The Ride (The Sopranos)

Starring

* = credit only

Episode recap

In preparation for the annual Feast of Elzéar of Sabran, Paulie Gualtieri and Patsy Parisi visit their local church and learn that the new priest, Father José, wants to raise the fee provided to the parish from $10,000 to $50,000. When Paulie considers it extortion and refuses to pay, Father José tells them they will not be able to use the golden hat worn by the Saint, a traditional part of the statue's garb.

Christopher Moltisanti's girlfriend, Kelli, tells him that she is pregnant. She nervously blames herself and assures him she will "take care of it" by going to a clinic. Christopher instead suggests they get married in Atlantic City and "make a day of it." Christopher mentions how much he wanted to have a child with Adriana and tells Kelli that his ex is probably having some "other guy's babies now." Later, Christopher enters the Bada Bing! and surprises the mobsters with the news that he is now newly married and is about to become a father. They offer a toast to him. He and Kelli impulsively purchase a large house as he anticipates starting a family.

On their way home from a trip to Pennsylvania, Christopher and Tony Soprano make an impromptu bathroom stop in what they think is a deserted parking lot. When they pull behind a building, they witness two bikers stealing crates of 1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande wine from a liquor store. As the two bikers go back into the store, Christopher and Tony plunder their wine, moving the crates into Tony's SUV. When the bikers re-emerge (carrying an ATM), Christopher holds them at gunpoint. As he and Tony speed away, one of the bikers starts firing his handgun. Christopher fires back and hits him. The pair celebrate their adrenalin-fueled escapade at a restaurant, cracking jokes about the bikers. Although Christopher initially abstains from drinking the wine, he eyes it enviously and Tony suggests toasting to his wedding and pours him a glass. Later, they drink more of the wine in the parking lot, remembering their times together: how Tony protected Christopher moving up the ranks of the organization and Christopher also recollects the time when he tearfully told Tony that his fiancée, Adriana, was an FBI informer, which led to her murder. Tony and Christopher both profess their love for one another.

At the feast, Tony and Phil Leotardo work out a deal where they agree to split the profits for the New York distribution of a trailer of Centrum multivitamins confiscated by Tony's crew. Phil's stipulation is that Johnny "Sack" be left out of the transaction in order to "spare John the stress of having to hear about this."

Carmela Soprano encounters Liz La Cerva (Adriana's mother) at the feast, who claims Christopher killed her daughter, telling Carmela that the FBI told her as much. Carmela brushes off her suggestion initially but next day she asks Tony about it. He insists that it would have been impossible for Christopher to have gotten away with killing his fiancée.

Christopher meets with Corky Caporale to pay him for the hit on Rusty Millio. Part of his payment includes some heroin. As Christopher watches Corky shoot up, he first recommends rehab to him, but then tells him he wants to snort a little himself. After watching Corky reach ecstasy, Christopher decides to inject himself as well and ends up spending the night vomiting and in a stoned stupor, bonding with a stray dog at the feast.

During the feast, several parishioners notice the missing gold hat and word begins to spread that Paulie scrimped on the planning of the festival. His frugal ways are blamed for an accident on a ride that left several people injured. Little Paulie Germani is left to deal with the police investigation. Janice and her daughter Domenica were also on the ride, and although apparently unhurt after the accident, Janice seems to develop a neck injury after Meadow makes the suggestion, during Sunday dinner, that the injured should be compensated monetarily. Janice presses her husband Bobby to get the money. After threatening the ride operator, Bobby learns Paulie was the one who chose to forgo financing the maintenance for the ride.

In Dr. Melfi's office, Tony laments about people lining up for thrill rides. "They pay money to almost puke." She asks if he's bored. Tony claims he continues to feel that every day is a gift, but "Does it have to be a pair of socks?"

Bad blood erupts between Bobby and Paulie after their verbal battle at the feast where Paulie refuses to pay Bobby. Paulie has other problems, including having a biopsy to determine if he has prostate cancer. At the feast, he runs into Nucci, the aunt who raised him as her son. She points out how his cheap spending was not only wrong but also a sin to allow St. Elzear go without his gold hat; Paulie, furious, swears at her and departs, leaving his adoptive mother crying in the street. At Christopher's belated bachelor party, held at Nuovo Vesuvio's, there is noticeable lingering tension between Paulie and Bobby, who excuses himself from the dinner early. In the restroom, Tony finds Paulie and demands he work things out with Bobby, which prompts Paulie to disclose his medical concerns to Tony. Tony tries to calm him down and tells him not to be pessimistic.

At the feast, Domenica Baccalieri cries, anxious to go on the tea cup ride again. As an exasperated Janice looks on, Tony placates Nica, picking her up into his arms, swinging her around as she giggles and laughs.

At home, Paulie is unable to sleep, then calls his urologist's answering service in the middle of the night. He is informed his doctor is out of town. The next morning, after seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary at the Bada Bing!, a shaken Paulie visits Nucci at Green Grove. She warns him that she does not want to argue; Paulie enters her room and sits down to watch The Lawrence Welk Show on TV with her.

First appearance

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