Ronit J

The Sopranos Synopsis:

New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.

The Sopranos Review:

My love for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul has prompted many of my friends to recommend The Sopranos to me. They claimed that it was most certainly going to shoot straight up in my top ten list of best shows ever watched. I have read only good reviews for this show, so I had very high expectations going in. I’m glad to say the show did not disappoint.

Honestly, I was expecting a well-made gangster show that explores a balance of crime and personal. life. What I did not expect, however, was a deep and profound character study of some of the most complex, nuanced set of individuals.

Real, Troubled People

From Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), to Carmela (Edie Falco), even Livia (Nancy Marchand) and Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), each character comes fully formed with baggage that drives their instincts and impulses. Tony is prone to anger fits and panic attacks. These stem from a troubled childhood that was plagued with a criminal father and a near-sociopathic mother. Christopher deals with a lack of a father-figure, finding only disappointment in his uncle Tony. He ends up resorting to destructive solace within drugs and alcohol.

Pick any of the main cast, and you’ll see more layers than the biggest onion you can cut. And like the onion, these characters will evoke pity, grief, pain, and frustration. You can’t help any of them. All you can do is watch them give in to their impulses, behaving in the worst possible way as they leave a trail of emotional turmoil and tangible destruction in the wake of their actions. Dr Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) serves as a conduit to understand the psychology of the sociopathic mob boss, Tony Soprano. However, she too deals with her share of personal trauma that makes her feel like a real person.

I read somewhere that Bryan Cranston said Walter White would not exist without Tony Soprano. Having finished this series, I can attest to that fact. In fact, I’d even go the extra mile and say that The Sopranos is one of—if not the—the finest examples of nuanced, complex, and brilliant character work. The main cast, the recurring cast, even the guest characters, all feel like real people with whole lives that exist outside what we see on screen. The Sopranos is a must watch for any and all writers wanting to study good character writing.

La Cosa Nostra

The Godfather, Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time in America, these are just three great examples of very popular and critically acclaimed films about the Mafia. I have honestly enjoyed every single one of, having the privilege of watching OUATIA on the big screen at a special screening. Within the genre of crime, the mafia or La Cosa Nostra holds a very unique flavour to it. Hell, even Brooklyn Nine-Nine had its mafia-related plotlines. I’m saying all this because when the word mafia gets thrown around in context of film and TV, there’s a very particular style you expect.

While Sopranos delivers on that in many ways, in others, it is quite unique. On one hand, the rich and elite lifestyle of these crime lords feels less glorified and more realistic. It’s not all fancy drug or arms deals. No, there’s trash routes, protection, construction, and unglamorous financial fraud. Even the likes of Tony Soprano has baser needs and money problems, and The Sopranos shows us all of these, highlighting the troubled nature of those that indulge in such criminality. As much as the personal lives of these gangsters reveals their personalities, their professional crime sheds light on those same aspects, leaving us with fully-formed individuals.

The crime world of The Sopranos is ugly and brutal. It doesn’t glorify Tony’s mistresses or riches, instead shows them as Tony’s toxic attempts at feeling good about himself. Not once do you want to be like any of these guys, because all their philandering almost always results in pain and destruction. Every season deals with a different criminal plot that runs parallel with the personal one. Together, it paints a vivid picture of the lives of Tony Soprano, his family, and his crime family. This ability to balance the two worlds and their intersections is another reason why The Sopranos feels so much more real and rewarding to watch.

The Sopranos Ending Explained

Tony’s war with Phil results in violence and many death, forcing families to go into hiding. Tony offers information about Ahmed and Muhammad to the FBI in exchange for Phil’s location, which Agent Harris obliges. At Bobby’s funeral, Janice proclaims that she will raise his children, unaware that they actually hate her.

Phil reprimands Butchie for failing to kill Tony, threatening him with punishment. Butchie then negotiates a truce with Tony, but he doesn’t know Phil’s location. Butchie even makes restitutions to Bobby’s family and Janice. Tony and his family return home. Carlo (Arthur J. Nascarella) goes missing, and Paulie suspects he might turn into a rat. As a result, Tony offers the Aprile crew leadership to Paulie, who reluctantly agrees. Later, Walden Belfiore executes Phil at a gas station. His wife runs away screaming, and her car—which is in drive—crushes Phil’s head.

