164 187 r/thesopranos Join 24 days ago Tony didn't have time to rationalize all that stuff a few moments after a major car wreck. During the TV series episode 'For All Debts Public and Private', Tony tells Christopher that the retired police investigator Barry Haydu killed Dickie. (2002), J.T. Any gangster-infested area is guaranteed to have plenty of murders and such was the case in New Jersey and New York in The Sopranos . For a moment we wonder what Adriana is going to do. While Tony killing Chris in The Sopranos was a shock to viewers when the episode aired in 2006, the show had dropped subtle hints about Chris Moltisanti's murder. The show would have an eight-season lifespan with the conclusive season airing in 2007. Rumors begin to spread that the crash was caused by Adriana performing oral sex on Tony. Moreover, the plot follows Tony having an affair with his psychologist, Jennifer Melfi. Christopher oversteps his authority when he hijacks trucks under the protection of captain Junior Soprano. Although The Many Saints of Newark is focused on Dickie Moltisanti and a teenaged Tony Soprano, Christopher Moltisanti's death in Sopranos season 6 haunts the DiMeo crime family even in the past. As Tony looks upon the corpse of his recently deceased uncle and mentor, Dickie's hand moves up to make a pinky promise with his nephew while The Sopranos theme song fades in a sign of Tony's dedication to Dickie and the DiMeo family. Tony and Silvio thus paid Chucky a visit as he was preparing to sail off on his boat. "The Sopranos" star also reflected on being cast on the show when she was "busted, broke." Falco was working on another HBO series, "Oz," at the time, and auditioned for "Sopranos" without knowing much about it. His decision to kill Christopher was not a cold-hearted murder, but a sympathy death in order to avoid the fallout of Christopher being found alive and drunk behind the drivers seat. Throughout The Sopranos, Christopher killed nine people, most notably Emil Kolar (his first kill) and J.T. (11 Reasons Why). By the sixth season, he is promoted to captain, and Tony tells Christopher that he will lead the family into the 21st century. He and Silvio then used chains and cement blocks to dump Chucky's body into the sea. But as much as Tony claims he wanted him to get better, nothing annoys Tony more than the sight of someone becoming a better person. Meanwhile, Tony anticipates yet another Christopher meltdown after he throws Paulie's nephew through a window. Thebookie Willie Overall was the person through whom Tony "made his bones" (earned his first kill). This leads to a firefight in which Chris shoots one of the bikers as Tony drives away. (1999), Sean Gismonte: Shot and killed by Chris in self-defense after he and associate, Carlo Renzi: Shot in the head and killed by Chris in self-defense during poker game robbery. Tony clearly favors Christopher, causing tensions between his cousin and Paulie, but by season 6 of The Sopranos, Tony has no qualms about killing his cousin. Why did Tony Soprano kill Christopher Moltisanti in 'The Sopranos'? He indulged her aspirations for a career in music by allowing her to produce a demo and later giving her a club to run. RELATED: Does Tony Soprano Know Junior Killed Dickie Moltisanti? When pleading with Tony for help, he asks him to not call 9-1-1, stating, "Ill never pass the drug test. The show was focused on Tony Soprano, an Italian-American mafia head based in New Jersey. They may bust each other's balls, sure, but you can tell Tony genuinely loves his nephew and wants the best for him, and Christopher sees Tony as a father figure and respects his decisions. According to Tony, Barry was taking orders from a criminal named Jilly Ruffalo, who had his eye gouged out by Dickie. Its quite clear to us in many ways that Tony Soprano took Christopher under his wing. The use of numbers from Nuovo Vesuvio[I] leads to a violent dispute between Benny and Tony's friend Artie Bucco. A couple of incidents took Ralph's relationship with Tony to the drain. Not only does it kill off Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), one of the most important characters on the show throughout its whole run, but it does so at the beginning of the episode. People changing themselves for the better just reminds Tony of how he's only changed for the worse over the years, and it brings out the most spiteful side of him. When Imperioli auditioned for the role of Christopher, he thought that series creator David Chase was unimpressed with his audition and was surprised when he was offered the part.