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Whoever Did This (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
"Whoever Did This" is the forty-eighth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos
and was the ninth of the show's fourth season. It was written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
, directed by Tim Van Patten
and originally aired on Sunday, November 10, 2002. This is also Joe Pantoliano
's 2003 winning submission for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series .
is leaving court, he is surrounded by media and accidentally hit in the head by a boom mike and falls down several steps. He is sent to the hospital with nothing more than a concussion. However, this minor blow to the head may be a golden opportunity for Junior: Tony suggests to his attorney Harold Melvoin that they could use this in Junior's defense via an unstable mental capacity, and Junior is to act as if he has Alzheimers. Tony tells him all he has to do is "act oobatz" or crazy, and this will end his legal problems.
Although things may be looking up for Junior, they can't get any worse for Ralph Cifaretto. While Ralph's 12-year old son Justin and a friend are playing an unsupervised game of Lord of the Rings, Justin is inadvertently shot in the chest by an arrow. The maid bangs loudly on Ralph's bathroom door when he is taking a bath, urging him to come to Justin's aid. Ralph rushes outside to see his son lying on the ground unconscious, and is quickly rushed to the hospital where he remains in a coma. Ralph is guilt and grief stricken and begins to regret all the wrong he has done throughout his life. He even goes and visits Father Intintola to try to redeem himself and become a better person.
It is hard to believe by many, especially Tony, that Ralph may be trying to become a better person due to the recent misfortune. Ralph apologizes to Rosalie Aprile for not being more sympathetic when Jackie Aprile, Jr.
died. He even asks Rosalie to marry him, but she smartly declines. Ralph also creates a $20,000-a-year scholarship at Rutgers University in Jackie, Jr.'s name. Tony is very sympathetic towards Ralph and is amazed at the new attitude that Ralph now possesses. Paulie, however, still has strong, resentful feelings towards Ralph, especially since he knows Ralph prank-called his mother in an earlier scene to get even with Paulie for telling Johnny Sack
that Ralph made the Ginny Sack joke, which almost caused a war.
Just as people were going to give Ralph a chance to redeem himself after all the malicious and disrespectful things he had done in the past, Tony and Ralph's racehorse, Pie-O-My dies in a mysterious stable fire, which was deemed as accidental by the fire department; however, Tony believes Ralph set the fire intentionally to collect the $200,000 insurance claim he and Ralph had on the horse. After going to the stables the morning the trainer calls and delivers the bad news and sees Pie-O-My's corpse wrapped up and dragged away by a tractor, Tony goes to Ralph's house. Tony delivers the news to Ralph that Pie-O-My is dead. Ralph expresses his condolences to Tony, although not very sincerely. He and Tony go into the kitchen where Ralph is preparing eggs on the stove.
Although Ralph seems sympathetic towards Tony because the horse is dead, he seems more focused on informing Tony of Justin's improving condition. Tony observes that it's kind of funny how right after they took out a $200,000 dollar insurance policy on the horse that it dies in a fire. Ralph interprets the hint right away and calmly assures Tony he had nothing to do with it. Tony continuously drops hints that he believes Ralph did it, even asking him if he had heard from Corky Ianucci lately - an expert arsonist who was responsible for setting Artie Bucco's restaurant on fire in the pilot episode. Ralph begins to grow angrier. In a furious rage, Tony punches Ralph, knocking him across the kitchen. The two scuffle briefly, with Ralph unsuccessfully defending himself with pots, pans, a knife, and Raid
. The fight culminates with Tony strangling Ralph and bashing his head against the kitchen floor and shouting. But Tony strangles Ralph until he is finally lying dead on the floor.
Tony enlists Christopher Moltisanti
to help dispose of the body, explaining that Ralph was already dead when he arrived. Even in a heroin-induced daze, Christopher sees the truth and begins to realize that Ralph's disappearance could have serious ramifications. Christopher cuts off Ralph's head along with his hands, placing them in a bowling bag, discovering in the process that Ralph is bald and wears a toupee
. Christopher and Tony dispose of Ralph's body by throwing it over a cliff into a quarry
. They take his head and hands to Mikey Palmice
's hospitalized father's farm. Because the ground is frozen, Tony uses a back hoe to dig up a hole, while he scolds Christopher for his drug use. Christopher tells Tony that Ralphie getting whacked could be a problem, to which Tony replies, "You're the only other one who knows about it."
