Members Only (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
"Members Only" is the sixty-sixth episode of the HBO series The Sopranos
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 first of the show's sixth season. Written by Terence Winter
Terence Winter
Terence Winter is an American writer and producer of television and film. He is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire...

 and directed by Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten is an American television director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. As a director, Van Patten has directed episodes of The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Boardwalk Empire, Rome, The Pacific, Game of Thrones, Ed, and Sex and the City. Van Patten is perhaps best known for portraying...

, it aired originally on Sunday March 12, 2006.

Guest starring

  • Jerry Adler
    Jerry Adler
    Jerry Adler is an American theatre director, production supervisor and a television and film actor.Adler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Pauline and Philip Adler, who was a general manager of the Group Theatre...

     as Hesh Rabkin
  • Tom Aldredge
    Tom Aldredge
    Thomas Ernest "Tom" Aldredge was an American television, film and stage actor.-Life and career:Aldredge was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Lucienne Juliet and W. J. Aldredge, a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps...

     as Hugh De Angelis
  • John Bianco as Gerry Torciano
  • Denise Borino as Ginny Sacrimoni
  • Max Casella
    Max Casella
    Max 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
  • Danielle Di Vecchio as Barbara Soprano Giglione
  • Robert Funaro
    Robert Funaro
    Robert Funaro is an American film and television actor. Funaro is best known for the role of Eugene Pontecorvo in the Emmy Award-winning television series The Sopranos...

     as Eugene Pontecorvo
  • Toni Kalem
    Toni Kalem
    Toni Kalem is an American actress, screenwriter and director. Kalem is best known for her portrayal of Angie Bonpensiero on the HBO series, The Sopranos....

     as Angie Bonpensiero
  • Sharon Angela
    Sharon Angela
    Sharon Angela is an American film, television actress, screenwriter and director. Angela is probably most well known for her portrayal of Rosalie Aprile on the HBO series, The Sopranos....

     as Rosalie Aprile
  • George Loros as Raymond Curto
  • Lou Martini, Jr. as Anthony Infante
  • Arthur J. Nascarella
    Arthur J. Nascarella
    Arthur 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
  • Matt Servitto
    Matt Servitto
    Matt Servitto is an American actor, probably best known for his role on The Sopranos as FBI agent Dwight Harris. He also appeared on all 3 seasons of the Peabody Award-winning series Brotherhood as Rep. Donatello and had a guest appearance on Sex and the City as Carrie Bradshaw's editor...

     as Agent Dwight Harris
    Dwight Harris
    Special Agent Dwight Harris, played by Matt Servitto, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is an FBI agent assigned to Tony Soprano's case...

  • Frankie Valli
    Frankie Valli
    Frankie 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
  • Lenny Venito
    Lenny Venito
    Lenny 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
  • Karen Young
    Karen Young (actress)
    Karen Young is an American actress.Born in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, Young studied at Rutgers University. After graduation she moved to New York City and became an actress, appearing in such films as 9½ Weeks, Jaws: The Revenge, Daylight, Mercy and Hoffa. Her ex-husband is Tom Noonan...

     as Agent Robyn Sanseverino


Plot

The episode begins with two FBI agents in a moving car, the agent driving states (to the camera) "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public," a quotation of a line by H.L. Mencken. The other FBI agent, Dwight Harris, is immediately affected by a bout of severe nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...

 and vomiting, during which an accompaniment soundtrack starts. The music begins a two-minute opening narration; a shortened version of a spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....

 essay by William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...

, ("The ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

ians postulated seven souls...") reading from his novel The Western Lands
The Western Lands
The Western Lands by William S. Burroughs, published in 1987, is a novel which is the final part of the trilogy that begins with Cities of the Red Night and The Place of Dead Roads. The title refers to the western bank of the Nile River, which in Egyptian mythology is the Land of the Dead...

. Nearly a year has passed since the end of the previous episode; the narration is accompanied by snapshots of The Sopranos characters' lives during the year.

