The Fleshy Part of the Thigh

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"The Fleshy Part of the Thigh"

"The Fleshy Part of the Thigh" is the sixty-ninth episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos and the fourth of the show's sixth season. The episode was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, directed by Alan Taylor and originally aired on April 2, 2006.

Guest starring

Episode recap

Tony Soprano has surgery to close the opening in his abdomen. With his condition improved, the insurance company representative wants to send Tony home as soon as possible. Before leaving, Tony interacts with two patients on his floor, John Schwinn, a Bell Labs scientist, and Da Lux, a rapper.

Da Lux expresses admiration for Tony, referring to him as an "Original G" (meaning "gangster"). Like Tony, he is hospitalized for gunshot wounds, injuries that many of his followers and colleagues believe will help his career by providing him "street cred". Bobby Baccalieri proposes an idea to Marvin, one of the other rappers visiting the hospital: Bobby will help jump start Marvin's career by shooting him in the "fleshy part" of the thigh. The rapper agrees, but later when the rapper doesn't come up with the entire fee for the "hit" Bobby instead shoots Marvin in the buttocks.

Paulie Walnuts visits his dying Aunt Dottie and she informs him that she is actually his mother. Because she was a nun and did not want to ruin her career and shame her family, she had her sister raise Paulie as if he was her son. Devastated with the news, Paulie struggles to remain focused at work and questions his own identity. He confronts Nucci, the woman who raised him, and tells her he will no longer support her financially, and furthermore wants nothing more to do with her.

While watching a prize fight on satellite TV with Tony and Da Lux in Da Lux's hospital room, and when Paulie moans about how alone we all are, Schwinn discusses the interconnectivity of all life, telling them how no event or entity can be understood independent from the rest of the world (referencing the work of Erwin Schrödinger). Schwinn has ideas that are at odds with the beliefs of an Evangelical Christian minister who visits Tony. Da Lux agrees with Schwinn: "everything is everything, I'm down with that." Later, Tony confides to Schwinn he's starting to believe we're all part of something bigger.

Following Dick Barone's death, his son Jason takes over ownership of Barone Sanitation (for which Tony is a paid consultant), and tries to sell the company without first getting approval from Tony. After Tony, Paulie and Patsy Parisi make it clear that it will not be in his best interests to proceed, Jason discovers he is too far along in the process to back out. The company trying to buy Barone's routes is associated with Johnny Sack. After a violent encounter between two garbage crews trying to work the same route, and after some negotiation, Tony agrees to terms with Sack (with Phil Leotardo working as intermediary) and allows the sale to go through. "Truth be told, there's enough garbage for everybody," Tony tells Phil. Tony also acquiesces to Jason's mother, who begs Tony to make sure no harm comes to her son. The pleading of a mother for her son drives Paulie to leave the hospital room in tears. As Tony is leaving the hospital, he again avoids confrontation by allowing an EMT worker to keep money Tony originally claimed was taken from his wallet the night his uncle shot him.

Upon his release from the hospital, and after a few moments of observing the bustle of life outside while in a wheelchair, Tony observes, "from now on, every day is a gift." At the docks, Paulie viciously beats Jason, warning him not to say a word to Tony as he brandishes a gun. Paulie demands from Jason a monthly cut equal to the cost of Nucci's retirement home expenses.

First appearances

Deceased

Title reference

  • When discussing ways to increase a rapper's popularity, Bobby proposes delivering to him a relatively benign gunshot wound to "the fleshy part of the thigh". Further, when Paulie approaches Aunt Dottie from the foot of her death-bed, he attempts to cover her with a blanket, which she immediately pulls back away. Paulie is apparently disturbed by the view of her uncovered lower limbs.

Music

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