The following morning, Uncle Junior's dementia
goes from an act to slowly becoming real. After the feds witness him being brought back to his house after idly wandering to the neighbors' house by his in-home nurse, he stands in his living room genuinely confused. Back at the Bada Bing
where Tony and Christopher disposed of their clothes and showered, Tony awakens, calling Christopher's name, but realizes he has already left. Tony then sees a picture of Tracee, the Bada Bing stripper who was killed by Ralph in the season 3 episode, University
, implying that he doesn't feel so bad about killing Ralph. Tony then throws open the back door of the club, and walks from the darkness into the blinding light of the next day.
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 was the ninth of the show's fourth season. It was written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Mitchell Burgess
Mitchell Burgess is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer. He worked extensively on the HBO hit-series The Sopranos. He was a creator and executive producer for Blue Bloods. He frequently works with his wife Robin Green.-Career:...
, 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...
and originally aired on Sunday, November 10, 2002. This is also Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
's 2003 winning submission for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series .
Guest starring roles
- Sharon AngelaSharon AngelaSharon 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 - Murielle Arden as Elodi Colbert
- Leslie BegaLeslie BegaLeslie R. Bega is an American theatre, film and television actress; known for performances in Head of the Class, David Lynch's Lost Highway, and a recurring cast member in CSI: NY and The Sopranos. Also featured as a dancer in the breakdancing films Breakin and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo...
as Valentina La Paz - Dan Castleman as Prosecutor Castleman
- Dane Curley as Justin Cifaretto
- Richard D'Alessandro as Dennis Capozza
- Frances Ensemplare as Nucci Gualtieri
- Joseph R. GannascoliJoseph R. GannascoliJoseph R. Gannascoli is an Italian-American actor and celebrity spokesman most notable for his portrayal of Vito Spatafore on the HBO series, The Sopranos.-Early life:Joseph R. Gannascoli was born and raised in Brooklyn....
as Vito SpataforeVito SpataforeVito 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... - Tim KangTim KangTim Kang is an American television and film actor. He is best known for his AT&T commercials and his role as Kimball Cho in the TV series The Mentalist.-Life and career:...
as Dr. Harrison Wong - Marissa Matrone as Ronnie Capozza
- Frank Pando as Agent Grasso
- Richard PortnowRichard PortnowRichard Portnow is an American actor known for such films and television shows as Barton Fink, Se7en, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Spirit, Law Abiding Citizen, Private Parts, Fallen Arches, Double Down, Spring Break '83, The Sopranos, Hannah Montana and Boston Legal.-Life and career:A...
as Harold Melvoin - Allia Kliouka Schaffer as Svetlana Kirilenko
- Paul SchulzePaul SchulzePaul Schulze is an American actor best known for portraying Ryan Chappelle on the FOX series 24 from 2001 to 2004 and Father Phil Intintola on HBO The Sopranos from 1999 to 2006....
as Father Phil Intintola - Matt ServittoMatt ServittoMatt 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 HarrisDwight HarrisSpecial 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... - Susan Jhun as News Reporter Allison Pak
Episode recap
As Junior SopranoJunior 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...
is leaving court, he is surrounded by media and accidentally hit in the head by a boom mike and falls down several steps. He is sent to the hospital with nothing more than a concussion. However, this minor blow to the head may be a golden opportunity for Junior: Tony suggests to his attorney Harold Melvoin that they could use this in Junior's defense via an unstable mental capacity, and Junior is to act as if he has Alzheimers. Tony tells him all he has to do is "act oobatz" or crazy, and this will end his legal problems.
