The Sopranos - what am I missing?

[The Madrigal]

I have eventually watched just about every "Great tv show" of the last 15-20 years, typically binge watching them after their original TV run.

I thought Breaking Bad was everything it was hyped up to be. The writing, the acting, the cinematography. Great characters who were developed well, plenty of drama, and the show never declined at any point.

While not as good in my opinion The Walking Dead is another great show. It has definitely had its ups and downs over an 8 year run but its another well written, well acted, and entertaining show.

Lost was great until they actually had to end the story.

I just finished up The Leftovers which lost some steam a season at a time but was great, esprcially season one.

Currently I watch MR. Robot and Better Call Saul which I love. MR. Robot might be my favorite of all. Another show I love is the little known and super underrated Carnivale which is an old HBO show.

Anyway, after years and years of wanting to dive into The Sopranos I finally have. I am 10 episodes in and I am not seeing it at all. James Gandolfini is great and so is Lorraine Bracco as his shrink. Other than that I think the acting is subpar. Edie Falcos character and Tony's two kids are annoying as hell. No drama, no intrigue, etc. Compared to The Godfather 1 and 2, Scarface, Casino, Goodfellas, Carlito's Way etc its just not very good. So am I just missing something or does it get a lot better?

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[Ceremony]

If you think Breaking Bad is any of the things you described it as you're probably past help tbqh

 

[The Madrigal]

If you think Breaking Bad is any of the things you described it as you're probably past help tbqh

Let me guess, one of those people who goes out of their way to trash things most people like because you're so cool.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

The Sopranos hasn't aged well.

 

[The Madrigal]

The Sopranos hasn't aged well.

Thats been an issue for sure. Season 1 came out right around 2000 I believe? I feel like Im watching something from the late 80s/early 90s.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

It was a great show and I recently watched it again, and it was a bit dated. I think it's important to remember that it was one of if not the first great show of that era. It was groundbreaking. I'd recommend you keep watching, but there are some things that don't hold up great.

 

[NyQuil]

The juxtaposition of domestic life, midlife psychological issues and crime drama was pretty innovative at the time.

Breaking Bad owes a lot to the Sopranos.

 

[Ceremony]

Let me guess, one of those people who goes out of their way to trash things most people like because you're so cool.

No, but I know shit when I see it.

It's been a while since I saw The Sopranos but as I recall there's a scene in the first episode where Silvio and Paulie are trying to do their best Joe Pesci impressions (or someone else from one of the films you listed). It's not supposed to be entirely a glorification of organised crime, it's supposed to depict the reality of it as well. They're not 'real' mobsters that you think you see in films. They're not supposed to be.

 

[silverfish]

Let me guess, one of those people who goes out of their way to trash things most people like because you're so cool.

Says the person who just made a new topic to bash The Sopranos

 

[kook10]

The first season in particular is a bit dated, but it is worth noting that the entire first season was done for roughly the cost of one episode in the final season.

 

[void]

How about you watch more than 10 episodes before crapping on it? It's recognized as the greatest show of all time for a reason.

 

[NyQuil]

How about you watch more than 10 episodes before crapping on it? It's recognized as the greatest show of all time for a reason.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

How about you watch more than 10 episodes before crapping on it? It's recognized as the greatest show of all time for a reason.

I thought this was a thread about The Sopranos...not The Wire.

 

[void]

I thought this was a thread about The Sopranos...not The Wire.

I have Sopranos and The Wire as 1a and 1b. I decide which is which depending on my mood at that time and currently I'm feeling a little passionate about Sopranos because I strongly disagree with the OP.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Not exactly sure why people are saying OP is trashing on it. He's legitimately asking if the show improves.

I think in the context of its time The Sopranos was innovative and groundbreaking, however I do not think it is one of those series that ages well. I watched it for the first time in 2016 and had to pull my way through it at times.

