Best Sopranos season? Page 2

Loved every single episode of The Sopranos. For me (like so many of the recent great American TV dramas) you have to view the series in its entirity. Its developing and running themes, ideas and stories are just so well inter-woven. It is drama on a truly epic saga level. I'd say Dickensian if that didn't sound predictable.

It's true that series 6 and 7 (or 6A for the purists) were less about real-world action than the inner emotions and motivations behind the characters. I thought Tony's shooting and subsequent coma-induced "dream" story was perhaps a little overplayed, but it's a minor gripe. The latter episodes had a lot of completion of story and character arcs to do. I liked the way they explored the back-stories even further and returned to the hearts of each character's flaws.

Personally I adored both the content and the bravery of the final episode. I couldn't believe the vitriol it received from some "fans". Surely if one truly had appreciated what this series was about, then one wouldn't have felt so let down or cynical (comments that it left Chase able to make money from a movie, for example) about how it concluded.

Hard to pick individual episodes and characters. But 'Long Term Parking' was truly wonderful. And I loved Sil, which was played wonderfully by Steve van Sandt (especially the little references to his strange cleaning obsession). Chris was also a really interesting (psychopathic but interesting) character. It was really brilliant the way they demonstrated how someone trying to beat addiction through the '12 Steps' could be defeated due to (partly) their sociopathic background in the Mafia. The most important part of a 12 Step programme is honesty and admitting one's character defects. The inability to do this (partly because his crimes and faults were so terrible that they had to be constantly denied or rationalised) doomed Chris's recovery, as in a similar way it ultimately doomed Tony's attempts at therapy.

What I also like is that, despite the "fun" violence and the laughs and the magnetic characters, it always showed the casual and innocent victims of this "honourable" organisation. It was actually a very moral show.

Quote: chipolata @ July 10 2009, 11:33 AM BST

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Actually you have a point, I suppose. The Sopranos is a better show, but I put Streets... 3rd on the list cause it's a sentimental favourite. It's a classic show and I think gets underrated and overlooked as such by some (certainly these days). Douglas and Mlden what a combo.

As far as police procedurals go I prefer watching Streets... over The Wire, actually.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 10 2009, 11:52 AM BST

Loved every single episode of The Sopranos. For me (like so many of the recent great American TV dramas) you have to view the series in its entirity. Its developing and running themes, ideas and stories are just so well inter-woven. It is drama on a truly epic saga level. I'd say Dickensian if that didn't sound predictable.

It's true that series 6 and 7 (or 6A for the purists) were less about real-world action than the inner emotions and motivations behind the characters. I thought Tony's shooting and subsequent coma-induced "dream" story was perhaps a little overplayed, but it's a minor gripe. The latter episodes had a lot of completion of story and character arcs to do. I liked the way they explored the back-stories even further and returned to the hearts of each character's flaws.

Personally I adored both the content and the bravery of the final episode. I couldn't believe the vitriol it received from some "fans". Surely if one truly had appreciated what this series was about, then one wouldn't have felt so let down or cynical (comments that it left Chase able to make money from a movie, for example) about how it concluded.

Hard to pick individual episodes and characters. But 'Long Term Parking' was truly wonderful. And I loved Sil, which was played wonderfully by Steve van Sandt (especially the little references to his strange cleaning obsession). Chris was also a really interesting (psychopathic but interesting) character. It was really brilliant the way they demonstrated how someone trying to beat addiction through the '12 Steps' could be defeated due to (partly) their sociopathic background in the Mafia. The most important part of a 12 Step programme is honesty and admitting one's character defects. The inability to do this (partly because his crimes and faults were so terrible that they had to be constantly denied or rationalised) doomed Chris's recovery, as in a similar way it ultimately doomed Tony's attempts at therapy.

What I also like is that, despite the "fun" violence and the laughs and the magnetic characters, it always showed the casual and innocent victims of this "honourable" organisation. It was actually a very moral show.

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Great post, some very fine points. I actually quite enjoyed the final episode in parts.

Agree with pretty much everything Tim said. I liked season 6 because you could feel something building throughout the whole season. I've never been so excited to see a final episode of a TV drama. I wasn't disappointed with the ending at all, I didn't even have much of an opinion on it i.e. whether Tony was dead or alive.

The best character by far was Paulie. From season one to the final episode he was just a genius, especially with this line "how do we know that you're not a f**king flombay". I did fear that they were going to kill him off with cancer but luckily he survived it, but a very sad scene involving Paulie was when he and Tony were away on a business trip and Tony saw Paulie in his hotel room on his own pissing himself laughing to a TV sitcom (possibly Friends). It just showed the lonliness of the man.

Dr. Melfi was also a great character, very sexy too. I was desperate for Tony to nail her for some reason. However, I did expect a little more from her rape storyline, I thought she was going to break ethics to get Tony to kill the man who raped her, but I guess that would have meant that there sessions would have been pointless from there on in. My favourite season was season 2 simply because I was really into the show by this point, I can remember being so excited that the DVD was coming in the post, every morning I was literally waiting by the door for it to arrive.

I don't have a problem with The Sopranos finale, although I prefer The Shield's end.

What the *f**k*!??

Best season of The Sopranos is the third, and the best episode is 'Pine Barrens' -- "You're not gonna believe this -- he killed sixteen Czechoslovakians!"

For what it's worth, I'm slowly watching The Wire (coming up to the end of season two) and it's *very* good so far. The Shield tops it for me as best drama series ever (yet to watch last five eps though) with The Sopranos second. If The Sopranos was as good as season three all the way through, it would probably be the top.

I think it may the characters that are impressing me most. In points of The Shield Vic has *literally* no way out of certain situations (ie whatever he does, he can't win) and that is fascinating to me and properly drags me into their world completely.

Dan

The one before the first one.

Quote: Griff @ July 10 2009, 3:49 PM BST

Meanwhile, it's not in quite the same league* as the shows we're discussing, but what does everyone think of Smallville? I'm enjoying it.

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I must admit to being quite a big Smallville fan, but mainly the early seasons (1 to 6). The last couple have really gone off the rails with the death of Lex Luthor and increasingly silly storylines.

And if we're talking of great American shows Lost should get a nod, as should Heroes. Surely it turned to shit pretty quick, but that first season was cracking.

Quote: Griff @ July 15 2009, 10:31 AM BST

I'm on season four of Smallville and enjoying their exploration of the DC Universe (The Flash, Mr Mxyzptlk etc) much more than the teen-soap-heavy earlier seasons.

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Seasons 4, 5 and 6 are probably my favourites. And isn't Season 4 where sexy lois lane turns up and lives with the Kents for a while. Good stuff. Not quite Buffy-tastic, but not much is.