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Luxury Lounge (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
"Luxury Lounge" is the seventy-second episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos
and the seventh of the show's sixth season. It was written by Matthew Weiner
, directed by Danny Leiner
and originally aired on April 23, 2006.
host a joint celebration as the books are opened for two new members: Gerry Torciano and Burt Gervasi. The event is not without tension, as Phil rants about his disgust at his still-missing cousin-in-law Vito Spatafore
, and many people seem dissatisfied with the food and service. Phil speaks favorably of a new competitor to Vesuvio, Da Giovanni, and informs Artie Bucco he should check it out. After the meal Chris
, Tony, and Carlo discuss the lack of progress in the search for Vito, and Chris asks permission to pursue his movie venture.
As Rusty Millio and his driver Eddie Pietro are pulling out of Rusty's driveway, the two Italian hit men contracted by Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti pull up behind them in a small SUV, cutting them off at the end of the driveway. One gets out, begins feigning poor English, and asks Rusty and Eddie for directions to Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn
, New York. While Rusty is giving him directions, the second hit man slowly walks up near the driver's side and shoots Eddie dead, as the other, who was pretending to ask directions, executes Rusty. The pair subsequently drop their guns in the driveway and make a quick getaway as Rusty's Mercedes Benz rolls out into the street.
Tony reluctantly attends a meal at Da Giovanni to celebrate Phil's grandson's confirmation. Marie Spatafore is there with her children, who are being teased about their homosexual father. Carmela
sings the restaurant's praises and discusses what she thinks is wrong with Nuovo Vesuvio. Privately, Phil approaches Tony to thank him on Johnny Sack
's behalf for the hit on Rusty. Tony denies any involvement, which Phil accepts as cautiousness.
Christopher and Little Carmine travel to Los Angeles
to meet with a reluctant Sir Ben Kingsley
, whom they want to play the boss in their "The Ring
meets The Godfather
" film project. Away from his AA
sponsor, Christopher partakes in drinking, drugs, as well as in the sexual services of a female escort named Eden, before calling for Murmur to come out and help him get back on the wagon.
The meeting with Kingsley does not go well. The Oscar
-winning actor seems unimpressed and is uninterested in their project. Kingsley interrupts the pair to speak poolside to Lauren Bacall
, who states she is in town to be a presenter at an awards show. When she mentions the gifts associated with presenting, Kingsley remembers he has a walk-through scheduled in the "luxury lounge", a room set-up with free gifts handed out to celebrities. Christopher and Carmine tag along with Kingsley, but their attempts to subtly intimidate him are thwarted by his sophisticated and complimentary demeanor. Meanwhile, Christopher is fascinated by the luxury lounge and is interested in finding out how he can share in the free bounty.
Artie has a new Albania
n hostess, Martina. After he sees her pawing Benny Fazio at the bar, Artie tells her that he cannot help expedite her green card
process any further. Benny questions the way Artie treats Martina, leading to increased tension between the two.
More is revealed about Ahmed and Muhammad's credit card
number scheme with Chris' crew. Murmur makes rounds for Chris that include buying credit card details from an Italian delicatessen and the Teittleman's hotel, and then delivering numbers to the two men. Murmur offers to give them cloned plastic cards, but they tell him their operation is Internet
-only.
Vesuvio's financial woes continue when Artie gets a visit from American Express
fraud investigators. They inform Artie someone has been stealing credit card numbers from his customers to run up bogus charges, and that they must suspend Vesuvio's card usage as a precaution. After an emotional staff meeting, Artie learns Martina has been helping Benny steal the credit card numbers from the restaurant and fires her. Then in a fit of rage, he goes to Benny's house in the middle of the night and delivers a beating that puts Benny in the emergency room. Artie would later find ways to recoup losses and bring more customers to the restaurant, including a "two-for-one" special; that promotion backfired when he learned the special attracted budget-minded senior citizens.
Tony tries to patch things up between Artie and Benny, lecturing the two on how they both were at fault. He invites Charmaine and Artie onto The Stugots II with him and Carmela, and lectures an unreceptive Artie. He gives the revenge-minded Benny a direct order at Satriale's
, stating, "You don't shit where you eat, and you really don't shit where I eat."
At Tony's insistence, Benny's parents have their anniversary dinner at Vesuvio. Artie makes a table-side visit during their meal. While asking if he can get anyone another drink, Artie makes a veiled comment referencing Benny's activity with Artie's former hostess Martina. Benny follows him into the kitchen and forces Artie's right hand into a boiling pot of tomato sauce, burning him severely.
