Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Manages to live up to its hype
For thirteen straight nights in September of 2000, Canadian viewers were treated to nightly, uncut and uncensored installments of "The Sopranos" on free, network television. It was the perfect introduction.After hearing much hype about this show, I was very intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. After the first episode, however, I felt ripped off. The characters came off as two-dimensional, cliched "goombah" types. Furthermore, their insistence on constantly referring to the great gangster films of Francis Ford Coppolla and Martin Scorcese only underscored this lack of reality. But after viewing a couple more episodes, it hit me: that's the point! These characters aren't old school, authentic Mafioso. They are most definitely contemporary. Post-modern mobsters, if you will. They know every line of Godfather I & II (but of course not III), and allow it to seep into their everyday speech. They are very media savvy. Notice that whenever something newsworthy happens to the 'family' (e.g., Jackie's death; the failed hit on Tony), they find out about it on the 6 o'clock news. The self-examination theme is stretched even further, with Tony's relationship with Dr. Melfi. The mobster-sees-shrink idea, which was beaten to death in "Analyze This", is actually quite effective here. How does Tony talk about his personal life without endangering the doctor? How does he hide his "weakness" from his mob family? How does he deal with his depression, insomnia, and impotence, in a world where strength is mandatory? Well, needless to say that no easy answers are offered. A refreshing change, that. Tony Soprano is one of those characters that could easily degenerate into a collection of cliches. But the show's superb writing and the great acting of James Gandolfini never let this happen. Tony exists in the eye of a very powerful hurricane, where the swirling winds threaten to carry him away at any moment. His wife is conflicted about the job his kids are just beginning to find out about; the conflicts between members of his crew are constantly dropped in his lap; and worst of all, his senile mother may or may not be what she appears to be. Gandolfini manages to convincingly play all sides of this complex man, with humour, charisma, and when he needs it, incredible power. Other standout actors include Dominic Chianese as 'Uncle Junior', the old school gangster with his first taste of power; Michael Imperioli as the confidant and aggressive up-and-comer 'Christopher Moltisanti' ("He'll even be buried in his track suit"); and Nancy Marchand as the matriarchal 'Livia Soprano'. Livia is an interesting character, in that it took me the full first season to fully grasp that her character wasn't some wishy-washy old lady, but actually quite calculating. Or was she? I guess that's a question the second season should answer (I hope we get to see here). Some of the acting, however, is not quite up to snuff. Little Steven Van Zandt is a collection of annoying tics in his first acting role, Edie Falco gave a much more interesting performance when she was on 'Oz' (although I do see much room for her fed-up housewife to grow), and Lorraine Bracco's 'Dr. Melfi' is, for the most part, just plain boring. She spouts Freudian psycho-pabulum as if it were the gospel. She even manages an emotionless veneer when confronted with danger. Her saving grace (for the viewer and for Tony) is that she looks good in short skirts. But these are all minor complaints. Overall, the show just kept getting better and better, from episode 1 to episode 13, as the characters became more fleshed out and the dramatic tension increased. Finally, an instance where massive hype yields a rewarding result.
Rating: - One of the Best Things TV has Ever Done
. I watched all 13 episodes of The Sopranos: First Season, in the course of two days. I hadn't seen any of the episodes before, and I'm glad I hadn't, because as one gigantic movie the effect is bigger than the sum of its parts. The characters and scenes weave in and out, and they're not interrupted by an artificial one-week pause the way you'd see the serial on HBO. I think the outstanding person in the cast was Lorraine Bracco as the psychiatrist; she has a clipped way of speaking that is positively riveting. There was nothing phony about her psychiatry even if it was a bit on the Freudian side, because at least she put forth her hypotheses and let her patient, Tony Soprano, react to them. I think James Gandolfini was fine in the lead role--better than DeNiro in a similar role in The Analyst--though just a tad not menacing enough. Why am I being picky--the entire cast was good, which is another way of saying that it was a brilliantly directed serial by a director who knows actors and how to get the most out of them. Some lines in the show are uproariously funny--better than any sitcom humor, and thank God for no laughter track. The sets and cinematography is first class, so this really amounts to a six-hour movie that has the look of a multimillion dollar Hollywood feature. And as an investment, I would say that the DVD is something you'll want to see again and again over the years, show your friends, and keep as a real treasure.
Rating: - Why HBO is now a must
I have to be honest, I stayed away from the Sopranos when it first premiered thinking it would be presented in a shoddy, second-hand nature. I was completely wrong. The only word I can use to describe this show is enthralling. Once you start watching it, your hooked. The character development has a lot to do with the success of this show. Each character has his/her own set of dilemmas to deal with on a daily basis. There is no question that Jim Gandolfini is the true "star" of this series, but he is surrounded by stellar talent. Carmella, AJ, Meadow, Paulie, Christopher, Uncle Junior, Olivia, Artie, Pussy, Richie, Janice are all engaging characters that will take this show into a multitude of different directions (except the one's who get whacked). Lorraine Bracco is excellent as Dr. Melfi, and her relationship with Tony continues to thread the series as it now enters it's third season. The Sopranos is simply a well crafted, excellently scripted, and magnificently acted show which will not disappoint every time you watch it.
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