  
    “𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐞, 𝟑:𝟎𝟎.”

 Christopher’s in bad shape. Multiple bullet wounds in the torso and it’s not looking good. Things take a turn for the worst though when his heart completely flatlines and he becomes clinically dead for a whole minute. While dead, his so soul takes a brief detour, Chris has a haunting encounter with his fellow friends and family beyond the grave. Transported into an Irish bar where it’s St. Patrick’s Day, everyday, for eternity. Here he reunites with his late father whom tells him that every night he is brutally murdered the same way he died on earth, endlessly, for eternity. He also spots Mikey Palmice and Brendan Filone sharing bond at the bar too. Both season 1 characters, Mikey killed Brendan and Chris killed Mikey. Yet, now they’ll all share a cold one and reminisce on their former debaucheries. Mikey walks over to Chris and gives him a red herring.  “𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐞, 𝟑:𝟎𝟎.” He says. Chris doesn’t understand this and neither do Tony and Paulie. Tony brushes it off as a hallucinatory vision Chris received while drugged up, and Paulie would like to agree but he’s always been a superstitious fella.

 Tony offscreen tells Carm that Chrissy met Jesus while clinically dead and this reaffirms her faith stupendously. While visiting Chris she asks him how it was like to meet Jesus. She believes this fable from Tony even more so based on her efforts to pray in the hospital the night before. Which I really appreciate from this show as a catholic myself. They show the importance of Christianity and almost admits it to be canon truth within the world they live in. Chris sadly, informs her that’s not the case. Chris is deeply trouble by what he saw and is worried that it’s almost too late. That he’s going to become his father and Tony is the one leading him along the crooked path. “ 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚, 𝐦𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫.” [5x12]

 As for why Tony lied to Carmela? It’s apparent that even if he won’t admit it, he is very disturbed by Chris’s story. Tony likes to call himself a Religious man, but the show hints that he’s a walking contradiction on this claim many times. His borderline laughs when Chris tells him the story might suggest that he really only says what he “believes” for tradition. Although,  subconsciously he knows his actions will undoubtedly have consequences. In another phenomenal therapy scene Tony gives a truly heartfelt mob-like monologue on what his morals are in relation to his “second life”. Passing on a hand-me-down set of rules from his elders to Melfi. He explains that the gangster life is like “war” and that everyone is involved is a “soldier”, and in war “ 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐝𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.” Then, he gives a semi-true rant about how all organizations that run the world are just as corrupt but since it’s the “American way” they can get away with it. Which is undoubtedly true, yet Tony doesn’t realize the standards shouldn’t be from the other evils of the world, but from Gods standards. Whose standards which he silently brushes off this episode with Chris. He repeats to Melfi again that “it’s war” like he’s trying to sell her his bullshit ideology. He’s lying to himself to justify the abhorrent things he does. Which is undeniably foreshadowing for his ultimate diagnosis of “sociopathy”. 

 Paulie has always had a softer shell than Tony and is cracked by this revelation of 3:00’s ominous meaning. He keeps waking up at 3 and his Goomar gives him a recounting of a 3:00 story she’s had. It’s important that with all the religious themes and 3:00 symbolism to recognize also that in The Bible it’s said that Jesus passed away that 3:00 PM. Paulie now very shaken visits Chris to manipulate his mind into believing he never visited Hell but Purgatory instead. Hilariously he tells Chris some made up afterlife rules, yet it still doesn’t satisfy him. If Paulie took a second he’d realize that his theory is invalid because no one is repeatedly murdered in Purgatory. Ironically, before visiting his parish church he visits a psychic who unsettlingly knows a little TMI about Paulie which causes him to completely flip. Personally, I’d find myself reacting more like Paulie than Tony in this situation too. Then, Paulie visits church disgruntled and yells at the priest for no valid reason and as he walks out he stops at a statue of Jesus looking down on him. Visibly off-put he stomps away.

 Then, we finally shift our attention back to the man who caused all this religious conflict to happen, Matt Bevilacqua. After his shitty attempt on Chris’s life, Matt is in hiding with no way out. Eventually Tony catches him and tags along none other than Pussy for the interrogation. Pussy knows how fucked he could be if the FBI catches him doing this, but continues to dig his own grave when agreeing to tag along because he feels like he owes it to their friendship after all his snitching. Matt is beaten and tied up, they ask him many questions about the hit, and like a child tattling to his mother he tells them everything. Again, not being the smartest, Matt believes he’s in good graces again as Tony asks him if he wants something to drink. Pussy grabs him a Coke with a napkin around it. Not because the beverage is cold, but because he can’t leave fingerprints for what’s about to transpire. He takes a few sips and just like that he has 20+ bullet holes in him. Matt and Sean were never supposed to go down this path. It was inevitable.

 Now with Chris recovering and Matt out of the picture. We can finally return to our status quo. At the end Tony and Carmela make love for pretty much the only time in the shows run, and as they do so we pan to statues of angels sitting on their dresser. This overwhelming angelic and supernatural presence that lingers over almost every episode. The angels are watching Tony. He’s loving his wife. A very saintly thing to do, but even if those Angels may only physically sit in his bedroom. They still watch him when he leaves the house and goes to work. When all of his devilish actions are on display.

Specials

Season 1