Tony Soprano glorified "old days" of the Mafia. Tony leaves out the violence associated with his criminal career. Tony tells Dr. Melfi a story about ducks landing in his pool. He describes his mother Livia, a cold, mean-spirited woman with whom he has an openly hostile relationship. By the end of the first session Tony has admitted that he feels depressed, but storms out when Dr. Melfi presses him further about the relationship between his symptoms and the ducks. When the family visits Green Grove, a Nursing Home where Tony is trying to place his mother, Livia's derisive outburst prompts a second
The Happy Wanderer (The Sopranos) beginning to resent therapy as it encourages feelings of victimization, in contrast to the resiliency of his hero, Gary Cooper. Tony learns from Junior that he had another uncle, Ercole, who was mentally disabled and had to be sent to a state charity home. Melfi sarcastically asks Tony if having a retarded family member makes him feel better about coming to therapy. Tony becomes angry when Livia arrives at a funeral, saying she is dead to him. He also becomes angry when she attends Meadow's performance at school. Furio arranges for the Executive Game to be held at Shlomo Teittleman's