"Stage 5" is the 2nd episode of Part 2 and 14th episode of Season 6 of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It is the 79th overall episode of the series. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Alan Taylor, it originally aired on April 15, 2007.
Starring[]
- James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
- Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi
- Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
- Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
- Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr. *
- Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante
- Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
- Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr.
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano
- Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano Baccalieri
- Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
- Vincent Curatola as Johnny "Sack" Sacrimoni
- Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo
- Ray Abruzzo as Little Carmine Lupertazzi
- Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile
- Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi
* = credit only
Guest starring[]
Also guest starring[]
- Peter Bogdanovich as Dr. Elliot Kupferberg
- Gregory Antonacci as Butch DeConcini
- John Bianco as Gerry Torciano
- Denise Borino as Ginny Sacrimoni
- Cara Buono as Kelli Lombardo Moltisanti
- John "Cha Cha" Ciarcia as Albie Cianflone
- Dan Conte as Faustino "Doc" Santoro
- Miryam Coppersmith as Sophia Baccalieri
- Tim Daly as J.T. Dolan
- Tony Darrow as Lawrence "Larry Boy" Barese
- Michael Kelly as Agent Ron Goddard
- Marianne Leone Cooper as Joanne Moltisanti
- Geraldine LiBrandi as Patty Leotardo
- Lou Martini, Jr. as Anthony Infante
- Angelo Massagli as Bobby Baccalieri, Jr.
- Cristin Milioti as Catherine Sacrimoni
- Arthur J. Nascarella as Carlo Gervasi
- Dania Ramirez as Blanca Selgado
- Anthony J. Ribustello as Dante Greco
- Matt Servitto as Agent Dwight Harris
- Matt Pepper as Ron Gosling
- Caitlin Van Zandt as Allegra Marie Sacrimoni
- Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante
- Anna Mancini as Donna Parisi
- Allison Dunbar as Nicole Lupertazzi
- Kobi and Kadin George as Hector Selgado
- Emily Ruth and Avery Elaine Pulcher as Domenica Baccalieri
- Ariana DiLorenzo as Alexandra Lupertazzi
- Sam Semenza as Carmine Lupertazzi III
- Sydney Pollack as Warren Feldman
- Matthew Weiner as Manny Safier
- John Wu as Morgan Yam
- Daniel Baldwin as Himself/Sally Boy
- Jonathan LaPaglia as Himself/Michael the Cleaver
- Lewis J. Stadlen as Ira Fried
- Christopher McDonald as Eddie Dunne
- Seth Barrish as Dr. Uri Rosen
- Geraldo Rivera as Himself
- Jerry Capeci as Himself
- Maulik Pancholy as Dr. Ajit Gupte
- Kevin McKelvey as U.S. Marshal Lunt
- Jane Kim as Dominique
- Guy A. Fortt as Guard
- Susan Porro as J.T. Dolan's Girlfriend
- Maria Iadonisi as Larry Barese's Wife
- Lenny Ligotti as Nicky
- George Pogatsia as Frankie
Episode recap[]
Christopher and Little Carmine are finishing up post production editing of their Mafia-oriented slasher film Cleaver.
At a Soprano family dinner, Finn is mentioned during a discussion about their plans to attend the upcoming Cleaver premier. Meadow says "I don't intend to discuss Finn" - making it clear that between seasons 6a and 6b they ended the relationship, but no further details are given. Tension between A.J. and his girlfriend Blanca is also evident during the meal.
Tony is later approached by FBI Agents Harris and Goddard, who ask him for information he may come across in his line of work concerning terrorism. Following the film's premiere in New York City, Tony congratulates Chris and mingles with the Lupertazzis and the cast at the after-party. Phil tells Tony he wishes to retire and step down as acting boss of the Lupertazzis following his heart attack. During the screening, Rosalie Aprile was shown uncomfortably noticing similarities between the film's love triangle and the rumored triangle between Chris, Tony and Adriana La Cerva. She brings this to Carmela's attention, who later points it out to Tony - calling the violent murder of the boss by the film's lead a "revenge fantasy" against him. Carmela later confronts Chris with this, saying she is disappointed in him. Chris denies any similarities to her, but is privately worried about what Tony's conclusions about the character's origin might be.
Chris asks his screenwriter, J.T. Dolan, to tell Tony that the character was his idea. When J.T. refuses, Chris hits him over the head with a Humanitas Prize trophy. J.T. then visits the Bada Bing and explains to Tony that he stole the characters and plot from the film Born Yesterday. Tony watches the film at home. Later, he painfully confesses to Dr. Melfi that he believes Chris despises him, and that Cleaver illustrates his hatred. He recalls being a father figure to Chris and emotionally admits that he loved him as if he were his own son. Melfi tries to ask Tony to cautiously evaluate if he is not "reading into things", but he replies that his sessions with her have taught him enough about the human subconscious to know what the real truth is.
Johnny Sack is transferred to a prison hospital in Missouri after being diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer. Despite Johnny's allocution in court, his brother-in-law Anthony Infante assures him that he is still "well respected" on the street. Johnny dies with his wife and two daughters at his bedside. In New York, Phil retires and forgoes leadership of the Lupertazzis in favor of his protégé, Gerry Torciano. However, Gerry is killed by a hitman hired by Faustino “Doc” Santoro, who looks to usurp the boss title, while having dinner with Silvio in an Italian restaurant. Tony, furious that Silvio was put in danger, arranges a meeting to urge Little Carmine to vie again for control of the Lupertazzis, saying he would much prefer him as the boss. Little Carmine refuses, saying his wife has convinced him the riches that would come with the title are not worth living their lives with the constant threat of death. Tony seems to consider his words, and ponders solemnly.
On what would have been his late brother Billy's 47th birthday, Phil invites family and friends to honor his memory. Phil begins to get progressively more aggressive as the ceremony goes on. After the initial ceremony, Phil talks to Butch DeConcini and expresses bitterness over having never avenged his brother's murder by killing Tony Blundetto himself. Phil says he compromised far too much in his life. He claims the twenty years he served in prison without giving any incriminating information about the members of his crime family seem to have been for nothing, since it allowed crooked individuals like Doc Santoro to take power. Phil claims he feels like his family has endured enough shame since their arrival in the United States. He menacingly states that he will no longer compromise in his life. Phil raises a glass of whiskey while silently looking over the framed pictures of deceased Lupertazzi members, including Johnny Sack and his brother Billy. Meanwhile, Tony becomes the godfather to Chris' daughter at her baptism. The tension between Tony and Chris remains unspoken as they embrace firmly.
Gallery[]
Deaths[]
- Johnny Sacrimoni: cancer while in prison.
- Gerry Torciano: shot to death.
Title Reference[]
when Johnny Sack is informed that he has stage 4 lung cancer, he half-rhetorically asks "and there's no stage 5?", to which the doctor replies "that's correct"