Remember When (The Sopranos) - Episode Recap

Episode Recap

On a tip from the reincarcerated capo Larry Boy Barese, the F.B.I. begins investigating an old murder, that of a small-time bookie named Willie Overall. Overall was Tony's first murder, on Labor Day weekend of 1982, when Tony was only 22. The hit was assigned to Tony by his father, DiMeo Family Capo "Johnny Boy" Soprano, in order for Tony to "make his bones" (become a made man). After Paulie goes to Tony's house and informs him of the situation, Tony and Paulie pack up an old mini-van and drive towards Miami, Florida, to lie low until the heat blows over.

Back at the Wyckoff Rehabilitation Center, Uncle Junior gets a visit from former soldiers from his crew, Pat Blundetto and Beppy Scerbo. Junior begs them to aid his escape from the Center. Pat suggests he make an appointment with an outside dentist, and then he and Beppy can sneak Junior off in their car. They give Junior their weekly kick-up and say goodbye in an Italian dialect, which Junior doesn't seem to understand. At lunch, Junior informs one of the orderlies, Jameel — whom he bribes for special treatment, that he wants to organize a poker game that night. Junior and fellow patient, Carter Chong, set up the card game amongst the other patients. Jameel charges Junior $60 for smuggling in soda and candy, which some of the patients aren't allowed to have. Junior reluctantly pays and Jameel says he will steer people away from the room as they play their game. It is also later revealed that as part of their arrangement, Junior signs photos of himself for Jameel to sell on eBay. Junior is flying high, telling off-color jokes and bringing back older portions of his life; however, the game ends prematurely when another patient, who is resentful towards Junior, snitches them out to another orderly who is not on the take.

On the trip down to Miami, Tony grows weary of Paulie's annoying mannerisms and tendency to sometimes blab carelessly with strangers. Suspecting his disloyalty, Tony questions Paulie several times about the circumstance by which Johnny Sack became aware of Ralph Cifaretto's joke made at the expense of his wife, Ginny Sacrimoni. In fact, Paulie was responsible. At a time when tensions were running high between the Soprano and Lupertazzi families, Paulie had confided in Johnny Sack in an attempt to ingratiate himself with the New York family; things in New Jersey weren't going well for Paulie at the time and he made a failed attempt to gain favor with the New York family. While visiting "Beansie" Gaeta in Miami, Tony expresses his concerns about Paulie, particularly his loose tongue, and his vulnerability to the Feds due to his lack of legitimate income on his IRS tax returns, and even his mental competency. Beansie sticks up for Paulie, saying it's because he has no wife or children, and only has Tony and his crew for friendship, but Tony still wonders whether Paulie's loyalty has ever been truly "put to the test".

Larry's misinformation about Willie Overall's murder leads the FBI to blame it on the deceased Jackie Aprile, Sr. Tony invites Paulie on a sport fishing trip to celebrate. Paulie has serious misgivings about going out alone on the open ocean with Tony; remembering how a boat trip was used to lure informant Big Pussy to his death, Paulie stares at the shore as if it will be his last time seeing it, but ultimately sees no alternative but to go. While on the boat, Tony sees a small hatchet hanging on a hook and looks at a strangely worried Paulie. He then questions Paulie again about the "Ginny Sack joke" but Paulie maintains his innocence. Tony then gets up from his seat to fetch soda, spots a sharp bait-knife on the boat's floor, and seems to contemplate killing Paulie, whose back is turned. Tony decides against it, seemingly sparing Paulie's life.

Later that night, Paulie has a dream in which he gets home from the trip and finds Big Pussy at the stove, cooking pasta. Paulie asks Pussy, "When my time comes, tell me? Will I stand up?" Paulie wakes with a start and is then shown frantically lifting weights in his living room with a scowl on his face. Later that day, Paulie sends Tony and Carmela a $2,000 espresso machine. When she wonders why, Tony angrily defends Paulie, saying that they wouldn't live the "good life" without Paulie's hard work.

In the meantime, while Uncle Junior and Carter are playing a game of checkers, Professor Lynch (the patient who resents Junior) walks up and make comments that anger Junior. Junior attacks the professor, kneeing his groin and kicking him repeatedly while the professor lies yelling in pain on the floor. Carter further encourages the fight by yelling, "Get 'im!" Junior is then taken away by the orderlies.

One day, after Junior urinates on himself, his doctor and the staff realise that he isn't taking his prescribed medication, which is meant to curtail his aggression and prevent incontinence. The psychiatric doctor in charge informs Soprano that he can either take his medications as ordered or be transferred to a less pleasant, state-run mental facility. Junior begrudgingly agrees to take his prescribed medication. The doctor also informs Soprano they have fired Jameel for aiding Junior in his activities that do not adhere to hospital rules and regulations. Prior to this, Carter had assisted Junior in evading his medication by distracting the orderlies. Following his warning, however, Junior acquiesces and takes his pills, to Carter's disappointment. Now taking his medication, Junior has lost his feisty personality; this disappoints Carter further, who looked up to Junior as a father figure. (An earlier scene revealed that Carter's mental problems relate to his poor relationship with his father, who is a criminal). At the end of Junior's last visit with Carter, Junior refers to the young man as "Anthony". Later that day during a sing-along in the recreation room, Carter throws a few wads of paper at the woman playing the piano, in hopes of getting a laugh out of Junior. When Junior looks back at him and shakes his head angrily for him to stop, Carter becomes angry and physically attacks Junior.

After leaving a massage parlor in New York, Faustino "Doc" Santoro and his bodyguard are shot and killed by multiple gunshots from hit men sent by Phil Leotardo. Santoro had sealed his fate in an earlier scene, when he insulted Phil by literally taking food off his plate during a sit down dinner in front of many other mobsters, even after Phil recognized Faustino as the official boss of New York. With Faustino gone, Phil officially becomes the boss of the Lupertazzi crime family.

Now back in New Jersey, Tony watches news of the shooting in the back office of the Bada Bing with his crew. Paulie starts loudly telling another story to Christopher, as Tony stands with his back to them with an annoyed look on his face, contemplating whether or not he made the wrong decision in letting Paulie live.

The episode ends with Junior sitting in a wheelchair outdoors with his broken eyeglasses taped back together, in a catatonic-like state, idly petting a cat.