Richie and Janice get engaged, but Richie's violent temper finally takes him too far. Tony, meanwhile, breaks up with Irina, much to her...
Plot
Richie Aprile has been openly discussing a coup against Tony with Junior Soprano's encouragement. The plan has enough backing to constitute a real threat. Tony has been aware of rumblings but not the full extent of what has been organized. In this episode the situation reaches a threshold as Tony and his crew take stock of Richie's positioning and the reliability of various capos.
Richie and Janice have been planning to marry. Janice has been using Richie as a vehicle for her own ambitions, and Richie has seen in Janice a path to stabilizing his position within the family. The relationship has been volatile. On the night of what appears to be a pre-wedding dinner, Richie punches Janice in the face during an argument. It is not the first time he has been violent with her, but it is a line she decides she will not allow to pass.
Janice shoots Richie twice at close range at the dinner table, killing him. She calls Tony immediately. Tony arrives, assesses the situation with remarkable calm, and helps Janice rather than turning her in. He and Christopher methodically dispose of the body. Richie Aprile disappears from the earth without a public death. The coup dissolves with its architect gone. Tony tells the crew Richie went on the lam and no one asks too many questions.
Credits
Written by: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess
Directed by: Allen Coulter