Television Review: Unidentified Black Males (The Sopranos, S5X09, 2004)

Unidentified Black Males (S05E09)

Airdate: May 2nd 2004

Written by: Matthew Weiner & Terrence Winter
Directed by: Tim Van Patten

Running Time: 59 minutes

Unidentified Black Males stands as a compelling exploration of systemic prejudices within the mafia’s insular society, deftly intertwining themes of racial scapegoating and repressed homosexuality. The episode leverages its crime-family backdrop to critique the hypocrisy of a world built on violence and deception, where bigotry becomes a tool for self-preservation. By framing fictional black males as convenient culprits for the mob’s misdeeds and juxtaposing this with Vito Spatafore’s clandestine gay identity, the narrative exposes how fear and bias underpin the mafia’s moral code.

The episode’s title continues The Sopranos’ tradition of self-referential irony, alluding to the mob’s recurring tactic of blaming non-existent black men for their crimes. Four instances of this motif emerge: Tony Soprano’s fabricated tale of being robbed in 1986; Tony Blundetto’s limp attributed to a fictional assault; Meadow’s insistence that black men killed Jackie Jr.; and Eugene Pontecorvo’s attack on Little Paulie, similarly deflected onto unseen African-Americans. These lies reveal a cultural reliance on racial stereotypes to mask personal failures or criminal acts, weaponising societal prejudices to maintain power.

The escalating Lupertazzi family feud drives the episode’s primary plot. Tony B’s botched hit on Joey Peeps—Johnny Sack’s enforcer—leaves him injured and vulnerable. When confronted about his limp, Blundetto blames “unidentified black males,” a lie Tony Soprano sees through immediately. Johnny Sack, suspecting Blundetto’s involvement, confronts Tony, who fabricates an alibi to protect his cousin. This loyalty stems not from familial bond but from Tony’s gnawing guilt: during therapy with Dr. Melfi, he admits abandoning Tony B during a 1986 hijacking due to a panic attack triggered by Livia, not the fictional robbery he’d long claimed. The episode underscores how Tony’s moral compromises are rooted in shame, with his protection of Blundetto serving as penance for decades of deceit.

The episode’s secondary storyline traces the fraying relationship between Meadow Soprano and Finn DeTrolio, whose financial instability leads him to accept a no-work construction job from Tony. Finn, an outsider raised abroad, becomes a viewer surrogate, horrified by the mob’s casual brutality—exemplified when a homophobic joke sparks Eugene’s violent assault on Little Paulie. His discovery of Vito’s affair with a male security guard amplifies his terror, as Vito’s attempts to coerce him into silence (including a suspicious invitation to a Yankees game) push Finn toward fleeing New Jersey, bringing relationship with Meadow on the brink of collapse. Their reconciliation—sealed by an impulsive marriage proposal—highlights the transactional nature of relationships in SopranoWorld, where commitment becomes a shield against danger.

Carmela’s arc exemplifies the gendered constraints of mafia life. Her brief reconciliation with Tony crumbles as she seeks a divorce, only to find every reputable lawyer and forensic accountant unwilling to challenge him. Tony’s threat—“You’re entitled to shit”—underscores her complicity: having long benefited from his illicit wealth, she now faces the impossibility of disentangling herself. The final scene, where she gazes at Tony lounging in their pool while Meadow announces her engagement, poignantly contrasts Carmela’s stifled autonomy with her daughter’s hopeful leap into marriage.

The episode’s boldest subversion lies in Vito Spatafore’s closeted homosexuality, a secret that defies the mafia’s hypermasculine ethos. Actor Joseph R. Gannascoli, drawing from a real-life Gambino family case, proposed the storyline to writers, grounding it in historical precedent. Vito’s ability to survive—initially—stems from his value as a “good earner,” exposing the mob’s pragmatic tolerance beneath its homophobic veneer. Yet his later fate (hinted at via the phallic baseball bat outside the stadium) foreshadows the violent consequences of nonconformity.

Paula Garcés’ Felicia Galan, an attractive secretary at construction company serving as Tony’s front, disrupts the “temptress” trope. Though Finn flirts with her, she instead advises him that marriage grants protection in their world: “That ring… has got this kind of, like, weird power”. Her counsel steers Finn toward proposing to Meadow, reframing matrimony as a strategic move rather than a romantic gesture. This moment critiques the transactional dynamics underpinning even the most personal relationships in mafia culture.

Despite her Ivy League education, Meadow rationalises her family’s crimes, using her knowledge of Sicilian history and fancy words to coat the very personal stance with the illusion of objective “scientific” morality. Her elitism becomes a tool for moral evasion, illustrating how even the “enlightened” Soprano child remains entangled in the family’s corrupt logic.

Unidentified Black Males masterfully dissects the mafia’s reliance on prejudice and performative masculinity. Through layered narratives—from Tony’s guilt-driven lies to Vito’s precarious double life—the episode reveals a world where survival demands the erasure of truth and the exploitation of societal biases. Its unflinching critique of hypocrisy, both racial and sexual, cements it as a very good part of The Sopranos’ legacy.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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