Luxury Lounge

Infobox Television episode | Title = Luxury Lounge
Series = The Sopranos
Season = 6
Episode = 72
Guests= "see below"
Airdate = April 23, 2006 (HBO)
Production = 607
Writer = Matthew Weiner
Director = Danny Leiner
Episode list = Episode chronology


Prev = Live Free or Die
Next = Johnny Cakes"Luxury Lounge" is the seventy-second episode of the HBO original series "The Sopranos" and the seventh of the show's sixth season. It was written by Matthew Weiner, directed by Danny Leiner and originally aired on April 23 2006.

Guest starring

* Nick Annunziata as Eddie Pietro
* Lauren Bacall as Herself
* Edoardo Ballerini as Corky Caporale
* John Bianco as Gerry Torciano
* Denise Borino as Ginny Sacrimoni
* Elizabeth Bracco as Marie Spatafore
* Max Casella as Benny Fazio
* Manuela Feris as Martina
* Ben Kingsley as Himself
* Alicia Lorén as Eden
* Arthur Nascarella as Carlo Gervasi
* Artie Pasquale as Burt Gervasi
* Suzanne Shepherd as Mary De Angelis
* Frankie Valli as Rusty Millio
* Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante
* Lenny Venito as James "Murmur" Zancone

Episode recap

At Vesuvio's, Phil Leotardo and Tony Soprano host a joint celebration as the books are opened for two new members: Gerry Torciano and Burt Gervasi. The event is not without tension, as Phil rants about his disgust at his still-missing cousin-in-law Vito Spatafore, and many people seem dissatisfied with the food and service. Phil speaks favorably of a new competitor to Vesuvio's, Da Giovanni, and informs Artie Bucco he should check it out. After the meal Chris, Tony and Carlo discuss the lack of progress in the search for Vito, and Chris asks permission to pursue his movie venture.

As Rusty Millio and his driver Eddie Pietro are pulling out of Rusty's driveway, the two Italian hit men contracted by Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti pull up behind them in a small SUV, cutting them off at the end of the driveway. One gets out and, feigning poor English, asks Rusty and Eddie for directions to the Eastern Parkway in New York. While Rusty is giving him directions, the second hit man slowly walks up near the driver's side and shoots Eddie dead, as the other, who was pretending to ask directions, executes Rusty. The pair subsequently drop their guns in the driveway and make a quick getaway as Rusty's Mercedes Benz rolls out into the street.

Tony reluctantly attends a meal at Da Giovanni to celebrate Phil's grandson's confirmation. Marie Spatafore is there with her children, who are being teased about their homosexual father. Carmela sings the restaurant's praises and discusses what she thinks is wrong with Nuovo Vesuvio. Privately, Phil approaches Tony to thank him on Johnny Sack's behalf for the hit on Rusty. Tony expresses his distrust for the acting boss by denying involvement, which Phil accepts as cautiousness.

Christopher and Little Carmine travel to Los Angeles to meet with a reluctant Sir Ben Kingsley, whom they want to play the boss in their "The Ring meets The Godfather" film project. Away from his AA sponsor, Christopher partakes in drinking, drugs, as well as in the sexual services of a female escort named Eden, before calling for Murmur to come out and help him get back on the wagon.

The meeting with Kingsley does not go well. The Oscar-winning actor seems unimpressed and is uninterested in their project. Kingsley interrupts the pair to speak poolside to Lauren Bacall, who states she is in town to be a presenter at an awards show. When she mentions the gifts associated with presenting, Kingsley remembers he has a walk-through scheduled in the "luxury lounge", a room set-up with free gifts handed out to celebrities. Christopher and Carmine tag along with Kingsley. Christopher is fascinated by the arrangement, and is interested in finding out how he can share in the free bounty.

Artie has a new Albanian hostess, Martina. After he sees her pawing Benny Fazio at the bar, Artie tells her that he cannot help expedite her green card process any further. Benny questions the way Artie treats Martina, leading to increased tension between the two.

More is revealed about Ahmed and Muhammad's credit card number scheme with Chris' crew. Murmur makes rounds for Chris that include buying credit card details from an Italian delicatessen and the Teittleman's hotel, and then delivering numbers to the two men. Murmur offers to give them cloned plastic cards, but they tell him their operation is Internet-only.

