I just watched this episode again where Tony gives Christopher the opportunity to take the life of the man who allegedly whacked his father, Dickie Moltisanti.
But did anyone else think this scene was a bit strange and that maybe he wasn't really the guy who killed Dickie Moltisanti?

The guy says it wasn't him (which he is bound to say anyway) but when he says that, Christopher replies by saying "It wouldn't matter anyway, he wants you dead". Which seems like there is an element of doubt in Christophers voice about it too.

What do you guys think?

I like at the end where Chris puts the 20 dollar bill he lifted from the guys wallet and puts it on his mothers fridge.

No, it never crossed my mind. The cop was retiring and was no longer of any value to Tony Soprano.... it was a fitting end, reminiscent of "The Godfather" (revenge is a dish best served cold).

Oh okay, I don't know what made me think that.
It just seemed like there was a bit of doubt to me or there was something a little fishy about it but you have a good point SC, he's a retired cop and there was never any mention of him not being the killer etc. And there was never any other reasoning in the episode for him to get whacked.

Side topic, is 'wetting a guy' the same as whacking a guy?

I'm not sure of the context that the term was used. It seems that it may be a phrase to mean that you made someone wet his pants (by scaring him).

"Wet work"

so yeah.


And I wasn't entirely convinced he really killed Dickie either, Tony likely just wanted the guy whacked and made Chris think Tony was doing him a favor by giving him the job.

Ahhh I assume "Wet Work" means... The blood that comes with it?
I don't know, purely assuming but it's good to know I'm not crazy and didn't make that term up in my head.

Interesting that you think that too Longneck, because that's how it felt to me also, like Tony was just using that story to get Chris to do the work on this guy. Two birds with one stone:
1) The guy gets whacked.
2) It brought a wayward Christopher closer to him again by having him believe Tony gave him the chance to avenge his father.

Of course the guy could have really been the killer, but just interesting and good to know I wasn't the only one who thought there was maybe something fishy around that hit.

"All Debts Public and Private" is a strange episode in general, especially when you view it for the first time. It marks a change in tone and pace for the show: more methodic, and a lot darker. This is when Chase starts fully to integrate the "each episode's a mini movie" approach - characters come and go (Artie, for instance, has an entire episode dedicated to him, it seems, then disappears for a few more), and the episodic narrative is more defined and disparate.

Also, information is given to us with no warning or exposition. An example of this is the one you've noted, Veneratio: Barry Haydu, Dickie Moltisanti's "killer". Like many other similar instances, there's no real telling as to whether or not it's true: just clues here and there, for and against, but ultimately unsolved.

I'd say Barry Haydu was not Chris's father's killer. The job is sloppily organised and swiftly done, and it seems too convenient to go through with it so soon after the guy's retirement. Chris's own doubt is confirmed in the whacking scene, and it's there for a reason: it draws our own attention to the sheer wishy-washiness of it all.

Saying that, there's no more rationale in my theory than there would be in one that opposes it.

I don't think Chris didn't buy into what Tony said to him.If he was suspicious he would have eventually said it in one of his arguments with Tony(the one in S5 for example).

Also,on some other episode in S4 he was arguing with Adriana over something related to Tony(can't remember what) and he defends Tony by bringing up this(not directly)
I'm paraphrasing:

"You don't know what this guy did for me...Not getting made,something else.It was ruining my whole life and he made it right).

realy nice topic ,,
but for me it have never crossed my mind that this guy wasnt the real killer , i think the timing was right and the gesture was great ,, one of the Sopranos greatest episodes..

It had crossed my mind to be honest. Tonys trying to gain Christopers trust back. And when Chris says it wouldn't matter anyway i get the feeling even his thinking i can't go back to Tony and say I think your lying. He'd already told Tony that he's love for him was under question for the way he handled the jackie jr thing. So they are both at the crossroads of making piece. If he lied it wouldn't be shocking just as it isn't to the character Christopher.

I think Christopher had just the slightest contempt for his dad, so the killing again did not matter as much as Tony thought. I swear there is a scene where they are cooking at a barbeque and Christopher rips into his father saying he was nothing but a junkie. This scene I believe was more about Tony and Christopher making up. Thats the brilliance of The Sopranos.

When you think about it, its this very thing that made Sopranos like an open ended book, rather than a linear (Told about every little detail) tv programme. Barry Haydu is just as much a prop to the show as pie-o-my or a chair around the soprano family table. Does it really matter whether Ralphie killed the horse?? Or was it a bigger issue that Tony still had a grudge against Ralph for smashing that poor girls head in. What im saying is the horse (being the prop) allowed Tony an oppertunity to get rid of Ralph. Just as the chair allows him to sit and eat his meal. Didn't matter if he was telling the truth or not!

I recall having this feeling when I first watched the series but after rewatching every episode I felt it even more. Just something in the scene made me feel as if Haydu knew he was being set up for something he had not done.

Did anyone else notice in the background noise that after Chris killed Haydu that on the TV the detective calls himself 'Special investigator Finnerty'?

Finnerty like in Tony's dream when he was in the coma after being shot.

Sorry for bumping the old thread but had to put this somewhere.

I actually thought the same thing when i first watched that episode.

But it seems Chrissy did believe he was his fathers killer because in future episodes he says to Ade how grateful he was.

I have my doubts also, id have thought there would have been some retributions earlier but they might have been waiting until he retired to not draw the heat on them with Barry being a cop.

I thought the same thing... chrisy was like "You got a real hard-on for me i'll tell you that", and takes him to the cops house - and gets chris to hit the cop - I think Tony is testing Chris to see if he will still kill on command - and really after this Chris believe he owes Tony and their relationship gets slightly better after this ... but if I was tied up and ready to be shot, i'm sure the last thing you would think about doing was lying?, but then again he says "was he a friend of yours", which made me think he did know what he meant and was maybe the gunman... thats why it's shown like this it gets you talking ... like that fucking last episode ..oh I spoke about that for ages.. cursing and cursing it out... then I checked my Dvd player?, but all fine and then I got more pissed off like WTF it can't end like this ... but it did ..and boy I aint fucking happy