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...

 has lost a great deal of weight and has become a spokesperson for Thin Club; A.J.
Anthony Soprano, Jr.
Anthony John "A.J." Soprano, Jr. , played by Robert Iler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually just called "A.J.", he is the son of Carmela and Tony Soprano. He is a prototypical underachiever and is a constant source of stress and anxiety for his parents...

 is now attending college, but still the "class clown" type; Janice
Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano Baccalieri, played by Aida Turturro, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is Tony Soprano's elder sister. A young Janice has appeared in flashbacks, played by Madeline Blue and Juliet Fox.-Biography:...

 and Bobby Baccalieri
Bobby Baccalieri
Robert "Bobby Bacala" Baccalieri, Jr., played by Steve R. Schirripa, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a Capo and later the acting underboss of the DiMeo Crime Family, as well as Tony Soprano's brother-in-law...

 have a child, Domenica; Bobby takes up model railroading
Rail transport modelling
Railway modelling or model railroading is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale...

 as a hobby; and questions continue to be asked about the disappearance of Adriana La Cerva
Adriana La Cerva
Adriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:...

. Artie Bucco is also reuniting with his estranged wife, Charmaine. 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:...

 and Angie Bonpensiero patch up a long quarrel and both show off their new cars: Carmela, a Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle...

 and Angie, a Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...

. Meanwhile, Carmela's construction of her spec house is suspended, due to a "stop order" issued by the building inspector for improper materials used. Carmela asks Tony
Tony 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...

 to see if he can get the stop order lifted, but he puts it off.

Phil Leotardo is now acting Boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...

 of the Lupertazzi crime family, running the day-to-day tasks for 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...

 while John is in jail. After dining at a Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn, Hesh Rabkin and his son-in-law Eli are beaten up by Phil's men, and when Eli tries to escape, he is hit by a car. At the hospital, Hesh asks Tony for help to settle the feud. Phil and Tony also have a disagreement on their cut from their latest building project. Both incidents are resolved in a meeting between the two families behind the Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...

, during which Phil no longer expresses the direct hostility he'd shown previously for Tony and Christopher
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:...

. In addition to Phil, Johnny also communicates to Tony through his optometrist brother-in-law, Anthony Infante.

Eugene Pontecorvo has inherited a little over two million dollars from his aunt, and he and his wife Deanne wish to use the money to move to Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....

. Gene goes to Tony with a gift and a request to retire to Florida. Tony tells Eugene he took an oath (as seen in the episode "Fortunate Son
Fortunate Son (The Sopranos episode)
"Fortunate Son" is the twenty-ninth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the third of the show's third season. It was written by Todd A. Kessler, directed by Henry J. Bronchtein and originally aired on Sunday March 11, 2001.-Starring:...

"), and that retiring is not an option, but he will consider it. After Eugene kills a Boston man named Teddy Spirodakis who was in debt to Christopher, Eugene is informed by Silvio Dante
Silvio Dante
Silvio Manfred Dante, often referred to as "Sil", played by Steven Van Zandt, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is the consigliere to Tony Soprano in the Soprano crime family. Silvio has one of the lowest profiles on the show. He is usually a behind the scenes figure...

 that Tony has denied his request. Unknown to the crime family, Eugene is a reluctant cooperator with the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...

. The Bureau have stepped up their pressure on Pontecorvo to produce information, having lost an asset when informant Raymond Curto
Ray Curto
Raymond "Buffalo Ray" Curto, played by George Loros, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. An older Capo in the DiMeo Crime Family, Curto was an FBI-informant throughout almost the entire series....

 died suddenly of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

 while talking to Agent Robyn Sanseverino. Furthermore, Eugene's family life is further on the rocks when not only did Deanne refuse alternatives to moving to Florida (such as buying a vacation condo or even finding a better place to live in New Jersey), she also found their son's heroin fix kit (a spoon and a syringe in a plastic bag) under his bed. Depressed and feeling stuck in an untenable situation, Eugene hangs
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...

 himself in the basement.

Agent Dwight Harris
Dwight Harris
Special Agent Dwight Harris, played by Matt Servitto, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is an FBI agent assigned to Tony Soprano's case...

 shows up at Satriale's Pork Store
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...

 and tells Tony he has been in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

 because he was transferred to counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...

. It was also how he contracted a parasite, which causes him to vomit at times, including en route to Satriale's (in the first scene of this episode).

Junior's
Junior Soprano
Corrado John Soprano, Jr., played by Dominic Chianese, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually referred to as "Junior" or "Uncle Jun", he is the mentor and surrogate father for capo Tony Soprano. A younger Corrado sometimes appears in flashbacks and is played by Rocco...

 mental state has deteriorated significantly. He attempts to find in his backyard money he thinks he buried many years ago. He is convinced "Little Pussy" Malanga (who died several years ago) is out to get him, and is afraid to answer his phone. One afternoon when Janice and Bobby are too busy with their new baby to take care of Junior, Tony pays his uncle a visit. Tony begins to prepare dinner for Junior, and sends his uncle upstairs to look for his misplaced false teeth
Dentures
Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental...