Although things may be looking up for Junior, they can't get any worse for Ralph Cifaretto. While Ralph's 12-year old son Justin and a friend are playing an unsupervised game of Lord of the Rings, Justin is inadvertently shot in the chest by an arrow. The maid bangs loudly on Ralph's bathroom door when he is taking a bath, urging him to come to Justin's aid. Ralph rushes outside to see his son lying on the ground unconscious, and is quickly rushed to the hospital where he remains in a coma. Ralph is guilt and grief stricken and begins to regret all the wrong he has done throughout his life. He even goes and visits Father Intintola to try to redeem himself and become a better person.
It is hard to believe by many, especially Tony, that Ralph may be trying to become a better person due to the recent misfortune. Ralph apologizes to Rosalie Aprile for not being more sympathetic when Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into...
died. He even asks Rosalie to marry him, but she smartly declines. Ralph also creates a $20,000-a-year scholarship at Rutgers University in Jackie, Jr.'s name. Tony is very sympathetic towards Ralph and is amazed at the new attitude that Ralph now possesses. Paulie, however, still has strong, resentful feelings towards Ralph, especially since he knows Ralph prank-called his mother in an earlier scene to get even with Paulie for telling 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...
that Ralph made the Ginny Sack joke, which almost caused a war.
Just as people were going to give Ralph a chance to redeem himself after all the malicious and disrespectful things he had done in the past, Tony and Ralph's racehorse, Pie-O-My dies in a mysterious stable fire, which was deemed as accidental by the fire department; however, Tony believes Ralph set the fire intentionally to collect the $200,000 insurance claim he and Ralph had on the horse. After going to the stables the morning the trainer calls and delivers the bad news and sees Pie-O-My's corpse wrapped up and dragged away by a tractor, Tony goes to Ralph's house. Tony delivers the news to Ralph that Pie-O-My is dead. Ralph expresses his condolences to Tony, although not very sincerely. He and Tony go into the kitchen where Ralph is preparing eggs on the stove.
Although Ralph seems sympathetic towards Tony because the horse is dead, he seems more focused on informing Tony of Justin's improving condition. Tony observes that it's kind of funny how right after they took out a $200,000 dollar insurance policy on the horse that it dies in a fire. Ralph interprets the hint right away and calmly assures Tony he had nothing to do with it. Tony continuously drops hints that he believes Ralph did it, even asking him if he had heard from Corky Ianucci lately - an expert arsonist who was responsible for setting Artie Bucco's restaurant on fire in the pilot episode. Ralph begins to grow angrier. In a furious rage, Tony punches Ralph, knocking him across the kitchen. The two scuffle briefly, with Ralph unsuccessfully defending himself with pots, pans, a knife, and Raid
Raid (insecticide)
Raid is the brand name of a line of insecticides produced by SC Johnson, first launched in 1956.The initial active ingredient was the first synthetic pyrethroid, allethrin...
. The fight culminates with Tony strangling Ralph and bashing his head against the kitchen floor and shouting. But Tony strangles Ralph until he is finally lying dead on the floor.
Tony enlists Christopher Moltisanti
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:...
to help dispose of the body, explaining that Ralph was already dead when he arrived. Even in a heroin-induced daze, Christopher sees the truth and begins to realize that Ralph's disappearance could have serious ramifications. Christopher cuts off Ralph's head along with his hands, placing them in a bowling bag, discovering in the process that Ralph is bald and wears a toupee
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
. Christopher and Tony dispose of Ralph's body by throwing it over a cliff into a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
. They take his head and hands to Mikey Palmice
Mikey Palmice
Michael "Mikey Grab Bag" Palmice , played by Al Sapienza, was a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Plot details:Palmice starts out as a soldier in Corrado "Junior" Soprano's crew as his driver and bodyguard. After Jackie Aprile dies, Junior becomes boss, and Palmice is promoted...
's hospitalized father's farm. Because the ground is frozen, Tony uses a back hoe to dig up a hole, while he scolds Christopher for his drug use. Christopher tells Tony that Ralphie getting whacked could be a problem, to which Tony replies, "You're the only other one who knows about it."
