Pilot Episode

Hey folks, irecently got the sopranos box set for Christmas and dove right in. However I have a couple questions/ comments regarding some stuff that I noticed and wanted to get some input from some of the people on the bb.

1. The first (or second?) time we see Tony and his guys at, there is a conversation that occurs between the crew where the color tone is red/ pinkish, especially in the background? Does anyone know what I'm talking about and why that decision was made?

2. In the same conversation, Silvio asks Tony something to the extent of "did you go to high school with a guy named Artie buck?" This question is really out of place for me as I was under the impression they were all friends with Artie/ dined at his restaurant quite regularly. Is this just because it's the pilot and the characters had not been established?

3. Who are the two older men walking with Tony and Junior when Junior says "you may run north jersey but you don't run your uncle junior!" do we ever see them again, what is their fate?

4. Would Silvio really have carried out the bombing of the vesuvio? A high ranking guy like? Or can it just be chalked up to needing a recognizable character to commit a crime so the audience can connect to them and the storyline?

Thanks in advance guys, let me know what your thoughts are!

Offhand I don't remember certain details to some of the questions that you asked ( two men walking...etc. ) as I would have to see it again.

But to give you a general answer; when the pilot / first season was filmed, the creators admitted that they were not sure if this show was going to even last one season. Therefore they probably shot and filmed the first season on a much lower budget causing the picture to look the way that you have correctly described.

There is no question that you can see a big difference in the much improved picture quality in season two compared to the lower quality in season one.

Am i also right in saying that Tony narrated the first episode "01 The Sopranos", but there was no talking over the episodes after this first episode..

I think so DN.....

It is that long since i watched the first series...i may have to dig it out again

Good synopsis, DC.

I'll just add that the Pilot was shot in the Summer of 1997, the rest of Season One was shot in the Summer and Fall of 1998. The show didn't premiere until January of 1999, a full year and a half after the Pilot was shot.

You can really see the difference in the kids (A.J. and Meadow) if you look closely. Also, Tony didn't have sideburns in the Pilot. He did in the second episode.

In the first episode if you look closely, you can see Father Intintola is played by a different actor than in the the rest of the series.

And you can see Drea de Matteo as the hostess in the restaurant where Tony and his goomar dine in.

I don't remember this but will watch it and get back to you. I do know early on the camera angles were very low and often askew (think of the angles used in the hijacking scenes of "46 Long") but Chase and co. decided that their writing was good enough that they didn't need weird camera angles to draw attention to the material.(I read that in one of the generic series guides, I think.)

Yeah, pretty much. In " Boca", the ninth episode of the season, all three attend the game of their daughters' soccer match.

They're never mentioned again, to my knowledge. In that episode they're 'old school' associates to Junior.

Yeah, someone that close (a consigliere at that point?) would never do something at that point. Put it down to a lack of characters written for the pilot.

Thanks Nostra, and everyone else!

I still wonder if Meadow had a nose job after the first two episodes or if it was just normal teenage face changes.

To add a little side note to that Capo, several years back I read or heard somewhere that in the original script for the Sopranos there was no such character as Silvio Dante.

Supposedly David Chase was watching or attending a music award show and when he heard Steven Van Zandt (who was accepting some kind of an award), speak, he ( Chase) was amazed at the way that Van Zandt spoke and also at the way he shrugged his shoulders while making these awkward bodily expressions at the same time! It was then that Chase supposedly decided to re-write the script creating a character in it for Van Zandt to play.

Those are guys in their late-60s\early-70s, old school, first-generation Italian-Americans or even Italian-born. Close to Junior.
They should also be called "lucky fellas" due to the fact that they managed to survive "the life" and getting old outside of prison.
Here's some of those who were later given a name and minor roles:

- Patrizio Blundetto (Uncle Pat)
Former soldier in the Soprano crew, worked alongside Johnny Boy Soprano. Pat is the uncle of Tony Blundetto and Chris Moltisanti. Tony Soprano calls him Uncle Pat but they are not blood relatives. Pat's brother Al Blundetto married Quintina the sister of Tony's mother. Pat owns a farm in Kinderhook, Upstate New York that his nephews used to visit in the summers of their youth. Several bodies were buried on the farm too (go figure)- Tony, Tony B., and Chris dug them up and moved them in 2004, as he was planning to sell the farm, and move to Florida, which he later does. In the series finale, Pat is seen visiting Junior in a New Jersey mental facility. He there encounters Janice, whom he suspects is attempting to con Junior into giving her the last of his money. Pat later visits Tony at the Bada Bing to report his niece's suspicious behavior, before going back to Florida.

- Giuseppe Scerbo (Beppy)
Seems very close to Uncle Jun. Accompanies him at the 1995 sit-down with Jackie Aprile.
Agrees with Junior on the need to kill Pussy Malanga and sides with Junior when Tony tries to persuade Junior into changing the planned location of the hit. Stands by Junior throughout his RICO trial and can often be seen in the courtroom. He also visits Junior in the asylum where Junior currently resides. Jos$eph Pucillo, the actor who portrays Beppy, is the uncle of series creator David Chase.

- Morfeo Lupo (Murf)
Former capo of Junior's crew, replacing Philip Parisi. After displaying signs of mental and physical enfeeblement that affected his capacity to run the crew's business, Junior had him replaced by Bobby Bacala.

- Thomas DiPalma
Elderly soldier in Junior's crew who is responsible for looking after him as his dementia worsens.
He allows Junior to wander out of the house.

There is also the dark and tall guy in the back...the credit just say "Gus"...then I found some info calling him "George Inzerillo" then again "George D'Agostino".

Silvio at that time would only be a soldier. The name of the guy who started the fire was mentioned by tony again when he was asking ralphie about their horse getting burnt up. This is one of the many screw ups in the writing as ralph was in florida at the time and would most likely have known nothing about the job. Hell remember when Chrissy shot the bakery employee in the foot, who did he kick out the store? Gino? Hell thats Vito!