If you've seen this episode (3.9), you'll know it consists mainly of flashbacks to the past, reviewing Pussy's having 'flipped'.

Does anyone share my opinion that this episode is little more than paranoia and undue suspicion on the part of the characters?

Let's look at the facts. Sopranos was released in 1999; and took place in the present day. The flashbacks date back to I think 1995, where they believe Pussy was flipped.
However, all the evidence points against Pussy having flipped that far back; let's review.


-Pussy says himself that he was only flipped for a "year and a half". He has no reason to lie, as he knows he is a dead man one way or another, he accepts that before he even gets onto the boat (notice his final glance back around the harbour).

-Skip Lipari himself says that Pussy's been "on [the FBI's] tit for eighteen months now". The chances are what he's saying is correct. It is also possible, however, that he has only been serving Skip's particular unit for that amount of time, and for the previous few years was under the supervision of another unit. But in my opinion, this approach is not as likely.

-Vin Makazien claims Pussy was in a Las Vegas FBI building [Episode 1.10 Nobody Knows Anything], but if my memory serves, this was only a year or so ago. The same scenario is used in speculating Pussy flipping earlier, only the date is moved back to '95.


The way things appear, Pussy only did flip a year and a half ago. The speculation supporting his having flipped earlier are very thinly founded, and are no stronger than Pussy arriving in his suit, reacting to playful jabs at his torso, and probing tony for information, reacting badly when the young Christopher interrupts. Most of this, besides, may not have happened, and could have been just fabricated by those remembering it. I could of course, be mistaken, but what do you guys think about this episode?