The following morning, Uncle Junior's dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
goes from an act to slowly becoming real. After the feds witness him being brought back to his house after idly wandering to the neighbors' house by his in-home nurse, he stands in his living room genuinely confused. Back at 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...
where Tony and Christopher disposed of their clothes and showered, Tony awakens, calling Christopher's name, but realizes he has already left. Tony then sees a picture of Tracee, the Bada Bing stripper who was killed by Ralph in the season 3 episode, University
University (The Sopranos episode)
"University" is the thirty-second episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the sixth of the show's third season. The teleplay was written by Terence Winter and Salvatore J. Stabile from a story idea by David Chase, Terence Winter, Todd A. Kessler, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess...
, implying that he doesn't feel so bad about killing Ralph. Tony then throws open the back door of the club, and walks from the darkness into the blinding light of the next day.
Deceased
- Ralph Cifaretto: beaten and strangled to death by Tony Soprano. His body is then dismemberedDismembermentDismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise removing, the limbs of a living thing. It may be practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, as a result of a traumatic accident, or in connection with murder, suicide, or cannibalism...
and decapitatedDecapitationDecapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
with the help of Christopher Moltisanti. - Pie-O-My and several other horses: Killed in a stable fire, possibly by Ralph's instruction.
Title reference
- Tony uses the phrase "whoever did this" when discussing with Christopher how others will react to Ralphie's death; earlier he used the phrase in reference to Ralphie's prank call to Paulie's mother.
- The title may also refer to the stable fire and Tony's suspicions of Ralphie.
Foreshadowing
- When Tony has Ralph pinned up against the wall at the hospital to prevent him from escalating the altercation with his ex-wife and her husband any further, you can see Tony's hands around Ralph's throat.
- When Ralph's son Justin is shot by the arrow, Ralph is in the same bathtub he will later be decapitated and "drained" in.
Connections to prior episodes
- When Tony looks in the mirror the morning after killing Ralph, he sees a picture of Tracee, the Bada Bing stripper whom Ralph killed in the episode "UniversityUniversity (The Sopranos episode)"University" is the thirty-second episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the sixth of the show's third season. The teleplay was written by Terence Winter and Salvatore J. Stabile from a story idea by David Chase, Terence Winter, Todd A. Kessler, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess...
."
- When Tony confronts Ralph about the fire he asks him about Corky Ianucci. Tony believes Ralph hired him to start the stable fire which killed Pie-o-My. Corky was also apparently used by Silvio to help blow up Vesuvio, the restaurant owned by Artie Bucco, in the pilot episode.
- In "The WeightThe Weight (The Sopranos episode)"The Weight" is the 43rd episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and was the fourth of the show's fourth season. It was written by Terence Winter, directed by Jack Bender and originally aired on October 6, 2002.-Guest starring roles:...
", Johnny Sack tells Ralph "I should've let Tony chop off your head a year ago," a possible reference to what happens to Ralph in this episode.
Music
- "When I Need YouWhen I Need You"When I Need You" is a popular song written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded by Hammond on his 1976 album When I Need You. Produced by Richard Perry, Leo Sayer's version made number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in February 1977 after three of his earlier...
" by Leo SayerLeo SayerLeo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
is playing when Ralph is in the bath. - The MoonglowsThe MoonglowsThe Moonglows were an American R&B and doo-wop group based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Early years:Originally formed in their native Louisville, Kentucky as the Crazy Sounds, the group moved to Cleveland, where disc jockey Alan Freed renamed them 'the Moonglows'...
' original recording of "Sincerely" plays while Carmela and Rosalie dine at Vesuvio. - The song played over the end credits is "The Man with the Harmonica" by Apollo 440Apollo 440Apollo 440 are an English band formed in Liverpool in 1990. Apollo 440 have written, recorded and produced four albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as Apollo 440 and as ambient cinematic alter-ego Stealth Sonic Orchestra, and created music for film, television,...
. It is originally from the Ennio MorriconeEnnio MorriconeEnnio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
score of Once Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the West is a 1968 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone for Paramount Pictures. It stars Henry Fonda cast against type as the villain, Charles Bronson as his nemesis, Jason Robards as a bandit, and Claudia Cardinale as a newly widowed homesteader with a...
, a Sergio LeoneSergio LeoneSergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
film. The man with the harmonica was played by Charles BronsonCharles BronsonCharles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
.