"D-Girl" is the 20th episode of the HBO original series ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'' and the seventh of the show's second season. It was written by

Todd A. Kessler Todd A. Kessler (born 1972) is an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer and director. Career Kessler wrote and produced the second and third seasons of HBO's ''The Sopranos'', Michael Mann's ''Robbery Homicide Division'' and ...

and directed by

Allen Coulter Allen Coulter is an American television and film director, credited with a number of successful television programs. He has directed two feature films, '' Hollywoodland'', a film regarding the questionable death of George Reeves starring Adrie ...

, and originally aired on February 27, 2000.

Starring

James Gandolfini James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (; September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013) was an American actor. For his role as Tony Soprano, the Italian-American Mafia crime boss in HBO's television series ''The Sopranos'', he won three Emmy Awards, five Screen ...

Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano is a fictional character and the antihero protagonist in the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Soprano is a member of the Italian-American Mafia and, especially late ...

Lorraine Bracco Lorraine Bracco (born October 2, 1954) is an American actress. Known for her distinct husky voice and Brooklyn accent, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards ...

as Dr. Jennifer Melfi *

Edie Falco Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Carmela Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2015). She also ...

as Carmela Soprano *

Michael Imperioli Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Ou ...

Christopher Moltisanti Christopher Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. He is Tony Soprano's protégé and a member of the DiMeo crime family, rising from associate to captain over the course of th ...

Dominic Chianese Dominic Chianese (; born February 24, 1931) is an American actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Corrado "Junior" Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), Johnny Ola in '' The Godfather Part II'' (1 ...

as Corrado Soprano, Jr.* *

Vincent Pastore Vincent Pastore (; born July 14, 1946) is an American actor. Often cast as a mafioso, he is best known for his portrayal of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''. Early life Pastore was born to an Italian-Ameri ...

Pussy Bonpensiero This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Soprano ...

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandoli ...

Silvio Dante Silvio Manfred Dante is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos'', played by Steven Van Zandt. He is the consigliere and right-hand man to Tony Soprano in the DiMeo crime family. John Magaro portrays a young Silvio Dante in ...

* *

Tony Sirico Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. (; July 29, 1942 – July 8, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri in ''The Sopranos''. He also made numerous appearances in the films of Woody Allen. Early life S ...

Paulie Gualtieri Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri is a fictional character portrayed by Tony Sirico on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', one of the chief henchmen of series protagonist Tony Soprano. Sirico originally auditioned for the role of Uncle Junior ...

* *

Robert Iler Robert Michael Iler (; born March 2, 1985) is an American former actor. He is best known for his portrayal of A.J. Soprano on ''The Sopranos''. His film roles include ''Tadpole'' (2002), and ''Daredevil'' (2003). Career Iler appeared in the vi ...

as Anthony Soprano, Jr. *

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Jamie-Lynn Sigler (born May 15, 1981) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''. Early life Jamie-Lynn Sigler was born in Jericho, New York, on May 15, 1981, the daughter of S ...

Meadow Soprano Meadow Mariangela Soprano, played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She was born in 1982. In the early seasons, Meadow is introduced as a smart but spoiled party-goer, whose over-dramatic pers ...

* Drea de Matteo as

Adriana La Cerva Adriana La Cerva is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos'', portrayed by Drea de Matteo. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti. For her performance, de Mat ...

David Proval David Aaron Proval (born May 20, 1942) is an American actor, known for his roles as Tony DeVienazo in the Martin Scorsese film '' Mean Streets'' (1973), Snooze in '' The Shawshank Redemption'' (1994), Siegfried in '' Four Rooms'' (1995) and as ...

Richie Aprile This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Sopran ...

Aida Turturro Aida Turturro ( ; born September 25, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Janice Soprano on the HBO drama series ''The Sopranos''. Early life and education Aida Turturro was born in Buffalo, New York, daughter of ...

Janice Soprano Janice Soprano Baccalieri is a fictional character on the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' and in the film '' The Many Saints of Newark''. In ''The Sopranos'', Janice is portrayed by Aida Turturro who’s the eldest sibling of the ...

