Cold Stones - Production

Production

• This episode continues the trend of sleeping characters realizing a truth they had been avoiding (Carmela's dream suggests to her that Adriana is dead). In Seasons 2 and 5, Tony's dreams tell him truths about both Big Pussy working with the FBI and the need to kill his cousin, Tony Blundetto, respectively.
• The Star-Ledger that Tony is reading in the mall contains the headline "The Corzine Era Begins," placing the events of this episode in mid-January 2006. Earlier references this season have implied that the show should be well into 2006 at this point, such as Christopher's allusion in "Live Free or Die" to the Muhammed cartoons, which did not receive coverage in the US media until January 2006, coupled with later episodes showing the feast of St. Elzear taking place (September 26) and the NFL season being under way. And of course, the episode aired in 2006.
• The Star-Ledger article reporting Vito's death being read by the photographer, contains only slightly more text than was read out by Little Vito to his sister. DVD Freeze frame reveals that the same paragraphs are just repeated over and over.
• Vito is wearing a University of Notre Dame hat when he meets with Tony. Later, Notre Dame Cathedral is shown in the background while Carmela is visiting Paris. (The church where the candles were lit is St. Eustache.)
• The motel where Vito is beaten to death was filmed on location at the former Howard Johnson's motor lodge in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
• Four alternative versions of Vito's death were reportedly shot.
• Former series regular member Drea de Matteo reprises her role as Adriana La Cerva in this episode, this is her last appearance on the show.