"University" is the 6th episode of Season 3 of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It is the 32nd overall episode of the series. It was written by Terence Winter, Salvatore J. Stabile, David Chase, Todd A. Kessler, Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, directed by Allen Coulter and originally aired on April 1, 2001.
According to actress Ariel Kiley, who plays Tracee, the stripper murdered by Ralph Cifaretto, a lot of subscribers canceled their HBO service because of the episode.[1]
Episode cast[]
- 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 *
- Federico Castelluccio as Furio Giunta
- Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
- Joe Pantoliano as Ralph Cifaretto
* = credit only
Guest starring[]
- Ariel Kiley as Tracee
- Suzanne Shepherd as Mary De Angelis
- Tom Aldredge as Hugh De Angelis
- Ari Graynor as Caitlin Rucker
- Patrick Tully as Noah Tannenbaum
- Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile
- Jason Cerbone as Jackie Aprile, Jr.
- Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante
- John Fiore as Gigi Cestone
- Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi
- Joseph R. Gannascoli as Vito Spatafore
- Michael Garfield as Len Tannenbaum
- Frank Santorelli as Georgie Santorelli
- Michette Ardente as Mandee
Episode recap[]
At the Bada Bing, Tony receives homemade datenut bread from one of the strippers, Tracee, in gratitude for helping her out with her sick son. Tony graciously refuses the gift, partly because Tracee is having an affair with Ralphie. Meanwhile, at Columbia University, Meadow is becoming intimate with Noah when they are interrupted by her roommate, Caitlin, who is in the midst of an anxiety attack. After Caitlin calms down, Meadow goes to Noah's room and loses her virginity to him.
Later, Noah and Meadow plan to cheer Caitlin up by taking her out for her birthday. They spot a babbling homeless woman, who causes Caitlin to become upset again and flee to her dorm room. Tired of dealing with Caitlin, Meadow visits Carmela and talks about her relationship with Noah. When Noah gets a C- on a term paper, he blames Caitlin's repeated interruptions. Noah's father, Len, files a restraining order against Caitlin, which Meadow finds to be excessive. Meadow meets Len for dinner, where the topic of Tony's profession comes up. The following day, Noah breaks off his relationship with Meadow, telling her that she is too negative and cynical. She is left shocked and upset.
One afternoon, Tracee tells Tony that she is pregnant with Ralphie's child and asks whether she should get an abortion; he advises her to do so and not tell Ralphie about it. Ralphie becomes obsessed with the film Gladiator, and roughhouses with Georgie at the VIP lounge. Things become tense when Ralphie finds a length of chain and swings it at Georgie, severely injuring his eye. Tony angrily makes Ralphie take Georgie to the emergency room. Later, Silvio is shocked to find that Tracee, who has missed work for a few days, is at Ralphie's townhouse. He slaps her and forces her to get into his car while Ralphie watches from the window in amusement.
During an early-morning party at the Bing, Tracee insults Ralphie in front of the other mobsters. Their argument escalates in the parking lot, ending with him brutally bashing her head into a metal guardrail, killing her. In violation of Mafia code, Tony assaults Ralphie, a fellow made man. Tony takes Tracee's death badly and becomes emotional during a therapy session with Carmela and Dr. Melfi. While Bada Bing strippers speculate about Tracee, Georgie trains her replacement.
Gallery[]
References to pop culture[]
- After being introduced to Meadow, Noah's father says he sat next to a talkative Tim Daly of Wings fame on his flight into New York. Daly would later play the role of J. T. Dolan on The Sopranos, beginning with the episode "In Camelot".
- Noah's father says he worked with Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order.
- During a scene in the family kitchen, AJ wears a Nine Inch Nails Fragility tour shirt.
- After dining with Noah's father, Noah and Meadow see the Francis Ford Coppola film Dementia 13.
- Throughout the episode, Ralphie Cifaretto quotes and talks about scenes from the 2000 Ridley Scott' film Gladiator.
- Ralphie later watches Stanley Kubrick's film Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas, upon Christopher Moltisanti's recommendation to him about a gladiator film.
References[]
- ↑ Hollywood Holdout by Jon Reidelon at The View (University of Vermont), October 18, 2004. Retrieved November 21, 2009