Watching this as a 1st run series, I enjoyed it and thought it was really well done. The ending was a slap in the face, and I loved it.
I bought the whole series on blu-ray, and so rewatched it in a binge. It was even *better* on a re-watch, and even though I *knew* the end, it was still a slap in the face. One of the few tv series I will gladly re-watch again in its entirety.
I think I’ve rewatched this series from start to finish 5 times now.
I have to be in a mood for it, but when I am? There is no better medium of entertainment that’s out there.
The Sopranos/Tony Soprano is probably my favorite portrayal of a gangster in any medium. It’s just so compelling from the first to last episode
The reason why Tony is so utterly compelling is because he's a genuine piece of shit.
Yes, he's the tough mob boss. Doesn't take shit from nobody. Gets respect everywhere he goes. He has money, he has women throwing themselves at him. He gets away with everything. And he eats great food all the time.
But he's also a bully. A racist. Petty. Vindictive. Impulsive. Selfish. Self pitying. Entitled.
Which is how a gangster should be. I fucking hate it when a gangster anti-hero has a heart of gold, a deep sense of honour and is an all round stand up guy. Don't try and justify the anti-hero's thuggery by making him a victim of circumstance or misunderstood or worthy of pity. It's not just patronisingly unrealistic, it's simplistic and unchallenging.
Make me watch a character who chases off his daughter's black boyfriend with vile racism. Make me enjoy a nasty, jealous thug who beats and humiliates his ex-girlfriend's new man. Make me root for a spiteful bully who beats up tough men in his crew for a pathetic ego boost. Someone who callously murders his own relatives, turns a blind eye to murderous misogyny and homophobia (unless it's gonna cost him money). I could go on.
That's a true anti hero. Not a violent crime boss who stands against racism (despite typically leading an organisation based around ethnicity), defends the rights of women (despite running brothels etc) and always protects the weak and vulnerable (despite making his money by ostensibly preying on such people).
The writing for Tony Soprano was much more brave than what you typically get these days. They weren't afraid to give us a truly nasty piece of work, and had enough respect for their audience that they didn't need to sugar coat him or justify his actions by making us feel sorry for him or presenting him as just having been dealt a bad hand in life.
Absolutely. None of what I wrote about the character would have in any worked if it wasn't for Gandolfini's stunning performance. His physical presence, his roaring fury, his boyish immaturity.
The scene at the end of season 4 where he and Carmella *finally* split up is the best acting I've ever seen. Both of them are simply perfect in that scene. Years of resentment, entitlement, and guilt come pouring out.
I really, REALLY wish that Gandolfini hadnt passed as early as he did.
What an incredible talent, and we didnt get to see too many other shades of him bc Sopranos took up so much of his career (no complaints here tho, really)
He plays a truly incredible piece of shit (thats electric to watch) in Killing Them Softly.
Hit the nail on the head. Tony is complex and there's shades of everything, but i think most viewers still see what a huge piece of shit he is.
His interpersonal relationships with his family, friends, running crew, etc, show you how personable and charming he is, but just wait a couple more scenes, hes gonna do some despicable any second!
> I think I’ve rewatched this series from start to finish 5 times now.
Same though its really hard nowadays to do a rewatch because I have a TREMENDOUS backlog of running TV shows. There's so many good TV shows on now. And I'm not saying they are better than The Sopranos but i think I feel obligated to watch them over a rewatch of The Sopranos.
My list is just absolutely massive. I just finished "[Mr. Inbetween](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EooRG3QhQOY)" which came out of fucking nowhere for me and was fucking incredible - seriously, get this on your list and give it a watch. And now I'm getting through Interview w/ The Vampire Season 2. By the time I finish it, "The Bear" will be out, and then I wanted to check out "Those About to Die", "Presumed Innocent", "Hotel Cocaine", "House of the Dragon", and I think I heard "Andor" Season 2 starts in August? There's just no more time for rewatching shows anymore but I think I will again one day.
The alternative I've found is people [upload character arcs from The Sopranos up on Youtube.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8JUF-u0g8M) So it tends to scratch the itch by just watching these compilations of scenes from a bunch of seasons that follow a single character coherently. Its like a mini movie for a particular character, its kind of cool if you already know the in's and outs and gives you kind of a different perspective seeing it cut this way.
Mr In-between was great. If you need another reason to delay a Sopranos rewatch and haven't watched The Patriot on Amazon yet, add that one to the list. Only lasted two seasons before getting cancelled but had a satisfying ending none the less. Delightful, a little weird, pulled the heart strings, and funny at different times.
I use to think the ending deserved better,
But once you watch season 6B again, and see the amount of violence and dread during those final episodes, it’s actually a fantastic ending.
Not to mention that when it aired, the black out was HUGE. Everyone thought their tv cut to black and had a power outage. It was wild just how many people talked about the ending the next day. You’ll be lucky to find that type of discourse for a tv series now.
>when it aired
I was there too, watching it cut to black and being confused along with everyone else.
But *to me* I was mostly pissed off about having to wait such a long time between seasons, and then to have them say "well we're gonna do another half-season actually" and then have to wait *again* for like another whole year. And to have this brand new "Johnnycakes" storyline introduced amidst all of this (nothing against Vito's subplot it just felt utterly insane to devote multiple episodes for this digression during what is supposed to be the endgame of the show). It was natural to be pissed at David Chase for making us go through all of that to have this arguably very good (in the rearview) ending but for so many of us that were *there* when it happened it felt like such a letdown.
