Tony and Chris head back to the Bada Bing to wash up and have a drink.
Tony awakes the next day by himself, shouting out for Christopher, who is nowhere to be found. The episode ends as he stumbles outside, blinded by the white light of the morning sun. It’s a clever inversion of symbolism: Tony spirals deeper into the enveloping darkness and has become so evil that he cannot even bear to see the light.
5. Tony’s Fight with Carmela (Episode 52, “Whitecaps”)
“Whitecaps” seems like an ordinary episode for the first 20 minutes: Tony buys his family a beach house, and everything is well. Yet when his former comare Irina drunk dials Carmela and says, “I used to fuck your husband,” everything immediately comes crashing down. The ensuing argument is a violent war that is no different than the murderous mob conflicts we’ve become so accustomed to. We feel intrusive just watching — a slow-motion tragedy in which words and insults hit harder than punches and gunshots.
If the aforementioned scene with Johnny and Ginny Sacrimoni gave us a rare moment of sentimentality, then Tony’s fight with Carmela is the first time in The Sopranos that we’re actually nervous for what might happen next.
4. “My Rifle, My Pony and Me” (Episode 44, “Pie-O-My”)
The Sopranos rarely has time for peace throughout its high-tension and anxiety-riddled schedule. That’s why the end of “Pie-O-My,” in which Tony comforts an ailing racehorse during a thunderstorm, is such a comforting moment. This is Tony at his most vulnerable and unguarded — the real Tony, with absolutely nothing to hide. During pensive moments like this, it’s easy to remember why we’re rooting for Tony to succeed. It’s a much-needed moment of serenity within a series of nonstop disquiet, while also featuring some of the show’s most beautiful and plaintive imagery.
3. The Intervention (Episode 49, “The Strong, Silent Type”)
Chris’ saga of drug abuse and addiction is a dark and depressing cautionary tale. Nevertheless, his intervention is quite possibly the funniest scene in the entire series. With everyone gathered in one room, the mediation quickly devolves into a comedy roast that ends with Chris getting his ass beat by Tony, Silvio and Paulie Gualtieri. Nevertheless, the mafia method works wonders and Chris goes to rehab the next day.
2. Tony Murders Ralph (Episode 48, “Whoever Did This”)
Ralph’s death was a long time coming, but his death scene itself seems to last just as long. It’s rare for an action sequence in a mob show to dispense with gun violence, but the only available weapons are frying pans, boiling water and ant poison. This is a dirty fight to the death, taking place entirely in Ralph’s cramped kitchen. Consequently, it’s probably the best action sequence in the series.
Tony kills Ralph in a fit of rage over Pie-O-My after a convenient stable fire allowed Ralph to collect a large sum of insurance money. However, the truth of who started the fire is never revealed. Either way, Tony also equates it with the death of Tracee, the stripper whom Ralph brutally murdered in season three. “Whoever did this,” Tony says later, “it should have happened a long time ago.” The entire scene is savage and unsparing, yet it’s also cathartic — a true testament to series creator David Chase’s uncanny ability to make his audience thirst for violence.
1. Tony’s Nightmare (Episode 50, “Calling All Cars”)
The Sopranos rarely dabbles in the horror genre. The only instance is Tony’s harrowing nightmare at the end of “Calling All Cars,” in which he encounters a Livia-like shadowy specter in an old Southern Colonial mansion. The entire scene is indebted to the aesthetics of David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock — an eerie atmosphere of suspense and dread that quickly becomes all too real. As the phantom stands motionless at the top of the staircase, Tony’s sense of terror is palpable. We’re frozen in fear with him but at the same time mysteriously compelled.
The mesmerizing sequence ends with Tony awaking in a cold sweat on the verge of a panic attack. He stares at himself in a dark mirror before stumbling outside into the blinding Miami sunlight from his hotel balcony. Although the nightmare is over, his bad dreams never end. The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” is the perfect sardonic choice to play over the end credits.
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