"In Camelot" is the 59th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the seventh of the show's fifth season. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Steve Buscemi, it originally aired on April 18, 2004.

Starring

• = credit only

Guest starring

Also guest starring

• Polly Bergen as Fran Felstein • Tim Daly as J.T. Dolan • Joseph Siravo as Johnny Boy Soprano • Laurie Williams as Young Livia Soprano • Danny Petrillo as Teenage Tony Soprano • Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo • Leslie Bega as Valentina La Paz • Joseph R. Gannascoli as Vito Spatafore • Paul Schulze as Father Phil Intintola • Carl Capotorto as Little Paulie Germani • Max Casella as Benny Fazio • Richard Portnow as Harold Melvoin • Frank Santorelli as Georgie • Danielle Di Vecchio as Barbara Soprano Giglione • Arthur Nascarella as Carlo Gervasi • Angelo Massagli as Bobby Baccalieri III • Miryam Coppersmith as Sophia Baccalieri • Artie Pasquale as Burt Gervasi • Chris Caldovino as Billy Leotardo • Rae Allen as Quintina Blundetto • Fred Caiaccia as Uncle Zio • Allen Enlow as Dr. Harry Winer

Synopsis

Tony's Aunt Concetta dies. After the funeral, at his father's grave, he happens to meet Fran Felstein, his father Johnny Boy's longtime comàre. They continue to meet, and Tony learns more about his father from her. He learns that, pressured by his mother Livia, Johnny Boy took his childhood dog Tippy away; he gave it to Fran, and it became her son's dog. Fran also remembers Junior who, she says, almost used to stalk her; Junior tells Tony he loved her but was not bold enough to tell her. Fran also tells Tony about a one-time fling with President John F. Kennedy. Tony and Fran tour a midget car racetrack in New Egypt; she has explained that Johnny Boy had promised to leave her a share of the racetrack, but that Phil and Hesh Rabkin cheated her out of it. Tony undertakes to collect the money on her behalf and has a sit-down with Phil and Hesh, mediated by Johnny. While Hesh agrees to pay, Phil objects to paying 25% and delays payment. When Tony spots him in the street, there is a car chase that ends with Phil crashing into a truck. Later, Tony is able to collect $150,000 for Fran. Junior, with his mental health and memory now improved due to new medication, says he is going stir crazy while still under house arrest. He begins going to every funeral he can, even when he knows the deceased only slightly, just to get out of the house. However, at the funeral of Concetta's husband, who died shortly after his wife, Junior begins crying uncontrollably and has to be helped away by Bobby and Janice. Junior later breaks down in his physician's office when he mentions the lack of purpose in his life. Christopher begins to spend time with J.T. Dolan, a television screenwriter he met in rehab. The two offer to support one another when they get the urge to use. After he loses a sports bet to J.T., Chris introduces him to the family's high-stakes poker games. J.T. runs up $60,000 in debt and starts missing payments; Chris and Little Paulie go to his apartment and beat him up. J.T. loses some writing jobs, causing him to turn to heroin. Chris then helps direct him back toward rehab. Tony's friendship with Fran begins to sour as he learns that Johnny Boy was often with her when he was needed, including the night Livia was hospitalized for a miscarriage; on that occasion, Tony had to lie to his mother to protect his father. Furthermore, Fran starts to openly disparage Livia to Tony and, after claiming she was broke, buys expensive clothes with the money he obtained for her. Dr. Melfi suggests he could have more sympathy for Livia, forgive her, and forget. Tony remains unsympathetic, recalling that Livia made his father give Tippy away. As the episode closes, Tony starts regaling his buddies at the Bada Bing with exaggerated accounts of Fran's involvement with JFK.

First appearances

Deceased

This episode had five deaths, the most in the series, although they all happened offscreen and none of them were murders.

Production

Title reference

Connections to prior episodes

Cultural references

Music

Reception

In the week's Nielsen ratings, "In Camelot" tied with Law & Order: Criminal Intent to lead in the Sunday 9 p.m. timeslot among viewers 18 to 49, with a 4.8 rating and 11 share. Television Without Pity graded "In Camelot" with an A-, praising the humor in some scenes. For The Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall had a mixed review, questioning the addition of J.T. Dolan as merely a vehicle for Sopranos writers to attack other writers who opposed The Sopranos. Sepinwall found the episode to have "some amazing individual moments" but overall having too much reuse of plot devices or character traits.