[2]. (2001), Dino Zerilli: Shot and killed by Chris and, Detective Lieutenant Barry Haydu: Executed in his home by Chris after Tony informed Chris that Haydu was the man who was contracted by Jilly Rufalo many years ago to kill Chris' father. During the film, an infant Christopher cries when he sees Tony at a welcoming back party for Tony's father, "Johnny Boy" Soprano. (11 Reasons Why), Why Does Sony Own Spiderman? (11 Reasons Why), Why Are Harleys So Expensive? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. RELATED:The Sopranos: 10 Best Cars On The Show, Ranked By How Much They Cost. Ralph was definitely the craziest mobster to appear on the show. Christopher was one such problem that had to be removed. This particular kill was led up to when you consider the premise of the show but it still took fans by surprise in the end. Asked by: Chase Hauck. If anyone else had done this they probably would've been whacked, but because Tony still has some semblance of humanity left, he makes an effort to find a solution, and the two of them manage to work things out. He is Tony Soprano's protg and a member of the DiMeo crime family, rising from associate to captain over the course of the series. He comes close to death when enraged about rumors that his fiance Adriana and Tony are having an affair, he pulls a gun on Tony, who is ready to kill him for doing so. After a relapsed Chris crashes the car and nearly gets himself and Tony killed, Tony makes the cold, calculated decision to suffocate him to death and tell everyone he died purely from the. Ralph then killed his girlfriend Tracee outside the Bada Bing. When Tony was first informed by the dirty cop, Detective Vin Makazian, that Big Pussy was an informant, he doubted it because he liked the man so much. Tony and Paulie were seen watching the FBI from a distance as they dug up Overall's body, thanks to Capo Larry Barese turning into an informant and telling them about the murder. Shredding the rulebook, The Sopranos set new standards for serious purveyors of television. Chris later travels to his uncle Pat Blundetto's farm alongside Tony and Tony B. In the fifth season, Chris learns that Adriana has been working as an informant for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and that she wants them to go into the Witness Protection Program. While there, Chris recalls being bullied by the two Tonys, and they exhibit such behavior by ribbing him over his addiction problems. Matthew Bevilaqua (Lillo Brancato Jr.), an ambitious young upstart and his partner Sean Gismonte (Chris Tardio) decided to throw their lot in with Richie. That's because Tony Soprano is perhaps the most morally ambiguous of them all, and his writing and characterization proved so popular and so interesting that it helped influence countless other shows that followed. Kenya. Just think about the episode where Adriana is reportedly shot because of him. When the car accident happened, it became clear to Tony that Christopher was never going to change. Tony resented too that Chris could use drugs to escape a reality that was unpleasant; he was almost jealous of it. Over 86 hours, the series dared us to loveor, rather, arranged it so we couldn't help lovingthe. Matt's ambition quickly became his downfall. More: 1 Dark Sopranos Detail Makes Christopher A Lot More Like Tony. As Tony and Christopher drive, "Kennedy and Heidi" plays, with the lyric "the dream is gone" underlining the central message of the scene and foreshadowing Tony's subsequent actions as the mob boss kills his underworld son to save him from a more tragic death. By this point, the family was at risk and it could no longer be tolerated. When Tony expresses confusion at the infant Chris' behavior around him, a woman at the table tells him that "some babies, when they come into the world, know all kinds of things from the other side." When Tony Soprano's cousin Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) was released from prison, he was courted by his cousin and Little Carmine's crews. While they initially seem unrelated, they reveal a great deal about Tony Soprano's worldview and outlook at the time, which by extension explain why he killed Chris. He could take this one chance to kill Christopher without arousing any suspicions. Rather than feel sorry for the loss of Adriana, he talked up his personal sacrifices and almost begged for sympathy. However, he somehow always seemed more tolerant of Christopher. When Chris recovers from a coma, his spleen is removed and goes through a traumatic recovery process, having been clinically dead for about a minute. Instead of calling 911, he pinched Christopher's nose, causing him to