A Hit Is a Hit
| "A Hit Is a Hit" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sopranos episode | |||
 |
|||
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 10 |
||
| Directed by | Matthew Penn | ||
| Written by | Joe Bosso and Frank Renzulli | ||
| Production code | 110 | ||
| Original air date | March 14, 1999 | ||
| Guest stars | |||
|
see below |
|||
| Episode chronology | |||
|
|||
| Episode chronology | |||
"A Hit Is a Hit" is the tenth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It was written by Joe Bosso and Frank Renzulli, directed by Matthew Penn and originally aired on Sunday March 14, 1999.
Contents |
[edit] Starring
- James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
- Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi
- Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
- Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
- Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr. *
- Vincent Pastore as Pussy Bonpensiero
- Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante
- Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
- Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr. *
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano
- and Nancy Marchand as Livia Soprano *
* = credit only
[edit] Guest Starring
[edit] Also Guest Starring
|
|
[edit] Episode recap
Paulie Gualtieri, Christopher Moltisanti, and Big Pussy kill a drug dealer in a hotel room as a warning to his organization to stay away from the New Jersey Soprano territory. They steal cash from the scene, a big score that Tony states should be used legitimately, such as an investment in an IPO.
Tony gives Dr. Bruce Cusamano, his neighbor and family physician, a box of Cuban cigars as a gift for his referral to Dr. Melfi. As part of the follow-up conversation, Cusamano invites Tony to play golf with him and friends at the private country club of which Bruce is a member. After some initial hesitancy, Tony does so. Later, at a barbecue with Dr. Cusamano and his friends, while Tony is looking for stock tips, Carmela receives one from one of the wives, and invests in the company. The company's stock soon splits 3-for-1 and Carmela is pleased.
Tony regrets his decision to play golf with Cusamano when he realizes the other players want to hear his stories about life in the Mafia. They even ask him if he has ever met John Gotti, which he jokingly says he has. He tells them a story, completely made up, about Gotti's fondness for a certain kind of ice cream truck. Cusamano and his friends are enthralled by the story. Later, Tony discusses the incident in therapy with Dr. Melfi, and how he felt used for the amusement of others, much like his speech-impeded high school friend with a cleft palate, Jimmy Smash, whom they would make fun of because of his speech impediment. As revenge, Tony fills a parcel with sand and asks Dr. Cusamano to hold on to it, in an attempt to worry him and his wife. The box is a source of concern to the Cusamanos, who think it may contain drugs or a weapon.
Christopher and Adriana La Cerva go to the theater in New York. After the show, while waiting for fast food Christopher makes racist comments about the clientele of the restaurant. This draws the attention of rapper Massive Genius, who is also present at the burger joint. When it appears there might be violence, a cop tells Massive's friend, Orange J, that Christopher is an associate of the Soprano crew. Massive G dispatches J to invite Chris and Ade to a party at his home. Adriana recognizes Massive G, respects his work, and urges Christopher to take her to the party. Chris and Massive talk business and while Chris admires Massive's gun collection, Massive G is similarly taken with Adriana. After the encounter, Adriana proposes that she should pursue a career as a music producer, and Christopher agrees, given her experience in listening to music. Her ex-boyfriend, Richie Santini, is the singer in a band called Visiting Day. Christopher agrees to put up the money for her to produce a demo for them.
Richie has some problems of his own: he's a recovering drug addict and never fully recuperated from an injury sustained while trying to use a downed power line to grill a trout (and is perhaps intellectually challenged as well). The demo recording progresses slowly and the producer and Richie argue, eventually leading a furious Chris to beat the musician with his own guitar. Christopher starts to realize that the band may not be a wise investment. He nevertheless takes the demo to Hesh Rabkin, who has a history in the music business and tells Chris that the song has no potential ("A hit is a hit, and that's not a hit", he says). Massive G meets with Christopher and Ade to listen to the demo and claims to be impressed. However, Massive G seems more interested in Adriana than in the music, something Christopher notices and angrily mentions to Adriana. Adriana, in return, accuses Chris of trying to hold her back and storms out of their apartment.
Massive G later has Christopher organize sit-downs with Hesh. G tells Hesh that G is a relative of a deceased artist with whom Hesh once worked and claims Hesh owes $400,000 in music royalties to the artist's elderly mother. When Hesh refuses to pay, Massive responds with a threat of litigation. Hesh mentions a counter-suit over the unauthorized sampling by Massive G's music label of a song that Hesh's record label still controls, leaving them at loggerheads. As Massive fumes over the impasse, Tony and his crew comment on the irony of modern-day celebrities like Massive Genius being idolized as "gangsters", with Paulie summarizing it as "fucking depressing".
[edit] First appearances
- Dr. Bruce Cusamano: Soprano family physician and next door neighbor
- Jean Cusamano: Wife of Dr. Cusamano and friend of the Soprano family.
[edit] Deceased
- Gallegos a.k.a "Juan Valdez": Shot in the forehead by Paulie Gualtieri
[edit] Title Reference
- The title reference the slang term for a mafia-ordered murder, or a "hit". For example, while hosting Tony in a golf game at his country club, Bruce Cusamano refers to mobster Carmine Galante's assasination as a "beautiful hit".
- "Hesh" Rabkin mentions to Christopher that he knows a hit song when he hears one, saying "a hit is a hit" and that the band Visiting Day's song is not a hit, and they are not particularly talented.
[edit] Music
- The song played in one of the closing scenes, about which Hesh hears and then says to Christopher, "Now that is a hit", is "Nobody Loves Me But You" by Dori Hartley.
- Earlier in the episode, while Christoper and Adriana talk about their tastes in music, she plays "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi.
- The songs performed by the episode's fictional band, Visiting Day/Defiler, were created and performed bespoke by Gregg Wattenberg and Nick Fowler, and "Defiler" is played over the end credits.
