On January 10th, 1999, a mobster walked in a psychiatrist's office, and the rest is history.
I watched The Sopranos just recently, and the first thing that came to my mind after finishing that last episode was, "why haven't I watched this earlier??". I never underestimated this show, because I heard great stuff about it, but also bad stuff. And that's okay, because it is not a show for everyone. If you enjoy mafia movies, even on a small level, you are definitely going to enjoy this. If you don't enjoy mafia movies, then you're probably going to enjoy it anyway. The reason why I am comparing this to movies, is because it is a movie on some level. It is a cinematic show. Before The Sopranos, shows such as Friends, Seinfeld, etc, all shared the same thing. A 20 minute episode, they weren't necessarily connected to each other, but people still enjoyed them. Now The Sopranos, it has been said by many that it is basically a 13 hour movie. That is because each season has 13 episodes (except for the last one). I imagine what a challenge it must have been for David Chase (the creator) to get a television to pick the show up. Naturally, he got turned down. It would have been impossible for The Sopranos to be part of a network television. I believe that the limit in network tv, is about 42 minutes per episode (then you have the commercial breaks and other things). Luckily, HBO decided to put the show on the air. An episode is around 52-60 minutes, and it was this show, that put HBO on the map (later producing shows like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Westworld etc). When the first episode aired in 1999, it started a new age of television. The viewers were introduced with the concept of an anti-hero, being the protagonist of the show. This shocked a lot of people, because they were used to seeing bad guys in movies, then getting killed at the end. Having said this, The Sopranos was immediately revolutionary. I imagine how people felt when watching it, thinking "a show about a bad guy"? It was never done before... But after the first season, people realized that it was special, and the reason for that is because it was different, unique. The greatest thing about this show, except the story line and structure, I have to say that it is the casting. It is not one of those shows where the lead actors are good, and then the extras are there to just do the part. Every single person withing the shot, is so spot on. I have to give credit to David Chase, who I know pays a lot of attention to detail. It is crazy how you can't imagine other people playing those characters, and that is because no one could play them like the cast did. James Gandolfini's performance is probably the most powerful performance on TV. I have watched a lot of shows, and I have never seen such brilliant acting. I hate it when people compare his performance to Bryan Cranston's on Breaking Bad. Don't get me wrong, it is also one of the best performances, but you have to know that if it wasn't for The Sopranos, there wouldn't be Breaking Bad, or Walter White for that matter. The Sopranos opened the doors for many shows, such as Breaking Bad, Mad Men, etc. The other great thing about the show is the writing. Every character has its own arc. You can see how they develop during the show. Except for the anti-hero concept, I think that it was also the first show to introduce character development. There's something about how the characters are written. Just the main idea of the show, the professional and personal life of a mobster, struggling with his work and family, is brilliant. It treats subjects like illness, the importance of it, loyalty, love, trust, hatred, death, and many others. You see characters change, evolve, you start to like them, you start to dislike them. It is the best written show to this day. It is dark, witty, cynical, and most importantly, addictive. David Chase decided to do what no other director did before. He showed violence, drugs, sex, and other elements that no one thought of putting in television. It pioneered cinematic television, it took mental illness seriously, it changed how we watch TV. I am not reviewing the episodes and story line, because I don't want to spoil this masterpiece, but I have to say one more thing... Whatever you're doing, stop! This show is a necessity, something that you need to watch, so do it.
Review of The Sopranos
