The Sopranos

The Sopranos is an American television drama produced and created by David Chase. The show first aired on the HBO network in the US on January 10, 1999 and was immediately hailed by critics fans as an absolute masterpiece. It continued for a run of six seasons consisting of 86 episodes until June 10, 2007. The series is set in gangland New Jersey in the late 90s and early 2000s where New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini) struggles with being a family man and a mobster while dealing with all the conflicting requirements that go with those roles.

Tony Soprano

Tony Soprano was first Capo then acting boss under Corrado “Junior” Soprano of the DiMeo crime family situated in New Jersey. When we are first introduced to Tony in episode one, we are in the waiting room of Dr Jennifer Melfi’s psychiatrists office, where Tony begins his treatment of his ongoing panic attacks and depression, that are the staple of the Sopranos series as Tony deals with what Dr Melfi defines as a root cause to his illness, his mother Livia. Tony’s troubles continue past the doctors office as he tries to balance his “two families”, his wife Carmela and two children Anthony and Meadow, and his other “family” on the Jersey streets. Tony’s alpha male persona, short temper, infidelity with his wife and ambition to become the boss of a crime family stems from his father “Johnny Boy” Soprano, a former capo of the DiMeo family. “Johnny boy” had a very large impression on a young Tony as we see him rough up people for money and amputate fingers with butchers knives in multiple episodes. Tony's rise to power is a bloody and complicated endeavour that costs the lives and souls of many.

Season 1

Tony's therapy session with Dr. Melfi

Tony Soprano is a man torn between two families - his traditional family and his work family. Tony has a mother, a wife, and two children; but he is also a high ranking member of a New Jersey organized crime organization. Tony begins suffering from panic attacks and upon the recommendation of his family doctor, begins therapy with a psychologist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi. At first, Tony is hesitant to reveal too much to Dr. Melfi, but soon discovers that he has quite a bit on his mind. Tony's wife, Carmela, is struggling with the guilt of being the wife of a mobster and the fact that Tony has been unfaithful to her. Tony's children are beginning to ask questions about how he makes his money and he is hestitant to tell them truth, fearing they might follow in his shows. Tony also has a complicated relationship with his mother, who he has recently moved into a retirement community, and Dr. Melfi believes has a personality disorder. At work, things aren't any easier. The boss of the family has recently passed away and Tony has been having escalating problems with his Uncle Junior, another high ranking member of the crime organization. There have also been rumors of impending indictments, which has everyone on edge and thinking there must be an inside informant. When the current boss of family, Jackie Aprile, dies from cancer, Tony sees an opportunity to ease the problems with his Uncle as well as take the heat off of himself: Tony convinces the other captains that Junior should be named as new Boss of the family. Despite Junior's new title, Tony will actually be running things behind the scenes. Tony's mother eventually learns that Tony has been in therapy and decides to use this information against him to get revenge for moving her into the retirement community. She eventually tells Junior that Tony has been in therapy and that Tony is actually running the family behind Junior's back, which sparks a war between the two. As season one closes, the war is winding down, but Junior is arrested on federal RICO charges before Tony can finish the job.

Season 2

Season 2 DVD set

As season two begins, Tony is settling into life as the boss of the family, but things aren't getting any easier. His older sister, Janice, has returned to New Jersey claiming to be concerned about their mother's health. However, Tony believes she has returned to exploit the situation. A former colleague, Richie Aprile, has returned from a stint in prison and refuses to accept the changes that have occurred since he went away. And finally, Dr. Melfi refuses to see Tony as a patient because of the danger he put her in during his fighting with Junior.

Despite all these problems, life keeps moving forward for Tony. Salvatore "Pussy" Bonpensiero returns from his sabbatical and his eager to start earning again, despite strains on his personal life. Tony, Paulie, and Christopher take the opportunity to travel to Italy to take care of some business involving Junior's former stolen car ring and end up coming back with Furio, a new enforcer. The arrival of Furio also prompts promotions for Paulie and Silvio; however, Pussy is overlooked, putting pressure on his relationship with Tony. Partially out of guilt and a strange attraction to the danger, Dr. Melfi agrees to resume her sessions with Tony, despite the obvious detriment to her personal life. Tony also takes over the Executive Game, a high stakes poker game frequented by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Jr. Unfortunately, an old high school friend with a gambling problem shows up at the game, further straining tensions between Tony and Richie. Christopher dabbles into the glitz and glamour of Hollywood life, but soon discovers that the movie business may be more cutthroat than the organized crime after an incident with Jon Favreau. On the home front, Carmela is concerned with Meadow's strong desire to gain admission to Berkley and tries to use her influence to get her daughter into Georgetown. She is also discovering that perhaps her husband hasn't

Tony, Silvio, and Paulie

been as faithful to her as she once believed. There is a brutal attack on someone very close Tony, and guys vow to get revenge, no matter the cost. An eye-witness to a crime makes a positive ID of Tony, potentially causing huge legal troubles. Richie rekindles an old romance with Janice, and the two eventually get formally engaged, which doesn't make things any easier on Tony. And in a shocking revelation, Tony discovers that someone in his crew may still be feeding information to the F.B.I. on the eve of Meadow's high school graduation. Despite all these problems, the Sopranos somehow manage to hold everything together long enough to see Meadow graduate from high school and Tony's business continues to thrive.

Season 3

Season 3 DVD set

As the new season opens,