Hopefully one of you Die-hard Sopranos fans can answer this. I think it was season 2 before they whacked Pussy, they were all at a backyard BBQ at Tonys' house. Pussy was talking and Tony is sort of standing a bit away and as Pussy is talking Tony gets this look that overcomes him, and his smile turns to contempt.

It's like that is when he first suspects Pussy may be a rat, but why? You can't really make out the dialogue.

Does anybody remember this that can help? (I'm viewing the series all together, so I may be off on the time line, it may have been the end of season 1. I apologize if that's the case)

Hi,
This is in one of the scenes in which Tony is cooking meat. The site of meat makes Tony have panic attacks due to the fact that he walked in on his father and Uncle Junior cutting Mr Satriale's finger off. Mr. Satriale kept ducking Tony's father.

Paul

Paul

When Pussy was at the Sopranos' home for the cookout, that was in the very beginning of Season Two.
Tony was looking at Pussy, and something was bothering him. Something just wasn't right about Pussy any more. Subconsciously, Tony may have known that Pussy was no longer his true friend.
Here, Tony THINKS he may be a rat, but he doesn't KNOW.
Where did these suspicions come from? Recall that in Season One, episode 11, Detective Makasian informs Tony that Pussy is a rat. He has no real proof, just second-hand knowledge. Tony sends Paulie to get some real proof, but Paulie comes up empty. Pussy, realizing his friends are on to him, disappears to Puerto Rico for a few months(his whereabouts aren't revealed until Season Two).
Jimmy Altieri makes it obvious he is a rat, and earns himself an execution. The detective, unfortunately for Tony, commits suicide. Tony had only the word of a dead crooked cop that Pussy was a rat. Couple that with Jimmy TRULY being a rat, and Tony thinks that Makasian confused Jimmy for Pussy ("Two fat fucks with black hair")

But we find out the truth in Season Two: both Jimmy AND Pussy were rats.

Hi Chris,

Thanks so much for the detailed explaination.

I thought there was something with that look, it was reminiscent of Michael's look in GFII, at the club when he realized Fredo's betrayal.

Being a loyal Godfather fan, I only recently got turned on to the Sopranos coming from the thought process, nothing could compare to the Godfather, even though I enjoyed Goodfellas etc...something is always missing for me a bit without Pacino!

Anyway, this is an excellent show as you know, and I'm completely hooked. Thanks for helping me out.

No sweat, bro. Any questions you got about "The Sopranos", ask. I am a total addict of the show, and know just about every episode inside-out.

Cool......

But I can't help but mention, I'm more a "sister" than a 'bro!

Whoops! Sorry, sis...

I haven't read any of the posts in this topic for spoiler reasons, but greatness has finally struck and I've rented The Complete Second Season on DVD. Watched two episodes so far. Real interesting. This is gonna be cool. Of course many of you have seen all this long ago, experiencing these episode for the first time...It's great.

Some things I noticed about Pussy in Season 1 and Season 2. In Season 1 the four capos (Tony Soprano, Raymond Curto, Larry Barese and Jimmy Altieri) are meeting behind Junior's back in the backrooms of either Satriale's or Bada Bing. If you look carefully at a couple of those meetings Pussy is stood behind a seated Tony. Pussy would have had access to all the info at these discussions and was obviously regarded as being totally trustworthy.

It shows how Pussy would have been the most natural candidate to get upped to Captain (rather than Paulie) when Tony became official Acting Boss. I think this would have happened if it hadn't been for Pussy's disapperance in Season 1. Pussy had a more stable personality than Paulie and could think with his head as well as his fists.

Another thing I noticed is when Chris and the two punks (Beviliquia and the other one) are cracking safes Chris mentions that Pussy stepped up for Johnny Boy Soprano during the unrest of 1982. Again, it shows how trusted and well respected Pussy used to be. Pussy's sense of being stepped over is one of the things that keeps him going as a government informant. It means he can get over any scruples he might have about betraying Tony.

I am sure you come across this before, but I read somewhere ( if it is on this board then I apologise!!!!!!) that when Johnny Boy was dying he made Hesh Rabkin, Jackie Aprile Snr and Pussy
swear that they would watch out for Tony. Shows how well regarded Pussy was by Johnny Boy Soprano.