25 Days of Christmas Episodes – Day 6 – The Sopranos “…To Save us All from Satan’s Power”
Tony’s suffering from panic attacks and chest pains once again, and this leads him to another appointment with Dr. Melfi. Of course, he can’t really get into specifics with her since those specifics are highly illegal, bringing them to another therapy standoff. It’s going to be a blue Christmas for Tony.
The guys at the Bada Bing unpack the Christmas decorations and find the Santa Claus suit that Big Pussy used to wear every year. Yes, mobsters using a strip club as a front business had a Santa, too. (This is not inconsistent with the series as a whole – say what you want, they get involved in their community.)
Since the bulk of the episode is about further the season-long Jackie Jr. arc, there’s not much to it that’s specifically Christmas-themed. But the contrasting Santa scenes are nice, and this episode introduces Big-Mouth Billy Bass to the Soprano family. Carmela thinks it’s hilarious, which tells you everything you need to know about her right there. Tony is less amused, since Pussy is often represented by a talking fish in his dreams.
Best Line – Paulie Walnuts: “In the end, f*ck Santa Claus.”
Christmas Tropes:
Santa Claus – Big Pussy plays Santa Claus in the past and Bobby Bacala takes the honors in the present. The cast is not lacking in people who could play Kris Kringle without a pillow, that’s for sure. Plus, the Bing Girls wear Santa hats.
Gifts – From Tony to Carmela: A $50,000 sapphire bracelet. Meadow to Tony: A Big-Mouth Billy Bass.
Musical Number – Janice and her then-boyfriend, the narcoleptic Christian folksinger Aaron attempt to write and record a song about Jesus’ blood and Christmas. What little we hear is hilarious.
Learning a lesson – Not all fat people make good Santas. You can totally buy your wife’s love.
Cheer-o-meter Score: While using Christmas mostly for the background, I find cheer in other sources here. First off, when you’re watching it, you know the very next episode is the high point of the series, “Pine Barrens”. Second, this is the only Christmas episode on this year’s list to prominently feature topless strippers. That gets an 8, because I’m easy.