Before leaving Los Angeles, outside of an awards show a masked Christopher mugs Lauren Bacall, stealing her gift bag. When he gets home, Christopher offers Tony some of the stolen goods, but Tony is more concerned with Christopher's lack of focus. He blames Christopher's absence for the Artie/Benny fiasco, stating that perhaps if he was around to keep a handle on his crew, the confrontation could have been avoided.
Tony has dinner at Vesuvio with Carmela and her mother Mary, but Hugh is absent, still feuding with Carmela. Tony urges Artie to enter therapy, telling him he goes about "in pity for himself". Artie responds with hostility, to which Tony responds by informing Artie that customers do not like his table-side chatter. Tony suggests Artie stay in the kitchen and departs.
Charmaine seats a young couple just before closing time at Vesuvio. Artie tells Charmaine to tell the guests they will have to eat whatever he prepares, since the staff has left for the evening. With his right hand heavily bandaged, Artie prepares a rabbit
dish from his grandfather's hand-written cookbook, the same rabbit Artie shot a few days previously for eating an arugula plant from his garden.
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
and the seventh of the show's sixth season. It was written by Matthew Weiner
Matthew Weiner
Matthew Weiner is an American writer, director and producer of television drama. He is the creator, executive producer, head writer, and show runner of the AMC television series Mad Men. He is also noted for his work on the HBO series The Sopranos, on which he served as a writer and producer...
, directed by Danny Leiner
Danny Leiner
Danny Leiner is a film director whose credits include The Great New Wonderful, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Dude, Where's My Car?, Layin' Low, and Time Expired...
and originally aired on April 23, 2006.
Guest starring
- Nick Annunziata as Eddie Pietro
- Lauren BacallLauren BacallLauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
as Herself - Edoardo BalleriniEdoardo BalleriniEdoardo Ballerini is an actor, writer and director. He is best known for his work on screen as junkie Corky Caporale in The Sopranos , a hotheaded chef in the indie hit Dinner Rush , and an NFL businessman in the blockbuster Romeo Must Die...
as Corky Caporale - John Bianco as Gerry Torciano
- Denise Borino as Ginny Sacrimoni
- Elizabeth BraccoElizabeth BraccoElizabeth Bracco is an American actress who is best known for her role as Marie Spatafore, wife of Vito Spatafore, on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos....
as Marie Spatafore - Max CasellaMax CasellaMax Casella is an American actor. He is known for his roles on the television series The Sopranos, Doogie Howser, M.D., and as the voice of Daxter in the Jak and Daxter video game series.-Life and career:...
as Benny Fazio - Manuela Feris as Martina
- Ben KingsleyBen KingsleySir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
as Himself - Alicia Lorén as Eden
- Arthur J. NascarellaArthur J. NascarellaArthur J. Nascarella is an American actor who has appeared in dozens of films, most often playing a mobster or police officer. Among his notable film credits include a corrupt cop in Cop Land , a hypocritical ambulance captain in Bringing Out The Dead and a fed-up casino boss in The Cooler; he has...
as Carlo Gervasi - Artie Pasquale as Burt Gervasi
- Suzanne ShepherdSuzanne ShepherdSuzanne Shepherd is an American actress and theater director. She is best known for her portrayal of Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, and Carmela's overbearing mother in the television program The Sopranos. Shepherd studied acting with Sanford Meisner, and later went on to teach...
as Mary De Angelis - Frankie ValliFrankie ValliFrankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
as Rusty Millio - Wilmer ValderramaWilmer ValderramaWilmer Eduardo Valderrama is an American actor and television personality, known for the role of Fez in the sitcom That '70s Show, hosting the MTV series Yo Momma, and voicing the character of Manny in the children's show Handy Manny.-Early life:Valderrama was born in Miami, Florida the son of...
as Himself - Maureen Van ZandtMaureen Van ZandtMaureen Van Zandt is an Italian-American television actress best known for her small role Gabriella Dante, a close friend to Carmela Soprano on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Gabriella Dante - Lenny VenitoLenny VenitoLenny Venito is an American actor who has made appearances in movies such as Gigli, Men in Black II, and War of the Worlds.Starting in 2006, Venito has been featured in The Sopranos as the character nicknamed "Murmur," who helped shake down actor Ben Kingsley and violently mug actress Lauren Bacall...
as James "Murmur" Zancone
Episode recap
At Vesuvio, Phil Leotardo and Tony SopranoTony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
host a joint celebration as the books are opened for two new members: Gerry Torciano and Burt Gervasi. The event is not without tension, as Phil rants about his disgust at his still-missing cousin-in-law Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...
