External links
- "Chasing It" Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine at HBO
- "Chasing It" at IMDb
| "Chasing It" | |
|---|---|
| The Sopranos episode | |
| Episode no. | 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 |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
"Chasing It" is the 81st episode of the HBO television series The 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 around Tony Soprano experiencing problems from multiple angles, from losing sports bets, owing Hesh Rabkin repayment on a loan, to intervening with Vito Spatafore Jr.'s behavior problems.
Written by executive producer Matthew Weiner and directed by Tim 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. When Hesh asks him about repayment of his previous $200,000 bridge loan, Tony pretends to have forgotten about it and offers to pay the vig. Hesh was not charging interest 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 the spec house, with its sub-standard materials, to her cousin Brian 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 a Lladró 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 to Maine to start over; Tony is reluctant. Both he and Phil (Marie's second cousin) talk to Vito Jr., to no effect. When he is expelled 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 a boot camp program in Idaho. He plays down her worries about corporal punishment and says he will pay the $18,000 fee. Marie reluctantly accepts and Vito Jr. is taken away against his will by the boot camp's staff, leaving his mother and sister in tears.
Driving by, Tony happens to notice Ahmed and Muhammad mingling with traditionally dressed Pakistanis and Arabs on a street.
A.J. proposes to Blanca, 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 by Nielsen Media Research, about 90,000 fewer viewers than last 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] For Entertainment 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 of The Sopranos' great themes." [5]
Paul Brownfield of the Los 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 in The 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]
