"Fortunate Son" is the twenty-ninth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the third of the show's third season. It was written by Todd A. Kessler, directed by Henry J. Bronchtein and originally aired on Sunday March 11 2001.

Guest starring roles

• Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile
• Max Casella as Benny Fazio
• Jason Cerbone as Jackie Aprile, Jr.
• Vince Curatola as Johnny Sack
• John Fiore as Gigi Cestone
• Robert Funaro as Eugene Pontecorvo
• Oksana Lada as Irina Peltsin
• Tony Lip as Carmine Lupertazzi
• George Loros as Raymond Curto
• Richard Maldone as Ally Boy Barese
• Alla Kliouka Schaffer as Svetlana Kirilenko
• Joseph Siravo as Johnny Boy Soprano

Episode recap

Christopher Moltisanti receives a call on his cell phone from Paulie Walnuts who tells him to meet at a shopping center parking lot in an hour and to "look sharp". Christopher begins to get excited along with Adriana, since this may be his making ceremony. Christopher then shaves and dresses and drives to Modell's. Silvio Dante and Paulie pull up, and they all drive together to a basement of a made man where Tony congratulates Christopher and Eugene Pontecorvo (who is also being made) on their accomplishment. They then gather at a table where Tony makes a speech and that if they have any doubts to speak up now since "once [they] enter this family, there's no getting out". Tony continues that the mob life comes before anything else, even blood family, and if a soldier cannot earn due to health problems they will assist him. Tony asks for their hands and draws blood by pricking them with a needle. He gives them both a picture of St. Peter which they light on fire in their hands. Tony then asks them to repeat the phrase "May I burn in Hell if I betray my friends". Christopher nervously eyes a raven which has landed on the open window, fearing it to be a bad omen.

After the ceremony, Tony throws a big party for Christopher at Nuovo Vesuvio with food and girl-on-girl pole dancers from the Bada Bing. Paulie congratulates Christopher on being made and tells him of his responsibilities. Seeing as Christopher is now officially in the family, Paulie's sportsbook is now his but he will have to give Paulie a minimum amount of $6,000 (some of which goes to Tony from Paulie) each week or he will begin getting points added on. Christopher tells Paulie that he loves him and looks forward to working with him.

However, Christopher later finds out that the sportsbook is not bringing in as much money as anticipated. He reluctantly gives the sum of money he has to Paulie, who is far from satisfied. Paulie warns Christopher to give him the money by the end of the week with another $2,000. Christopher receives an idea from Jackie Aprile, Jr., who plans to rob a benefit concert at Rutgers University. Christopher puts Jackie behind the wheel as their driver and robs the ticket booth at gunpoint. Angered, Christopher then gives Paulie the remainder of the money he earned.

Tony asks Dr. Melfi where the therapy is going since he is still regularly passing out. Dr. Melfi plants the idea of a behavior therapist but Tony feels that he is not ready. Melfi becomes upset when Tony answers his phone during therapy. He claims that it is "his busy season" and has to take it. After learning that Janice stole Svetlana Kirilenko's artificial leg as a sign of revenge, Tony eats capicola and flashes back to his first panic attack. At the age of 11, Tony witnesses his father cut off the pinky finger of Mr. Satriale, who owned the pork store during the 1960s. At dinner that evening, Johnny Boy tells Tony that Mr. Satriale is a degenerate gambler that owed money, and that was his punishment. Tony then feels better but when he witnesses his mother and father become passionate as Livia cuts the roast, Tony passes out and claims to have "ruined" dinner. Melfi thinks that this is a breakthrough since several of his panic attacks have to do with the presence of meat. Tony claims it is a merely a coincidence but that he does find it strange that Livia got "turned on by free meat".

Jackie Aprile, Jr. rudely skips out on dinner at the Soprano's house, and Carmela arranges him a sit-down with Tony. Jackie shows up late to meet Tony, and shows general disrespect for him. Tony recognizes Jackie's belief that he had his uncle, Richie Aprile killed, but denies it, and claims Richie was a rat, and is now in the witness protection program.

A.J. becomes involved with the school football team, which makes Tony very proud, since he did the same in his youth. When A.J. recovers a fumble at a game, Tony becomes elated and would like his son to become more devoted to the sport. A.J. shakes it off, seeing as he would rather play Nintendo. Meadow continues not to talk to Tony while Carmela tries to get Meadow to forgive him. Carmela attempts to convince Meadow that she does not know anything about Tony and Noah's quarrel, but Meadow laughs it off, saying that everyone knows and the situation would never have happened if Noah was white. While touring the Columbia University campus, A.J. becomes dizzy and nervous, facing qualms about college. At football practice, after being elevated to defensive captain, A.J. passes out on the field. This is the first instance of what turns out to be a condition of having anxiety attacks that has run in Tony's family for many generations.

First appearances

• Carmine Lupertazzi: Boss of the Lupertazzi Crime family, one of five New York mob organizations.
• Benny Fazio: Associate of Christopher and member of the Soprano crew.

Title reference

• The title refers to the song "Fortunate Son", by Creedence Clearwater Revival, about spoiled and privileged American youth.
• Several of the young men in the episode are "fortunate sons": the newly "made" Christopher being unable to handle his new mafia pressures, Jackie Jr.'s rebelliousness, and to A.J., who suffers from the same panic attacks as his father.

References to other media

• When Adriana learns that Christopher is about to be made, she becomes worried that it might be a pretext for a hit. When Christopher arrives, Silvio tells Tony that Chris was nervous during the entire ride over. In both cases, reference is made to "watching too many movies". This alludes to Goodfellas (in which Michael Imperioli appeared, as well as several other cast members of The Sopranos), where Tommy DeVito is lured to his death under the pretext of being made. A similar situation takes place in the movie Donnie Brasco, where Lefty (Al Pacino) fears he'll be the victim of a hit, just to be given a lion by his boss.
• During the flashback scene in which Tony, as a boy, is speaking to his father about how he handled watching the torture of Mr. Satriale, the signature theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly plays on the television set.
• When he robs the benefit concert, Christopher wears a mask from the movie Scream.

Music

• The Song played over the end credits is "Where's the Money" by Dan Hicks
• The music that can be heard playing in the background in one of the scenes is "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin

References