Nancy Marchand Nancy Lou Marchand (June 19, 1928 – June 18, 2000) was an American actress. She began her career in theatre in 1951. She was most famous for her television portrayals of Margaret Pynchon on ''Lou Grant'' and Livia Soprano on ''The Sopranos''. ...

Livia Soprano Livia Soprano (née Pollio), played by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams, is sometimes seen i ...

''* = credit only''

Guest starring

Synopsis

Christopher and Adriana meet Christopher's cousin Greg and Greg's fiancée Amy. Amy works for Jon Favreau and they are filming in New York. She has been eager to meet Christopher and read his screenplay, saying that mob-themed stories are popular. She quickly becomes attracted to him. Adriana has kept a copy of the screenplay Christopher threw away and persuades him to pass it to Jon and Amy. Christopher and Adriana are invited to the film set, but he goes alone. He is absorbed by what he sees and makes a dialogue suggestion that Jon adopts. Jon wants to learn about mob customs and speech from Chris. Chris comes as arranged to meet him at his hotel room but he is not available, so Chris calls on Amy instead. They talk, she begins to give advice about writing a screenplay, and they end up having sex. A few days later he sees her in the hotel lobby and they go to her room to have sex again, but afterward, she is overcome by guilt. Chris finds a screenplay by Jon and sees that Jon has stolen a mob anecdote that Chris told him in confidence. Enraged, Chris searches for him, but he has returned to California. In the following days, Amy does not reply to his messages. He finally tracks her down; she tells him that Hollywood has lost interest in mob films, and "It was wrong, with us." After a heated argument, she walks away. A.J. takes

his mother ''His Mother'' is a 1912 American silent film produced by Kalem Company. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Gene Gauntier and Jack J. Clark in the leading roles. It was one of more than a dozen films produced by the Kalem Company filmed in Ir ...

's car without permission and damages it. When his parents rebuke him he baffles them by stating that life is absurd, and he does not wish to be

confirmed In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

because '

God is dead "God is dead" (German: ; also known as the death of God) is a statement made by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche's first use of this statement is his 1882 ''The Gay Science'', where it appears three times. The phrase also app ...

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

consults Pussy, who is A.J.'s godfather and confirmation sponsor; Pussy says that at that age "they get broody." Tony consults

Dr. Melfi Jennifer Melfi is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She is the psychiatrist of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. She is portrayed by Lorraine Bracco. Character description Melfi is an Italian-American, with her father's famil ...

, who explains that A.J. has discovered

existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

. A.J. consults his grandmother, who tells him not to expect happiness; everyone dies alone; "It's all a big nothing." Pussy is forced by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

to wear a

wire Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm A wire is a flexible strand of metal. Wire is c ...

at A.J.'s confirmation and the ensuing reception at the Soprano home. During the reception, Tony discovers A.J. and two friends smoking marijuana in the garage. Pussy goes up to A.J.'s room, where he is sulking, and gently tells him that his father is a good man; A.J. is young and should enjoy life. He hugs him and sends him back down to the party, but Pussy himself goes into the bathroom and sobs. Adriana has inadvertently told Tony about Chris' screenplay-writing. Chris misses the confirmation ceremony and arrives late for the reception. Tony then tells him he has a choice: either follow his other interests (and never see him again), or give up his interests and completely commit himself to Tony. Chris goes out and thinks it over, then goes back inside to Tony.

Title reference

The episode's title is a shortened title for "

development girl A development girl or D-girl is a derogatory Hollywood slang term for non-influential, entry-level staff members in a film production company. Responsibilities include finding and identifying story ideas worthy of adaptation into a script and writi ...

", used mostly in the film and television industry; Chris calls Amy one.

Cultural references

* Christopher refers to the 1971 comedy film ''

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight ''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' is a 1971 American crime comedy film directed by James Goldstone and written by Waldo Salt, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Jimmy Breslin, which in turn was based on the life of gangster Joe ...

'' when Favreau talks about his passion to make and star in another film about "Crazy

Joe Gallo Joseph Gallo (April 7, 1929 – April 7, 1972), also known as "Crazy Joe", was an Italian-American mobster and Caporegime of the Colombo crime family of New York City. In his youth, Gallo was diagnosed with schizophrenia after an arrest. He ...

