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The Sopranos Season 4 Episode 5

Pie-O-My

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8.8

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/13/02

Tony discovers that he has a tender spot for Ralphie's new racing horse. He spends more time at the stables than with Carmela, who is angry over a new financial arrangement. The Feds turn up the pressure on Adriana, while Janice makes her move on a grieving Bobby.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

Tony buys a race horse, Janice tries to get into Bobby's good graces through whatever means she can muster, Adriana gets desperate.

10

By ekutinsky, Sep 08, 2005

With its ducks, squirrels, snakes, and bears, the Sopranos has a long history of symbolic animals, but Pie-O-My, the "breathtaking" race horse, I found the most clever. The first of its kind Tony could "commit to," the one that effortlessly strives past the others with its grace and attitude, is a clear symbol for Carmela, the other thing for him for which there were so many but only one he'd be willing to make a commitment to. As things at home crumble over living will arrangements, Pie-O-My's health fails, and Tony seems to transfer all his sympathy to the horse - the final scene of Tony sitting so sympathetically by his horse in her stall as "My Rifle, My Pony, and Me" begins to play is breathtaking because we know the fear that Tony cannot really express - that his marriage may be in trouble.

Meanwhile, no one can manipulate like Janice Soprano, and her attempt to couch her blatant opportunism with nobility ("I've been meaning to come down to the court to show solidarity, but those kids need help!") is the type of heartless squirminess Janice always seems to gravitate towards. I've rarely laughed harder than the moment in which Janice, stealing Jo Jo Palmice's ziti, repeats heating instructions as if they're her own. True to life, people could figure out her schemes, but are too wrapped up in their own stuff to notice (Junior's busy pilfering is driver's pocket change). This is her mother's daughter, after all - she knows how to use people.

Finally, this is the first indication of what will become a real accomplishment in the fifth season - we took her for granted, but who knew Drea de Matteo was such an amazing actress? Christopher's a full on smack addict, and in her desperation, Adriana tries the stuff herself. Filmed with brilliant jump cuts that emphasize the physicality of her actions, her desperation is overwhelming, a powerful indicators of the choices she's made and just realized the gravity of.moreless
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Ralph gets a horse, and Tony takes a liking to it. Janice continues to be a b*tch, big friggin' surpise there. Bobby and the kids aren't doing that great after the loss of Karen, Bobby's wife.moreless

8.0

By MargetisMan414, Jun 22, 2005

A lot of Sopranos fans will call this the worst episode of the series, but that’s not true. It is very well written and true to life, it just isn’t interesting. At all. Tony buys a new race horse. That’s all. It borrows a lot of the subtleness from last season’s episode “Second Opinion”, but is in my opinion better. If you don’t have any great expectations of this episode, you will enjoy it. Otherwise, when the credits start to roll you’ll say to yourself “That’s all?!”. The relationship with Ralph and Tony is always funny to watch, as Ralph tries to be a cheapskate and try not to pay Tony the vig he deserves. Hesh is in this one, and that's always a positive. This was more about a freakin' horse then about The Sopranos. It was well written and had smooth dialogue, but I pay god knows what price every month to view 'The Sopranos', not 'Tony Soprano Present's The Horse Whisperer'. I hope next week’s is more intriguing, because it certainly looks more intriguing. Grade: A-

Ranking in season: # 10 / 13

Ranking in series: # 56 / 65

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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Steve Schirripa	Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri
Michael Imperioli	Christopher Moltisanti
Joe Pantoliano	Ralph Cifaretto
James Gandolfini	Tony Soprano
Lorraine Bracco	Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Edie Falco	Carmela Soprano

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Joe Napoleone	Bartender	Guest Star
Christopher O'Hara	Band Member #1	Guest Star
John E. Kelly	Photographer	Guest Star
Joe Pucillo	Beppy Scerbo	Recurring Role
Bruce MacVittie	Danny Scalercio	Recurring Role
Annika Pergament	News Anchor	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- We learn Tony's cellphone number: 555-0157
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QUOTES (5)
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- Christopher: You don't know what this guy did for me.
  Adriana: Yeah, I do!
  Christopher: Not gettin' my stripes; something I can't talk about, something that was ruining my whole life and he made it right. What I owe him, I would follow that man into hell.
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- Vito: It smells in here.
  Patsy: Mold. That stuff can kill you, I read.
  Ralph: What the fuck do you think cheese is?
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- Adriana: I love you so much.
  Christopher: So if you love me, stir my eggs.
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- Carmela: You bought a racehorse?
  Tony: I didn't buy it.
  Carmela: It followed you home?
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- Ralph: Tell that midget not to be shy with the whip.
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NOTES (2)
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- The German episode title is "Lauf, Pie-O-My, lauf!", meaning "Run, Pie-O-My, Run!"
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- Music in this episode:
  "Blue Jeans" by Yasmeen; "Can't Stand It" by The Greenhorns; "My Rifle, My Pony and Me" by Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson; "Lovesong" by Snake River Conspiracy; "Rollin" by Fourplay; "The Gift That Keeps on Giving" by Deicide; "Theme for an Imaginary Western" by Mountain
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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