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showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips"The Sopranos" Down Neck (1999)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
David Chase (creator)
Mitchell Burgess (written by) ...
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TV Series:
Original Air Date:
21 February 1999 (Season 1, Episode 7)
Plot:
Anthony has disciplinary problems at school, prompting Tony to recount memories of his childhood with Dr. Melfi. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
Painful memories more (1 total)
Cast
(Episode Cast overview, first billed only) | James Gandolfini | ... | Tony Soprano |
 | Lorraine Bracco | ... | Dr. Jennifer Melfi |
 | Edie Falco | ... | Carmela Soprano |
 | Michael Imperioli | ... | Christopher Moltisanti |
 | Dominic Chianese | ... | Junior Soprano |
 | Vincent Pastore | ... | Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero |
 | Steve Van Zandt | ... | Silvio Dante (as Steven Van Zandt) |
 | Tony Sirico | ... | Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri (credit only) |
 | Robert Iler | ... | A.J. Soprano |
 | Jamie-Lynn Sigler | ... | Meadow Soprano |
 | Nancy Marchand | ... | Livia Soprano |
 | Joseph Siravo | ... | Johnny Boy Soprano |
| Laila Robins | ... | Young Livia Soprano |
 | Rocco Sisto | ... | Young Junior Soprano |
 | David Beach | ... | Dr. Peter Galani |
Additional Details
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The title refers to a Newark, New Jersey neighborhood known as The Ironbound. It is also referred to as "Down Neck" because of how the Passaic River curves around it looking somewhat like a neck. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: In the flashback to Tony's youth where he sees his father beat up a man, young Tony is carrying a black-and-white composition book with a UPC barcode on the front. The flashback is set in the mid-1960s, but UPC barcodes were not introduced until 1974. more
Quotes:
Peter Galani:
He often has difficulty waiting his turn, is often quote unquote, "on the go" or acts if driven by a motor. Often interrupts or intrudes on others. And often fidgets with hands or feet.
Tony Soprano:
He fidgets with hands or feet?
Peter Galani:
That's right.
Tony Soprano:
You mean, like, he fidgets?
Peter Galani:
Uh-huh.
Tony Soprano:
And that's a sickness, to fidget?
Peter Galani:
Mr. Soprano, it's one of nine possible symptoms.
Tony Soprano:
What constitutes a fidget?
Carmela Soprano:
Tony...
Tony Soprano:
No, no, what constitutes a fidget? I mean, so what if he fidgets? He's in school. Who doesn't fidget in school? And he doesn't wait his turn? The kid's in puberty, he gets a hard-on every ten minutes, for chrissake.
more
Movie Connections:
References Mario Kart 64 (1996) (VG) more
Soundtrack:
Carrie-Anne more
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (1 total)
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"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.". It's hard not to think of that classic line from Goodfellas when Tony Soprano starts recounting childhood memories to Dr. Melfi: unlike Herny Hill, the New Jersey boss's ambitions were entirely different, but fate decided to intervene.
The source of this reminiscing is a family problem: after being caught drunk in class (he and his friends stole some church wine), A.J. faces expulsion from school, and is punished by his parents by being forced to spend time with his grandmother every afternoon. While discussing the matter with his therapist, Tony recalls his own upbringing: Livia being a huger pain in the ass then than she is now, his dad and Uncle Junior going out regularly to collect money from people, and the old man getting arrested one nice day while having fun at a carnival.
Aside from exposing the parallels between father and son, Down Neck serves another important purpose: to show Livia's firm and authoritarian personality, which will reemerge in later episodes to shocking effect. But this story is also riveting for how it deals with an old stereotype (you join the mafia 'cause you were born into it) without pandering to conventions: Tony may have had it in his DNA (though he concedes in another episode that perhaps he was too lazy to seek a different occupation), but the look on his face when he sees who his father really is indicates everything but happiness or pride. Then again, he might have reconsidered when he learned how much you can earn...
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