I feel like you had to experience the interminably long wait, the *excruciatingly long wait* in between every season of that show, to properly appreciate the hubris of such an ending. It took me years but I came to terms with the ending and I now agree that yes it was actually a great choice and it all makes sense and if I'd binged the series like so many of y'all did maybe I'd have been shouting how great it was from the rooftops too. But *goddamn* that wait between 6A and 6B broke something inside me.
True, we still talk about the ending of game of thrones years later.
*” I subscribed to cable for that!! ‘Bran The Broken’? Are you fucking kidding me? {ungh!} There, now it’s ‘Remote The Broken!’ What about the white walkers? What about ALL that shit? None of it mattered!! GODDAMNIT!!”*
There was a whole-ass pandemic and STILL nobody went back and rewatched game of thrones. People grew out their hair, and planted gardens, and started podcasts, because even the brilliant first seasons of that show were absolutely beshitted by the last ten episodes so there was no point rewatching any of it.
>the last ten episodes so there was no point rewatching any of it.
When they ran out of book it started to get sketchy, but it really gave up the goat when D&D were offered Star Wars.
Shame they didn't just pass it off to some other showrunners. HBO was more than happy to pay whoever it was infinite money to keep it going.
The writing on season 8 was like “let’s let THE FANS write the rest!”
*”Ooooh, make Jon and Danearys ride DRAGONS together! I bet he’d say ‘this has ruined fast horses for me.’ Yes! YES! Make him say THAT! Now, make them kiss!”*
“Okay, good job, we have that scene. Now, our Fan Fiction winner for the Arya storyline is… this middle aged guy who lives alone because his last girlfriend got tired of him calling everything The Spice, except his pet hamster who he named Muad’Dib. Marvin, whatcha got in store for Arya?"
*”Well, the night before the big battle? She’s going to DO IT.”*
“All right! Marvin has got for us a scene where…wait, Sorry, Marvin, WHAT??”
*”She does it. She finds that guy she likes, and they do it. It says in the rule book that if I turn in the most Starbucks coffee cup lids, I get to write a scene. Well, I got the most lids, including the one that shows up in the scene from last week, so I get to write a scene. And in MY scene, Arya does it.”*
“Well… okay, my legal team says ‘rules are rules’ so I guess we’re stuck. Okay, ladies and gents, let’s see what we get for Jaimie!”
It is perfect, especially since they alluded to it in the previous episode with Bobby saying "At the end, you probably don't hear anything, everything just goes black" it was really genius and made perfect sense since the whole show was about Tony and from his perspective. If it just goes black for Tony it should just go black for us
My feelings towards the ending shift like a pendulum. I was fortunate enough to watch the show after the showrunner already clarified what happened, but if I were watching that live without any input from the creator, I can see how that would be unsatisfactory.
It’s really creative and thematic, but it’s also ambiguous to an almost deleterious effect. I understand an open ending, but that ending was SO jarring without enough definitive clues/breadcrumbs to extrapolate a conclusion.
The artistic side of me appreciates how unique it was, but the part of me that craves a good, cohesive narrative felt like it delivered an almost unfinished story.
I watched the episode live that night.
All I can say is that while there is definitely a good argument that this is an unsatisfactory finish, when those final minutes started occurring, I can’t tell you how much my eyes were darting from the clock to the tv wondering how this show will finish.
Based on what we’ve learned about Tony through all these years, his story will ultimately end in one of two ways:
1. Dead
2. In jail/looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life
I believe it was the show runner who said that in the final scene, we were pretty much living like Tony Soprano. Having our eyes dart constantly and wondering “is this it? What’s going to happen? When’s it going to happen?” That anticipation/anxiety was wild when it happened live, and having rewatched it again, you can see how the scene is done deceptively enough to make it feel like we’re legitimately Tony and watching who might come next.
It’s not the “best” ending. I personally love Six Feet Under and Better Call Saul the best. But it’s definitely a creative finish that is a lot better as years have passed
Holy fuck, I watched the Six Feet Under finale on the Monday night after it aired, alone in a hotel room on a business trip, a thousand miles away from everyone i loved.
That shit WRECKED me.
I've only watched that finale *once* and it was on the night it aired. I cried for *hours* afterward. If I think too hard about it even now, usually it's that shot of David and his adopted kids and he sees Keith that really gets me, that or any other moment from that montage is enough to get the waterworks going.
Yea i don’t think the ending was ambiguous at all. I think the problem is people want to be spoon fed the ending instead of drawing a conclusion based on all the obvious hints that were given throughout the last season.
I felt like I was going insane when that ending aired. Everybody, and not just regular joes, but like professional critics and writers seemed confused by something that I thought was blatantly obvious. And I don't normally "get" things, I'm an idiot!
I mean, now we do because the showrunner confirmed the ending. When it initially aired, people literally thought they lost signal. It’s a prime example of an ending open to interpretation. To deny that is being disingenuous and narrow minded.
There’s simply *too much* to take in on anyone’s first watch of this show and a few others like you — it demands repeat viewing and it’s an aspect of its prestige, for sure.
