| "Chasing It" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sopranos episode | |||
| Episodeno. | Season 6 Episode 16 | ||
| Directed by | Tim Van Patten | ||
| Written by | Matthew Weiner | ||
| Cinematography by | Alik Sakharov | ||
| Production code | 616 | ||
| Original air date | April 29, 2007 (2007-04-29) | ||
| Running time | 50 minutes | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
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| The Sopranosseason 6 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Chasing It" is the 81st episode of theHBO television seriesThe Sopranos, the fourth episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, and the 16th episode of the season overall. The episode centers aroundTony Soprano experiencing problems from multiple angles, from losing sports bets, owingHesh Rabkin repayment on a loan, to intervening with Vito Spatafore Jr.'s behavior problems.
Written by executive producerMatthew Weiner and directed byTim Van Patten, it originally aired on April 29, 2007, and was watched by 6.76 million viewers upon its premiere. Critical reception was generally positive.
* = credit only
Tony's losing streak in sports betting continues. WhenHesh asks him about repayment of his previous $200,000bridge loan, Tony pretends to have forgotten about it and offers to pay thevig. Hesh was not charginginterest and is insulted that Tony treats the loan as a mere business transaction. Tony calls Hesh a "shylock" in front of his crew. Later, Hesh says to his son-in-law, "At what point is it cheaper for him to settle it another way?"
Carmela sells thespec house, with its sub-standard materials, to her cousinBrian Cammarata and his pregnant wife. She tells Tony that she has cleared $600,000 and he assumes that half the profit is his. Tony wants to bet it on a "sure thing", but Carmela refuses and he yields to her. The "sure thing" wins, but he reveals to Carmela that he only had $10,000 to bet on it. This leads to a furious argument about money, during which he manhandles her and she throws aLladró figurine at him, breaking it. Later, the couple reconciles after Tony agrees to control his gambling. Carmela is worried about the many threats they are facing; Tony says he survived being shot: "Big picture-wise, I'm up, way up."
Vito's widow,Marie, asks Tony to help her son,Vito Jr., who has been deliberately misbehaving since his father's death. Marie requests $100,000 to move her family toMaine to start over; Tony is reluctant. Both he andPhil (Marie's second cousin) talk to Vito Jr., to no effect. When he isexpelled for defecating in the school shower, Tony decides to pay for the relocation. However, he gambles away the $100,000 he had reserved for it. Instead, he offers Marie to send Vito Jr. to aboot camp program inIdaho. He plays down her worries aboutcorporal punishment and says he will pay the $18,000 fee. Marie reluctantly accepts and Vito Jr. istaken away against his will by the boot camp's staff, leaving his mother and sister in tears.
Driving by, Tony happens to noticeAhmed and Muhammad mingling with traditionally dressedPakistanis andArabs on a street.
A.J. proposes toBlanca, who reluctantly accepts, but later breaks up with him.
Renata, Hesh's girlfriend, dies suddenly. He is grief-stricken. Tony visits him and speaks clichéd words of condolence. He presents a large paper bag, saying, "I brought your money."
"Chasing It" marks the final appearances in the series of these longtime recurring characters:
The episode had 6.76 million viewers as estimated byNielsen Media Research, about 90,000 fewer viewers thanlast week's episode.[2]Television Without Pity graded the episode with a B.[3]IGN graded it with 8.5 points out of 10, with Brian Zoromski finding it to be "grounded and well rounded" for showing "the truly ugly side of Tony Soprano".[4] ForEntertainment Weekly,Lisa Schwarzbaum found the Vito Jr. subplot to be an example of "love-hate struggle between fathers and sons that has always been one ofThe Sopranos' great themes."[5]
Paul Brownfield of theLos Angeles Times found a lack of plot development in "Chasing It": "Five hours left and all we have so far is foreshadowing."[6] Similarly,Alan Sepinwall noted inThe Star-Ledger: "There may not be a lot of carnage (outside of Renata's peaceful passing, this was a completely bloodless hour), but doom is coming."[7] ForTV Squad, Tom Biro called this episode "the weakest" of the season, due to dialogue lacking plot relevancy.[8]
George Vecsey commented about the episode plot in an essay forThe New York Times: "Tony’s foray into gambling is a reminder that sports have a darker side than what innocents like me want to acknowledge."[9]
