Proshai, Livushka

“Proshai, Livushka”
The Sopranos episode
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 28
Guest stars	see below
Written by	David Chase
Directed by	Tim Van Patten
Production no.	301 (3-2)
Original airdate	March 4, 2001 (HBO)
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood" "Fortunate Son"
Episode chronology

"Proshai, Livushka" is the twenty-eighth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the second of the show's third season. It was written by David Chase, directed by Tim Van Patten and originally aired on Sunday March 4 2001.

Guest starring roles

• Jerry Adler as Hesh Rabkin
• Tom Aldredge as Hugh De Angelis
• Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile
• Nicole Burdette as Barbara Soprano Giglione
• Jason Cerbone as Jackie Aprile, Jr.
• Vincent Curatola as Johnny Sack
• John Fiore as Gigi Cestone
• Robert Funaro as Eugene Pontecorvo
• Joseph R. Gannascoli as Vito Spatafore
• Dan Grimaldi as Patsy Parisi
• Alla Kliouka Schaffer as Svetlana
• Vincent Pastore as Big Pussy Bonpensiero
• Peter Riegert as Ronald Zellman
• Mary Shepherd as Mary De Angelis
• Patrick Tully as Noah Tannenbaum
• Maureen Van Zandt as Gabriella Dante
• Ed Vassalo as Tom Giglione

Episode recap

Tony suffers a panic attack and collapses on the floor. When Carmela arrives home, she immediately drops her bags to help him off the floor. When she asks what happens, he states "Uncle Ben" and the scene rewinds to Tony greeting Meadow and her new boyfriend. Tony then comes down the stairs and is surprised to see Meadow on the couch. Meadow then tells Tony she needed to borrow the VCR and came with a friend. Meadow's boyfriend, Noah Tannenbaum, comes out of the bathroom and happily shakes Tony's hand. He also compliments Tony on his home theater and begins confident chitchat with Tony about his thoughts on film history, as they were just watching James Cagney's The Public Enemy, a favorite of Tony's. Unfortunately, Noah is oblivious to Tony's racial bigotry, especially when it involves his treasured only daughter, Meadow, of whom Noah says, "It's too early to tell" when Tony asks, "if they are...", suggesting they have a romantic or possibly physical relationship, or even a blossoming one. When Meadow goes upstairs, Tony asks Noah where his heritage is derived from and says he is a Jewish African-American. Tony, using a couple of choice racial slurs, warns Noah to stay away from his daughter and to break up with her as soon as they return to campus. Noah takes this as a threat and storms out of the house. Meadow suspects something is wrong and refuses to talk to Tony shortly afterward. Tony goes to the kitchen, opens a cabinet and sees a box of "Uncle Ben's" rice. The company logo, a smiling black man, triggers Tony's panic attack from the stress of dealing with Meadow's boyfriend.

Tony then visits his mother, Livia, in order to set things straight and warn her not to talk to the FBI. Livia automatically thinks something is wrong and becomes fidgety. Livia's nurse, Svetlana then brings out baby books (which were originally supposed to be written over 20 years ago) and making Livia write some family history. Livia then says, "It is none of anybody's business." Tony tells her to do what she wants regarding his upcoming trial and to leave him alone. While Tony is gardening in the yard, Carmela receives a phone call informing her that Livia has died.

As people begin to gather at the Soprano residence, Tony's sister Barbara informs him that Janice will not be in attendance. In front of a house full of people he calls Janice "a motherfucking bitch". He then furiously calls her Seattle home and demands she be on the next plane to New Jersey. Janice tells Tony she has a good reason not to be in the state of New Jersey since she murdered Richie a few months prior. Tony tells her "the case is colder than [her] tits" and to come anyway. The next morning, Janice arrives and becomes the center of attention.

At the funeral home, Tony and Barbara arrange the service, to which Janice objects and instead wants a funeral with all the trimmings. Tony tells her that he does not want any "California bullshit", just a simple service with a party afterward. Everyone prepares for the wake the following evening including Christopher Moltisanti, Adriana La Cerva and Furio Giunta (who get high), Silvio Dante, who is angry because he is missing football, and Ray Curto, who is wearing a wire. Uncle Junior tries to reconcile with Carmela with mixed results and she asks him to act accordingly. The next day at the cemetery, Livia is buried and Meadow shys away from Tony. Afterwards, Janice informs Svetlana she will be living at Livia's home and would like the LPs given to her by Livia back by the weekend.

The repast brings anger and resentment when Janice forces everyone to speak their mind about Livia. Livia is eulogized by Hesh Rabkin, Christopher and her friend Fanny. However, Carmela interrupts claiming this is a "crock of shit". She then proceeds to say how Livia was highly dysfunctional and did not want a funeral because she thought no one would come. This seems to satisfy everyone there but Janice and Carmela's mother are both livid at her speech. As Tony watches a scene from the film The Public Enemy featuring the main character's doting mother, Tony begins to cry and mourn his mother's death.

First appearances

The episode marks the first appearance of:

• Eugene Pontecorvo: Associate and soon-to-be soldier in the Aprile crew.
• Ralph Cifaretto: A soldier in the Aprile crew who pushes to be made captain after Richie's disappearance.
• Ronald Zellman: Assemblyman for New Jersey.

Deceased

• Livia Soprano: dies of massive stroke in her sleep

Title reference

• Russian translation for "Good Bye, Little Livia", which Svetlana says as she, Carmela and Tony toast Livia.

Production

• Although this episode aired second in season three, it was the first to be shot.

A CGI-generated Livia in Proshai, Livushka

• Because of the death of Nancy Marchand, David Chase decided that Livia should die as well and resurrected the character using CGI with previous sound clips and scenes featuring Marchand. The cost was approximately $250,000.
• This is the final episode in which Nancy Marchand is billed in the opening credits.
• Joe Pantoliano (Ralph Cifaretto), Steve R. Schirripa (Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri), Robert Funaro (Eugene Pontecorvo), John Ventimiglia (Artie Bucco) and Katherine Narducci (Charmaine Bucco) are now billed in the opening credits as part of the main cast, but only in episodes in which they appear.
• David Chase had planned a major story line for the third season concerning Tony's efforts to patch things up with his mother to prevent her from testifying against him at his RICO trial. Nancy Marchand's death caused Chase to revise a large portion of the season.
• The episode was part two of a two-hour season premiere when it originally aired in 2001.

Pussy is seen in the mirror at Livia's repast

• Vincent Pastore makes a cameo in this episode when Tony opens a closet door and Pussy is seen in the mirror.

Connections to future episodes

• Christopher launches into a humorous speech after being prompted by Janice to elicit the thoughts of the people present about her deceased mother. The speech of Christopher's is later recalled and brought up during an integral episode in the fourth season involving Christopher and his drug habit becoming a serious problem on several levels.

References to other media

• The undertaker promises Tony that he will "use all [his] power, and all [his] skills" on Livia's behalf (presumably via cosmetics and embalming). This is a tongue-in-cheek reference to The Godfather, wherein Don Vito Corleone commands Bonasera (also an undertaker) to "use all your power and all your skills" to beautify Sonny's mutilated corpse.

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