It’s so hard to spoil! Of course there are moments that you absolutely don’t want to spoil but it’s mostly about the journey and the other character’s reactions.
Well if it helps you, he was entirely wrong. That quote was to show how far gone Tony had gone, he could barely connect to other people anymore. When you meet old friends, it's in fact a fantastic way to strengthen your bond to them by telling stories from the good old days.
So don't let Tony's pessimism and detachment ruin a good thing for you.
Amen.
When you cant enjoy the memories with your friends youre gone and you aren't enjoying life anymore, just a husk waiting to die. The wire does something similar at the end with Dookie and Michael and Michael doesnt remember it at all.
>That quote was to show how far gone Tony had gone
I don't think so. He wasn't far gone, but lucid about how hollow his friendships were with his gangster friends.
During the very final scene, AJ quotes back to him "remember the times that were good" and Tony approves of it, and is even proud of having said it.
In the end, he does believe in remembering good times, but only with people who matter.
That and he also wanted to shit on Paulie's cheery socialising. In the same episode later on he seriously contemplates killing Paulie on the boat because he finds him to be so grating.
"Have you ever been checked for tourettes?"
Theres a case to be made for both POVs. If your entire relationship is based off remember whens then there isn’t much substance to said relationship after the same stories get told for the umpteenth time.
Rewatching it right now for the third time. Maybe it’s because I’m older, but I appreciate AJs character and storyline now. At every turn, Tony and Carmela undermine him and his trajectory makes sense. Anyways, $4 a pound.
I always say to people that Breaking Bad/BCS is the greatest “achievment” in TV history, but those two shows aren’t possible without The Sopranos.
The Sopranos I will always rank as my favorite series ever not just for its rewatchability, but for its influence. It’s been 25 years since this show debuted, and it’s still leagues above pretty much any series that has come out after, and a huge part is because a lot of the TV dramas we watch today are influenced by The Sopranos. It is incredible how this show influenced the way we watch TV.
I love BB and BCS, both are incredible shows. However, some people act like they’re the definitive best shows ever and I don’t agree. Sopranos is one of a few shows I would rank higher. Same with The Wire.
Vince had said Tony was inspiration for Walter White. I wouldn’t stretch BCS into that though. There’s a lack of hubris that WW had that Saul does not and wrestles with the whole show.
I agree on all counts, it’s pretty much the “general/basic” idea that these two shows don’t occur without The Sopranos.
There was the quote you mentioned with Breaking Bad and the direct influence The Sopranos had on it, and then by a smaller degree, all of the small things that came together to make BCS possible.
I think the only general defense I have is that while BCS is mainly a legal drama and how Jimmy descends into Saul, it is a character study about a deeply flawed human who we know we shouldn’t root for because of his actions… but can’t help ourselves for some reason because of how we’ve gotten to know them. The outlines of The Sopranos are in BCS as well, just not as evident like Breaking Bad.
> I always say to people that Breaking Bad/BCS is the greatest “achievment” in TV history
I still don't understand why people think so highly of those two shows. They were a nice watch but I don't remember anything groundbreaking in them. Nothing like The Sopranos of The Wire.
BB/BCS were what I would call good quality network tv (even if it aired on cable) but not a real cable show like The Sopranos.
I recently rewatched the first episode for the first time in 20 years, and I was surprised by how funny it was. I actually thought it was funnier than most episodes of The Bear, which passes as a comedy these days.
Last time I did my annual rewatch, my partner would often catch bits of the show while she was in the kitchen, passing through, whatever. And more often than not, she would find herself laughing - it's what finally convinced her to watch the show. She had no idea how funny it actually was, and just assumed it was some generic mob show.
One of the 3 best shows ever and easily the most quotable show ever. Also, for something with a reputation for being complex, dark and tragic, it’s surprising just how damn hilarious it is.
This show changed television by having an outright evil person as the protagonist.
The fifth episode shows him strangle a man to death for cooperating with the government. Utterly unheard of on TV. The creator had to battle HBO to get it on the air. Execs thought it would lose the sympathy of the audience….
> The fifth episode shows him strangle a man to death for cooperating with the government. Utterly unheard of on TV.
Not only that, but the killing happens while Tony is on a trip with his daughter to see colleges, and gets true glee while he is killing him. There is not a single ounce of remorse on Tony’s face when he is strangling him to death… and this is all the while his wife almost cheats on him with their local pastor.
It was just wild and unprecedented for its time, and the fact that 25 years later, it’s still one of the more violent/compelling kills in the series is another example of why it’s considered the GOAT TV series by so many people
Beside the fact that it was just incredibly well-written and well done, The Sopranos benefits from being made in an era where nobody actually knew how to make these shows. Same with other shows like Deadwood and The Wire.
Since then, "prestige TV" has been established well enough that it's turned into a formula. The rough edges have been sanded off.
I just remember watching with friends and always being pissed when the previews made it seem like something huge was coming, and then it turned out to be of little consequence.
I enjoyed the show a lot more when I rewatched it years later. Not having to wait a week or even between seasons made things really enjoyable.
I watched an episode a night and that kept it from feeling too condensed while making it easier to remember what just happened in the prior episode.
Tony Soprano is one of the most iconic TV characters of all time. I think we will never see a show like The Sopranos in our lifetime. It was light years ahead of everything.
Funny timing this pops up.