Vesuvio's financial woes continue when Artie gets a visit from American Express fraud investigators. They inform Artie someone has been stealing credit card numbers from his customers to run up bogus charges, and that they must suspend Vesuvio's card usage as a precaution. After an emotional staff meeting, Artie learns Martina has been helping Benny steal the credit card numbers from the restaurant. Artie fires Martina, then in a fit of rage, he goes to Benny's house in the middle of the night and delivers a beating that puts Benny in the emergency room. Artie would later find ways to recoup losses and bring more customers to the restaurant, including a "two-for-one" special; that promotion backfired when he learned the special attracted budget-minded senior citizens.

Tony tries to patch things up between Artie and Benny, lecturing the two on how they both were at fault. He invites Charmaine and Artie onto "The Stugots II" with him and Carmela, and lectures an unreceptive Artie. He gives the revenge-minded Benny a direct order at Satriale's, stating, "You don't shit where you eat, and you "really" don't shit where "I" eat."

At Tony's insistence, Benny's parents have their anniversary dinner at Vesuvio. Artie makes a table-side visit during their meal. While asking if he can get anyone another drink, Artie makes a veiled comment referencing Benny's activity with Artie's former hostess Martina. Benny follows him into the kitchen and forces Artie's right hand into a boiling pot of tomato sauce, burning Artie severely. Before leaving Los Angeles, outside of an awards show a masked Christopher mugs Lauren Bacall, stealing her gift bag. When he gets home, Christopher offers Tony some of the stolen goods, but Tony is more concerned with Christopher's lack of focus. He blames Christopher's absence for the Artie/Benny fiasco, stating that perhaps if he was around to keep a handle on his crew, the confrontation could have been avoided.

Tony has dinner at Vesuvio with Carmela and her mother Mary, but Hugh is absent, still feuding with Carmela. Tony urges Artie to enter therapy, telling him he goes about "in pity for himself". Artie responds with hostility, to which Tony responds by informing Artie that customers do not like his table-side chatter. Tony suggests Artie stay in the kitchen and departs.

Charmaine seats a young couple just before closing time at Vesuvio's. Artie tells Charmaine to tell the guests they will have to eat whatever he prepares, since the staff has left for the evening. With his right hand heavily bandaged, Artie prepares a rabbit dish from his father's hand-written cookbook, the same rabbit Artie shot a few days previously for eating an arugula plant from his garden.

First appearance

* Burt Gervasi: Soprano family soldier and cousin to Carlo Gervasi.

Deceased

* Rusty Millio: executed on orders from Johnny Sack via Tony Soprano's personal hit men from Italy for potentially trying to take power away from Johnny again.
* Eddie Pietro: collateral damage from the Millio hit.

Title reference

* Christopher and Little Carmine follow Ben Kingsley through a celebrity Luxury Lounge where many free gifts are offered to celebrities.
* The episode starts and ends with the hitmen from Italy. The closing scene features them reviewing the gifts they have bought from America for family back home, taking advantage of the weak US dollar.

Production

* Creator David Chase makes a cameo as a passenger on the plane during the last scene.
* This episode was the first and only instance of Lauren Bacall using the word "fuck" on-screen. She reportedly considered it "a high point in her career".

References to other media

* The scene in which a group of senior citizens enter Artie's restaurant, after he had to lower restaurant's standards and start offering two-for-ones, is a reference to the similar scene in "Casino", where we see the similar group of senior citizens enter the casino, after the narrator mentions how standards have fallen in Las Vegas.
* When Tony is giving Artie advice in the back of Vesuvio he says "I'm gonna eat here until I fall off the chair," this is possibly a reference to the ending of "The Godfather Part III", where Michael Corleone dies and falls out of his chair.
* In the Luxury Lounge, the Xbox video game "" is being played on a television.

Music

* Closing credits music is a classical guitar piece called "Recuerdos de la Alhambra", composed by Francisco Tarrega and played by Pepe Romero.
* The song playing at the bar where Ahmed and Muhammad get the stolen credit card numbers was "Dazz", a 1976 hit song by Brick.
* The song playing in the Luxury Lounge when Christopher looks around at the swag is "Welcome to New York City" by Cam'ron.