"Whitecaps" is the 52nd episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos, and the 13th and final episode of the show's fourth season. Written by the series creator/executive producer David Chase, and executive producers Robin Green, and Mitchell Burgess, it was directed by longtime series director John Patterson and originally aired in the United States on December 8, 2002. It is also the longest episode of the entire series with a runtime of 75 minutes. The episode attracted 12.5 million viewers and is regarded by multiple critics as one of the series' best.
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
- John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco
- Vincent Curatola as Johnny Sack
- Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri
Guest starring[]
- Tom Aldredge as Hugh DeAngelis
- Denise Borino as Ginny Sacrimoni
- Carl Capotorto as Little Paulie Germani
- Max Casella as Benny Fazio
- Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi
- Alla Kliouka as Svetlana Kirilenko
- Will Janowitz as Finn DeTrolio
- Tony Lip as Carmine Lupertazzi Sr.
- Tony Darrow as Larry Barese
- Richard Portnow as Harold Melvoin
- Joe Pucillo as Beppy Scerbo
- Oksana Lada as Irina Peltsin
- Curtiss Cook as Credenzo Curtis
- Universal as Stanley Johnson
- Robert LuPone as Dr. Cusamano
- Karen Young as Agent Robyn Sanseverino
- Frank Pando as Agent Grasso
- Matt Servitto as Agent Harris
- Jeffrey M. Marchetti as Petey
- Bruce MacVittie as Danny Scalercio
- Bruce Altman as Alan Sapinsly
- Liz Larsen as Patricia "Trish" Reingold-Sapinsly
- Cynthia Darlow as Virginia Lupo
- Randy Barbee as The Judge
- Dan Castleman as Prosecutor Castleman
Recap[]
Carmela and Tony at the doctor's office.
The episode starts with Carmela and Tony sitting at a doctor's office waiting for Carmela's checkup; she has had a severe fever and is waiting expressionless, quietly telling Tony that he didn't have to come with her, though he dissents and says he couldn't let her drive herself in the state she's in. Tony then gets a call from Patsy, who is waiting in his car outside the rehab clinic seeing Christopher and Adriana come out, remarking Christopher looks good after his stay. Tony says he should talk with him a little and feel him out, which Patsy obliges. He also notices Agent Harris and Agent Grasso sitting in a separate car surveilling Christopher, and he flips them off laughing. As Tony relays the news to Carmela, Dr. Cusamano comes in with the results; she doesn't suffer from any severe symptom and might have a viral condition. He then asks her if her stress level is up, which Carmela vaguely responds to lamenting how "one day runs into the next". The doctor recommends she continues taking her Advil medication.
Johnny Sack storms off on Ginny as he faces economic difficulties.
On the drive back home, Carmela thanks Tony for coming along, and notices that he's heading in a different route, with him telling her that he's gotta make a stop at Sea Bright; she reluctantly agrees. Meanwhile, at Johnny Sack's house, Ginny tells Johnny she's gonna go get some clothes for their trip to Italy at a Nordstrom sale, but Johnny pesimistically tells her they might need a "little belt tight" and will have to postpone it, since his income is being drastically put on hold while the Esplanade remains shut down. Ginny says they should at least try to go, remarking that when Little Carmine and his wife stayed there last year, he loved the experience. Johnny, irritated, states that Little Carmine's wallet isn't tied to the Esplanade and he lashes out at Ginny, leaving her confused and wondering what she said that annoyed him as he storms off.
Tony and Carmela on the back porch of the Whitecaps House.
As Tony and Carmela arrive on the Sea Bright shore, he stops at a house for sale and gets out, having prepared a surprise and Carmela noticing her father's van is there. As the two walk out, they are greeted by Hugh and a real estate agent, Virginia Lupo, who is in charge of the sale. Carmela looks at Tony in disbelief, and he points out that the house has even got a name, "Whitecaps", though he clarifies that they may not be able to buy it. At the back porch, the two look out at the ocean and begin discussing the sale; Carmela points out that it wouldn't be appropriate with Tony's Esplanade money gone, but he stresses that it's a place for the family, which they could also use to do cookouts and enjoy riding on the Jet Ski on the shore. Back inside the house, Carmela asks Lupo if they can really get the house, to which she disappointingly responds that there is, in fact, already a buyer, but that there is a slim chance they won't qualify for financing, adding that she knows the owner, Alan Sapinsly, a lawyer who lives next door.
Junior stares menacingly at the intimidated juror.