As a mental health professional, I do enjoy the pseudo-psychology that's found in the interactions between Tony and his psychiatrist. And I generally enjoy the charming aspects of seeing life behind-the-scenes of a mob boss. The mobsters aren't all like the movies, they were very real people, with real familes, and real life problems too.

If you're watching The Sopranos hoping to get the TV version of The Godfather or Carlito's Way you're going to have a bad time. This is more than your typical "tough guy mobster" archetype.

 

[Shareefruck]

A lot of the reactions here seem a bit uncalled for and harsh, to me. That said, I definitely raised an eyebrow looking at that list of shows that the OP thinks are examples of drama done right.

I was never a huge fan of The Sopranos (even at the time), but I definitely respect what it is/its appeal a lot more than this wave of popular shows that feel like they were merely designed to be polished and addictive drama roller-coasters. For me, any interest, intrigue, or thoughtfulness that they have going for them is completely undercut by the manipulative superficiality of that whole bland and formulaic "Who are you rooting for? Who's going to die? How's he going to get himself out of this crazy mess? Whoaaaa, there's a crazy plot twist! Whoooaa's what a bad-*** way to dig himself out of that hole!" thing that shows like Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Lost, Mr. Robot, and Better Call Saul rely so heavily on. I find those sensibilities lame as hell, even when it's done well and with really high production values.

It's no surprise that someone who seems exclusively into that kind of thing would reject the tone of something like The Sopranos, which is a lot more understated in the way that it tells a story/explores ideas (relatively speaking anyways), but I also don't really care enough about The Sopranos to defend it. I'm sure others will come in and do that.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

A lot of the reactions here seem a bit uncalled for and harsh, to me. That said, I definitely raised an eyebrow looking at that list of shows that the OP thinks are examples of drama done right.

I was never a huge fan of The Sopranos (even at the time), but I definitely respect what it is/its appeal a lot more than this wave of popular shows that feel like they were merely designed to be polished and addictive drama roller-coasters. For me, any interest, intrigue, or thoughtfulness is immediately undercut by the manipulative superficiality of that whole bland and formulaic "Who are you rooting for? Who's going to die? How's he going to get himself out of this crazy mess? Whoaaaa, there's a crazy plot twist! Whoooaa's what a bad-*** way to dig himself out of that hole!" thing that shows like Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Lost, Mr. Robot, and Better Call Saul rely so heavily on. I find those sensibilities lame as hell, even when it's done well and with really high production values.

It's no surprise that someone who seems exclusively into that kind of thing would reject the tone of something like The Sopranos, which is a lot more understated in the way that it tells a story/explores ideas (relatively speaking anyways).

my issue is some shows, like Breaking Bad, have such a rabid fandom that it prevents them from admitting any faults the show has.

Breaking Bad jumped the shark as early as season 2, see the plane crash storyline. That was just such a ridiculous departure from reality that it kills the suspension of disbelief.

It would have been infinitely better if they made Walter watching her choke to death and do nothing the season ending cliffhanger. You get the holy s**t shock of realizing he has changed as a person and the 'what the heck is gonna happen now?' It also keeps the show grounded in reality and focuses on the development of the characters

 

[Shareefruck]

my issue is some shows, like Breaking Bad, have such a rabid fandom that it prevents them from admitting any faults the show has.

Breaking Bad jumped the shark as early as season 2, see the plane crash storyline. That was just such a ridiculous departure from reality that it kills the suspension of disbelief.

It would have been infinitely better if they made Walter watching her choke to death and do nothing the season ending cliffhanger. You get the holy s**t shock of realizing he has changed as a person and the 'what the heck is gonna happen now?' It also keeps the show grounded in reality and focuses on the development of the characters

I didn't have any issue with that (or the lack of realism in general), and I thought the show got better in S2-S3, personally.

