Top Ten Episodes of The Sopranos: #9. “From Where To Eternity” (Season 2, Episode 9)
One of the many episodes in the series to explore the themes of heaven and hell, this season 2 installment written by Michael Imperioli (his first of a few writing credits within the series) takes place immediately after his character Christopher gets shot by former associates. After a near death experience where he was clinically dead for about a minute, he explains to Tony and Paulie the hellish land he visited and delivers a message from the dead: “3 o’clock”. The message particularly hits hard with Paulie, who struggles with superstitions throughout the entire series. After countless nightmares, he visits a psychic who helps the dead confront Paulie of his wrongdoings, leaving him thinking about all the souls he’s carrying with him through life. At the same time, the search for Christopher’s assailant comes to an end when Tony and Big Pussy murder Matthew Bevilaqua in a state park snack stand after a terrifying interrogation. The entire hour questions if our actions in life will be judged when we die, and the murder of this young wannabe by the hands of two experienced mobsters helps remind us that as much as we may love these guys, they are still cold blooded killers with skeletal morals.
by: Steve Conzo