The Sopranos - 19 years ago today

Also played Toby’s rabbi in an early West Wing episode—that’s quite a range!

 

I didn't read any of the posts above because I'm watching The Sopranos for the first time ever and honestly have no idea how it ends (crazy that I've avoided spoilers but what can I say, I've lived in a sports writer's bubble my whole life).

Already on Season 2, Episode 12 and looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Strange that I've never seen the show, because I'm a huge fan of Godfather trilogy and Goodfellas.

 

He was great in that episode! And I know that he lost out to Gandolfini for Tony because he wasn't as likable. But he's a great actor who seemed to play a bit part in a ton of shows/movies.

 

Sopranos was my favorite TV series ever. I found it suspenseful, fascinating, and often hilarious.

I also liked the finale. To me, the point of the finale was to illustrate what the rest of Tony’s living days would be like: nerve-wracking — to the point he would always have to live in fear, with his head on a swivel. In other words, he could get murdered at any moment.

Also: “Pine Barrens” was my favorite single episode of TV ever. I always thought that Russian that got away would rear his ugly head again at some point ...

 

I loved it as I watched it but in hindsight I think I overrated it. For me, when I realized Tony was never going to grow, to become self aware, it stopped being great ‘literature’ or art and reverted to being great entertainment.

The Wire and Deadwood, for example, were both great art and great entertainment.

 

The chick is a dude.

 

Brad Renfro was great in The Sopranos

 

Two lines from that scene are among my favs in the whole series.

1. When Silvio gives his speech to Chris, and he says (and it's all in his delivery) "I came to pick you up, your hair was all hanging down in the toilet. Disgusting."

2. When it's revealed Chris sat on Adriana's dog, and Tony is furious, and in the midst of the arguing Paulie says "You sat on the dog? What, was it barking?"

Both lines just about made me die.


Just starting rewatching this series, coincidentally. The subtle themes of the series -- beneath all the gangster stuff -- are so good. The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men and Deadwood. Everything else is a tier below. (And yes, that includes Breaking Bad, which was great for what it was, and more entertaining that some of the shows I listed, but not on that level in terms of depth.)

 

It’s the look that Paulie gives after Ade talks about Christopher’s sexual problems which kills me.

 

At gym today, guy says he's working his way through the series for the first time and has just started Season 5.
Gal he's talking with starts asking him about and commenting on various plot developments.
As in, "Horrible about Adriana, huh?" and "How 'bout what they did with Tim Daly's character."
I twice yelled "Spoiler alert!" to try to get her to stop, and the guy finally said, "Hey, I haven't gotten to those episodes yet."
What a ditz.

 

That reminds me of when Chris L ruined the Wire for @Dick Whitman

 

Yeah, what a dick!

Still have his address somewhere if I want to fly out and catch my ass kicking.