"Mayham" is the 68th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the third of the show's sixth season. Written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Jack Bender, it originally aired on March 26, 2006.
Starring
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano / Kevin Finnerty
Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr. *
Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante
Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr. Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano Baccalieri Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby Baccalieri Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco Ray Abruzzo as Little Carmine Lupertazzi Joseph R. Gannascoli as Vito Spatafore Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi
* = credit only
Guest starring
Synopsis
Paulie and a member of his crew burglarize an apartment belonging to Colombian drug dealers in Newark. The apartment is not empty as expected and a fierce firefight ensues, leading to the deaths of the building superintendent and two drug dealers. There is a huge score, but it contributes to rising tensions within the Soprano family: Silvio makes rulings on how the money, and Eugene's former Roseville bookmaking revenue, should be split. None of the parties involved like his decisions. A reluctant boss, Silvio is later hospitalized after an asthma attack. In case Tony does not recover, Paulie and Vito delay paying the cut they owe to Carmela. Vito quietly starts a campaign to position himself as a potential new leader, maintaining a cordial relationship with the Lupertazzi acting boss Phil Leotardo, who is a second cousin of Vito's wife Marie. He also happens to be in the hospital when Meadow's fiancé Finn turns up and makes a threatening pass at him.
Christopher and Bobby confront A.J. when he attempts to buy a gun, intending to take revenge on Junior. Carmela sees a news report about the shooting, in which A.J. remarks that it is weird growing up in their family. She yells at her son, furiously telling him he is a "cross to bear", and then sobs in her room. The next day, she tells Dr. Melfi that while she knew what Tony was when she married him, their kids "don't decide who they're born to."
Chris' passion for the movie industry is reborn. He has Benny Fazio and Murmur rough up screenwriter J.T. Dolan, and orders him to write a script for a slasher mob film he wants to produce. Chris later arranges a meeting with potential investors, the chief adviser and partner being Little Carmine. J.T. comes up with the title, Cleaver, and explains the premise to the investors, including Silvio, Vito, and Larry Boy Barese, but they seem confused about its plot. Nevertheless, Chris assures them the film is a guaranteed success.
Although only family members are allowed to see Tony, Silvio and Paulie are smuggled in by Carmela and Meadow. Alone with Tony, Paulie treats his unconscious boss to a tedious and discontented monologue about his current life. Tony's heart rate escalates steadily, but Paulie does not notice it until he goes into cardiac arrest. Hospital staff rush in.
Tony's dream sequence from the previous episode has continued.
At his hotel room, Tony receives a summons from the Buddhist monks addressed to Kevin Finnerty, and he begins to question his identity. He seeks answers from the bartender and the monks but finds none. Tony is disturbed by muffled sounds from an adjoining room at his hotel (Paulie is talking to him), and he bangs angrily on the wall for quiet. Having found a flier for the Finnerty family reunion in his briefcase, he is greeted outside the venue by a man who looks like his cousin Tony Blundetto. The man tries to get Tony to enter the light-festooned house, assuring him that "everyone's here" and that he is "coming home"; but he also tells Tony that he must first let go of his "business" and hand over his briefcase. Tony replies that he has already given away a briefcase once which had "his whole life inside" and does not want to do it again. Standing at the steps of the house, Tony hesitates for some time. With the figure of someone similar to his mother standing by the doorway in front of him, and the faint voice of a little girl coming from the trees behind him pleading with him not to go (Meadow is calling to her father), Tony chooses not to enter the house.