asphyxiate on his own blood. It wasnt just his drug use but the explosive behavior and the constant trail of problems as well. The guy I went to hell for," before the end credits roll. Brendan and two others go through with the heist, which ends in the accidental death of the driver. (2006), In Season 1 Moltisanti shoots a bakery clerk in the foot in retaliation for a perceived lack of respect and service a nod to Imperioli's, This page was last edited on 19 April 2023, at 12:32. Tony gave him an easy out of the mafia back in season 2's "D-Girl," telling him that if he left then to pursue a career in Hollywood he wouldn't have to worry about any repercussions. Prophetically, David Chase shows audiences that in Christopher Moltisanti's final moments, he isn't terrified but rather "comfortably numb." There were also cases of characters being killed for no sensible reason. He, Paulie, and Silvio then took Big Pussy to a boat where they sailed and offered him a last drink before Tony opened fire. Eventually, Bevilaqua and Gismonte decide to murder him to gain favor with Richie Aprile. Despite Chris being Tony's nephew in a complex roundabout way, The Sopranos didn't make the full reasons for Tony murdering Chris clear. He received several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. Christopher returns from rehab a new man, genuinely focused on maintaining his sobriety and becoming a better person. Tony ends up strangling made-man Ralphie to death, in clear contravention of the Mafia code. When he relapses to drinking after yet another confrontation with Paulie, he becomes very angry with the crew and leaves. We also see a lack of loyalty on Christophers part. Throughout this time, Chris maintains a turbulent and sometimes violent relationship with Adriana. On: July 7, 2022. He has a belated bachelor party with the Soprano crime family at Nuovo Vesuvio, where "Larry Boy" Barese makes a toast to his future. When . He still made plans to continue grooming Christopher and was even under the impression that he was clean. It's a sociopath trait. He spends the night at the Feast of St. Elzear festival with a stray dog. Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter, and film critic based in Nairobi. An angry Richie chased Matt away as he was aware Tony would whack anyone revealed to be involved in the attack. RELATED:The Sopranos: 10 Actors Who Also Appeared In Goodfellas. Reddit community dedicated to the HBO hit TV series, The Sopranos, and movie, The Many Saints of Newark. It was the branch, the fact that he would have killed his own daughter that night that made Tony decide Christopher should not go on living. In the third season, Chris finally becomes a made man. Mark is also a freelance film programmer, podcaster, and writer who never misses an opportunity to share their love of movies and tv shows via screenings, podcasts, and the written word. Christopher snaps at Tony, saying "The way you eat, you'll have a heart attack by 50." Valuing loyalty over love, Christopher reports Adriana's actions to Tony, who has Silvio Dante kill her. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It is no secret that throughout the entirety of their relationship, Christopher had a terrible drug habit. When Chris physically abuses Adriana, Tony organizes an intervention. Haydu's last words before he is killed by Christopher are "I'm sorry!" The Sopranos TV series is packed with action from start to finish. [4] In a dream, Tony admits to Dr. Melfi that he murdered Chris, as well as other friends and associates, naming specifically his cousin Tony Blundetto and best friend Big Pussy. Moreover, that the idea of simply apologising when he had done wrong, like drinking and driving, would be forgiven with one single apology. To teach him a lesson, Junior orders his mock execution. Sure, Tony had other reasons to want Chris dead. Granted, its popularity was spurred once again by the release of the prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, but even without that, The Sopranos train has seemingly never stopped chugging. Examples include Ralph in season 4, Richie Aprile in season 2, and others along the way. Christopher has a tumultuous and abusive relationship with his long-term girlfriend Adriana. (11 Reasons Why). On rewatch, one of the most heartwarming aspects of the early seasons is the relationship between Christopher and Tony. Later, the two get drunk on the wine they had stolen, and Chris recalls telling Tony of Adriana's treachery. The two express their love for and loyalty to each other, though when the two later try to recreate their camaraderie sober, it