The Sopranos (TV Series) For All Debts Public and Private (2002) User Reviews

"There's two endings for a guy like me... Dead, or in the can."

[edantheman · 8/10 · 2 July 2013]

If 9/11 was good for one thing in television it was reminding us that our world and the world of the Sopranos were one and the same. A film of unreality which glossed over the first three seasons was burnt off with the acidic lyrics of 'World Destruction' as Tony picked up his paper without any apparent surveillance or idling cars as in the previous seasons. For a season opener, this is probably the most typical of them all. The absence of the side-view mirror shot of the twin towers in the opening titles aside, little appears to have changed in the intervening year or so since we last parted ways.

Money, as evidenced by the title, is the main theme of the episode. The dotcom bubble which characterised the pre-9/11 arc of the program has burst and Tony has to bust the heads of Carlo Gervasi, 'Ally boy' Barese, Ray Curto and Ralph Cifaretto to get things running right in a purportedly recession-proof industry like theirs. Carmela wants to know what will happen to her should anything befall her husband after noticing Angie Bonpensiero hocking samples in the supermarket, but he assures her she will be 'taken care of'. Junior needs cash to cover his legal costs but boss Tony refuses to change their arrangement which benefits him disproportionately, despite using Junior's case as an argument in the aforementioned sit-down.

As for indebtedness, Chrissy now feels like he owes Tony his loyalty more than ever, after his Uncle gave him the whereabouts of the cop who supposedly killed his father Dickie years ago. Legend has it that Papa Moltisanti was carrying a crib for his newborn son when he was gunned down on their front lawn. Really, it was TV dinner trays. Tonight Lt Barry Haydu is celebrating his retirement across the road, but Tony cannot quite be sure which one he is at first. Not that it matters. Christopher's faith in Tony and appetite for vengeance will allow him to kill the most likely innocent man at his home in cold blood. Any doubt he may have had of the man's guilt is dissuaded by his sociopathic sensibilities and desire to please Tony, who "wants {him} dead anyway". His demotion to driving duties will prove to be temporary, and Bobby Bacala's promotion to Acting Capo, a trend that will continue.

David Chase has stated that when he penned this episode, he knew how the show would end. This is very clear when viewing the series for a second time and listening to Tony's ponderings on his fate in Melfi's office. Getting whacked or a hundred to life are the only options he sees on the horizon. Unless he starts to channel his commands through blood like Chrissy. And we know how that turned out... But from here on out, the show would progress with greater urgency and a newfound sense of direction. And a don would not don shorts for another season or so.

Quasimodo

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 15 September 2021]

Junior's legal fees are starting to hurt the Soprano family and a sense of impending doom is felt by all.

This is a strong start to the fourth season that establishes an even darker tone than usual and sets the scene well for all characters.

The plot is quite minimal as it focuses on a number of characters and shows them contemplating financial and existential crisis. There are a number of scenes portraying characters in a dark place that hit hard. The underlying themes of money and death come through strongly in the dialogue and imagery.

Tony, Carmela, Christopher, and Junior in particular have good screen time. It is the first episode post 9-11 and effectively conveys the dread they associate with certain lifestyles or even life itself possibly coming to an end.

Tony is about as aggressive and tetchy towards the people around him as he's ever been and the stress and tension come out in virtually every image and sequence associated with the character. James Gandolfini still manages to be entertaining in a fairly intimidating performance.

Junior is in an equally dark a place and, in addition to his legal problems, his age and the events of previous seasons are now a stark realisation. Dominic Chianese has many superb moments and delivers great dialogue with his usual epic timing. It's testament to his performance as a selfish, cantankerous, nasty old mobster that he can be so enjoyable to watch.

Carmela is shown worrying about the future. Both the writing and Edie Falco's performance is great as ever. Her exchanges with Tony are compelling and she is believably portrayed as someone frustrated by her inability to take control of her own destiny.

It is an important episode for Christopher, but I won't say anything that will spoil what happens. However there is some good character history revealed, interesting signs of what might be coming, and Michael Imperioli is excellent as always.

Generally the dialogue is as sharp as ever and delivered to perfection by the cast. There are some moments that are very funny, others that are quite uncomfortable, foreboding, and it does a great job or establishing that there are dark times ahead.

Visually it is strong with some great symbolism in scenes using money and animals. The cinematography and editing is great as ever and the use of popular music enhances everything.

For All Debts Public and Private (#4.1)

[ComedyFan2010 · 8/10 · 13 March 2014]

Carmela worries who will take care of her if anything happens to Tony. Junior is facing trial and a bad news come up that there is an undercover FBI agent among them, Adriana's new best friend. Tony tells Chris who kills his father and he shows up at his house after his retirement party to kill him.

