From Where to Eternity

Infobox Television episode | Title = From Where to Eternity
Series = The Sopranos
Season = 2
Episode = 22
Guests= "see below"
Airdate = March 12, 2000
Production = 208 (2-9)
Writer = Michael Imperioli
Director = Henry J. Bronchtein
Episode list = Episode chronology


Prev = Full Leather Jacket
Next = Bust Out"From Where to Eternity" is the twenty-second episode of the HBO original series "The Sopranos" and the ninth of the show's second season. It was written by Michael Imperioli, directed by Henry J. Bronchtein and originally aired on Sunday March 12 2000.

Guest starring roles

* Jerry Adler as Hesh Rabkin
* Peter Bogdanovich as Dr. Elliot Kupferberg
* Lillo Brancato Jr. as Matthew Bevilaqua
* Louis Lombardi as Agent Skip Lipari
* Judy Reyes as Paulie's Girlfriend
* Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante

Episode recap

With friends and family by his side, Christopher Moltisanti clings to life in a hospital ICU. During the night, his heart stops and the doctors attempt to resuscitate him. He is pronounced clinically dead for over a minute, but the doctors manage to revive him. Fearing for his life, Carmela Soprano finds an empty hospital room and admits to Jesus that the members of the family have entered their occupations with eyes open but prays that Christopher will recover and "see the light". When he is conscious, he asks to see Paulie Walnuts and Tony Soprano and tells them of a trip he made to hell, where he saw Brendan Filone and Mikey Palmice in an Irish bar and they had a message for Tony and Paulie: "Three o'clock."

Tony dismisses Christopher's story, but Paulie becomes obsessed with the message. Paulie is awakened nightly at 3:00 a.m. with nightmares that wake his girlfriend's children. At the suggestion of his girlfriend, he eventually seeks the help of a psychic, who claims to see the spirits of the men Paulie killed following him. Believing his donations to a church should have prevented him from being haunted, Paulie takes out his frustration on a chain-smoking priest, telling him he feels that the Church has forsaken him and that he won't be giving any more donations. Eventually, Paulie consoles Christopher with the idea that what he saw was purgatory, instead of hell.

Meanwhile, Carmela learns from Gabriella Dante that an associate in the Soprano family, Ralphie Rotaldo, just had a baby with his longtime Brazilian comàre. Carmela tells Tony this and asks that he have a vasectomy so that he will not bring shame to the family, since she knows that he still sees women on the side. Tony tries to shake off the accusation, since he allegedly broke up with his girlfriend months ago. Carmela then reminds him of the shame that a "bastard-child" would do to the family. Tony does not feel like listening, which causes Carmela to take a pillow from the bed and sleep downstairs. Adding to Carmela's frustration is the fact that Tony lied to her about Christopher's trip to the afterlife, telling her that Christopher had been in heaven while Christopher admitted to her to being in hell. Also, a problem arises when Tony criticizes his "only male heir", his son A.J., after he spills food on the floor accidentally. Soon after, Tony apologizes to A.J. and makes amends. Tony agrees to have his vasectomy if Carmela still wants it. Carmela says "No", but what she wants him to be is pure and "to be hers". They then make love.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero is afraid that Tony knows he has been working with the FBI, so at the advice of his FBI contact, Pussy tries to "make Tony love him again." Pussy tries to regain his trust by hunting down Matthew Bevilaqua, who was responsible for Christopher's shooting. When he gets the information as to his whereabouts—Hacklebarney State Park in Chester, New Jersey—Pussy calls Tony and the two execute Matt, riddling his body with bullets.

After the killing, the two go to a steakhouse where Pussy first took Tony after he committed his first murder. They tell jokes and reminisce, noting how long it has been since they first started working together. Tony asks Pussy if he believes in God, to which he responds that he does, and that He has been very grateful to him. Tony agrees, and the two toast.

Carmela's prayer

"Gentle and merciful Lord Jesus, I want to speak to You now with an open heart, with an honest heart. Tonight I ask You to take my sins and the sins of my family into Your merciful heart. We have chosen this life in full awareness of the consequences of our sins. I know that Christopher's life is in Your hands... And his fate is Your will. I ask You humbly to spare him. And if it is Your will to spare him, I ask that You deliver him from blindness and grant him vision. And through this vision may he see Your love... And gain the strength to carry on in service to Your mercy. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen."

Deceased

*Matthew Bevilaqua: repeatedly shot execution-style by Tony and Pussy in revenge for Christopher's shooting.

Title reference

* The episode's title is a play on the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity". It refers to Christopher having a trip to the afterlife and not knowing whether it was purgatory or hell.

Production

* Although the episode was the ninth of the second season, it was the eighth to be produced.
* In his dream, Christopher describes that Mikey Palmice and Brendan Filone claimed that the time three o'clock will be important in the lives of Tony and Paulie. Since then, several important events have taken place at this hour and it has become a key supernatural recurring symbol.
* This was the first episode written by Michael Imperioli. He went on to become a regular writer for the show.

Music

* The song "My Lover's Prayer" by Otis Redding is played throughout the episode and over the end credits.
* The Metallica song "King Nothing" is played in the background while Paulie talks to Tony after he visits the psychic.