Do Not Resuscitate (The Sopranos)

"Do Not Resuscitate" is the 15th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the second of the show's second season. Written by Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, and Frank Renzulli, and directed by Martin Bruestle, it originally aired on January 23, 2000.

"Do Not Resuscitate"
The Sopranos episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 2
Directed byMartin Bruestle
Written byRobin Green
Mitchell Burgess
Frank Renzulli
Cinematography byPhil Abraham
Production code202
Original air dateJanuary 23, 2000
Running time50 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

see below

Starring

* = credit only

Guest starring

Synopsis

Jack Massarone's construction company, which provides no-show jobs to Tony, is being picketed by black protesters, led by Reverend Herman James, Jr., demanding jobs for black workers. In return for payment by Massarone, Tony sends some thugs who brutally beat up the protesters. He and Reverend James are colluding, and they split the payment.

Pussy's FBI handler, Skip Lipari, is pressing for information, but Pussy stalls.

Tony visits Junior in jail. They argue: Junior tries to convince Tony that Livia had nothing to do with the hit on his life, and that he should make peace with her; Tony mocks him for being manipulated by Livia. Tony meets with Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri, Junior's aide, and tells him that Junior will keep the title of boss, and will be permitted to "earn" on a "subsistence level"; the rest will be Tony's. Junior's release from prison on medical grounds is obtained; he is placed under house arrest with an ankle monitor. At an ostensible appointment with his doctor, Junior tells Tony that the owner of Livia's former nursing home, Freddie Capuano, has been gossiping about him, Livia, and Tony. Capuano disappears; a state trooper finds his abandoned Cadillac on waste ground, with his toupée lying nearby. He goes to open the trunk.

Janice continues to visit her mother in hospital. They antagonize each other, but when Janice plays the old music that Livia loves, they bond for the first time in years. Livia speaks of the money she has hidden; she doesn't remember where. Tony contemptuously tells Janice they deserve each other; she can live with Livia in Livia's house when she leaves the hospital. Talking to his grandmother, A.J. innocently mentions DNR. She realizes that Janice and Tony are considering a DNR instruction for her.

One evening Junior slips in the shower and is badly hurt. He speaks of his guilt to Tony and again urges him to make peace with Livia. He will not accept an ambulance, but allows Tony to carry him to Tony's car.

First appearances

Deceased
  • Frederick 'Freddie' Capuano: Director of Green Grove Retirement Community, presumed murdered by the DiMeo crime family for talking about Mafia business and about Tony's attempt to kill his mother, though his body is never shown on screen
  • Reverend Herman James, Sr.: dies of natural causes due to old age (he was 83)

Title reference
  • The episode's title is a common medical clause known as Do Not Resuscitate or DNR. Janice and Tony talk about signing a DNR for Livia.

Cultural references

Production
  • Although this was the second episode of Season 2 to air, it was the third to be produced.

References to other media
  • After Livia finds out about Janice's plans regarding the DNR (and that Janice will be moving in with her), she confronts her daughter, saying: "I've seen that movie with Richard Widmark." This is most likely a reference to the film Kiss of Death (1947), in which Widmark's character (a gleefully psychotic killer) pushes a wheelchair-using elderly woman down a flight of stairs to her death.[1] This is reinforced by the fact that during this scene, Janice briefly hallucinates an image of Livia falling down the stairs on an "In case of fire use stairs" sign on the hospital wall. It may alternatively be seen as a reference to the 1978 film Coma, also starring Widmark.[2]

Music
  • The song playing as Janice drives home from the hospital while smoking marijuana is "Mother and Child Reunion," by Paul Simon.
  • The song playing when Janice reconciles with Livia in the hospital is "Non ti scordar di me," sung by tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
  • The song played over the end credits is "Goodnight, My Love" by Ella Fitzgerald.

Filming locations

Listed in order of first appearance:[3]

References
  1. Zoller-Seitz, Matt (2000-01-28). "Star-Ledger Sopranos Archive: She's the devil in disguise". Star-Ledger. Newark. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  2. "Coma (1978) - Connections". IMDB. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  3. Ugoku. "The Sopranos location guide - Filming locations for". www.sopranos-locations.com. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
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