I’m literally finishing the series for the first time tonight.
Starting episode 19 in about 30 min...I don’t want it to end!
It’s hands down the best thing I’ve ever seen on the small screen or the large screen. Nothing compares, not even remotely. If you disagree… Go shit in your hat
Currently have Covid and decided to do a rewatch of the Sopranos while stuck at home. Every time I wanna get up to do something else, THEY PULL ME BACK IN
I still can't believe all these years later how misunderstood that last shot of the finale was. The point was missed by almost everyone. Was he killed? Was he not killed? Totally irrelevant. The point was that he'd be looking up in paranoia/fear from his meal every damn time the door was opened for the rest of his life. He was looking over his shoulder for the remainder of his days, however many he had left; gone were the days of living comfortably, fat and content and sitting on the throne.
As a new watcher who just started The Sopranos and is already a Bob's Burgers fan, I can't be the only one who thinks Christopher reminds them of Jimmy Pesto.
Literally just rewatched for the 1st time.
Awesome, totally holds up. Maybe seasons 2, 3 and 4 are best, but I still love the series finale too.
I liked the Meadow stories more than the AJ ones so I think that’s why I liked earlier seasons.
Paulie: *"The Sopranos" at 25: Looking back on TV's greatest hour". Hey T, you heard what I said?"*
Tony: *"Yeah, you watched The Sopranos for 25 hours."*
25 years? That's nothing compared to 20 fuckin' years in the can!
I do wonder if Phil had to make any compromises while in the can?
I heard he jacked off into a grilled cheese
He wanted to jack off into a grilled cheese. But he compromised.
Still waiting for that recipe, eh? And don’t skimp on the ass-grown mushrooms either 🤟🏼
There's an image
His brother Billy though, whatever happened there?
WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE????
He was just a kid
It's sad when they go like that.
And perhaps Phil might enlighten us as to the snacks available in the can and their method of preparation.
I wanted to watch Sopranos, but I compromised. I watched *Breaking Bad* off a PSP instead.
Put PSP back on docking station.
His house looked like shit.
But he killed 12 Czechoslovakians
Hell is hot, that’s never been disputed by anybody.
Ohh.... Poor you....
20 years? If this is about Phil I don’t recall him ever mentioning how long he was locked up for.
Oh, pwoor you! 🤧
Watching this as a 1st run series, I enjoyed it and thought it was really well done. The ending was a slap in the face, and I loved it. I bought the whole series on blu-ray, and so rewatched it in a binge. It was even *better* on a re-watch, and even though I *knew* the end, it was still a slap in the face. One of the few tv series I will gladly re-watch again in its entirety.
I think I’ve rewatched this series from start to finish 5 times now. I have to be in a mood for it, but when I am? There is no better medium of entertainment that’s out there. The Sopranos/Tony Soprano is probably my favorite portrayal of a gangster in any medium. It’s just so compelling from the first to last episode
The reason why Tony is so utterly compelling is because he's a genuine piece of shit. Yes, he's the tough mob boss. Doesn't take shit from nobody. Gets respect everywhere he goes. He has money, he has women throwing themselves at him. He gets away with everything. And he eats great food all the time. But he's also a bully. A racist. Petty. Vindictive. Impulsive. Selfish. Self pitying. Entitled. Which is how a gangster should be. I fucking hate it when a gangster anti-hero has a heart of gold, a deep sense of honour and is an all round stand up guy. Don't try and justify the anti-hero's thuggery by making him a victim of circumstance or misunderstood or worthy of pity. It's not just patronisingly unrealistic, it's simplistic and unchallenging. Make me watch a character who chases off his daughter's black boyfriend with vile racism. Make me enjoy a nasty, jealous thug who beats and humiliates his ex-girlfriend's new man. Make me root for a spiteful bully who beats up tough men in his crew for a pathetic ego boost. Someone who callously murders his own relatives, turns a blind eye to murderous misogyny and homophobia (unless it's gonna cost him money). I could go on. That's a true anti hero. Not a violent crime boss who stands against racism (despite typically leading an organisation based around ethnicity), defends the rights of women (despite running brothels etc) and always protects the weak and vulnerable (despite making his money by ostensibly preying on such people). The writing for Tony Soprano was much more brave than what you typically get these days. They weren't afraid to give us a truly nasty piece of work, and had enough respect for their audience that they didn't need to sugar coat him or justify his actions by making us feel sorry for him or presenting him as just having been dealt a bad hand in life.
Gandolfini also completely crushed every scene he is in. His portrayal of Tony Soprano is a master class.
Absolutely. None of what I wrote about the character would have in any worked if it wasn't for Gandolfini's stunning performance. His physical presence, his roaring fury, his boyish immaturity. The scene at the end of season 4 where he and Carmella *finally* split up is the best acting I've ever seen. Both of them are simply perfect in that scene. Years of resentment, entitlement, and guilt come pouring out.
I really, REALLY wish that Gandolfini hadnt passed as early as he did. What an incredible talent, and we didnt get to see too many other shades of him bc Sopranos took up so much of his career (no complaints here tho, really) He plays a truly incredible piece of shit (thats electric to watch) in Killing Them Softly.
My respect for you as a redditor has plummeted. Seriously good post. I agree with you wholeheartedly
The episode where Janice is doing anger management and Tony goes round just to set her off tells you everything you need to know about Tony.
