"The Test Dream" is the 11th episode of Season 5 of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It is the 63rd overall episode of the series. Written by David Chase and Matthew Weiner and directed by Allen Coulter. It originally aired on May 16, 2004.
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
- Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva *
- Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano Baccalieri *
- Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
- John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco
- Kathrine Narducci as Charmaine Bucco
- and Steve Buscemi as Tony Blundetto
* = credit only
Guest starring[]
- Leslie Bega as Valentina La Paz
- Annette Bening as Herself/Mrs. DeTrolio
- Chris Caldovino as Billy Leotardo
- John Fiore as Gigi Cestone
- Robert Funaro as Eugene Pontecorvo
- John Heard as Vin Makazian/Mr. DeTrolio
- Will Janowitz as Finn DeTrolio
- Tony Lip as Carmine Lupertazzi Sr.
- Joe Pantoliano as Ralph Cifaretto
- Vincent Pastore as Big Pussy Bonpensiero
- David Proval as Richie Aprile
- Richard Portnow as Harold Melvoin
- Joe Santos as Angelo Garepe
- Al Sapienza as Mikey Palmice
- Annabella Sciorra as Gloria Trillo
- Joseph Siravo as Johnny Boy Soprano
- Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo
- Rae Allen as Aunt Quintina Blundetto
- Dennis Aloia as Justin Blundetto
- Kevin Aloia as Jason Blundetto
- Charley Scalies as Coach Molinaro
- Jimmy Collins as Charlie Garepe
- Roslyn Ruff as Sharice, Plaza Receptionist
- Didi Wong as Jade Escort
- Angel Feliciano as Bellman
Episode recap[]
After they have sex, Tony's girlfriend Valentina accidentally sets the sleeve of her kimono on fire and ends up badly burned. Angelo and his son Charlie visit Tony B at his casino, where Angelo introduces his son to Tony B and brings him payment for the Joey Peeps hit. The next day, after Tony visits Valentina in a hospital burn unit, he drops in on Tony B at his mother's house. Although Tony notices that his cousin is behaving erratically, he does not know that Tony B has just learned that Angelo, his close friend and former cellmate, has just been murdered by Phil and Billy Leotardo on the orders of Johnny Sack. Tony B tells his cousin he has to take his twin sons to their mother early, and Tony leaves.
Tony checks himself into a luxury suite at the Plaza Hotel and nearly runs into Dr. Melfi. When evening comes, a bored Tony starts drinking and calls Charmaine, to whom he is attracted. Running through TV channels, he sees an advert for an escort agency and makes a call for an Asian girl. After he steals a newspaper placed at the door of the neighboring suite, he gets a voicemail from Silvio informing him about Angelo's murder. Tony immediately tries to call Tony B, who is already on the move and not answering his phone. Tony then frantically calls Tony B's casino, Aunt Quintina, and the Bada Bing, telling everyone to let Tony B know he is looking for him. The prostitute arrives and, at some point, Tony falls asleep.
In his long, vivid dream, Tony encounters the deceased Carmine Lupertazzi and receives a phone call telling him to kill somebody. Next, he sits in Melfi's office and is counseled by his deceased "ex-goomah" Gloria Trillo. Tony then finds himself riding in the backseat of a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, being driven by his long-dead father Johnny Boy Soprano and accompanied by the also-deceased Big Pussy Bonpensiero and Mikey Palmice. Mikey briefly turns into Artie. When Tony asks where they are going, Pussy—who has now turned into Ralph Cifaretto—turns around and says, "We're driving you to the job."
The dream cuts to Tony waking up at his house and preparing to go to dinner with Carmela to meet Finn's parents at Nuovo Vesuvio. When they finally arrive, Finn's father is the deceased Detective Vin Makazian, while his mother is played by Annette Bening. Finn occasionally turns into A.J. during the course of the dinner. Next, Tony's teeth start to fall out while Finn's father starts singing "Three Times a Lady" Tony tries and fails to get Bening's attention. In the restroom, Tony reaches behind a toilet tank looking for a gun which is not there and encounters Vin. Tony hears shots firing outside and sees Tony B shooting Phil in his car. The crowd blames and chases Tony, who is shot at by Lee Harvey Oswald during the pursuit. He escapes in the Cadillac with help from Artie. Tony looks in the backseat and sees the deceased Richie Aprile and Gigi Cestone.
Tony is then seen having wild sex with Charmaine, while her husband Artie coaches him along. The dream jumps suddenly to Tony sitting on top of Pie-O-My in his living room, with Carmela allowing him to return home on the condition that he get rid of the racehorse. At the end of the dream, Tony is confronted by Mr. Molinaro, his high school football coach, who criticizes Tony's lifestyle and points out how he didn't have to be a criminal and live with all the stress that comes with being one. When Tony tries to shoot Molinaro, his gun malfunctions and the bullets seemingly melts into feces in his hands; the coach continues to taunt him about not being prepared until Tony awakens with a start.
Shortly afterward, Tony receives a visit from Christopher, who informs him that Tony B has killed Billy and wounded Phil as revenge for the hit on Angelo. As it is not dawn yet, Tony goes back to bed and calls Carmela. Tony cancels a fishing trip with A.J. and tells her he had "one of [my] Coach Molinaro dreams." They joke with each other and Tony seems glad to learn she ate at Nuovo Vesuvio with only her girlfriends, before asking her if the sun has come up where she is.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the episode Commendatori, Annalisa tells Tony that she collects her nails to avoid them falling into her enemies' hands. In Mergers and Acquisitions, Carmela finds Valentina's nail on Tony's clothes and leaves it on the table. This possibly could have been an easter egg, as she later caught on fire.
- Phil wears a grey sweatsuit in the dream when he is shot. Coincidentally, in the episode Made in America, he is whacked in the same outfit.
- When AJ switches places with Finn, Annette Bening was talking about how "he would never amount to much,” possibly making a subconscious reference to how Tony perceived AJ.
- Tracee appears in a deleted scene at the restaurant where she replaces Meadow.
| Season 5 |
|---|
| "Two Tonys" • "Rat Pack" • "Where's Johnny?" • "All Happy Families..." • "Irregular Around the Margins" • "Sentimental Education" • "In Camelot" • "Marco Polo" • "Unidentified Black Males" • "Cold Cuts" • "The Test Dream" • "Long Term Parking" • "All Due Respect" |