20 years since the debut of The Sopranos

Still my favorite show of all time.

I think that “College” in Season 1 is among the best episodes of TV. And “Whitecaps” to end Season 4 is pretty close.

 

So that's why HBO is marathoning the series this month. Started watching a random episode yesterday, and watched it for hours until it went off. I had forgotten how good the writing was and was surprised how well it has held up over the years.

 

David Chase on ‘The Sopranos,’ Trump and, Yes, That Ending

 

My favorite moments in the series are when the characters show just how really dumb they are, Tony included. Such as Bobby confusing Quasimodo with Nostradamus and the scene in the restaurant with Paulie and Silvio about dinosaurs being killed by meteors.

And Nos. 1 and 1A in my mind:

Christopher: "Gary Cooper was gay?"

And when Dr. Melfi informs Tony that A.J.'s dark moods and obsession with death at one point means he's discovered existentialism. To which Tony responded: "Fuckin' internet."

 

My favorite comedic scene is the intervention for Christopher

 

I caught an episode yesterday with Tim Daly as a Hollywood type who is in a program for substance abusers with Chris. Chris gets him into a high-stakes poker game and Daly's character loses big. He doesn't realize how serious it is that he can't pay up until Chris shows up with another guy and beats the crap out of him.

A few days later, Chris finds out that Daly's character is using drugs again and goes to help.

"Why didn't you call your sponsor before you used?"
"I couldn't get him."
"Why didn't you call me?"
Daly, his face still bruised and cut from the beating by Chris, just gives him this incredulous look.

Sure, it's stupid that Chris doesn't understand why Daly wouldn't come to him, but it also shows how skewed his perspective of the world has become. The beating doesn't mean he isn't the guy's friend any more. He owed money and didn't pay, so he gets a beating. It is all business, not personal. There is no reason the friendship can't resume the next day in Chris's mind.

 

Pine Barrens will always be my favorite episode based on the laugh out loud lines.

The one where Janice killed Richie was one where I cheered out loud.

David Chase made it okay to go to work on a Monday and talk about what happened to Pussy last night.

 

That's funny, i watched that same scene yesterday.

 

Interesting theory on the end (thread):

 

The reverse of that scene is with Davey Scantino and Tony. Scantino is the one who compartmentalizes his gambling debts.

 

I like that a lot. I've always wondered what Chase was trying to say with Phil Leotardo's death scene or the motorcycle crash from the prior episode.

 

I agree mostly but it's not friendship; it's a relationship in 12 step program so the joke is more about Christopher's understanding of the program, which leads to an absurd, but in his mind, rationale result.