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Kennedy and Heidi

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"Kennedy and Heidi"
The Sopranos episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 18
Directed byAlan Taylor
Written byMatthew Weiner
David Chase
Featured music
Cinematography byAlik Sakharov
Editing byWilliam B. Stich
Production codeS618
Original air dateMay 13, 2007 (2007-05-13)
Running time52 minutes
Episode chronology
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"Walk Like a Man" 		Next →
"The Second Coming"
The Sopranos season 6
List of episodes

"Kennedy and Heidi" is the 83rd episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos, the sixth episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, and the 18th episode of the season overall. Written by Matthew Weiner and series creator and showrunner David Chase and directed by Alan Taylor, it premiered in the United States on May 13, 2007. The episode focuses on the aftermath of a car crash involving Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti, while Tony's son A.J. adjusts to life with antidepressants.

With nearly 6.5 million viewers, "Kennedy and Heidi" was the sixth straight Sopranos episode to lead the Nielsen weekly cable ratings. Critical reception was positive, with the character traits of Tony and A.J. attracting analysis. Taylor won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2007 for directing "Kennedy and Heidi".

Starring

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* = credit only

Guest starring

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Synopsis

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Phil discovers that the construction/demolition waste that Tony has been sending to Barone Sanitation contains asbestos. At a meeting in New York, he says that he will not accept any more unless he receives a 25% cut; Tony refuses. As Christopher drives him back to Newark, Tony admits he may have to yield, but the waste is eventually dumped into a lake.

Chris is restless as he drives, and Tony looks at him carefully. Their car drifts into the opposite lane, then swerves sharply to avoid an approaching car. They go off the road and the car rolls many times as it descends an embankment. Tony exits the wreckage in pain but with only minor injuries. Chris, who was not wearing a seat belt, is seriously injured, with internal bleeding. He manages to tell Tony to call a taxi as he would not pass a drug test. Tony begins to call 911 for help but, after glancing at a child seat in the rear of the car, changes his mind. He pinches Chris's nose shut so that he cannot breathe, and he chokes to death on his own blood.

Tony dreams that he tells Dr. Melfi that he killed Chris, Pussy, and Tony B. During his actual session, he recalls Chris as a liability and an embarrassment and says he resents having to feign remorse in front of his family. At the wake, he is disgusted by the display of sorrow. He and Carmela also go to the wake of Paulie's adoptive mother Nucci, who has died of a stroke; Paulie is angered by the poor attendance but appreciates Tony and Carmela's presence.

A.J.'s therapist sees that the prescribed drugs are working: he is happier and calmer, and taking college courses again. He continues to spend time with Jason Parisi and Jason Gervasi at their frat house. They laugh about Victor, whose toes were amputated after they injured him with sulfuric acid. The two Jasons and others assault a Somali student while A.J. pushes him and damages his bike. He relapses into depression. "Why can't we all just get along?" he says to his therapist.

Tony decides to get away to Las Vegas. He meets Sonya, a stripper who was Chris's mistress. They have sex, smoke marijuana, and take peyote. Playing roulette, he has a winning streak. He mumbles, "He's dead," and collapses on the casino floor laughing. With Sonya, he watches the sun rise over the Red Rock Canyon. There is a flash in the sky, and Tony cries: "I get it!"

Deceased

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  • Christopher Moltisanti: seriously injured in a car crash and then murdered by suffocation by Tony, who squeezes his nose shut when he is gasping for air; he dies choking on his own blood.
  • Marianucci Gualtieri: dies of a stroke

Final appearances

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Production

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Music

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  • The first song heard in the car is "Cat's Squirrel" from the album Fresh Cream by Cream. The song that Christopher puts on the car stereo and on full volume as he is driving Tony right before the crash is Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb", performed by Roger Waters featuring Van Morrison & The Band, the first track from the soundtrack of The Departed.
  • The song playing when Tony is first being driven in a taxi in Las Vegas is "Are You Alright?" by Lucinda Williams.
  • The song playing in the background when Tony first meets Sonya is "Outta My Head" by M. Ward.
  • The song playing in the background as Tony and Sonya are having sex is "The Adultress" by Pretenders.
  • The song playing in the background when Tony and Sonya are talking in bed is "Space Invader" by Pretenders, which was also featured in the season 2 episode "House Arrest."
  • The song played over the end credits is "Minas de Cobre (for Better Metal)" by Calexico.

Reception

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Critical reception

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On its premiere, "Kennedy and Heidi" had 6.49 million viewers and led the Nielsen cable TV ratings for the sixth straight week.[1]

Television Without Pity graded the episode with an A, with Kim Reed finding A.J.'s interest in politics and literature to be unusual for his character.[2] Similarly, Dan Iverson of IGN found A.J. to be "more interesting than he has ever been before", in a review grading the episode 8.7 points out of 10.[3]

The scene of Tony killing Christopher after the car crash attracted much criticism of Tony. Lisa Schwarzbaum, reviewing the episode for Entertainment Weekly, found Tony to be "a practical, emotionally shuttered monster", in contrast to previous scenes showing him as a "tender lug" who enjoyed small talk.[4] Iverson of IGN also criticized Tony's conduct around the car crash as "egocentric" and added: "...Tony's character has been turned back into the villain which we often forget that he is."[3] Paul Brownfield of the Los Angeles Times called Tony "despicable and lost, beyond empathy."[5] Noticing how "Comfortably Numb" played on the car ride before the crash, Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger suggested that should have been the episode title because it described Tony's attitude.[6]

For TV Squad, Tom Biro rated the episode seven points out of seven, believing the death of Christopher to foreshadow a compelling series finale.[7]

Matt Zoller Seitz found the choice to name the episode after two minor characters in a cutaway scene to symbolize "a moral test" that they failed.[8]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "'Survivor's' ratings keep dropping". Los Angeles Times. May 16, 2007. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  2. ^ Reed, Kim (May 17, 2007). "Kennedy and Heidi". Television Without Pity. pp. 1, 7, 8. Archived from the original on June 15, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Iverson, Dan (May 14, 2007). "The Sopranos: 'Kennedy and Heidi' Review". IGN. Archived from the original on July 9, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  4. ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (May 14, 2007). "Heir Cooled". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  5. ^ Brownfield, Paul (May 14, 2007). "'The Sopranos': Did Tony go too far?". Show Tracker. LATimes.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  6. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (May 14, 2007). "Sopranos Rewind: Kennedy and Heidi". All TV. NJ.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  7. ^ Biro, Tom (May 13, 2007). "The Sopranos: Kennedy and Heidi". TV Squad. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  8. ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (May 14, 2007). "Sopranos Mondays: Season Six, Ep. 18, 'Kennedy and Heidi'". The House Next Door. Archived from the original on June 16, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  9. ^ Mesger, Robin (September 16, 2007). "59th Primetime Emmy Awards" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
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