falls flat and ends in awkward silence. Being a member of Tony's inner circle, the FBI relied on him to help them bring the mob boss down. He could no longer tolerate this type of behavior or stand with it. Given Chris' resentment towards Tony about Adriana's death, and his continued desire to enter the film business, the two continue to drift apart. Advertisement. Considering Tony's position in the DiMeo crime family, Tony needs to be absolutely convinced that someone like Christopher won't spiral out of control and reveal information about their organization. Although they successfully hide the body, Tony decides his nephew needs help. Tony Soprano murdering Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos was one of its most shocking moments. Ever since the show premiered in 1999, Christopher's character was unapologetically rash, bold, erratic, and fueled by drugs and alcohol. After consulting Silvio and Paulie, he decides to remove Chucky Signore (Sal Ruffino), one of Junior's trusted lieutenants, before Junior can make a third attempt. In one of The Sopranos' final episodes, "Walk Like a Man," the long-time friends joke around with each other and appear to be on good terms, despite some conflict to resolve with Paulie. Why Did Tyrion Kill Shae? Fazio and La Rosa steal back the money Chris had given Curtis and Johnson, which they believed was payment for the hit they were tasked with. As sad as his death scene was, by this point in the series the Christopher we'd known and loved had long since withered away. Tony, who has a well-documented affinity for animals, is furious about this and confronts Ralphie at his home, resulting in a brutal fight between both men. Tony didn't have time to rationalize all that stuff a few moments after a major car wreck. Junior, angered that his authority was flouted, stages a mock execution for Chris in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Chris aids Brendan in hijacking Comely trucks, which are under Junior Soprano's protection. Junior and Tony were at war at the start of the series. Tony often tried to play a guiding role in Christopher's life, and it was presumed for a while that he would be Tony's successor, but that changed as his behavior grew worse. One of the more unique aspects of "The Sopranos" was the way it killed off its major characters. He describes Chris as a "drag" on his emotions, and "a weak, lying drug addict". For Tony, this episode marked the tail end of the conclusion of his own psychological dilemma. Although it's Adriana that deals with the brunt of the scandal, Christopher nearly gets himself killed when he drunkenly storms into the Bada Bing and points a gun at Tony in front of everyone. Chris Moltisanti wasn't killed by Tony as part of a mob hit, but because of what Christopher represented in regard to Tony's son, A.J, and where Tony was on his journey as a parent. Tony's enraged when he finds out Christopher accidentally smothered Adriana's (Drea de Matteo) dog to death, then disgusted by the revelation that Christopher was high during his mother's funeral. That statement is an admission to Tony that Christopher has been lying to him about being clean from drugs. Much like with Tony's maybe-death in the finale, the moment where Christopher was truly beyond saving was when he let his crew murder Adriana. The story depicts Christopher, also referred to as Chrissy, as being unreliable and even harming others with these actions. At Meadow Soprano's graduation, Tony proposes to let Chris be made. And this brought on yet another fresh wave of disappointment. Chris takes a road trip to Pennsylvania with Tony just before the feast. As Tony and Chris drive back from a meeting with Phil Leotardo and the New York crew, Chris clearly impaired by drugs and alcohol crashes his Cadillac Escalade. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Following the car accident, Tony decided that his nephew was a lost cause. The attempted hit failed but Matt still went to Richie and told him that he did it for him. Blundetto went into hiding but Tony knew it was only a matter of time before he was found. Although Tony can never change what he genetically passed on to A.J., he can prevent Christopher from destroying lives other than his own. As a child, he preferred watching movies like Goodfellas and North By Northwest instead of Home Alone. Tony and Big Pussy later tortured and interrogated Matt. Christopher's narration begins during the opening sequence showing his tombstone, during which he provides context for the movie's title by explaining that Moltisanti is a religious name that literally means "many