The Happy Wanderer (The Sopranos)

Starring

Guest starring

Episode recap

During College Night at Meadow's school, Tony reunites with an old school friend, David Scatino, who owns a sporting goods store in Ramsey, New Jersey. Davey then casually asks Tony if he can play in the "Executive Game", a high-stakes poker game established by Tony's father, Johnny Boy, and Uncle Junior in the 1960s, and now resurrected by Tony himself since Junior's house arrest. Tony warns Davey that because of the high stakes, he recommends that he not join the game due to the fact he believes that Davey lacks the capital to "sit in" such a game. The following day, Davey begins to owe serious debts after playing at Richie Aprile's small poker game, and falls behind on payments. Richie warns him that missing payments will only cause his debt to escalate faster (missed payments are added to the principal), and bars Davey from the Aprile poker game until he can catch up.

At his therapy session with Dr. Melfi, Tony discusses that things are going well for him but that he is becoming angry at everything. As an example he refers to "happy wanderers," people walking down the street with a smile and a happy manner. Tony explains that he is resentful of these people because "they always walk around with a clear head", while he cannot stave off depression and anger even when life is seemingly unproblematic, despairing at the death of his brother-in-law's father, Tom Giglione Sr., who was swept off a roof while putting up a satellite dish just one day after his retirement. Tony then tells Melfi that he is beginning to resent therapy as it encourages feelings of victimization, while his hero, Gary Cooper, was always resilient, "the strong, silent type". Tony also learns from Uncle Junior that he had another uncle who was mentally disabled. Uncle Junior tells him that his name was Ercole (nicknamed "Eckley") and that his mother could not take care of him, instead sending him to the most suitable charity home in the state. Melfi sarcastically asks Tony if having a retarded family member makes him feel better about coming to therapy.

At Tom Giglione's funeral, Tony becomes angry when Livia arrives, saying she is dead to him. He also becomes angry when she attends a school performance where Meadow is scheduled to sing.

Before the card game, Christopher Moltisanti grooms Matt Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte giving them the dos and don'ts when they arrive at the game. Furio Giunta arranges the game to be held at the Teittleman motel, and is derisive when Hillel Teittleman complains about the criminal enterprises the mob has brought into his family's establishment, noting that the Hasid enjoys the services of their prostitutes. At the card game, the players include Frank Sinatra, Jr., Johnny Sack, Silvio Dante, and Dr. Ira Fried. Tony is surprised when Davey Scatino arrives looking to join the game, and initially resists ("Davey, this is not a game for you") but at his friend's insistence, finally allows him to enter. In the beginning Davey wins a round which upsets Silvio into cursing and leveling insults, then turns into a full-blown meltdown when Tony orders Matthew to clean up around the table, "especially under Silvio" (Tony figures Silvio would react that way, but he tells Silvio to relax when Matt is simply cleaning up). By the morning, Davey owes $45,000 to Tony. Richie then visits the motel room where he sees Davey and attempts to choke him for even daring to enter the Executive Game when he still owes Richie thousands of dollars. Tony breaks up the fight and takes Richie outside. Richie tells Tony that Davey already owes him over $8,000. As punishment for causing a scene during the game and threatening one of his players, Tony tells the disobedient capo that Davey will pay his debt first and then Richie's, and that Richie's credit is frozen, meaning he cannot collect or charge interest from David Scatino until then. Davey fails to come up with the money for Tony, who tracks the debtor down to his store and smacks him around his office. Desperate, Davey turns to his friend Artie Bucco for a loan, but Artie declines when he learns that Davey is asking for $20,000, even though he is concerned by the news that his friend is in debt to Tony. Artie states that the Vesuvio is in need of a new roof.

As partial payment, a desperate Davey gives Tony the Nissan Pathfinder that belongs to his son, Eric Scatino, using the excuse that Eric was off-roading. Tony then gives the truck to Meadow, who soon realizes that it belonged to her friend and refuses to take it. Offended, Tony tells her that he is justified in demanding whatever payment Davey Scatino could offer, and insists that Meadow understand his work provides for their home. Tony yells that he is fine with Meadow not wanting the Nissan, instead he will sell it to Big Pussy and use the money to buy things such as food, clothes, and CD players for her saying he has been doing that ever since the day she was born. Carmela offers a slight rebuttal that the Scatino family is good friends with the provost of Georgetown, and he could be endangering Meadow's college choices. However, Eric is not prepared to accept his father's responsibility for the loss of his property. When they meet later that night to perform a duet with Meadow at the school's cabaret night, Eric demands that Meadow "make" Tony give his SUV back. When Meadow points out that she can't force Tony to give anything back, and further suggests that Davey bears at least some responsibility for his situation, he drops out minutes before their scheduled performance. As the show begins, an announcer alerts the audience a program change in the second act: that Meadow will be performing alone. Carmela is surprised, but relieved that Meadow will have a solo performance for her college application, while Tony seems unrepentant at the impact he has had on the Scatinos and their friendship with his own family.

First appearances

Deceased

Production

Music

Awards

James Gandolfini won his first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in this episode.