A good start for the new season. I am looking forward to them figuring out who the undercover is. Also we may see even more of Adriana now which would be great.

Another good part is them touching the idea that someone like Tony will either end up dead or in the can. Is it a prediction and will his realization change anything?

New season, new trouble

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 29 April 2008]

It begins with Carmela having an argument with her son. Nothing new. The following scene is the familiar sight of Tony picking up the paper in his underwear. Still nothing new. Does this mean Season Four will be business as usual? Hell, no. Sure, it's still violent, complex, riveting and casually sweary, but with half the series nearly over it's time for some major changes that will define the last years of the show.

First of all, the situation between Tony and Uncle Junior reverts to sour when it turns out the old man doesn't have enough money to pay his medical procedures and the upcoming trial. Unfortunately, Tony can't help him out since the cash flow has diminished significantly, a fact that upsets Carmela as well. And yet the bigger problem has yet to manifest itself, and it involves Chris and Adriana: the former still has trust issues with Tony, although the chance to finish an unresolved matter from his past seems to put a damper on that, and gets more hooked on heroin as each day passes; the latter has made friends with a woman named Danielle, not knowing that she is in fact an undercover FBI agent.

As a season starter, For All Debts Public and Private is quite calm: it doesn't have the strongly foreboding tension of Season Two's opener or the playfulness of the first Season Three episode (apart perhaps from the casting of comedian Will Arnett in the serious part of Danielle's husband - he does a good job, actually). That it maintains the exceptional level of the rest of the series is entirely due to smart writing and even better acting. The Tony-Junior conversation, in particular, is a cracker, in what promises to be the first of another 13 excellent stories.

Christopher The Avenger!

[Dan1863Sickles · 9/10 · 5 April 2021]

Please skip over the first twenty minutes, which are nothing but Carmela nagging Tony about money. Go right to the scene where Tony has Christopher park outside the cop's retirement party. Everything after that is absolutely brilliant. Watch the way the two actors highlight Christopher's hurt, his rage, and the almost sexual pleasure Tony takes in manipulating his emotions. Then watch the scene inside the cop's house and notice how Christopher is smarter than he lets on to be. "It doesn't matter. He still wants you dead." For me this is perhaps the most chilling moment in the series.

Who said this man doesn't have an arc?

Of course, the Sopranos always found time for humor in between the high drama and the chilling suspense. Watch Bobby Baccala struggle to make the connection between the University of Notre Dame and the prophet Nostradamus. It's a shame Bobby never watched "Reign." It would have given him a lot to ponder!

Margetis Review - The Sopranos, Episode 40 "For All Debts Public and Private"

[MichaelMargetis · 11 February 2006]

In a season opener that isn't bad, but could've been a hell of a lot better, Tony gets closer than he's ever been with Christopher. He tells Christopher the man who killed his father was a newly retired cop, and gave him the address of his home. Christopher whacks the ex-cop, in a exciting scene using shadows instead of gore. Also, Carmela is all worried Tony won't provide for their future, and Junior is stressing out over his upcoming trial, once he finds out the nurse in his doctor's office was really an undercover F.B.I. agent. And Adriana is getting close to her new friend who is actually an F.B.I. agent. But the biggest plot point of this episode is Tony worried about making money. "Where is the f*cking money?" – to quote Tony. That seems like a major plot point that will be ongoing in all of season four. Written by David Chase; Directed by Allen Coulter. My Rating: 8/10.

Def a darker tone to the show starting in S4

[Neptune165 · 7/10 · 14 July 2022]

The dollar bill (and the eye/face) refers to the manipulation that happens in the episode. Everyone takes the lies at "face value". Chridtopher even suspects he may be manipulated. But he chooses to take Tony's possible lie at face value. One thing I liked was when Tony was yelling at the Capos he told them it was because Junior was on trial and needed the money when we know Junior only gets like 7% or whatever of the money that's "kicked up" to him with the rest going to Tony from earlier seasons. I feel as though they included that close-up shot of the 20 dollar bill because it could represent the root cause of all the murder, pain, anguish, drug addictions, suicide attempts, depression, hostility, and misery that befalls the Soprano family and the mafia world. Had they been content with a little house in NJ, and had they not lived outrageously decadent lives that were paved with the deaths of countless victims, then perhaps they would've been happy. The root cause of every single issue is their thirst for greed. Greed and status are the two main reasons for existence for these people. Who has which new car, who has which new title in the mafia. That's all they care about, and the 20 dollar bill represents the fact that it is the overarching reason for all this chaos and is what drives every character to do malicious acts throughout the series.