saints." Relapsing from sobriety, Christopher crashes the car he and Tony are traveling in while under the influence. When talking about his childhood with his cousin Tony Blundetto he describes himself as an urban youth, something Blundetto disagrees with. Tony Soprano was certainly not known for being tolerant throughout the entirety of The Sopranos. Christopher wasnt just putting himself at risk and hadnt been for some time. Any gangster-infested area is guaranteed to have plenty of murders and such was the case in New Jersey and New York in The Sopranos. It served as a wake-up call. However, what truly makes Christopher's final The Sopranos moment so justified is how Christopher Moltisanti, while high on heroin, sat on a dog and killed it. Tony was grooming Christopher to become the leader. I.e. Dolan's home, looking for someone to talk to. All of the details on one of the most infamous scenes in television history. RELATED:The Sopranos: Tony's 10 Closest Friends, Ranked By Likability. Tony trusts Christopher with sensitive tasks, such as disposing of the bodies of murdered captains Richie Aprile and Ralph Cifaretto, and arranging the assassination of New York boss Carmine Lupertazzi. The damaged child seat was the last straw. Perhaps it came to the point that Tony simply didnt know any other way to help him. When discussing making a biographical movie of Joe Gallo with Jon Favreau, Moltisanti mentions that he vaguely remembered Gallo being murdered in 1972, as he was only a kid (3 years old). As revealed in Season 6's "Remember When," Tony was only 22 at the time he killed Overall. (2007), Richie Aprile: Bagged up, carried off, and cut up in the basement of Satriale's as requested by Tony after he was shot by Janice Soprano for hitting her. He pleads for Tony's help, mumbling that he wouldn't pass a drug test and could lose his license. Because of his gambling problem, Vin is in Tony's pocket and Tony lets him slide on some debts in exchange for the cop passing him insider info and sometimes running errands. However, Larry refused to implicate Tony, instead lying that former DiMeo Crime Family boss Jackie Aprile Sr. was responsible for the murder. They use Satriale's bandsaw and processing room to dismember the corpse. It would've been more expected for Ralph to get whacked back in season 3 when he was acting like a full liability to the crew; instead he's killed after he's mellowed out a bit and become more sympathetic than in his debut season. These murders were carried out by loyal lieutenants like Paulie "Walnuts" Gaultieri (Tony Sirico) and Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt). However, the inability of Christopher to get over his drug addiction caused Tony to start disliking him. Christopher Moltisanti's death, years before Christopher narrates The Many Saints of Newark, was thematically foreshadowed in "Walk Like a Man" through Tony's interactions with his son A.J. After the opening sequence, every scene Christopher narrates in the Sopranos prequel involves a key point in young Tony Soprano's life. In the second season, Chris is shot by his subordinates Matthew Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte but survives. Importantly, though, Tony doesn't realize that Christopher is no longer sober. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. (2004), Adriana La Cerva: Once she confessed to Christopher that she had been an FBI informant, divulging important information about the DiMeo crime family Christopher's loyalty to Tony proved to be greater than his love for Adriana. When Tony asked why, Christopher explained that this should happen before the authorities arrive. Chris is offered multiple chances to leave the mob and become a better person, and he turns each of them down. He's also currently working on a book about multiplex theaters and a documentary about Doctor Who fandom in the 1990s. Much discussion has been made of the finale of "The Sopranos" and whether Tony dies during that final cut to black, but Tony's soul was gone long before that point. During Chris' initiation ceremony, in "Fortunate Son", he notices a raven on the windowsill and takes this as a bad omen. The intervention ends about as well as we could've expected it to, with the rest of the crew beating the s*** out of Christopher before he begrudgingly heads off to rehab. Chris tells the crew that during his coma, he had seen himself in either hell or purgatory and warned them that Brendan and Mikey told him that three o'clock would be a significant time in their future. The mafia was never known for friendliness. After a break-up, A.J. Tony was even