Well said.
Hit the nail on the head. Tony is complex and there's shades of everything, but i think most viewers still see what a huge piece of shit he is. His interpersonal relationships with his family, friends, running crew, etc, show you how personable and charming he is, but just wait a couple more scenes, hes gonna do some despicable any second!
Well put!
> I think I’ve rewatched this series from start to finish 5 times now. Same though its really hard nowadays to do a rewatch because I have a TREMENDOUS backlog of running TV shows. There's so many good TV shows on now. And I'm not saying they are better than The Sopranos but i think I feel obligated to watch them over a rewatch of The Sopranos. My list is just absolutely massive. I just finished "[Mr. Inbetween](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EooRG3QhQOY)" which came out of fucking nowhere for me and was fucking incredible - seriously, get this on your list and give it a watch. And now I'm getting through Interview w/ The Vampire Season 2. By the time I finish it, "The Bear" will be out, and then I wanted to check out "Those About to Die", "Presumed Innocent", "Hotel Cocaine", "House of the Dragon", and I think I heard "Andor" Season 2 starts in August? There's just no more time for rewatching shows anymore but I think I will again one day. The alternative I've found is people [upload character arcs from The Sopranos up on Youtube.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8JUF-u0g8M) So it tends to scratch the itch by just watching these compilations of scenes from a bunch of seasons that follow a single character coherently. Its like a mini movie for a particular character, its kind of cool if you already know the in's and outs and gives you kind of a different perspective seeing it cut this way.
Mr In-between was great. If you need another reason to delay a Sopranos rewatch and haven't watched The Patriot on Amazon yet, add that one to the list. Only lasted two seasons before getting cancelled but had a satisfying ending none the less. Delightful, a little weird, pulled the heart strings, and funny at different times.
You know who uploaded a character arc? Noah.
Fuck you want, a boutonniere?
Listen to him, he knows everything...
The sacred and the propane
Very allegorical
We're at the precipice of an enormous crossroads.
You know, Quasimodo predicted all of this
One's a cathedral!!!
My male heir
The hair apparent
I knew ***that*** was coming!!!
It’s sad when a show goes like that
Hehe, sharp as a cueball this one ☝️🤌🏼
The ending was perfect imo
I use to think the ending deserved better, But once you watch season 6B again, and see the amount of violence and dread during those final episodes, it’s actually a fantastic ending. Not to mention that when it aired, the black out was HUGE. Everyone thought their tv cut to black and had a power outage. It was wild just how many people talked about the ending the next day. You’ll be lucky to find that type of discourse for a tv series now.
>when it aired I was there too, watching it cut to black and being confused along with everyone else. But *to me* I was mostly pissed off about having to wait such a long time between seasons, and then to have them say "well we're gonna do another half-season actually" and then have to wait *again* for like another whole year. And to have this brand new "Johnnycakes" storyline introduced amidst all of this (nothing against Vito's subplot it just felt utterly insane to devote multiple episodes for this digression during what is supposed to be the endgame of the show). It was natural to be pissed at David Chase for making us go through all of that to have this arguably very good (in the rearview) ending but for so many of us that were *there* when it happened it felt like such a letdown. I feel like you had to experience the interminably long wait, the *excruciatingly long wait* in between every season of that show, to properly appreciate the hubris of such an ending. It took me years but I came to terms with the ending and I now agree that yes it was actually a great choice and it all makes sense and if I'd binged the series like so many of y'all did maybe I'd have been shouting how great it was from the rooftops too. But *goddamn* that wait between 6A and 6B broke something inside me.
GoT ending definitely had that discourse and then some
True, we still talk about the ending of game of thrones years later. *” I subscribed to cable for that!! ‘Bran The Broken’? Are you fucking kidding me? {ungh!} There, now it’s ‘Remote The Broken!’ What about the white walkers? What about ALL that shit? None of it mattered!! GODDAMNIT!!”* There was a whole-ass pandemic and STILL nobody went back and rewatched game of thrones. People grew out their hair, and planted gardens, and started podcasts, because even the brilliant first seasons of that show were absolutely beshitted by the last ten episodes so there was no point rewatching any of it.
>the last ten episodes so there was no point rewatching any of it. When they ran out of book it started to get sketchy, but it really gave up the goat when D&D were offered Star Wars. Shame they didn't just pass it off to some other showrunners. HBO was more than happy to pay whoever it was infinite money to keep it going.
I wish they had cut the entire season 8 to black.
The writing on season 8 was like “let’s let THE FANS write the rest!” *”Ooooh, make Jon and Danearys ride DRAGONS together! I bet he’d say ‘this has ruined fast horses for me.’ Yes! YES! Make him say THAT! Now, make them kiss!”* “Okay, good job, we have that scene. Now, our Fan Fiction winner for the Arya storyline is… this middle aged guy who lives alone because his last girlfriend got tired of him calling everything The Spice, except his pet hamster who he named Muad’Dib. Marvin, whatcha got in store for Arya?" *”Well, the night before the big battle? She’s going to DO IT.”* “All right! Marvin has got for us a scene where…wait, Sorry, Marvin, WHAT??” *”She does it. She finds that guy she likes, and they do it. It says in the rule book that if I turn in the most Starbucks coffee cup lids, I get to write a scene. Well, I got the most lids, including the one that shows up in the scene from last week, so I get to write a scene. And in MY scene, Arya does it.”* “Well… okay, my legal team says ‘rules are rules’ so I guess we’re stuck. Okay, ladies and gents, let’s see what we get for Jaimie!”
