The Sopranos begins with a North Jersey mob boss arriving in therapy. He suffers from anxiety attacks, and his therapy reveals the deeply complicated main character of Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini, whose problems seem to never end, including familial issues, struggles with law, and perpetual feelings of depression, paranoia, and rage. This is the beginning of arguably the most important show in television history.
I say “arguably,” but most agree that The Sopranos is the most influential, important, and probably the greatest show of all time. As the Rolling Stone said, “(The Sopranos) cut the history of TV in two, kicking off a golden age when suddenly anything seemed possible,” and after watching the show, I’ve realized that no show like this existed prior to The Sopranos, and it impacted every show since. The Sopranos makes incredible use of TV’s ability to tell a massive story, and Tony Soprano is one of the deepest and most complex characters ever created, constantly changing, evolving, and revealing more truths about his character over the 86-episode runtime. David Chase, the creator, also develops such a vast universe of supporting characters with so much depth and realness that makes the show so much more compelling.
The Sopranos has something for everybody. Simply, it’s a funny, enthralling crime drama, one of the best you can find. But below the surface, it’s a fascinating, complex look at the mafia lifestyle, and popularized the outlook of the mafia as a job, as unglamorous as any other until those explosive moments come on screen. The mafia aspect is interesting, but that’s not the point of the show. The domestic aspect was always more gripping, and presented more ideas and themes about family, love, and loyalty, and presented a new perspective on the issues of modern America, including immigrant life, racial prejudices, and the moving away from the traditional to the modern, something that Tony in particular has trouble with.
The Sopranos is too good to discuss completely in 60 seconds, so I’ll leave you with my two cents: The Sopranos is a perfect show and you have to watch it, and the only reason I could give not to watch it is that it will ruin every TV show you watch afterwards, because nothing can top it.