, and many people seem dissatisfied with the food and service. Phil speaks favorably of a new competitor to Vesuvio, Da Giovanni, and informs Artie Bucco he should check it out. After the meal Chris
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
, Tony, and Carlo discuss the lack of progress in the search for Vito, and Chris asks permission to pursue his movie venture.
As Rusty Millio and his driver Eddie Pietro are pulling out of Rusty's driveway, the two Italian hit men contracted by Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti pull up behind them in a small SUV, cutting them off at the end of the driveway. One gets out, begins feigning poor English, and asks Rusty and Eddie for directions to Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York. While Rusty is giving him directions, the second hit man slowly walks up near the driver's side and shoots Eddie dead, as the other, who was pretending to ask directions, executes Rusty. The pair subsequently drop their guns in the driveway and make a quick getaway as Rusty's Mercedes Benz rolls out into the street.
Tony reluctantly attends a meal at Da Giovanni to celebrate Phil's grandson's confirmation. Marie Spatafore is there with her children, who are being teased about their homosexual father. Carmela
Carmela Soprano
Carmela Soprano née DeAngelis, played by Edie Falco, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the wife of Mafia boss Tony Soprano and the program's most prominent female character.-Character biography:...
sings the restaurant's praises and discusses what she thinks is wrong with Nuovo Vesuvio. Privately, Phil approaches Tony to thank him on Johnny Sack
Johnny Sack
John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni, played by Vince Curatola, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was the longtime underboss and later the boss of the powerful Brooklyn-based New York City Lupertazzi crime family...
's behalf for the hit on Rusty. Tony denies any involvement, which Phil accepts as cautiousness.
Christopher and Little Carmine travel to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to meet with a reluctant Sir Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
, whom they want to play the boss in their "The Ring
The Ring (2002 film)
The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring....
meets The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
" film project. Away from his AA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
sponsor, Christopher partakes in drinking, drugs, as well as in the sexual services of a female escort named Eden, before calling for Murmur to come out and help him get back on the wagon.
The meeting with Kingsley does not go well. The Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning actor seems unimpressed and is uninterested in their project. Kingsley interrupts the pair to speak poolside to Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
, who states she is in town to be a presenter at an awards show. When she mentions the gifts associated with presenting, Kingsley remembers he has a walk-through scheduled in the "luxury lounge", a room set-up with free gifts handed out to celebrities. Christopher and Carmine tag along with Kingsley, but their attempts to subtly intimidate him are thwarted by his sophisticated and complimentary demeanor. Meanwhile, Christopher is fascinated by the luxury lounge and is interested in finding out how he can share in the free bounty.
Artie has a new Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n hostess, Martina. After he sees her pawing Benny Fazio at the bar, Artie tells her that he cannot help expedite her green card
United States Permanent Resident Card
United States lawful permanent residency refers to a person's immigration status: the person is authorized to live and work in the United States of America on a permanent basis....
process any further. Benny questions the way Artie treats Martina, leading to increased tension between the two.
More is revealed about Ahmed and Muhammad's credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
number scheme with Chris' crew. Murmur makes rounds for Chris that include buying credit card details from an Italian delicatessen and the Teittleman's hotel, and then delivering numbers to the two men. Murmur offers to give them cloned plastic cards, but they tell him their operation is Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
-only.
Vesuvio's financial woes continue when Artie gets a visit from American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
fraud investigators. They inform Artie someone has been stealing credit card numbers from his customers to run up bogus charges, and that they must suspend Vesuvio's card usage as a precaution. After an emotional staff meeting, Artie learns Martina has been helping Benny steal the credit card numbers from the restaurant and fires her. Then in a fit of rage, he goes to Benny's house in the middle of the night and delivers a beating that puts Benny in the emergency room. Artie would later find ways to recoup losses and bring more customers to the restaurant, including a "two-for-one" special; that promotion backfired when he learned the special attracted budget-minded senior citizens.