reluctant to promote him to Capo. Tony B arranges a meeting with a doctor who treated Tony and Adriana, who explains that both passengers were upright and had their seat belts fastened when it occurred. He also had short-term plans for Christopher to become his right-hand man. becomes severely depressed and shows suicidal behavior, at least according to his sister Meadow (Jamie-Lynn DiScala). A flashback scene showed Overall pleading for his life before Tony shot him (only Tony's hands were shown). In the series' final episodes, Chris' picture is hung in the pork store in his honor; Paulie is disturbed that the resident cat spends its days staring at the picture. Before the car accident, we see plenty of times where Christopher caused death and drama. Tony is prepared to kill Chris, but their cousin Tony Blundetto steps in and saves his life. This is a man who Tony was hoping to groom into becoming the next leader of the family. indicating that he was likely responsible. Soprano is. As Jackie's death from cancer begins The Sopranos, no charges could be brought against him. Notably, Sopranos-era Christopher's disembodied voice functions as the narrator to continue the series' long tradition of using elements of mysticism and magic to punctuate crucial points in the lives of the DiMeo crime family members. He was a liability to his business and potentially to his freedom due to his drug use, but in that moment I believe it was the branch. Dickie is killed when Chris is very young. Christopher then marries his new girlfriend, Kelli Lombardo and they have a daughter, Caitlyn, but his interest in his new wife soon wanes. The murder haunts Chris' dreams, and he twice has to dig up and move Kolar's corpse. Head and hands placed in a bowling bag by Christopher, who subsequently helped Tony dispose of the bag and Ralph's body. Glenn dying in The Walking Dead and the lasting implications thereof. These are all factors that build to a fateful car accident involving Tony and Christopher, with the latter admitting that he's unable to pass a drug test, one of the final straws for Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti's relationship. Tony has Adriana La Cerva murdered for being an FBI informant, but Carmela, not knowing the truth, spends the first half of Season 6 enraptured by the thought of her potential disappearance. The episode ends with Tony, Carmela (Edie Falco), Christopher and Adriana going on a double date, making a public declaration that the conflict between the two men is all behind them. Tony Soprano has been a father figure to Christopher since the death of his father, Dickie Moltisanti. His promotion irks Patsy, who has seniority. Scene from:Season 6 Episode 18 "Kennedy and Heidi" Tony eventually strangled him. According to Tony, Petrulio enjoyed telling students how he used to be a big bad mafioso. Willie Overall was the first person that Tony killed, when he was a young man coming up in the DiMeo family. This is a man who Tony was hoping to groom into becoming the next leader of the family. He uses Chris to organize a sensitive hit on Rusty Millio. Ralph then downplayed the death of Pie-Oh-My, a beautiful racing horse that Tony was very attached to. The result was Christophers death and Tonys guilt over the matter, despite the benevolent act. In the end, just like how Tony regards Dickie, Christopher can't help but look up to Tony, even when he's viewing his uncle, mentor, and father figure from hell. Moreover, initially, the two seemed to have moved on from the animosity over the conflict created by fellow mob associate, Paulie Gualtieri. Throughout the entire show, you see evidence of big stars disappearing or being killed off. Tony Soprano affectionately considers Christopher a "nephew," and looks out for him over the years. That, compounded with years of reckless behavior that complicated Tony's life in more ways than one, drives the gangster to pinch Christopher's nose until he suffocated and died. Tony Soprano killed Christopher Moltisanti because he was a liability. Elsewhere, Chris opens the Crazy Horse Nightclub in Long Branch with Furio Giunta as a partner and Adriana as the front operator. Although Christopher tries to tell himself he made the right decision, by season 6 he's a shell of his former self. Christopher Moltisanti is born in 1969 to Richard "Dickie" Moltisanti, a soldier in the DiMeo crime family, and Joanne Blundetto. Chris initially questions Tony's decision to contract the job out to their friends in Naples, but later decides it was a smart move. Appropriately, Christopher dies suffocating on his own blood as Tony smothers him.