The genius of The Sopranos’ most shocking episode

unexpected violence

Tony’s shooting is perhaps the ultimate example of how The Sopranos has always surprised viewers with violence. After Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) murders Tracy (Ariel Kiley) in college (s3:6) and Janice Soprano (Aida Turturro) shoots and kills Richie Aprile (David Proval) in The Knight in White Satin Armor (s2:12). “After years of watching traditional film and television, you seem to know where the next threat to the characters is going to come from,” Seitz told the BBC. “But that doesn’t happen on The Sopranos. That’s what makes Uncle Junior Shooting Tony so amazing.”

If viewers were expecting Tony to be shot at some point, Sepinwall says, no one expected it to happen “in the first episode of the season” and “by a frail, aging old man.” I wrote on the Star-Ledger the day after the episode aired. In pre-Members TV shows, dramatic plots like this were saved for season-ending cliffhangers, especially scenes where a character was about to die.

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Members Only is notable for continuing The Sopranos’ practice of using unknown or inexperienced actors to elevate Eugene to a major character in an unprecedentedly short period of time. After starring opposite Gandolfini in A Streetcar Named Desire a few years ago, Funaro was running a comedy club in Manhattan when he auditioned for The Sopranos. Creator David Chase had previously convinced E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt to make his acting debut as Silvio Dante, and cast Tony Sirico, who had only had minor film roles before The Sopranos, to play Paulie Walnuts. Asked about casting local talent, Chase told the BBC: “It was the best decision I ever made.” “It created a very real feeling. We could give them anything and they could do it.”

Prior to Members Only, Eugene appeared in 24 episodes over three seasons of The Sopranos, but had very little dialogue and nothing was known about his backstory. Over the course of the episode, we learn that Eugene has a wife, a daughter, and a son with a drug problem. He is an FBI informant who has just inherited $2 million and wants to leave his gangster life in New Jersey and retire to Florida. After both Tony and the FBI tell Eugene he can’t leave, Eugene decides to commit suicide.