Christopher and Paulie are making a lot of money off selling stolen tools through Christopher's father-in-law, Al Lombardo. When some of...
Walk Like a Man (S06E17) aired May 6, 2007. Written and directed by Terence Winter, it is one of the few episodes in the series where the same person wrote and directed. It focuses almost entirely on Christopher Moltisanti's sobriety and the people who undermine it.
Plot
Christopher Moltisanti's sobriety has collapsed. He is drinking again and using pills, and his judgment is impaired in ways that are becoming a serious operational problem. He shows up late, misses meetings, and makes errors that accumulate. Tony has protected Christopher from consequences for years because of the relationship between them, but the protective instinct is wearing thin as the behavior becomes harder to ignore or rationalize.
Christopher and AJ cross paths in ways that illuminate the different trajectories of the two young Soprano men. AJ's depression has deepened into something clinical. Christopher's addiction is its own form of self-destruction. The episode tracks both without offering resolutions. Tony is managing both situations from a parental position -- distressed in ways he cannot fully express while maintaining the surface calm the role requires.
Paulie is dealing with a personal revelation about his actual origins that destabilizes his sense of self. His reaction to this news runs through the episode as a dark comedy thread. Tony and Christopher continue to pull in opposite directions: Tony trying to hold things together, Christopher fraying the connections that hold his life in place. The end of both of their stories is approaching.
Credits
Written by: Terence Winter
Directed by: Terence Winter