TV Series: The Sopranos

This one has been on my watch list for many years now. It was created by David Chase, released in 1999 and went on for 6 seasons and 86 episodes to wrap up in 2007. I remember back in college my friend, Palmer, raving about it's quality. Having become a fan of the Italian mafia genre (Godfather and Goodfellas) I knew I would also like the premise. It's set in modern-day New Jersey (which happens to be 15 years ago) and revolves around the personal and business dealings of crime boss, Tony Soprano. After finally being able to access the series thru Amazon Prime, and watching it for the past few months, I am quite convinced that this is the best written TV series of all time.

I know I've made that claim several times before with Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and House of Cards, however that was before I had seen the Sopranos. While each of those aforementioned shows are still all critically acclaimed and at the top of my list, they are ultimately successors to what the Sopranos achieved in the early 2000s. It became a groundbreaking drama for it's mature content, complex storylines, and acclaimed production. From it's writing, it's setting, the directing, and it's actor's The Sopranos introduced the idea of a Television Drama as an art-form.

The Storyline

Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) is a middle aged Italian-American who has inherited his father's organized crime family. He is the father of two children (Meadow and AJ) and married to his homemaker wife, Carmela (played by Edie Falco). He has unresolved issued with his manipulating mother, Livia (played by Nancy Merchand) and his sister Janice (played by Aida Turturro). From it's first episode the series revolves around Tony's crime dealings and the impacts it has on his personal life, his children, his wife, his sister, and his mother. He is a ruthless short-tempered crime boss, yet also has a soft-side which is depicted thru his therapy sessions with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (played by Loranne Bracco).

Throughout the 6 seasons Tony Soprano begins as the underboss and eventually takes his uncle's spot, Corrado Jr (played by Dominic Chinase) as the undisputed boss of his family. He controls most of New Jersey's organized crime with the help of his consigliere Silvio (played by Steven Van Zandt), his loyal short-tempered captain Paulie (played by Tony Sirico), his business partner Salvatore "Big Pussy"(played by Vincente Pastore), his hot-headed nephew Christopher (played by Michael Imperioli) his wise-cracking cousin Tony (played by Steve Buscemi), his hitman Vitto Spatafore (played by Joseph Gannascoli) and his brother in law Bobby Bacala (played by Steven Schirripa).

Each episode brings some sort of new growing dispute for Tony. He is constantly bombarded with issues; whether it's problems with the law, competition from other crime families, dissension in his own gang, and constant fights with his mother, wife, sister, and children. With each episode his relationship with the supporting characters grows more and more complex. Which is why I believe this show is one of the finest examples of character development. It's ultimately a in depth character driven story rather than a plotline of romance or good guy vs bad guy.

The Ending

The one flaw of the show I thought was the abrupt open ending. After the gang war had come to a close, Tony met with his wife and children at a diner. In a very suspenseful build-up it seemed he was about to get whacked in front of his family. As he sits and has some laughs with his wife and AJ, there's a suspicious man sitting at a bar. The man then goes off to the bathroom, perhaps a reference to the Godfather restaurant murder scene. As Meadow enters the diner to join her family the scene then goes to an abrupt black and the credits roll thru. The viewer is left with the question of whether Tony was killed or not.

I hate open ended finales that don't resolve a story. These abrupt endings are merely put in place to stir up debate among the viewers. I myself feel that Tony should have died at the end because of the lifestyle he had chosen. Although he was a likable protagonist he was ultimately a criminal he had killed many people. I feel it sends a bad message to viewers when they see this type of bad behavior glorified rather than terminated. I suppose this was just an example of the ingenious writers wanting to make this story immortal. They succeeded in that by creating a new cultural classic that can be regarded as the best written TV series of all time.


The characters

It's the complex characters in this TV drama that make it one of the most groundbreaking series of all time. Each character is tied to the protagonist Tony Soprano, and because of their dealings with organizing crime they are extremely flawed. Their storylines grow deeper and deeper with each episode. This unfamiliar setting of organized crime, makes the show and it's characters all the more appealing to the viewer. Here in this post I would like to make an in depth study of the show's main characters thru a psychiatric lens.

• Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini): As the main protagonist of the series, Tony Soprano is without question the show's most interesting and complex characters. As the boss of a crime family he is obviously strong, smart, short-tempered, ruthless, and always n control. However we also discover from the get-go that he is troubled with inner weakness thru his panic attacks and therapy sessions. Much of this conflict has to do with his upbringing into the crime world and his unsupportive mother, who goes as far as attempting to kill him in the first season. He continuously shows strong resolve as part of his persona, and considers everyone around him as inferior. He claims to be doing good by his family, yet his actions of sleeping with other women and killing whoever disrupts his business (even family members) goes to show the contradiction of his character. Tony is the cliche likable bad-guy, strong with a humorous soft-side. He does love his family, his wife and his kids and has his genuine moments of good, yet he puts himself ahead of everything else in his life, and is driven by pride and hate.    

• Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco): She is the conflicted wife of Tony, a cliche housewife and mother of two. She is bound to him through her children yet also her religious principles. Carmela's character is always stressed out, mostly due to Tony's unfaithfulness or his dangerous business. She also notices the affects of Tony's lifestyle on her teenage children Meadow and AJ. At some points it seems Carmela is ready to break away and even has a few love interests of her own outside the marriage, however unlike Tony she is never unfaithful. She is the ultimately the rock of the Soprano family. 

• Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco): As Tony's psychiatrist she is the outlet of Tony's troubled sub-conscious. She is a central character in the story and slowly finds herself conflicts by Tony's confliction. On one side she is obligated to do her professional duty which is to listen and provide medical assistance while on the other side she is bothered by his criminal lifestyle. Tony grows a fond attraction to the Dr. which proves to be all the more complicated for her. To further complicate things she is raped by a gangster and has to deal with her own personal problems. At several points she attempts to pass Tony on to another therapist, and even has to get therapy herself because of her work with him. Despite all the red flags in their doctor-patient relationship, she stays true to her work and sees him thru to the end. She is no doubt a testament to professionalism and composure in the psychiatric business.

• Meadow Soprano (Jamie Lynn Sigler): She is Tony's elder daughter, a spoiled teenage princess, smart and outspoken, whose loyalty to her family grows with each season. At first she cannot stand her dad and his gangster lifestyle. However as she grows and begins college she becomes more grateful to him and her mother. She has several love interests throughout the series. The first of which is with a gangter, Jackie Jr that ends in tragedy. This causes Meadow to fall into a depression throughout her early college years. She is eventually able to pull through and meets a more civil person in Finn and later Patrick. Throughout the series she is bothered by her father's lifestyle yet finds a balance in showing loyalty while pursing a legitimate career path of her own. 

• AJ Soprano (Robert Iler): He is Tony's younger son, also a very spoiled teenager. His story and relationship with his father grows more and more complicated as the series goes along. In the first few seasons he displays the same rebellious, angry attitude as his father. He becomes popular at high school thanks to his involvement on the football team and the reputation of his dad. However he later loses all that due to bad behavior. His family loyalty grows the same as Meadow's does and he is ultimately driven by a desire to make his father proud. In the final season his story becomes extremely front-and-center as he deals with his father's attempted murder. As he begins college he struggles to find any career ambition and eventually drops out. For a while he becomes quite a loser, has a relationship with an older woman, yet after she breaks it off he falls into a dark depression. This is no doubt a connection to his father who is also prone to depression. At the end of the series his story ends on a good note as it seems to land a promising job at a film production company.   

• Livia Soprano (Nancy Merchand); She is the manipulative mother of Tony, and is credited as the root to all his psychological problems. At the onset of the series she is an extreme burden on Tony, as an older somewhat senile woman. She constantly uses her misery to subdue Tony with guilt trips. Having no other option, Tony decides to send her to a retirement home, which further upsets his mother. Livia comes up with a vindictive scheme with her brother in law, Corrado to kill Tony. After the scheme falls thru, Tony cuts off ties with his mother. 

• Janice Soprano (Aida Turturro): She is the elder sister of Tony, and displays his similar anger and depressive traits. She goes thru various relationships, the first with Richie Aprile, a gangster that is released from prison. After a domestic dispute in which Richie punches Janice, she responds by shooting him dead. Her 2nd relationship with the widower Bobby Bacala brings her much more joy. What's most interesting of her character is the dynamic between her and her brother. Throughout the series she goes thru major mood-swings of happiness, sadness, and anger. At times when she displays happiness her brother, Tony, grows extremely jealous and tries to get under her skin. While it's without question they love one another as any brother and sister, they are also extremely competitive, jealous, and spiteful to each other. 

• Corrado Jr Soprano (Dominic Chianese): He pis Tony's uncle and the official boss of the Soprano crime family, however it's Tony who has all the power. In the first season he feels cheated by Tony's ascension to the top and plots to have him executed. This doesn't work out for him as he planned, and he is later charged for previous crimes and put on house arrest. He once again tries to kill Tony in season 6, yet once again fails. Corrado serves as the elder wise man of the show, supportive of Tony, yet also in spite of him. 

• Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli): He is Tony's nephew, a high ranking captain in the family, and also Tony's protege. He's the hot-headed young up-and-comer of the family. However he is extremely flawed with a short temper and many insecurities. Even his devoted girlfriend, Adriana La Cerva, can't bring him stability. Throughout the first few seasons he rises up the ladder and eventually becomes a made-man. Yet the stress of his job eats away at him, and causes him to abuse his girlfriend. He later turns to drug abuse, which affects his relationship with Tony and the other high ranking members. Christopher's character is a very interesting one, as he attempts to be a tough guy only to prove himself to others. Towards the end of the series it seems he is getting his life together and controlling the drug abuse. However after having Adriana killed, he returns down the slope which eventually leads to his demise.

• Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt): He is Tony's loyal consigliere, very good with numbers and business decisions. He runs their headquarters at the stripclub, the Bada Bing, and is known as a bit of a womanizer. While he usually maintains a composed demeanor in most situations he also demonstrates extreme anger in various situations and his not afraid to get his hands dirty. While he always looks extremely angry, he probably has the coolest head in the gang. 

• Paulie Gaultiere (Tony Sirico): He is one of Tony's oldest friends, and most loyal of soldiers in the gang. Just like the others he demonstrates an extremely hot temper, and has a no bull-shit approach to dealing with people. He is the ultimate tough guy of the group not afraid to speak his mind and do the dirty work. He also rises the ladder to become one of Tony's captains, and especially comes to odd with the younger Christopher throughout the series. 
  

• Salvatore Big Pussy Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore): He is another of Tony's older friends, as well a business partner. He is a high ranking member of the family, and runs a auto body shop. He's a kind-hearted person, driven by a desire to provide for his family. Throughout the first season it seems Salvatore is a loyal friend, however we later learn he is an FBI informant. He is later executed by Tony for betraying him.  

• Adriana La Cerve (Drea de Matteo): She is the long time girlfriend of Christopher, and extremely loyal to him despite his hot headed temper. She also has a business mind and gets involved in music production as well as managing a night club. However her constant fights with Christopher eat away at her. She is later approached by the FBI, and becomes their mole into the Soprano crime family. After Christopher discovers she is a mole, he throws away their love to have her executed. 

• Bobby Bacala Baccalieri (Steve Schirripa): He begins as one of Corrado's most loyal aides, yet later becomes involved with the Soprano family. He's a soft-spoken shy person, a family man, with a strong demeanor. Following Corrado's house arrest, Bobby becomes involved with the Soprano family and rises up the ranks. He also later marries Tony's sister Janice, which complicates his relationship with Tony. Tony respects Bobby, as a good father, and the husband to his sister, and also as a loyal business man. However their relationship get's tense as Tony begins to grow jealous of his sister's happiness. In one showdown of sheer egoism, the two men have a fight for respect. He is later tragically gunned down at the end of the series in a gangwar. Bobby is perhaps one of the most good-hearted people in the show, who just happened to fall into the wrong business. 

• Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi): He is Tony's cousin released from prison in the 5th season. We learn that the reason he is in prison is because of a job gone wrong that he took the blame for Tony. He doesn't hold any grudges towards his successful cousin, and is eager to go clean once out of prison and provide for his two kids. He tries several business ventures yet eventually he realizes he's no good at it, and returns to crime. He's an easy-going wise cracking person who often gets under Tony's skin. At one point he takes on a job that causes major upheval with an opposing crime family the Lupertazzi. Tony has no other choice but to kill his cousin in order to keep peace with the Lupertazzi family.    

• Vito Spatafore (Joseph Gannascoli): He is one of Tony's soldiers and a reliable business partner as owner of a construction company. He's a business man, yet also carries out some of the dirty work for the family. We later find out that he is a closeted homosexual and lives a secret life outside from his wife and kids. Once discovered he leaves New Jersey to get away at a rural town in New Hampshire. There he meets another man and finds a happy life for himself, yet realizes he cannot go on away from his business and his family. When he returns to New Jersey it's not long until he is killed by the Lupertazzi family, who find it disgraceful that he is a homosexual. This character makes for a very interesting sub-plot.  

• Artie Bucco (John Ventimiglia): He is one of Tony's close friends, a passionate cook and owner of an Italian restauraunt. While he doesn't engage in any crime, he is a very emotional character and often gets tied up in problems with other members of the gang. He also has marital problems which leads to depression and severe anxieties. 

• Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano): He joins Tony's gang from another gang, and quickly proves himself to be a good earner. In the third and fourth season he quickly rises up the ladder to become a captain. He however is very outspoken, wise cracking, with a short temper that often gets him in trouble. He is later killed in an argument with Tony. 

• Johnny Sack (Vince Curatola): He is the underboss and later the boss of the Lupertazzi crime family. the Soprano's biggest rivals. He is a composed boss and works openly with Tony to keep the peace. He is later arrested by the FBI and spends his final months dying in jail. His cpatain, Phil Leotardo becomes the acting boss of the family.  

• Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent): He is at first a captain of the Lupertazzi family, and in the sixth season becomes boss. From the get-go he has a very short temper and begins to despise the Soprano family, after Tony's cousin kills his brother. This leads to rising tension between the two families throughout the final season and eventually culminates in a gang war that take many lives. He is an extremely proud and angry character and becomes the head antagonist of the show.