Unidentified Black Males is a twisted little episode that builds up events for the season's climax and simultaneously lays the foundations for future troubles, delving deeper inside the psyche of two supporting characters: Tony Blundetto and Vito Spatafore (Joseph R. Gannascoli).
The real mess has been caused by Tony B., who agreed to clip an important member of Johnny Sack's crew and left the crime scene with a few difficulties. Witnesses described the killer as a guy with a limp, so it isn't too hard for Tony Soprano to figure out his cousin's story about how he hurt his foot is far from true. Nevertheless, he accepts to protect him and offers him a bigger share of responsibility. As for Vito, he manages to get Dawn's boyfriend Finn a job at a construction site. Unfortunately, Finn notices Vito in a very compromising position one day, and starts fearing for his life (somehow, he didn't think dating a mafia boss's daughter was dangerous enough).
Although this episode is pretty much about Tony's complex relationship with his cousin, wonderfully played out by Gandolfini and Buscemi, it is the unforeseen discovery regarding Vito that really sticks in the viewer's head. Previously, Gannascoli had pretty much nothing substantial to do, his "top" moment being Vito and Bobby Baccala getting mocked by Paulie for their weight issues. Hell, his first appearance wasn't even as Vito, but some random guy who showed in the episode where Christopher shoots a man in the foot. However, his role in this story indicates he will have a meatier role in upcoming shows. Of course, since it's The Sopranos we're talking about, "meatier" tends to equal "more tragic".
The real mess has been caused by Tony B., who agreed to clip an important member of Johnny Sack's crew and left the crime scene with a few difficulties. Witnesses described the killer as a guy with a limp, so it isn't too hard for Tony Soprano to figure out his cousin's story about how he hurt his foot is far from true. Nevertheless, he accepts to protect him and offers him a bigger share of responsibility. As for Vito, he manages to get Dawn's boyfriend Finn a job at a construction site. Unfortunately, Finn notices Vito in a very compromising position one day, and starts fearing for his life (somehow, he didn't think dating a mafia boss's daughter was dangerous enough).
Although this episode is pretty much about Tony's complex relationship with his cousin, wonderfully played out by Gandolfini and Buscemi, it is the unforeseen discovery regarding Vito that really sticks in the viewer's head. Previously, Gannascoli had pretty much nothing substantial to do, his "top" moment being Vito and Bobby Baccala getting mocked by Paulie for their weight issues. Hell, his first appearance wasn't even as Vito, but some random guy who showed in the episode where Christopher shoots a man in the foot. However, his role in this story indicates he will have a meatier role in upcoming shows. Of course, since it's The Sopranos we're talking about, "meatier" tends to equal "more tragic".