To assess whether the theory holds weight, revisiting the most significant moments at three o’clock relative to Tony’s last moments onscreen should help clarify, if not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Mr. Members Only Jacket whacked Tony. Of course, with creator David Chase remaining coy on the subject, there may never be a definitive answer. Even so, the three o’clock fan theory is compelling enough to entertain and give a litmus test.
The Sopranos’ Three O’Clock Theory, Explained
Although the time three o’clock recurs throughout The Sopranos (verbally and visually), the fan theory relating to the hour first came about after Season 2, Episode 9, “From Where to Eternity.” In the episode, Tony Sopranos’ nephew Christopher Moltisanti sustains a gunshot wound from rival gangsters and is sent to the hospital to treat his wounds. At the hospital, Chris is visited by Tony and Paulie and relays his “Nightmare from Hell.”
According to the theory, this moment foreshadows Tony’s death in the final episode, “Made in America.” Although no time is shown during the infamous cut-to-black moment that shook viewers to their core in 2007, fans have noticed that the man in the Members Only Jacket, who many believe shoots Tony in the back of the head in the final shot, was situated at Tony’s “Three O’Clock.” Meaning, if the direction Tony is facing is noon, then the Members Only man is located 90 degrees to his right as he enters the bathroom in his final onscreen moment.
Since Mikey Palmice warned Tony about the significance of Three O’Clock, fans have suggested that Tony was murdered by a hired killer last seen standing at Tony’s “Three O’Clock.” While hardly definitive, the recurring hour of the day bears closer scrutiny series-wide.
Tony’s Therapy Sessions With Dr. Melfi Occurred at Three O’Clock
Beyond Chris’ warning in “From Where to Eternity,” the episode is littered with religious iconography. This connects three o’clock to Catholicism, which plays a large role in Carmela Soprano’s life. In Catholicism, three o’clock refers to the time Jesus was crucified and is often deemed “The Hour of Mercy.” Three o’clock is also known as The Witching Hour, the time at night when one’s soul is darkest and the line between life and death is the thinnest.
The implication is that after Tony was shot in the diner by Mr. Members Only from his three o’clock, Tony entered a purgatorial limbo. As one Redditor suggests:
“The Chris Hospital scene looks like just an irrelevant moment, but it’s actually one of the most important scenes in the show’s storyline history! It tells us the viewer how Tony dies, how Tony will be in Purgatory for his sins and tortured by never seeing his daughter (the thing he loved the most in life) walk into the Diner over & over again.”
Further supporting the theory is a line mentioned by Uncle Junior in Season 3, warning Tony that “these things come in threes,” addressing Jackie and Febby’s cancer-related deaths. In Season 6, Johnny Sac dies of lung cancer while in prison, proving Uncle Junior’s premonition.
Michael Impirioli Wrote From Where to Eternity & Spoke About Three O’Clock
While fan theories are fun to entertain, it’s best to leave it to the person who co-wrote and performed the scene that ignited the fan theory, to address the topic. During episode #88 of the Talking Sopranos podcast, Michael Imperioli, who played Chris Moltisanti, spoke about the significance of three o’clock.
Imperioli claims he was once visited by a middle-aged female spirit while staying at the Chelsea Hotel in New York, infamous for its ghostly hauntings. While being visited, the apparition told Imperioli that 3:00 AM is when spirits visit the living. Imperioli then included the vision in the script for “From Where to Eternity.”