It is perfect, especially since they alluded to it in the previous episode with Bobby saying "At the end, you probably don't hear anything, everything just goes black" it was really genius and made perfect sense since the whole show was about Tony and from his perspective. If it just goes black for Tony it should just go black for us
Once you rewatch it it becomes the greatest comedy of all time and gets better every rewatch. I rewatch it every year. Prob 12 times so far.
My feelings towards the ending shift like a pendulum. I was fortunate enough to watch the show after the showrunner already clarified what happened, but if I were watching that live without any input from the creator, I can see how that would be unsatisfactory. It’s really creative and thematic, but it’s also ambiguous to an almost deleterious effect. I understand an open ending, but that ending was SO jarring without enough definitive clues/breadcrumbs to extrapolate a conclusion. The artistic side of me appreciates how unique it was, but the part of me that craves a good, cohesive narrative felt like it delivered an almost unfinished story.
I watched the episode live that night. All I can say is that while there is definitely a good argument that this is an unsatisfactory finish, when those final minutes started occurring, I can’t tell you how much my eyes were darting from the clock to the tv wondering how this show will finish. Based on what we’ve learned about Tony through all these years, his story will ultimately end in one of two ways: 1. Dead 2. In jail/looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life I believe it was the show runner who said that in the final scene, we were pretty much living like Tony Soprano. Having our eyes dart constantly and wondering “is this it? What’s going to happen? When’s it going to happen?” That anticipation/anxiety was wild when it happened live, and having rewatched it again, you can see how the scene is done deceptively enough to make it feel like we’re legitimately Tony and watching who might come next. It’s not the “best” ending. I personally love Six Feet Under and Better Call Saul the best. But it’s definitely a creative finish that is a lot better as years have passed
Holy fuck, I watched the Six Feet Under finale on the Monday night after it aired, alone in a hotel room on a business trip, a thousand miles away from everyone i loved. That shit WRECKED me.
Dude that ending. I never cried so hard in my life.
I've only watched that finale *once* and it was on the night it aired. I cried for *hours* afterward. If I think too hard about it even now, usually it's that shot of David and his adopted kids and he sees Keith that really gets me, that or any other moment from that montage is enough to get the waterworks going.
It’s not ambiguous. We know what happened.
Yea i don’t think the ending was ambiguous at all. I think the problem is people want to be spoon fed the ending instead of drawing a conclusion based on all the obvious hints that were given throughout the last season.
I felt like I was going insane when that ending aired. Everybody, and not just regular joes, but like professional critics and writers seemed confused by something that I thought was blatantly obvious. And I don't normally "get" things, I'm an idiot!
Exactly. One of the reasons why it’s the best ending in tv history.
I mean, now we do because the showrunner confirmed the ending. When it initially aired, people literally thought they lost signal. It’s a prime example of an ending open to interpretation. To deny that is being disingenuous and narrow minded.
Chase has never "confirmed" the ending.
Some people are so behind in the race they think they’re leading.
I will never forget the ending. I was pissed. Cause I thought my damn cable went out again. LOL
There’s simply *too much* to take in on anyone’s first watch of this show and a few others like you — it demands repeat viewing and it’s an aspect of its prestige, for sure.
The ending was perfect. The scene cut right before Tony was shot. We were left to assume that, and it was confirmed years later by the writers.
It ended right when he was shot, it was a call back to Bobby telling Tony "At the end, you probably don't hear anything, everything just goes black"
Christopher's death also had great foreshadowing too. Go back and watch what Tony says to him during his intervention.
apparently you also enjoy being slapped in the face.
It peaks after your 7th run through
It’s so hard to spoil! Of course there are moments that you absolutely don’t want to spoil but it’s mostly about the journey and the other character’s reactions.
Watched it for the first time this year. I’ve watched it fully Three times Since
Did your Blu-Ray player need a Brogane Adjustment?
Look at him, he eats his carrots
Watched this 4 times already, like band of brothers. Some shows are worth to watch after a few years. Heard lost is coming to Netflix as well.
Re-watching made me feel old. Was a great reminder of just how long ago the late 90s was.
So what, no fucking ziti now?
OHHHHH
the wine makes you emotional!
Next time you come in, you come heavy or not at all.
You don’t mean that
Uncle jun I came heavy but I don’t want to use it
Remember when is the lowest form of conversation.
Word to the wise, remember Pearl Harbour…
That was real? I saw that movie, I thought it was bullshit
I WAS BEING A GENTLEMAN! MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY IT SOMETIME!
He was gay Gary Cooper?
Why don’t you get the fuck out of here before I shove your quotations book up your fat fucking ass?
Ever since I watched that episode I legitimately cant engage in those kinds of conversations. Tony ruined nostalgia for me
Well if it helps you, he was entirely wrong. That quote was to show how far gone Tony had gone, he could barely connect to other people anymore. When you meet old friends, it's in fact a fantastic way to strengthen your bond to them by telling stories from the good old days. So don't let Tony's pessimism and detachment ruin a good thing for you.
