In a way, the entire season has led to this point, the culmination of the fourth year's excellence. Whoever Did This is painful, vital, shocking and deeply compelling - quintessential Sopranos!
The center of the episode is Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano), who arguably has his most memorable scenes in this show: it starts with him making a prank call to Paulie's mother (obscenely funny) and ends with a violent confrontation with Tony over the death of Pie-o-My. The fight climaxes in Ralphie's own death, which Tony has to cover up with some assistance from the drug-riddled Christopher.
Ever since he made his debut in the series at Livia's funeral, Ralph stood out as one of the show's most colorful, disgusting and oddly charming characters, and much like Pussy Bonpensiero and Richie Aprile he gets the great exit he deserves. Over the course of twenty episodes, Pantoliano rampaged and stole one scene after the other, bringing a whole new edge to the program and winning a well-deserved Emmy for his trouble. Then again, it's hard to deny one to a guy who ultimately gets clipped not because he might have killed a horse (the official explanation for what happened), but for openly calling Tony fat: the result is an emotionally unbearable fistfight whose setting (a kitchen) might have inspired a similar scene in Kill Bill: Vol.1.
"I have come to reclaim Rome!" Ralph bellowed in the sixth episode of Season Three, quoting his favorite movie, Gladiator. Too bad he had to face the scariest emperor of all: Tony Soprano.
The center of the episode is Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano), who arguably has his most memorable scenes in this show: it starts with him making a prank call to Paulie's mother (obscenely funny) and ends with a violent confrontation with Tony over the death of Pie-o-My. The fight climaxes in Ralphie's own death, which Tony has to cover up with some assistance from the drug-riddled Christopher.
Ever since he made his debut in the series at Livia's funeral, Ralph stood out as one of the show's most colorful, disgusting and oddly charming characters, and much like Pussy Bonpensiero and Richie Aprile he gets the great exit he deserves. Over the course of twenty episodes, Pantoliano rampaged and stole one scene after the other, bringing a whole new edge to the program and winning a well-deserved Emmy for his trouble. Then again, it's hard to deny one to a guy who ultimately gets clipped not because he might have killed a horse (the official explanation for what happened), but for openly calling Tony fat: the result is an emotionally unbearable fistfight whose setting (a kitchen) might have inspired a similar scene in Kill Bill: Vol.1.
"I have come to reclaim Rome!" Ralph bellowed in the sixth episode of Season Three, quoting his favorite movie, Gladiator. Too bad he had to face the scariest emperor of all: Tony Soprano.