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What do you say about the greatest drama series ever made. All seasons a must see.
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HBO provides a rare view into the lives of an Italian American family, as dysfunctional as they are captivating. The main character of Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini is the key ingredient that keeps us watching episode after episode. Tony Soprano lives the struggle of having to head his mob clan, while raising a rather troublesome family.
The TV series is simply superb. From the start, Tony Soprano grabs out attention as the man who suffers from depression because of the pressures provided by his followers and family members. He seeks psychotherapy and the scenes between his doctor and Tony Soprano are classic material, especially given that I watch the show with a Mental Health Counselor, Alex Ariano. We find ourselves discussing Tony at length for days to come after watching each episode.
The Godfather offered us an elegant view into the underworld of the Mafia, but the Sopranos provide a mundane, seductive, terrifying, and criminal view to people who choose to by-pass law and order. We find ourselves going from family life, filled with violence, drugs, extra-marital affairs, and sorrow... to a group of New Jersey gangsters capable of murdering at the drop of a hat.
As the episodes start, we get to travel with Tony Soprano in his car, driving through the NJ Turnpike, with views of NYC in the distance. The background music captures the audience as it plays: "Woke up this morning, got yourself a gun, Mama always said you'd be the Chosen One. She said: You're one in a million, You've got to burn to shine, But you were born under a bad sign, With a blue moon in your eyes. You woke up this morning, all the love has gone, your Papa never told you, about right and wrong... But you're looking good, baby, I believe you're feeling fine, (shame about it), Born under a bad sign, with a blue moon in your eyes!"
You have got to see Nancy Marchand as she plays Livia Soprano, mother of Tony... a terrifying... nagging... depressed woman. Carmela, Tony Soprano's wife is played by Edie Falco, who provides an amazing performance as the woman who has to put up with so much, and yet, she finds the time and the strength to be loving to her family.
Our favorite is Lorraine Bracco, who plays the therapist, Dr. Melfi. She is highly professional and handles Tony Soprano with great finesse. This is definitely... La famiglia... modern age Godfather... at its best!
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I finally came out from under my rock and checked out "The Sopranos," quite possibly the most beloved and ballyhooed show ever on television. Needless to say, I was dubious - how could a mere TV show merit the countless accolades that have been foisted upon it?
Then I pushed 'play,' and all was made clear. "The Sopranos" is easily one of the best-written TV series of all time - right up there with HBO's other magnum opus, "The Wire." In a genre rife with caricature, "The Sopranos" stands out because of its fully-drawn, well-rounded characters. The actors must drool over their new scripts!
The series may refer to the Soprano family, but the fulcrum for all the action is Tony (James Gandolfini). Tony is a lumbering hulk of a man with a twinkle in his eye and a penchant for bear hugs. A beloved "captain" in the crime world, Tony is recognized as a leader even though he does not have the official title of "Boss."
The series first humanizes Tony by giving him a charming affection for the ducks in his pool and a wonderful relationship with his therapist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco from "Goodfellas"). Tony has been blacking out a little bit of late, and needs some counseling. This choice is a fantastic mechanism for storytelling, as Tony is forced to break out of the mafia's notorious 'omerta' and open up. It also sets the wheels in motion for serious violence, because while the mafia places a lot of stock on silence, they don't place much in doctor-patient privilege.
So Dr. Melfi is Tony's sounding board for his manifold professional and personal problems. There are far too many to list here, but suffice it to say that whether it be a struggle for power within "our thing," or coping with his evil mother-in-law Livia (Nancy Marchand), or just taking his daughter to visit colleges, nothing in Tony's life is easy. As the season progresses, you begin to see Tony like a fat Italian Atlas, bearing the weight of the world on his monstrous shoulders.
But you don't want to give him a hug, either. Every time Tony gets just a little too sympathetic (like with his immortal line, "what constitutes a fidget?" to a child shrink who has diagnosed Tony's son with ADD), Tony goes out and does something mind-bogglingly evil and ruthless. While you may love to invite Tony into your house for an hour of TV, you sure wouldn't want to live next door to him (a plot twist that the writers nail perfectly).
Be warned - this is violent, rated 'R' kinda stuff - lots of blood and skin. Maybe not as much blood as HBO's great series "Rome," or as much skin as HBO's ill-fated "Carnivale," but enough that you don't want your eight-year old watching it with you.
Steeped in the lore of mafia movies and books (the characters quote Al Pacino's "Scarface" and the "Godfather" trilogy with aplomb), but somehow standing to one side of them, "The Sopranos" is a wonderful romp through life with an amazing family . . . that just happens to be in the mafia.
Check it out - you won't regret it.
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Initially, I had started watching the Sopranos when it first started and wasn't impressed with the show. Last year, I went back to watching it from the beginning and discovered that I was missing the detailed character development that was taking place. I have since seen all of the episodes up until this season, and I have to say that I'll be in withdrawal once the series is completed. This is one of two series (six feet under is the second one) that I think is worth having a copy of in my video library.
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I missed the Sopranos the first season. I may have caught an episode here and there,but not enough to get into it. I started watching on TV in the fifth season and got hooked! Now I have started at the beginning and I can't stop! Great show and the DVD set has a nice transfer with some interesting extras. At the new lower price of $20.00 a season(if you look around)they're making you an offer you can't refuse!
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