Tony tries to patch things up between Artie and Benny, lecturing the two on how they both were at fault. He invites Charmaine and Artie onto The Stugots II with him and Carmela, and lectures an unreceptive Artie. He gives the revenge-minded Benny a direct order at Satriale's
Satriale's Pork Store
Satriale's Pork Store is a fictional establishment on the HBO series The Sopranos. As told in the television show, during the 1970s, the pork store was taken over by Johnny Boy Soprano, a member of The DiMeo Crime Family, when Francis Satriale failed to make payments on a gambling debt and later...
, stating, "You don't shit where you eat, and you really don't shit where I eat."
At Tony's insistence, Benny's parents have their anniversary dinner at Vesuvio. Artie makes a table-side visit during their meal. While asking if he can get anyone another drink, Artie makes a veiled comment referencing Benny's activity with Artie's former hostess Martina. Benny follows him into the kitchen and forces Artie's right hand into a boiling pot of tomato sauce, burning him severely.
Before leaving Los Angeles, outside of an awards show a masked Christopher mugs Lauren Bacall, stealing her gift bag. When he gets home, Christopher offers Tony some of the stolen goods, but Tony is more concerned with Christopher's lack of focus. He blames Christopher's absence for the Artie/Benny fiasco, stating that perhaps if he was around to keep a handle on his crew, the confrontation could have been avoided.
Tony has dinner at Vesuvio with Carmela and her mother Mary, but Hugh is absent, still feuding with Carmela. Tony urges Artie to enter therapy, telling him he goes about "in pity for himself". Artie responds with hostility, to which Tony responds by informing Artie that customers do not like his table-side chatter. Tony suggests Artie stay in the kitchen and departs.
Charmaine seats a young couple just before closing time at Vesuvio. Artie tells Charmaine to tell the guests they will have to eat whatever he prepares, since the staff has left for the evening. With his right hand heavily bandaged, Artie prepares a rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
dish from his grandfather's hand-written cookbook, the same rabbit Artie shot a few days previously for eating an arugula plant from his garden.
First appearance
- Burt Gervasi: Soprano family soldier and cousin to Carlo Gervasi.
Deceased
- Rusty Millio: executed on orders from Johnny SackJohnny SackJohn "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni, played by Vince Curatola, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was the longtime underboss and later the boss of the powerful Brooklyn-based New York City Lupertazzi crime family...
via Tony SopranoTony SopranoAnthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
's personal hit men from Italy for potentially trying to take power away from Johnny again. - Eddie Pietro: collateral damage from the Millio hit.
Title reference
- Christopher and Little Carmine follow Ben Kingsley through a celebrity Luxury Lounge where many free gifts are offered to celebrities.
- The episode starts and ends with the hitmen from Italy. The closing scene features them reviewing the gifts they have bought from America for family back home, taking advantage of the weak US dollarUnited States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
.
Production
- Creator David ChaseDavid ChaseDavid Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
makes a cameo as a passenger on the plane during the last scene.
Music
- Closing credits music is a classical guitar piece called "Recuerdos de la AlhambraRecuerdos de la AlhambraRecuerdos de la Alhambra is a classical guitar piece composed in 1896 by Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tárrega. He wrote it in Granada.A virtuoso on his instrument, Tárrega was known as the "Sarasate of the guitar"...
", composed by Francisco TarregaFrancisco TárregaFrancisco de Asís Tárrega y Eixea was an influential Spanish composer and guitarist of the Romantic period.-Biography:Tárrega was born on 21 November 1852, in Vila-real, Castelló, Spain...
and played by Pepe RomeroPepé RomeroPepe Romero is a world-renowned classical and flamenco guitarist. He is particularly famous for his outstanding technique and colorful musical interpretations on the instrument....
. - The song playing at the bar where Ahmed and Muhammad get the stolen credit card numbers is "Dazz", a 1976 hit song by BrickBrick (band)Brick is a former American band that created a successful merger of funk and jazz in the 1970s. Their most popular single was "Dazz", which was released in 1976.-History:...
. - The song playing in the Luxury Lounge when Christopher looks around at the swag is "Welcome to New York City" by Cam'ronCam'ronCameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
, from the True Crime: New York CityTrue Crime: New York CityTrue Crime: New York City is an urban sandbox-style action-adventure videogame published by Activision and developed by Luxoflux for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube consoles and Windows based computers. It is the second game of the True Crime series, released after True Crime: Streets of LA...
s intro, briefly shown in the TV.