Paulie and Silvio get promoted, Furio gets welcomed, Pussy gets pushed aside, and Chris gets frustrated with his Hollywood aspirations.
Big Girls Don't Cry (S02E05) aired February 13, 2000. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Tim Van Patten, it is the fifth episode of season two and a Melfi-heavy installment that develops Tony's therapy work in detail while the Richie Aprile situation continues to simmer.
Plot
Furio Giunta arrives from Italy, sent by the Neapolitan contacts as a gift and working loan -- a capable enforcer who can help Tony's operation. Furio is quiet, competent, and visually striking. Tony puts him to work immediately in collections. Furio's efficiency impresses the crew, though his manner remains opaque. He speaks little English and keeps to himself.
Tony starts attending anger management sessions at Carmela's insistence, possibly also as a legal condition. The group format is something Tony endures rather than engages with. He finds the other participants contemptible and the structure useless, but he goes. Dr. Melfi remains his real therapeutic relationship. Tony is trying to address his impulse control without believing it is actually possible to change.
Christopher confides in Adriana that he sometimes feels like a ghost in his own life. His ambitions beyond being a soldier are genuine and growing. Meadow at Columbia is adjusting to her roommate Caitlin's ongoing crisis while trying to find her own footing. Artie Bucco's new Vesuvio is open and struggling -- the new location lacks the old one's character and lunch service is light.
Credits
Written by: Terence Winter
Directed by: Tim Van Patten