By Conner Garrity | Observer Contributor
Image from mezclaconfusa on flickr
It’s been over twenty years since The Sopranos debuted. There is one lingering question: Does the show still hold up today?
The Sopranos premiered back in January 1999. The mob show was a hit and is considered one of the best television series ever. The show centers around a New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano as he deals with drama surrounding his family and his “work.” On top of that, Tony suffers from panic attacks and mental health issues which stem from his upbringing.
The show broke new ground for television, adding a cinematic element to a television show. The show decided to hire unknown actors for each role. Leading actor James Gandolfini’s biggest role prior to playing Tony Soprano was in the film True Romance where he played a hitman.
Another standout element of the show was its use of long narrative. The Sopranos treated viewers to a cinematic story that played out in an intricately layered manner each week. Tony’s parenting style is one of aggression. When his son A.J begins to act up and lashes at his mother and hurts her, Tony rushes over and pins A.J. to the wall with his hand around his throat as if he’s one of Tony’s gang members.
The linear narrative also serves the killing off of main characters very well. Such a moment occurs at the end of season two and, no spoilers, it was engaging, visceral, and dramatic.
Tony Soprano being an anti-hero allowed for a different kind of storytelling. It gave more human qualities to a character that most people probably shouldn’t be rooting for. This is, after all, a story centered on a mafia family and their sordid criminal activities, but The Sopranos was so much more than that.
Throughout the show, Tony spends time in his therapist’s office where he talks about his childhood. During one episode, Tony recalls the time he saw his father chop another man’s finger off which, the audience learns, is what triggered his first anxiety attack.
The Sopranos is a show about a mob family; it delves into one man’s struggle with being a father and a husband, as well as the turmoil that surrounds his professional life and his increasing mental and emotional instability.
Is The Sopranos a show for you? It depends on what you’re looking for. Though viewers see Tony as a tough mob boss and a hard knock father, it’s only a facade and his true colors soon begin to show.
Just over twenty years later, The Sopranos still has a large, rabid fanbase. So if you’re curious as to where the Golden Age of Television began – grab a cannoli, turn on HBO, and lose yourself in The Sopranos.
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