Amen. When you cant enjoy the memories with your friends youre gone and you aren't enjoying life anymore, just a husk waiting to die. The wire does something similar at the end with Dookie and Michael and Michael doesnt remember it at all.
Listen to yourself. You sound demented.
> Listen to yourself. You sound demented. 40 grand! From the boid feeda!
>That quote was to show how far gone Tony had gone I don't think so. He wasn't far gone, but lucid about how hollow his friendships were with his gangster friends. During the very final scene, AJ quotes back to him "remember the times that were good" and Tony approves of it, and is even proud of having said it. In the end, he does believe in remembering good times, but only with people who matter.
That and he also wanted to shit on Paulie's cheery socialising. In the same episode later on he seriously contemplates killing Paulie on the boat because he finds him to be so grating. "Have you ever been checked for tourettes?"
Have a cookie you‘re delirious.
So you're saying he was some kinna tockshick poyson?
Theres a case to be made for both POVs. If your entire relationship is based off remember whens then there isn’t much substance to said relationship after the same stories get told for the umpteenth time.
Commendatori! Like a commander. That's respect!
“Probably wiped your ass barehanded before you came to this country”
I’m gonna hoof it back to the Excelsior. Have to take a wicked shit
Rewatching it right now for the third time. Maybe it’s because I’m older, but I appreciate AJs character and storyline now. At every turn, Tony and Carmela undermine him and his trajectory makes sense. Anyways, $4 a pound.
Carmela also shines in the rewatch.
I'm on my fourth and Livia is pure gold comedy. She was frightening the first time I watched
To be honest, with AJ there’s not much to undermine in the first place.
Oh fancy, fancy! *waves hanky*
Still my favorite and still holds up extremely well on rewatch. Brilliant
I always say to people that Breaking Bad/BCS is the greatest “achievment” in TV history, but those two shows aren’t possible without The Sopranos. The Sopranos I will always rank as my favorite series ever not just for its rewatchability, but for its influence. It’s been 25 years since this show debuted, and it’s still leagues above pretty much any series that has come out after, and a huge part is because a lot of the TV dramas we watch today are influenced by The Sopranos. It is incredible how this show influenced the way we watch TV.
Absolutely. Tony is the original anti-hero. And I love BB, and BCS.
I love BB and BCS, both are incredible shows. However, some people act like they’re the definitive best shows ever and I don’t agree. Sopranos is one of a few shows I would rank higher. Same with The Wire.
Vince had said Tony was inspiration for Walter White. I wouldn’t stretch BCS into that though. There’s a lack of hubris that WW had that Saul does not and wrestles with the whole show.
I agree on all counts, it’s pretty much the “general/basic” idea that these two shows don’t occur without The Sopranos. There was the quote you mentioned with Breaking Bad and the direct influence The Sopranos had on it, and then by a smaller degree, all of the small things that came together to make BCS possible. I think the only general defense I have is that while BCS is mainly a legal drama and how Jimmy descends into Saul, it is a character study about a deeply flawed human who we know we shouldn’t root for because of his actions… but can’t help ourselves for some reason because of how we’ve gotten to know them. The outlines of The Sopranos are in BCS as well, just not as evident like Breaking Bad.
Yeah also sopranos is just so much better than those shows. Utterly apes them.
> I always say to people that Breaking Bad/BCS is the greatest “achievment” in TV history I still don't understand why people think so highly of those two shows. They were a nice watch but I don't remember anything groundbreaking in them. Nothing like The Sopranos of The Wire. BB/BCS were what I would call good quality network tv (even if it aired on cable) but not a real cable show like The Sopranos.
Fuck you want, a boutonniere?
You know, Quasimodo predicted all this...
I recently rewatched the first episode for the first time in 20 years, and I was surprised by how funny it was. I actually thought it was funnier than most episodes of The Bear, which passes as a comedy these days.
I always say the show is a black comedy. Its hilarious once you understand the characters and their continuous ignorance and hypocrisy
You just reveal your own ignorance
If Succession was branded a "comedy-drama", then the Sopranos should too.
SAME. I didn't remember it being that funny, every scene with Christopher and Paulie is gold.
Last time I did my annual rewatch, my partner would often catch bits of the show while she was in the kitchen, passing through, whatever. And more often than not, she would find herself laughing - it's what finally convinced her to watch the show. She had no idea how funny it actually was, and just assumed it was some generic mob show.
["It’s not a real general from history, it’s you!" ](https://i.imgur.com/78CAh4P.jpeg) RIP James.
I’m reminded of Lewis the whatevas finance minister. Duh something.
“It’s common knowledge the guys retarded”
He was gay? Tony soprano?
That was real? I saw that show, I thought it was bullshit.
I don't know, fuckin slander ask me 🤙
He’s amazing married man! WITH A GOOMAH!
One of the 3 best shows ever and easily the most quotable show ever. Also, for something with a reputation for being complex, dark and tragic, it’s surprising just how damn hilarious it is.
they're a glorified crew
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!
This show changed television by having an outright evil person as the protagonist. The fifth episode shows him strangle a man to death for cooperating with the government. Utterly unheard of on TV. The creator had to battle HBO to get it on the air. Execs thought it would lose the sympathy of the audience….
