Michael Imperioli’s script
The Sopranos’ Columbus Day episode is a classic example of a character who uses satire to make a point. In the episode, a group of Native Americans blames the Italian “discoverer” of America for genocide. This group announces that it will protest local Columbus Day festivities. It’s a brilliant use of satire to illustrate a point.
The Sopranos’ Columbus Day episode explores the racial stereotypes of Italian-Americans. Activists from the Native American community have planned a protest in Newark on Columbus Day, upsetting the Italian-American community. The episode also opens up the discussion of how the “Italian-American” label has been abused by Native Americans. The episode’s portrayal of Native Americans as Mafiosi has a particularly polarizing effect, which is why Imperioli’s episode is a must-watch for those interested in the history of the American Indians.
The Sopranos Columbus Day episode takes a stand against genocide. During a parade, Native Americans protest, claiming that the arrival of Columbus precipitated centuries of conflict and genocide. However, Silvio views the Native Americans’ objections as a slur against Italians, and goes to the protest to remove the burning effigy. In the process, he gets into an altercation with the Native Americans.
Subplots
“Columbus Day” on The Sopranos is a great opportunity to explore the different identities of the characters. This episode gives us our first look at the character of Iron Eyes Cody, who is Italian and is a member of the gang. He’s also betrayed by his assistant, a half-Italian. Regardless of which race the character is, his actions will ultimately affect his family’s destiny.
While the episode doesn’t have much plot to offer, the final act of the episode is a nice touch. As the episode’s only truly genuine dialogue, Tony’s rant against Christopher Columbus and phony nationalism is memorable. Sadly, though, it’s too late to save the episode. If we want to appreciate the show’s themes of family and redemption, we should remember that the episode is not without its flaws.
The show has a controversial topic that continues to rage in New York on Christopher Columbus Day. Native American organizations are preparing to protest the day. The Sopranos are not immune to this, and they are not going to stand for that. Silvio takes things personally, while Tony isn’t. He just wants to get rid of the troublesome young man. But he can’t leave Ralphie alone in the face of this conflict.
Throughout the season, the Sopranos are a constant reminder of the complexities of family, community, and race. A typical episode of “Columbus Day” deals with issues that are important to modern society. While there are a lot of subplots to be delved into, the show’s enduring appeal is undeniable. Whether it’s racism, classism, or identity politics, it’s worth a try.
Quality
In the Sopranos’ Columbus Day episode, a Native American group accuses the Italian “discoverer” of genocide and announces that they will protest local Columbus Day festivities. It’s a classic case of social commentary, with a hint of what’s to come. Ultimately, the episode ends up siding with Tony and the Sopranos. However, it’s worth mentioning that there are some notable flaws in the episode.
The episode is mostly place-setting for the fourth season, and the plot is rushed to get to the sophomoric exchanges about Columbus. The episode features a death for Bobby Sack, which is unfortunate because his marriage with Janice is a major storyline in later seasons. Also, Johnnie Sack learns that Ralphie mocked his wife for being overweight. It’s a moment that sparks an important rift between the New York and New Jersey crime families.
Another issue is the quality of the depictions of Native Americans. While this episode does portray Native Americans as corrupt, fanatics, and willing to sell their heritage for cash, its portrayal of Columbus is unrelentingly racist. While David Chase agrees with the staff that Columbus Day is unseemly, he chooses to put that argument into the mouths of characters who have little sympathy for them. One protester says that Columbus was Hitler’s bitch, while another claims that the Italian-American heroes in the show were largely vile.
Relevance to modern politics
The relevance of the Sopranos Columbus Day episode to modern politics is questionable, and the political satire is uneven. The dialogue is rife with inconsistent, wrongheaded politics, and resembles that of an eighth grade history assignment. It’s also lacking in wit or verisimilitude, and the characters don’t seem to reflect the nature of their characters. The episode is set during the same season as Whitecaps, which featured the most memorable and witty marital fight in the history of television.
The Sopranos Columbus Day episode follows three scenes of conflict and confusion. Initially, the characters are allied, but soon find themselves at odds over a historical turn. As one character argues, the storylines in the episode highlight how racial and ethnic stereotypes affect our society. In addition, the episode makes it clear that Silvio is on the side of Tony and despises the Italians. However, a few viewers have questioned the relevance of the Columbus Day episode to modern politics.
In the episode, the Sopranos associates continue their attempt to quell the protests. In one scene, Silvio intervenes, breaking up a protest where a Columbus effigy is being hung. He brings Patsy Parisi, Little Paulie Germani, and Artie Bucco into the fight, resulting in a violent exchange of blows. Little Paulie and Artie were injured in the fight. As a result, Tony chastises Silvio for bringing attention to the family business. Tony then tries to break the protests with the help of his influence over Assemblyman Zellman. Meanwhile, Ralph tries to blackmail the protest organizer Del Redclay with information on Iron Eyes Cody.
Native American protests
The Sopranos Columbus Day episode follows the alleged protests by Native Americans in New York City during the day of the annual parade. Silvio attempts to break up the demonstration by conjuring a mob to attack the Native Americans. The mob is eventually dispersed when the police intervene. In the episode, Silvio threatens the Native Americans by revealing that Iron Eyes Cody is an Italian-American. Throughout the episode, the Sopranos associates attempt to break up the protests through their influence with Assemblyman Ron Zellman and their own business interests. Meanwhile, Tony makes an appeal to the Assemblyman, urging him to intervene and prevent the Native Americans from damaging their family business.
The Sopranos crew is enraged by the protests by Native Americans on Columbus Day. However, they do not realize that the protests have been orchestrated in an effort to disrupt local Columbus Day festivities. In a twist that is reminiscent of actual events in New York City, Tony’s crew also makes a point of pointing out that Columbus was not a hero by the Native Americans.
While the Sopranos is a comedy, the show also has a strong theme about identity politics. For example, when Sil and his friends plan to march in protest of the Columbus Day holiday, they accidentally think Columbus is an Austrian with a booming voice. But when they arrive at the protest, the police chase them down the stairs. This episode also features a scene in which Dr. Melfi’s ex-husband Richard makes an appearance in the episode and declares that the protest is unseemly. However, the Mohonk tribe chief sees the protest as bad for business.
Reaction to episode
Reaction to the Sopranos Columbus Day episode is divided on several factors. One of the most noticeable flaws is the show’s inconsistent and wrongheaded politics. Dialogue in this episode is a mess, sounding like an eighth-grade history lesson. It’s lacking in wit and verisimilitude, and does not reflect the characters’ personalities. It’s also an odd choice for an episode in the same season as the infamous Whitecaps episode, which had perhaps the best-written marital fight in television history.
Native Americans plan a protest against Christopher Columbus on Columbus Day. Silvio is offended by the Native American activists’ plans, believing that they are defacing the rich Italian history. Carmela is shocked when Father Phil speaks at the luncheon. The speaker rails against the stereotypical image of Italian-Americans and criticizes the priest who organized the event while accepting huge donations from private donors. However, this episode also features a social commentary that’s not appropriate for the Sopranos family.
The Christopher Columbus episode features a reoccurring theme of social commentary. While the episode deals with social commentary, its real purpose is to set the stage for future developments. It is a tense episode with multiple plotlines. For example, the episode’s B-plot deals with the accidental death of Iron Eyes Cody. Ultimately, the episode is a bit too dark, and will only serve to fuel more speculation on how the characters will react.
