View source for To Save Us All from Satan's Power

{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}{{Infobox television episode
| series         = [[The Sopranos]]
| image_size     =
| season         = 3
| episode        = 10
| director       = [[Jack Bender]]
| writer         = [[Robin Green]]<br />[[Mitchell Burgess]]
| photographer   = [[Alik Sakharov]]
| production     = 310
| airdate        = {{Start date|2001|04|29}}
| length         = 45 minutes
| guests         =
| prev           = [[The Telltale Moozadell]]
| next           = [[Pine Barrens (The Sopranos)|Pine Barrens]]
| season_article = The Sopranos season 3
| episode_list   = List of The Sopranos episodes
}}
"'''To Save Us All from Satan's Power'''" is the 36th episode of the [[HBO]] original series ''[[The Sopranos]]'' and the 10th of the show's third season. It was written by [[Robin Green]] and [[Mitchell Burgess]], and directed by [[Jack Bender]], and originally aired on April 29, 2001.
The episode follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he feels stress and misery during preparations for Christmas with his family.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Small |first=Alan |date=December 17, 2022 |title=Glad TV tidings: Streaming services offer up seasonal episodes aplenty to get your holiday fix |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2755038335/91D292F36B5D4570PQ/1 |access-date=2024-11-16 |work=Winnipeg Free Press |via=[[ProQuest]]}}</ref>
==Starring==
* [[James Gandolfini]] as [[Tony Soprano]]
* [[Lorraine Bracco]] as [[Dr. Jennifer Melfi]]
* [[Edie Falco]] as [[Carmela Soprano]]
* [[Michael Imperioli]] as [[Christopher Moltisanti]]
* [[Dominic Chianese]] as [[Junior Soprano|Corrado Soprano, Jr.]]
* [[Steven Van Zandt]] as [[Silvio Dante]]
* [[Tony Sirico]] as [[Paulie Gualtieri]]
* [[Jamie-Lynn Sigler]] as [[Meadow Soprano]]
* [[Robert Iler]] as [[Anthony Soprano, Jr.]]
* [[Drea de Matteo]] as [[Adriana La Cerva]] *
* [[Aida Turturro]] as [[Janice Soprano]]
* [[John Ventimiglia]] as [[Artie Bucco]]
* [[Kathrine Narducci]] as [[Charmaine Bucco]]
* [[Steven R. Schirripa]] as [[Bobby Baccalieri]]
* [[Federico Castelluccio]] as [[Furio Giunta]]
* [[Robert Funaro]] as [[Eugene Pontecorvo]]
''* = credit only''
===Guest starring===
* [[Jerry Adler]] as [[Hesh Rabkin]]
====Also guest starring====
* [[Vitali Baganov]] as [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Soprano crime family#Valery|Valery]]
* [[Joseph Badalucco Jr.|Joe Badulucco]] as [[Jimmy Altieri]] (''[[Flashback (narrative)|flashback]] sequences'')
* [[Jason Cerbone]] as [[Jackie Aprile, Jr.]]
* Matthew Cerbone as  Young [[Jackie Aprile, Jr.]] (''flashback sequences'')
* Andrew Davoli as [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Soprano crime family#Dino Zerelli|Dino Zerilli]]
* John Fiore as [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Soprano crime family#Gigi Cestone|Gigi Cestone]] (''flashback sequences'')
* [[Dan Grimaldi]] as [[Patsy Parisi]]
* George Loros as [[Ray Curto]]
* [[Vincent Pastore]] as [[Big Pussy Bonpensiero]] (''flashback sequences'')
* [[Turk Pipkin]] as [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Aaron Arkaway|Aaron Arkaway]]
* [[Michael Rispoli]] as [[Jackie Aprile, Sr]] (''flashback sequences'')
* [[Alik Sakharov]] as Agron
* [[Maureen Van Zandt]] as [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Gabriella Dante|Gabriella Dante]]
* Joe Pucillo as [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Soprano crime family#Giuseppe .22Beppy.22 Scerbo|Beppy Scerbo]] (''flashback sequences'')
* Frank Ciornei as [[List of characters from The Sopranos in the Soprano crime family#Slava Malevsky|Slava Malevsky]]
==Synopsis==
[[Tony Soprano|Tony]] is on the [[Asbury Park]] boardwalk, where he is going to meet [[Paulie Walnuts|Paulie]]. While waiting, he remembers another meeting there five years ago, in 1995, with [[Big Pussy Bonpensiero|Pussy]] and [[Jackie Aprile, Sr.]] At the time there was a dispute between Jackie and [[Junior Soprano|Junior]], and Pussy had been in [[Boca Raton]], [[Florida]] arranging a sitdown. However, Pussy did not go to the sitdown, and Tony thinks that was when the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] flipped him; he believes they had him wear a [[Covert listening device|wire]] when he dressed up as Santa. Now they need a new Santa and [[Bobby Baccalieri|Bobby]] is compelled to play the part. He is shy, unhappy, and gauche.
