![]() ![]() It certainly deserves an honourable mention here as "First Runner Up," but it is not the definitive episode. It has been called "the episode that changed television forever" and there is a very strong case to be made that 'College' is the best episode of The Sopranos. It starts off a bit like the sort of independent movie that was fashionable in the Nineties and early Noughties, before everything got too serious, a charming, fairly light coming of age/family drama in which a teenage girl gets to know her father as they visit potential universities for her. The episode that really set the tone for this was 'College' early in the first season. Cinema was, of course, already well aware of that, but it is one thing for audiences to slum it in seedy company for a couple of hours and another thing altogether to keep them coming back week after week. It was The Sopranos that proved that it is not necessary for a protagonist, or protagonists, to be particularly sympathetic in order for their story to be compelling. Paulie’s reverence for his boss frequently reaches absurd levels, and as a result he often competes with Christopher for Tony’s attention like a child would for a favorite parent.Along with Hill Street Blues and The Wire, and as well as being an outstanding show in its own right, The Sopranos deserves a place in cultural history as a revolutionary moment in television drama. Nonetheless they are bound by blood and Christopher is Tony’s natural successor. Christopher isn’t technically Tony’s nephew, but rather a distant cousin of Tony's wife Carmela ( Edie Falco). While both men are frequently impulsive, much of Paulie’s anger stems from his refusal to believe that Christopher will ever ascend to lead the family. Part of the inherent humor of the concept is pairing the two characters who are most often at each other’s throats. Their increasingly high-strung quest becomes a comedy of errors in which we get to revel in their distress. As poor phone reception cuts them off from Tony and the pair become lost, it’s evident that the two will never find the shifty Russian. Both guys are under pressure to not ruffle any of their boss’s feathers Christopher’s addiction issues have frequently disrupted the family’s operations and Paulie has long sought a respect from Tony that he rarely sees, despite his fierce loyalty. Unfortunately, Valery is very much alive and manages to escape into the bitter woods, resulting in a thoroughly miserable trek through the snow for the three characters.īut it’s only miserable for them- the diversion into the icy wilderness becomes a hilarious worst-case scenario for Christopher and Paulie as they desperately search for the elusive Valery. ![]() Christopher and Paulie, often at odds with one another, end up initiating a seemingly lethal brawl with the quirky Russian and plot to dump his body in the Pine Barrens. No episode exemplified this better than Season 3’s “Pine Barrens.” 20 years after its initial HBO debut on May 6, 2001, it remains one of the funniest and most influential episodes that The Sopranos ever aired.Īs Tony weighs a future with his fling Gloria Trillo ( Annabella Sciorra), he dispatches his nephew Christopher Moltisanti ( Michael Imperioli) and right-hand man Paulie Gualtieri ( Tony Sirico) to complete a transaction with Russian mobster Valery ( Vitali Baganov). ![]() Many of the most acclaimed episodes were Tony-centric, including Season 1’s “College,” Season 2’s “Funhouse,” or Season 5’s “The Test Dream,” but the complex narrative allowed for episodes that spotlighted other characters to reach similar heights. It was also the supporting cast of characters and their banter that made the series feel so lived-in. The idea that Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini) was a family man who struggled to keep his two responsibilities in check is the heart of the series’ drama, but it also led to many humorous scenarios. While The Godfather and Goodfellas were certainly influences on the world that David Chase imagined, seeing the inner workings of the mafia on an everyday level was unprecedented. ![]() The Sopranos was often one of the funniest things on television, and its sense of humor was one of its distinguishing characteristics among early prestige television. Both The Sopranos and Citizen Kane have rightfully earned the reputation of being prestigious fare with significant influence on their respective mediums, but both have a secret weapon up their sleeves - they’re really damn entertaining. It’s such an obvious choice, but in no way should it dissuade younger viewers from seeking it out. Calling The Sopranos the best television series of all-time is a little like calling Citizen Kane the greatest film ever made. ![]()
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