The dollar bill (and the eye/face) refers to the manipulation that happens in the episode. Everyone takes the lies at "face value". Chridtopher even suspects he may be manipulated. But he chooses to take Tony's possible lie at face value. One thing I liked was when Tony was yelling at the Capos he told them it was because Junior was on trial and needed the money when we know Junior only gets like 7% or whatever of the money that's "kicked up" to him with the rest going to Tony from earlier seasons. I feel as though they included that close-up shot of the 20 dollar bill because it could represent the root cause of all the murder, pain, anguish, drug addictions, suicide attempts, depression, hostility, and misery that befalls the Soprano family and the mafia world. Had they been content with a little house in NJ, and had they not lived outrageously decadent lives that were paved with the deaths of countless victims, then perhaps they would've been happy. The root cause of every single issue is their thirst for greed. Greed and status are the two main reasons for existence for these people. Who has which new car, who has which new title in the mafia. That's all they care about, and the 20 dollar bill represents the fact that it is the overarching reason for all this chaos and is what drives every character to do malicious acts throughout the series.
Review of For All Debts Public and Private