When Tony is visiting [[Janice Soprano|Janice]] she starts complaining about a pain in her wrist, which might need an operation, caused by the Russian thug who came to take back [[List of characters from The Sopranos - Friends and Family#Svetlana Kirilenko|Svetlana]]'s [[prosthetic leg]]. Tony obtains his name and place of work, and he and [[Furio Giunta|Furio]] beat him up and throw him through the glass window of a store's Christmas display. Though badly shaken at first when she sees on TV what Tony has done, Janice is also grateful, and immediately wants to write a song about brotherhood.
[[Charmaine Bucco|Charmaine]], newly separated from [[Artie Bucco|Artie]], looks glamorous at Nuovo Vesuvio. Tony compliments her, but she responds by blaming him for changes in Artie's character. He angrily walks out, along with [[Christopher Moltisanti|Christopher]] and [[Silvio Dante|Silvio]]. They go to a strip club. [[Jackie Aprile, Jr.|Jackie Jr.]] is there, getting a lap dance.  Enraged, Tony takes him to the bathroom and beats him up. He confiscates the gun [[Ralph Cifaretto|Ralphie]] gave him, and knees him in the groin, leaving him on the floor.
On Christmas morning, the Sopranos are opening their gifts when Jackie arrives with presents from his mother, and his own present for [[Meadow Soprano|Meadow]], an engraved necklace. She ostentatiously embraces and kisses him, while he glances at Tony. Alone with Tony, Jackie tells him he has flunked out of [[Rutgers University|Rutgers]] but believes he can be a serious student of men's fashion. He says, "I'm sorry," again and again. Tony says, "I haven't decided what to do with you."  After Jackie leaves, Tony has to fake amusement when Meadow gives him her present, a [[Big Mouth Billy Bass]].
==Title reference==
* The episode's title is taken from a verse of the Christmas carol "[[God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen]]".
==Cultural references==
*Tony switches on the television. Seeing ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' is on, he quickly switches it off, saying, "Ah Jesus. Enough already."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mellor |first=Louisa |date=December 20, 2018 |title=The Odd Places It’s A Wonderful Life Has Turned Up |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-odd-places-it-s-a-wonderful-life-has-turned-up/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |work=[[Den of Geek]]}}</ref>
*Pussy mentions that he flew with 90s budget airline [[ValuJet Airlines|ValuJet]].
*Christopher states that there is significant money in the ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film)|Grinch]]'', and references the choice to cast [[Jim Carrey]] as the Grinch.
*The [[OJ Simpson trial]] is shown throughout the 1995 flashback scenes.
*The Russians mention that [[Christmas in Russia|Russian Christmas]] doesn't occur until January. He also mentions IBM [[ThinkPad]]s.
*Janice is taking [[Oxycodone/aspirin|Percodan]] (oxycodone/aspirin) for her wrist injury.
==References to prior episodes==
* The [[Big Mouth Billy Bass]], including the song "Take Me to the River", was previously featured in the episode "[[Second Opinion (Sopranos episode)|Second Opinion]]".
* The [[Asbury Park]] [[boardwalk (entertainment district)|boardwalk]] in winter, along with the view of the sea closing the episode, was previously featured in "[[Funhouse (The Sopranos episode)|Funhouse]]".
==Production==
* Recurring series [[cinematographer]] [[Alik Sakharov]] makes a cameo appearance as Agron, accountant of the Russian money laundering business.
== Music ==
*The song played over the end credits is "I've Got a Feeling" by the American [[Sacred Steel (musical tradition)|Sacred Steel]] gospel group, [[The Campbell Brothers]] with Katie Jackson.
*During the 1995 Christmas flashback at Satriale's, the jukebox was playing "[[The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)]]", by [[The Chipmunks]].
* The song Silvio has turned off in the Bada Bing is "The Cycle" from [[Virgos Merlot]]'s ''[[Signs of a Vacant Soul]]'' album.
* "Funky Drummer Boy", a remixed version of "[[The Little Drummer Boy]]" from [[Thornetta Davis]] plays at the rival strip club where Tony beats up Jackie Jr.
* The song playing while Bobby Baccalà is playing Santa is "[[Santa Baby]]" by [[Eartha Kitt]].
* The song playing while Tony, Silvio, and Paulie are eating in Vesuvio is "[[White Christmas (song)|White Christmas]]" by [[The Drifters]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.hbo.com/the-sopranos/episodes/3/36-to-save-us-all-from-satans-power/index.html "...To Save Us All from Satan's Power"] at [[HBO]]
*{{IMDb episode|0705287}}
{{The Sopranos}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:To Save Us All From Satan's Power}}
[[Category:The Sopranos season 3 episodes]]
[[Category:American Christmas television episodes]]
[[Category:2001 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes directed by Jack Bender]]