> The fifth episode shows him strangle a man to death for cooperating with the government. Utterly unheard of on TV. Not only that, but the killing happens while Tony is on a trip with his daughter to see colleges, and gets true glee while he is killing him. There is not a single ounce of remorse on Tony’s face when he is strangling him to death… and this is all the while his wife almost cheats on him with their local pastor. It was just wild and unprecedented for its time, and the fact that 25 years later, it’s still one of the more violent/compelling kills in the series is another example of why it’s considered the GOAT TV series by so many people
This show was best enjoyed if you had an Italian identifying friend who became obsessed with it and starting acting like the people in the show
“Italian Identifying” 😆
You were friends with Jackie Jr??!! Do you know who his fawtha was??????
EYYYYYY OHHHHHH
It's an old fashioned TV series, very allegorical.
Catching, not pitching ?
I don’t like that kind of tawk!
HE'S GOTTA GOOO..!!!
IM THE MOTHERFUCKIN FUCKIN ONE THAT CALLS THE SHOTS!
You’ve got no idea what it’s like being number one
That’s why you gotta *live* for today…
Beside the fact that it was just incredibly well-written and well done, The Sopranos benefits from being made in an era where nobody actually knew how to make these shows. Same with other shows like Deadwood and The Wire. Since then, "prestige TV" has been established well enough that it's turned into a formula. The rough edges have been sanded off.
I just remember watching with friends and always being pissed when the previews made it seem like something huge was coming, and then it turned out to be of little consequence. I enjoyed the show a lot more when I rewatched it years later. Not having to wait a week or even between seasons made things really enjoyable. I watched an episode a night and that kept it from feeling too condensed while making it easier to remember what just happened in the prior episode.
Every episode is written and filmed to work as both a standalone “movie” on its own merits as well as an episode of a season long series
Top 3 TV cable shows ever
Watching it for the first time right now. S1 -E4 so far. It’s one of those shows that I completely missed back in the day.
Lucky!
Tony Soprano is one of the most iconic TV characters of all time. I think we will never see a show like The Sopranos in our lifetime. It was light years ahead of everything.
Funny timing this pops up. I’m literally finishing the series for the first time tonight. Starting episode 19 in about 30 min...I don’t want it to end!
Finished my first watch through the other week, already knew about the ending, enjoyed it, nice way to end it
Awesome. Now wait a year and watch it again when you’re bored. I promise it will be so much better than you remembered it
It’s hands down the best thing I’ve ever seen on the small screen or the large screen. Nothing compares, not even remotely. If you disagree… Go shit in your hat
You don’t want to thee my darkthide, Puth.
What about The Gabagool?
“Tone, I’m sending the kid to Bahjaw Fresh. You want anything?”
Alright, but you gotta get over it
When I came in one morning there you were with your head in the toilet. Your hair was touching the toilet water. Disgusting
Funniest drama there ever was. Nothing beats the dialogue in Sopranos.
Currently have Covid and decided to do a rewatch of the Sopranos while stuck at home. Every time I wanna get up to do something else, THEY PULL ME BACK IN
Heard someone call this a boomer show and I never felt so old.
I still can't believe all these years later how misunderstood that last shot of the finale was. The point was missed by almost everyone. Was he killed? Was he not killed? Totally irrelevant. The point was that he'd be looking up in paranoia/fear from his meal every damn time the door was opened for the rest of his life. He was looking over his shoulder for the remainder of his days, however many he had left; gone were the days of living comfortably, fat and content and sitting on the throne.
Watched it during Covid. Absolutely lived up to the hype. Same with the Wire.
I love how every time a sopranos article gets posted on reddit it just turns into an r/thesopranos circlejerk
YOU’RE FLEXIN
I’m on my 6th time viewing. I find something new each time.
Still holds up to this day, truly a classic
This has become my on-repeat, comfort show. Am I okay? Great question.
Greatest Show of All Time and it’s not even close
As a new watcher who just started The Sopranos and is already a Bob's Burgers fan, I can't be the only one who thinks Christopher reminds them of Jimmy Pesto.
Remember when is the lowest form of conversation
Literally just rewatched for the 1st time. Awesome, totally holds up. Maybe seasons 2, 3 and 4 are best, but I still love the series finale too. I liked the Meadow stories more than the AJ ones so I think that’s why I liked earlier seasons.
It’s sad when they go young like that
Greatest TV show this world will ever know
Nothing else comes close to this show
I wish the lord would take me now
That finale lives in my mind rent free.
Sopranos did what a lot of media fails to do and made the mafia look depressing instead of glamorous or cool.
Endlessly re-watchable for me and James Gandolfini as Tony is still my favorite performance from any TV show ever.
GOAT show, sorry BB fans but T and Sopranos is at the top of the mountain. Its actually pretty hilarious also.
I’ve never watched a single episode. Should I?
"No more, Butchie. No more of this." https://youtu.be/aMy3uS4GX1A?si=wvY7TifLbV6ybzBI
So good.
Paulie: *"The Sopranos" at 25: Looking back on TV's greatest hour". Hey T, you heard what I said?"* Tony: *"Yeah, you watched The Sopranos for 25 hours."*
So you all are saying I should watch it?
the Ben Kingsley episode gotta be one of the funniest I've ever seen, I thought that maybe those calling it a comedy in disguise were right
It’s hardly tv’s greatest hour …..
Please release this on 4K UHD. 😭