The Sopranos, 25 years later... (open spoilers, even in OP)

Cafe Society
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Today is the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the first episode of The Sopranos, America’s favorite story about troubled teens, New Jersey mob types, and, of course, anti-Italian discrimination.

Credited with kicking off what many critics call “The Golden Age of TV”, The Sopranos, though I would argue that Babylon 5 and Buffy can lay claim to that title as well, but, regardless, The Sopranos is as good a starting point as any (and was more popular than the other two shows mentioned).

Inna and I just finished re-watching it (well, I rewatched it, Inna saw it for the first time) and it still holds up, though I found the men to be far more whiny and emotionally disabled than in my first viewing… and Carmela, definitely saw the “Rather Trashy High School Princess who Married the Top Football Player” aspects of her character more this time.

I always thought Richie Aprile was the most sociopathic of the mob guys, and nothing changed for me in the 2nd viewing. As I noted in the “Series” thread, early-on, Inna thought that Tony was too sympathetic to be a mob boss, saying that he wouldn’t be a very good Party apparatchik in the Soviet Union (where she was born and grew up in)… but I believe that he made his bones with her, especially when he coldly, with malicious calculation, killed Christopher.

I found AJ to be less annoying this time, though the amount of S6 time spent on his character was still irritating. But I will admit the first time I literally loathed his character while the 2nd viewing… with raising a teenager already behind me… I understood him more. But there was still a lot of “get a job and stop moping after the first girl who fucked you more than once” thoughts going through my (and Inna’s) head.

Pauli was the character who changed the most for me. First viewing, I thought he was pretty cool. 2nd viewing, I found him to be even whinier than AJ. My God, man, get it together you skin-thinned freak!

And… having been through the teenaged-girl phase with my daughter… I found Meadow to be completely believable, especially her eye-rolls. :laughing:

Really liked how his family knew they were the only ones Tony couldn’t beat, couldn’t fight, and took advantage of that fact. Especially Carmela.

Couldn’t stand Livia my first viewing, couldn’t stand her the 2nd. Of course, Nancy Marchand didn’t play a lovable character, and she knocked it out of the park so no beef with her, but my GOD… I’d probably turn to crime too, if I were raised by her.

Janice is probably my favorite character, totally believable, a complete snake, and my favorite line of the series was towards the end when… with Bobby shot… she turns to Tony and says (paraphrased) “I need to find a new husband.”

(BTW, I heard this funny joke about Ginny Sack… you’re not going to believe this, but…)

My most unbelievable scene was when Tony was visiting Johnny Sack, the FBI raided Sacks house… and Tony runs away, in full view of the FBI and not a single one of them gave chase. Really??

What are your thoughts, impressions? If you re-watched it, did the 2nd (or more) viewing(s) make a difference in how you felt? Who is your favorite character, most tragic character, funniest scene, best bit of trivia, other?

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It was telling that they were fairly clueless as parents, both of them. They were both quite forceful and ruthless in their dealings with almost everyone else, even people they considered their “friends,” e.g. the Buccos, the Scatinos, and yet they had no idea how to punish Meadow for throwing that party at her grandmother’s house.

Obviously, you make her go clean it up, but somehow that simply does not ever occur to them. Fortunately for them, Meadow turns out to have a guilty conscience and gives herself that punishment, and grows up to be a decent person. AJ OTOH they really had no idea what they were doing, and neither did he.

3

Still going to spoiler this so as not to ruin it for people who haven’t seen it yet…

Summary

I think the single best story line in The Sopranos was Vito turning out to be gay. Though I think we had seen him with another man at the construction site earlier, the scene where we see him dancing at a gay club in full biker outfit was really surprising. I vividly remember my first viewing, thinking it was both hilarious and boded nothing good for Vito going forward.

Some of the best episodes centered on Vito. His character probably went through bigger changes throughout his arc than any other.

4

I watched it straight through three times. Subsequent viewings didn’t lead me to reassess my prior impressions; rather, I saw additional nuance that enriched them.

Such a great show, great writing, great performances. I agree that many of the characters were deliberately unlikable, but they were all extremely watchable. That’s a tough line to walk.

And Richie (and his “Manson lamps”) was likely the biggest sociopath, which is saying a lot re: this show.

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I re-watched it a few years ago just before the Many Saints of Newark came out. I agree it definitely still holds up. The only thing that took me out were the tiny Motorola flip phones they all used back then.

I have a Satriales t-shirt that I wear on the rare occasion. I was wearing it out to lunch and our waiter, an early 20 something or old, said he loved classic butcher shops and the smoked meats you could get there. Had no clue as to where it was.

Pine Barrens is the best episode hands down.

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That was one of the show’s greatest underrated exchanges.
Carmela - “There has to be consequences.”
Tony - “And there will be. I hear you, ok? Let’s just not overplay our hand, 'cause if she finds out we’re powerless, we’re fucked.”

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To be fair, that’s how most of parenting goes. Once they realize we can’t kill them, it’s game over man, game over! :wink:

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Right, that’s what I meant. It’s a great moment of the juxtaposition of being an all-powerful mob boss and a parent at the same time.

9

Or when Meadow shows AJ the mob website and says, “I’ll print it out for you.”

You see, out there it’s the 2020s. But in this house, it’s 1999. 2020s, 1999.

10

No question, but Little Carmine had the best lines. I don’t know how they kept a straight face on set. “The sacred and the propane.”

11

What about the Czechoslovakian interior decorators?

12

This reminds me of what I consider the funniest scene ever on The Sopranos:

Cleaver investors’ meeting

Besides Little Carmine’s “sub species” line, I love that they can’t call a character “The Butcher” because they already know somebody by that name.

13

He clearly didn’t get a lot of customers; his own house looked like shit!

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Containing one of Paulie’s greatest comebacks:

Christopher: “We shoulda gone to Roy Rogers!”

Paulie: “And I shoulda f*cked Dale Evans, but I didnt!”

15

Christopher’s intervention was classic.

16

Can anyone tell me what a “steak san” is? I’ve been wondering for 20-some years.

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Many online discussions. It’s used for sandwich (Meadow asks for a tuna san), but what Bobby appears to be eating looks like just a grilled steak. So people have suggested it means steak San Marco or steak San Marino, but those recipes don’t look anything like that. My feeling is that Bobby’s eating an open-faced sandwich, which fits with the diner context.

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I always wondered if it was Italian-Jersey slang for sandwich. Maybe a shibboleth like gabagool.

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Nope. Here’s an expert on the correct slang usages. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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The glaring omission there is murder noodle.