Sopranos Top 10: My Favorite Scenes with Meadow and Tony Soprano
- Sopranos Blueprint
Meadow and Tony Soprano. Where do I even begin? The quintessential father-daughter combo, Meadow is proud of her close relationship with her father. That doesn’t mean she and Tony always see eye to eye, particularly over issues like race and the disenfranchised. In both good times and bad, they made a great pair. Here are my top 10 favorite scenes featuring Meadow and Tony Soprano.
Meadow and Tony Soprano: The Pilot (Series Premiere)
First, in this scene, Meadow’s irritated that Carmela isn’t letting her go skiing in Aspen with Hunter Scangarello. In typical teenage fashion, Meadow makes Carmela seem like the Wicked Witch of the West. Although, I guess it would be the East in this case, given they are in New Jersey. Anyway, Tony decides to take Meadow to see an old church built by their ancestors when they moved to the U.S. from Italy.
Meadow: Big whoop.
Tony: Stone and marble workers. They came over here from Italy, and they built this place.
Meadow: Yeah, right. Two guys.
Tony: No, they were two guys on a crew of, you know, laborers. They didn't design it...but they knew how to build it.
"Are You in the Mafia?" & “Like Mario Cuomo?” - Meadow & Tony Soprano go to College (Season 1, Episode 5)
Next, we have the famous Sopranos College trip. Soaked with that 90’s nostalgia, College is the most intimate Tony-Meadow episode that puts The Sopranos on the map.
Meadow: I’ve lived in the house all my life. I’ve seen police come, I’ve seen you go out at 3 a.m.
Tony: You never seen Doc Cusamano go out at 3 a.m. on a call?
Meadow: The Cusamano kids ever find $50,000 and a .45 while hunting for Easter eggs?
Tony: That stuff we talked about. How’s that sitting with you?
Meadow: Not like I wasn’t 90% sure already.
Tony: What about your brother? Does he know?
Meadow: I think so.
Tony: There was a time when Italian people didn’t have a lot of options.
Meadow: You mean like Mario Cuomo?
Season 1, Episode 9, "Boca"
Soon after College, we arrive in Boca. Well, not all of us – we don’t go down enough! While Tony, Sil, and Artie idolize the ground on which Meadow’s soccer coach stands, it isn’t long before the truth reaches the surface.
Meadow: Is that why you think we’re upset? Because a coach who most of us can’t even stand is leaving?
Tony: You don’t have to love him to be successful. “Catfish” Hunter hated Billy Martin. Bill Parcells’ guys can’t stand him, till they start to win.
Meadow: Coach Hauser had sex with Ally.
Tony: What?
Season 2, Episode 10, "Bust Out"
Then, we arrive at the end of season two. Meadow walks in and finds an inebriated Tony finishing his beverage. The dialogue is pretty magnificent and includes a key piece of Sopranos wisdom that resonates with me through the remainder of the series.
Tony: I tell people you’re like your mother, but you’re all me. Nothing gets by you.
Tony: I know you think I’m a hypocrite…
Meadow: Sometimes, we’re all hypocrites.
Season 3, Episode 8, "He is Risen"
Meadow: What are you talking about?
Tony: I know things haven't been so good with us lately. It's just...if anything happened to you...
To be sure, part of me thinks this scene deserves an entire blog post by itself. The powerful imagery, coupled with Tony’s words, was such an eye-opening example of how close, yet distant, the two families and worlds truly were. It makes me think about how extraordinary differences oftentimes are simply a result of being born and/or raised in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Season 3, Episode 10, "To Save Us All from Satan's Power"
Here we have one of the classic Tony-triggering Billy Bass moments. As I’m sure you all know, Tony had a dream in season two where a fish told him in Big Pussy’s voice that he was a government informant. Now, whenever Tony sees Billy Bass, he thinks about his friend who’s “sleeping with the fishes.” It just so happened that this time, it was a Christmas gift from Meadow.
Tony: What is it?
Season 4, Episode 2, "No Show"
Furthermore, while I don’t condone Tony’s lifestyle, I have to say I was on his side in this instance. In terms of intensity level, this up-close-and-personal nature was the closest Tony and Meadow had ever come to actual physical argument.
Tony: What do I mean? What do you mean? All these innuendoes. You inferring to me that I didn’t do everything I could to keep that kid from f**king himself up? That, yeah, knowing him and his family, that I didn’t try to be a better dad to him than his own dad, God rest his soul? That I didn’t try to protect Jackie Jr? That I didn’t smack him around because I was so frustrated? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?
Furthermore, Meadow takes a sharp 180 from early season four into a seemingly mature, well-adjusted college student by mid-season. Look no further than here, where Tony questions Meadow after seeing her advise a young Muslim woman whose brother’s in trouble.
Meadow: You ought to know.
Tony: Oh I see. That's what this is?
Meadow: God, listen to you. Believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around you.
Season 6, Episode 4, "The Fleshy Part of The Thigh"
Finally, I found this scene in season six to be quite heartwarming. Long gone are the days of Meadow shouting “Mr. Mob Boss!” and wanting desperately to leave New Jersey. Meadow’s no idiot. She knows what her dad does for a living, but she also loves him. As we know, loyalty is key, especially during a life threatening situation. Also, I found another inter-season connection. Remember when Tony told Dr. Melfi that his family told him his father was in Montana being a cowboy instead of in jail? There’s that Montana again. Things always come back full circle on The Sopranos.