." * Amy notes the 1999 romantic comedy ''

Mickey Blue Eyes ''Mickey Blue Eyes'' is a 1999 romantic comedy crime film directed by Kelly Makin. Hugh Grant stars as Michael Felgate, an English auctioneer living in New York City who becomes entangled in his soon-to-be father-in-law's mafia connections. Seve ...

'' (which shares multiple actors with ''The Sopranos'') when telling Christopher that Hollywood has lost interest in mob movies for the moment. * Adriana tells Amy and John that she enjoyed Favreau's 1996 film '' Swingers'', with

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film '' Swingers''. He has appeared in ...

. * When Carmela and Tony express concern about AJ's existentialist pronouncements, Meadow quotes Mme de Staël: "One must choose in life between boredom and suffering.” * Meadow says that A.J. has been assigned '' The Stranger'', a novel by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

. * A.J. says “God is dead”, explicitly citing Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (referring to him as “Nitch”), in “The Gay Science”. * When Christopher relates the story of the woman whose lover threw acid in her face after becoming intimate and learning that she was actually transgender, Amy recalls the 1992 film ''

The Crying Game ''The Crying Game'' is a 1992 thriller film written and directed by Neil Jordan, produced by Stephen Woolley, and starring Stephen Rea, Miranda Richardson, Jaye Davidson, Adrian Dunbar, Ralph Brown, and Forest Whitaker. The film explores the ...

''. * Amy relates Maslow's hierarchy of needs to Christopher before becoming intimate with him. * When Amy tells Christopher they were wrong to have begun a relationship and Christopher responds that he really liked her, Amy observes that the mood has become rather "

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

". *Upon seeing Sandra Bernhard on set Christopher notes her appearance in the 1982 film '' The King of Comedy'' which Chris mislabels as “Kings of Comedy”. *Amy relates news of film producers

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

and

Bob Weinstein Robert Weinstein (born October 18, 1954) is an American film producer. He is the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films and The Weinstein Company, all of which he co-founded with his older brother, Harvey. He ...

remaking ''

Viva Zapata! ''Viva Zapata!'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using Edgcomb Pinchon's 1941 book ''Zapata the Unconquerable'' as a guide. The cast includes Jean ...

'' with director

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...

Music

* When Chris, John, and Amy sit down at the pizza shop, the song played is " Swingtown" by the

Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock, as ...

. It is then followed by "

Rhiannon Rhiannon is a major figure in the Mabinogi, the medieval Welsh story collection. She appears mainly in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, and again in the Third Branch. She is a strong-minded Otherworld woman, who chooses Pwyll, prince of Dyfe ...

" by Fleetwood Mac. *The song played over the end credits is "Vedi, Maria", by Emma Shapplin. * Other music included in this episode includes "Tasty Pudding" by Chet Baker, "Shaolin Satellite" by

Thievery Corporation Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music, including bo ...

, "Voulez-Vous?" by Arling & Cameron, and "Caught My Mind" by

Pushmonkey Pushmonkey is an American rock band from Austin, Texas, United States. Originally known as Billy Pilgrim, they first changed their name to Mad Hatter and later to just Hatter. The band experienced minor radio success with the song "Handslide" fr ...

Filming locations

Listed in order of first appearance: * North Caldwell, New Jersey * Jersey City, New Jersey * SoHo, Manhattan *

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Harrison, New Jersey Harrison is a town in the western part of Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey, and is located from New York City. As of the 2 ...

* SoHo Grand Hotel in SoHo, Manhattan *

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. ...

Silvercup Studios Silvercup Studios is one of the largest film and television production facilities in New York City. The studio is located in Long Island City, Queens, with another facility in the Port Morris neighborhood of the Bronx. The studio complex has bee ...

Long Island City, Queens Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...

References

External links

"D-Girl"
at HBO * {{The Sopranos The Sopranos (season 2) episodes 2000 American television episodes Television episodes directed by Allen Coulter fr:La Garce (Les Soprano)