Tony & Carmela reject AJ’s (Robert Iler) desire to join the army, instead getting him a job in Little Carmine’s (Ray Abruzzo) film production company. Meadow and Patrick Parisi get engaged, and she hints at possibly getting a high-paying job with a law firm. However, Tony is disappointed that she will be defending white-collar criminals. Tony then visits Silvio in the hospital, left comatose after the attack in the last episode.

Janice visits Junior under the pretext of getting his money. However, he has become toothless and completely senile. On Uncle Pat’s suggestion, Tony also visits Junior. He recounts stories of Junior’s past, but Junior remains oblivious. Tony, teary-eyed, leaves.

The Sopranos go out to a restaurant for dinner. However, with tensions rising, Tony keeps an eye on every patron entering the restaurant. A man wearing a Members Only jacket goes to use the bathroom. The diner door opens, Tony looks up, and the screen abruptly cuts to black.

I believe Tony was killed because of two reasons: one is Bobby mentioning how in their line of work, death can come all of a sudden (abrupt cut). Another reason is the setting. AJ mentions how Tony’s favourite scene from the Godfather is Michael executing his enemies in a restaurant. The Man in the Members Only jacket could be a hint to that, as well as the opening episode, titled ‘Member’s Only’, where Tony gets shot.

Truly, a masterpiece of a finale.

The Sopranos Seasons Ranked

Since I wrote an overall review for the series, I’ll briefly explain what I liked about each season. However, I must say that the 6 seasons of The Sopranos are more-or-less on equal footing.

1. Season 2: Ritchie Aprile and Janice Sopranos are the main two reasons why I loved this season so much. It had the perfect blend of brutality and emotional instability that is so fundamental to The Sopranos.
2. Season 6: Season 6 was an absolute masterpiece. It concludes all the many threads that started in Season 1, delivering a power-packed finale that’s perhaps the best way to end a show this brilliant. However, the season is divided into two parts, so I’ll rank those too.
   • 6B: The consequences of everyone’s actions begin to wreak havoc. Hell, after Tony suffocates Christopher for selfish reasons, you know that everything is about to explode. This was one of my favourite parts of the series, despite it being the one that angered me the most. The resultant finale was so beautifully tense and heartbreaking, it’s no wonder that this is considered one of the best series finales every made. That’s all I’ll say.
   • 6A: As much as I loved the second part, the first part is on par. Part 1 deals with the idea of redemption, with Tony almost feeling like he’s having a change of heart. But, as expected of this sociopath.
3. Season 3: I loved seeing Christopher climb the ranks in this one. Coupled with the inclusion of the psychopathic Ralphie (Joe Pantoliano), this was quite an emotionally charged season.
4. Season 5: Tony and Carmela’s separation led to some very interesting conflicts. Plus, the introduction of Tony Blundetto and his subsequent downfall was just one of the many things I loved about this season. A return to form after a relatively slow-paced Season 4.
5. Season 1: This is where it all started. While I’m ranking this one low, that’s because it felt like it was still figuring out what it wants to do. Despite it’s lower rank, I’d still argue that it’s a solid first season, and in comparison to most shows, this would perform much better. The whole finale with Livia essentially gaslighting Junior into putting a hit on Tony… chef’s kiss.
6. Season 4: Another good season that only pales when compared to its counterparts. The more I think of it, the more I realise that I actually loved the whole Adriana being a rat, and Carmela’s restrained fantasising over Furio (Federico Castelluccio) quite interesting. However, this season also felt a little slower paced than the others.

Is The Sopranos Worth Watching?

Yes. It’s ranked among the best shows ever made, and with good reason. Yes, some episodes and plotlines do feel a little dull, but the overall experience of these 6 seasons is a rich and powerful experience.

In Conclusion:

The Sopranos is one of—if not the—the finest examples of nuanced, complex, and brilliant character work. An absolute must watch!

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• Shrinking Season 3 | TV Review
• Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat | TV Review
• Island of the Dying Goddess

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