At Junior and Larry's trial, the judge announces the jury is still deadlocked and haven't been able to reach a unanimous verdict, and that he will give them additional time to sort out their decision. Junior complains to Melvoin that he should have pushed for a hung jury or mistrial, telling him to object to the judge's decision, but Melvoin insists that this is the perfect example of an Allen charge, and they should best resort to letting it play out. As the members of the jury enter the courtroom, the judge concedes that he knows it is frustrating to spend so much time trying to reach a conclusion, insisting that he sees no indication to believe a different jury would do any better, so he pleads with them to go back inside the jury room and arrive to a final decision so the trial can be capped off. As the judge is offering his proposition, the juror Eugene previously threatened looks up at Junior, who gives him a cold and intimidating glare.
Tony picks up a pack of food he ordered for dinner at home while he talks on the phone with Lupo, who tells him she hasn't heard from the owner and that they will probably go through with the sell. At the table, Carmela vents that it is probably for the best, since they most likely wouldn't have been able to afford it. Meanwhile, Tony gets mad that their order came with orange peel beef they didn't ask for, but both Carmela and A.J., who has come to eat, say they should call up the fast food chain, which Tony refuses to do.
With the Esplanade project shut down, Johnny is worried about his lost revenue. Tony declines to move against Carmine, but when Johnny offers generous concessions, he agrees to go ahead. Chris has come back from rehab in very good shape; Tony asks him to contract the job out and make it look like "an outside job". Chris delivers a pre-payment to two heroin dealers, and delivers instructions for the hit. However, Carmine unexpectedly changes his mind and offers to negotiate; at a sitdown he agrees to accept just 15% and praises Little Carmine for smoothing things. For Johnny the hit is still on, but Tony finally decides not to go ahead and tells Chris to ensure the hired guns don't talk. Chris pays them, then Benny and Petey appear and kill them. When Tony and Johnny meet again, Johnny expresses his resentment against Carmine and his son, and his anger at Tony for letting him down. They embrace and part, but eye each other warily as Johnny drives away.
Thanks to juror intimidation, Junior is freed following a mistrial. Celebrating upon returning home, Bobby and Janice dance together but Junior, distrusting Janice, finds a pretext to stop them.
Tony takes Carmela on a surprise trip to "Whitecaps," a house on the Jersey Shore he is thinking of buying, if it is available. At first hesitant, Carmela is finally delighted; she and Tony walk hand-in-hand on the beach and kiss. Tony meets the house's owner, attorney Alan Sapinsly, who lives next-door, and offers cash in the shortest possible time allowed by law. Sapinsly calls the current buyer, who is having difficulty obtaining a home loan, and negotiates and threatens his way out of their contract.
Irina drunk dials Carmela and brags about Tony's relations with her and tells her he also had sex with Svetlana. This causes Carmela extreme distress, and when Tony returns home, she is hurling his possessions from an upstairs window. She tells Tony that he has embarrassed her for years with his infidelity and tells him to leave the house. Tony says, "You stole from me!"—the cash hidden in the birdseed. He goes to Irina's home. Svetlana is there, and she explains that soon after Tony thrashed Zellman in front of Irina, humiliating him, their relationship ended. Tony spends the night at Whitecaps. He explains to Sapinsly that he no longer wishes to buy the house, but Sapinsly declines to release him from the contract.
Meadow argues with her mother about the separation, asking her how she could "take shit" from Tony for so many years. Tony returns home and becomes violent when Carmela tells him to leave. She threatens to call a lawyer and get a restraining order. A.J. helps Tony clear the home theater so that he can stay there.
Tony lies in the pool. Carmela complains to him about what he thinks is a trivial matter and there is soon another argument. Finally she says, "For the last year, I have been … in love with Furio." Tony, at first incredulous, again becomes violent. He charges at her, almost punches her, but stops himself and punches the wall beside her head instead, smashing it in. He tells her he looked for women with different qualities from her in his affairs. She reminds him that he hardly knew most of the women he slept with, the strippers and cocktail waitresses, and walks out, calling him a "fucking hypocrite."
Tony calls Dr. Melfi but hangs up when she answers. She tries to call him back but his number is blocked. He finally tells the family he has decided to move out completely. Both children go to him and he embraces them.
Sapinsly calls Tony to say he will release him from the sale but will keep the $200,000 deposit. He offers to negotiate; Tony declines. Benny and Little Paulie take the speakers out of Tony's home theater, install them on Tony's boat, anchor it just offshore from the Sapinsly house and, at lunchtime, play a Dean Martin concert at high volume. The Sapinslys close the patio doors and try to ignore it. At night, as they sit peacefully on the patio, the music starts again. Mrs. Sapinsly caves in and finally tells her husband to just give Tony the money.
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