. Junior finds a gun instead and returns downstairs. Under the delusion Tony is Malanga, Uncle Junior yells, "cazzaro Malanga!" (loosely translated, "fucking unreliable Malanga!"), and shoots Tony in the stomach. Uncle Junior then runs up the stairs and hides in a closet, as Tony struggles to call 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...

.

First appearances

The episode marks the first appearances of:
  • Anthony Infante: Ginny Sacramoni's brother, who owns an eyewear store.
  • Domenica Baccalieri: Janice and Bobby's 12-month-old daughter.
  • James "Murmur" Zancone: Christopher's associate and 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—first seen at Raymond's funeral.
  • Gerry Torciano: associate in the Lupertazzi crime family and Phil Leotardo's protégé after his brother's death; responsible for Phil Leotardo's business in Brooklyn following his promotion to acting boss.

Deceased

  • Raymond Curto
    Ray Curto
    Raymond "Buffalo Ray" Curto, played by George Loros, is a fictional character on the HBO original series The Sopranos. An older Capo in the DiMeo Crime Family, Curto was an FBI-informant throughout almost the entire series....

    : stroke
  • Teddy Spirodakis: shot by Eugene in a restaurant in Boston
    Boston
    Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

  • Eugene Pontecorvo: suicide by hanging
  • Dick Barone: (off-screen) owner of Barone Sanitation; died of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...

     (Lou Gehrig's disease).

Title reference

  • Eugene Pontecorvo is shown wearing a "Members Only
    Members Only
    Members Only is a brand of clothing that became popular in the 1980s with the Members Only jacket. The brand was created in 1975 and introduced to American markets in 1979 by Europe Craft Imports .Members Only was renowned for their brand of jackets, which were first introduced in 1981 and...

    " jacket, which was popular in the early 1980s, and is even made fun of for wearing it by Vito Spatafore.
  • It may also refer to membership in the Mafia
    American Mafia
    The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...

     itself, and may be seen as a companion or sequel to the next episode, called "Join the Club".

Awards

  • Terence Winter, the episode's writer, won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Drama series at the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Production

  • The "traditional" season opening sequence involving Tony fetching a newspaper is not featured. Instead, a montage of the characters is featured showcasing what has happened in the past two years. In "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request", Carmela is seen picking up the paper which bears a picture of Uncle Junior on the front page.
  • Drea de Matteo
    Drea de Matteo
    Drea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...

     (Adriana La Cerva
    Adriana La Cerva
    Adriana La Cerva played by Drea de Matteo, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti.-Character history:...

    ) and Steve Buscemi
    Steve Buscemi
    Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...

     (Tony Blundetto
    Tony Blundetto
    Anthony "Tony" Blundetto, played by Steve Buscemi, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is Tony Soprano's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show's fifth season. Tony Blundetto first appears as a calm, composed, and reformed criminal ready to pursue...

    ) are no longer billed in the opening credits, as their characters were killed off in the previous season. De Matteo has been credited in this episode in the closing credits, for a dream sequence involving Carmela's spec house.
  • Frank Vincent
    Frank Vincent
    Frank Vincent is an American actor, musician, author and entrepreneur. He is a favorite performer of director Martin Scorsese, having played important roles in three of Scorsese's most acclaimed films: Raging Bull , Goodfellas and Casino . He often plays a gangster and works both in features and...

     (Phil Leotardo), Joseph Gannascoli (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...

    ), Dan Grimaldi
    Dan Grimaldi
    Daniel "Dan" Grimaldi is an American actor who is known for his roles as twins Philly and Patsy Parisi on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.-Career:...

     (Patsy Parisi) and Toni Kalem
    Toni Kalem
    Toni Kalem is an American actress, screenwriter and director. Kalem is best known for her portrayal of Angie Bonpensiero on the HBO series, The Sopranos....

     (Angie Bonpensiero) are now billed in the opening credits but only for the episodes in which they appear.
  • Jamie-Lynn Sigler
    Jamie-Lynn Sigler
    Jamie-Lynn Sigler is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO television series The Sopranos.-Early life:...

    is again billed by that name in the opening credits, following her separation from her agent and longtime boyfriend, A.J. DiScala, after Season 5 ended.
  • In the original broadcast of this episode (March 12, 2006) no previews for the next episode were shown in order to keep the aftermath of Tony's shooting a mystery.
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