| "Rat Pack" | |
|---|---|
| The Sopranos episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Alan Taylor |
| Written by | Matthew Weiner |
| Cinematography by | Alik Sakharov |
| Production code | 502 |
| Original air date | March 14, 2004 |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
"Rat Pack" is the 54th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and is the second of the show's fifth season. Written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Alan Taylor, it originally aired on March 14, 2004.
* = credit only
Carmine dies; Little Carmine and Johnny both claim to succeed him as head of the Lupertazzi family. Tony has a meeting with Jack Massarone, who presents him with a painting of the Rat Pack. Tony does not know, at first, that he is now an FBI informant; he receives the tip from a source of Patsy’s. Tony arranges another meeting and hugs Massarone, trying to find the wire, which is hidden in his baseball cap. He does not know what to think but realizes that Massarone said one thing out of key: he complimented Tony on losing weight. Tony spends a restless night, then drives to the Pulaski Skyway and tosses Massarone's painting into the river below. Massarone is found dead in the trunk of his car the next day.
Another informant, Soprano capo Ray Curto, visits FBI Headquarters to help agents correct a transcript of a meeting he recorded. A third informant, Adriana, is immensely uncomfortable leaking information from Christopher and Tony. Her handler, Agent Robyn Sanseverino, tells her about a family tragedy that compelled her to join the Bureau and says Adriana is with "the good guys now", but Adriana is not comforted. At a social gathering with Carmela and other mob wives, Adriana's guilt is inflamed when Rosalie tells her that Big Pussy Bonpensiero's widow, Angie, is not welcome in their group. A tearful Adriana nearly admits the truth but instead flees, and stumbles and hurts herself in the driveway. She refuses the women's offers of first aid and speeds away in her car. She then tells Sanseverino that her friend Tina, who has been flirting with Christopher, is embezzling money from the company where she works.
Tony greets Tony B after he is released from prison. At his welcome-home party at Nuovo Vesuvio, Tony tells the guests how important his cousin was to him when he was growing up. Tony B is disappointed that his ex-wife and twin sons are not there. There is some awkwardness when the circumstances of his arrest are raised, and when he seems to mock Tony's weight. Tony offers his cousin a place in a stolen airbag operation, but Tony B is not eager to return to the business and seeks to go legitimate by becoming a state-licensed massage therapist. A disappointed Tony tells Christopher and Silvio that his cousin is "useless." He rebukes Tony B for making jokes about him, as he is now "the boss," and for giving massages in the office. However, in a late-night phone call, he seems to soften his tone and they reconcile.
