"Funhouse" is the 26th episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos, and the season finale of the show's second season. It was co-written by series creator/executive producer David Chase and co-producer Todd A. Kessler, and directed by frequent The Sopranos director John Patterson, and originally aired in the United States on April 9, 2000, attracting about 9 million viewers.
Starring
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano, Jr. Vincent Pastore as Pussy Bonpensiero Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano, Jr. Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva Nancy Marchand as Livia Soprano
Guest starring
Jerry Adler as Hesh Rabkin
John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco
Also guest starring
Synopsis
Tony is sick from food poisoning, and he has vivid fever dreams. In one he is having sex with Dr. Melfi in her office. In another, a dead fish on a slab speaks to him with Pussy's voice and says he is working for the government and Tony knows it; that is why Tony passed him over for promotion. As soon as he can, Tony goes with Silvio to Pussy's home. Pretending he is still sick, Tony rushes to the toilet; while the rest are downstairs, he searches the bedroom and finds Pussy's wire.
Tony says he wants Pussy to see a boat he is thinking of buying, and the three of them drive to it. Paulie is already there. They take the boat out to open water. In the cabin, Tony asks Pussy when he flipped. After hesitating, he says it was eighteen months ago, less, and he only supplied disinformation; but he admits that he told them about the crew's current money-earning scam involving telephone calling cards. He asks for a drink and Tony permits it; he tells a smutty story and the guys laugh. He goes to the other end of the cabin and, while he is asking if he can sit down, Tony, followed by Silvio and Paulie, shoots him dead. Paulie removes his identifying jewelry, and together they bind his bagged body in chains and weights, throw him off the back of the boat, and watch him sink into the ocean.
Meadow graduates from high school. At the ceremony, Tony tells Christopher that he is putting him up to become a made man. He also meets Davey, whose wife has left him: he is going to work "on a ranch out West" where there are flights to Las Vegas. His son, who was accepted by Georgetown University, is going to Montclair State University instead because of "a money pinch".
Shortly after Janice's departure, Tony and his younger sister Barbara arrive at Livia's home to discuss her permanent living arrangements. Barbara's husband won't allow her to live with them and the retirement home will not have her back. Angrily, Tony gives her two airline tickets with which she and her sister can fly first-class to Tucson, where another sister is living. But the tickets were obtained through the bust-out of Davey's store, and Livia is detained at Newark International Airport for possessing stolen airline tickets. FBI agents arrive at Tony's home with a search warrant and he is led away handcuffed in front of Meadow and some of her friends. Her graduation ceremony and party are the next day but, reassured by his lawyer, he is released in time for both.
First appearances
Quintina Blundetto: Younger sister of Livia Soprano and mother of Tony's cousin Tony Blundetto. Pasquale "Patsy" Parisi: Soldier in the Soprano/Gualtieri crew and twin brother of the deceased Philly "Spoons" Parisi.
Deceased
Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero: executed by Tony, Silvio and Paulie for being an FBI informant. His body was then weighted down and tossed into the ocean.
Title reference
In Tony's dream, he is on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, near the Palace Amusements funhouse with the famous wide-eyed clown painted on it known as "Tillie". In the scene when Tony's mother calls his home for help about the stolen airline tickets, Carmela answers the phone. When she hands the phone to Tony, she says: "Fun never stops".
Production
David Proval and Aida Turturro are no longer billed in the opening credits, although Turturro returns next season as a full-time cast member. This is the last episode to air while Nancy Marchand was alive. Her season 3 appearance used old archived footage.