For me, even if those things were done well and Walt's transition was communicated effectively, it would all still ultimately feel like a giant cheap/childish excuse to try to get mobs of people to root for him/the characters around him, and become addicted to seeing him get caught up in sticky situations that he has to ingeniously dig his way out of and escape suspicion/danger by the skin of his teeth, over and over, week after week. It's supposedly about Walt's descent into evil, but who are we kidding? It's more focused on lame bro-thrills and ratcheted up intensity/drama/suspense for its own sake than anything else, IMO. It's an effective way to grab people, but it all feels pretty soulless and unrewarding to me. Game of Thrones does this a lot too.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Breaking Bad jumped the shark as early as season 2, see the plane crash storyline. That was just such a ridiculous departure from reality that it kills the suspension of disbelief.

How did the plane crash jump the shark? It took a REAL event, added a small piece, and then put it in the show. That was actual reality that you are saying is a ridiculous departure from reality.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

The OP mentioned TWD as a great show and everyone is debating weather Breaking Bad qualifies as one, lol.

 

[The Madrigal]

I never said the Sopranos was trash. I simply asked if it gets better and that after 10 episodes I am not seeing what gives it the reputation as one of the greatest shows of all time. As others have mentioned, perhaps the fact that it is a bit dated is a significant factor.

As for Breaking Bad I couldn't disagree more and I feel like "jumped the shark" is one of the most over used and misunderstood terms of the 21st century. BB is a show which got better and better as the series went on, and knew exactly when to end things as the show was still at a very high point. In an era when most shows hang on way too long, BB absolutely did not.

 

[Neutrinos]

I have The Sopranos at #2 on my list behind Game Of Thrones, with Breaking Bad rounding out the top 3

Season One definitely wasn't shot in HD, but I think the film quality gets better as the series goes on

I don't think it's particularly dated, in fact, it's one of those shows where I still watch clips of it on YouTube from time to time

 

[Shareefruck]

The OP mentioned TWD as a great show and everyone is debating weather Breaking Bad qualifies as one, lol.

Well, yeah, because that's the one that's actually debateable.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I can't speak about most of the other series but if you're looking for the glitz and glamour through the sacred aura that The Godfather - and Goodfellas to a lesser extent - gives to Mafia life, you certainly won't be getting that from The Sopranos. It's a character/psycholgical study that also doubles very well as an absurdist comedy. Intrigues and storylines are never in doubt, so to speak. From the start you know a character like Richie Aprile or Ralph Cifaretti won't get the drop - or even come close - on Tony Soprano. The show is about how you get from point A to point B. Not what the point A and the point B actually are. Also, by taking away the glamour away from the Mafia, they actually achieve in humanizing their characters (showing them for the blue-collar dudes most Mafia members are) and giving them an emotional depth that's just not really there in a lot of the Mafia movies/shows which usually just goes for " Look at how cool those guys are doing dirt and talking shit! " it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're not into literary themes generally, I don't see how rewarding you'll find The Sopranos. The show isn't about Tony's descent into evil. By the first episode, his power and evil tendencies are pretty much set already. A lot of the show is about exploring/why that evil his present and partly a trick on the viewer in an attempt/convince you to sympathize with Tony Soprano, not unlike something done in Lolita by Nabokov for example. I'd actually argue it achieves that goal better - although he's also easier to defend than Humbert Humbert - but that's a debate for another day.

 

[Osprey]

I thought this was a thread about The Sopranos...not The Wire.

I thought that this was a thread about the greatest TV shows of the last couple of decades. I watched 15 minutes of The Wire, decided that it was overrated and turned it off. The greatest show of all time should hold one's attention for longer than 15 minutes, IMO. I don't know how the OP can have the patience to give a show that he doesn't like 10 episodes, but I admire it.

(braces for backlash)

Edit: Just to be clear, since some people have taken me seriously, I was joking about deciding that it was overrated after just 15 minutes. I stopped watching simply because I didn't like it, not because I formed a judgment of it (other than that it likely wouldn't be my cup of tea).