I annoy some of my close friends with my “Sopranos” obsession. If they heard me say "The Sopranos is the greatest TV show of all time" one more time, they'd probably arrange to get me whacked. They don’t understand how I can watch the same series over and over and not ever get bored by it. Though I’ve stressed plenty of times how well written the show is, that wasn’t what drew me to it in the beginning. In the very beginning - I’m talking +15 years ago when the show still aired on eTV, at 9 pm on Mondays - I was drawn to it because of the age restriction the show carried. Like most kids, when I saw “18SNLV” I just had to watch. Most of the dialogue and dark humour made no sense to me at the time. It all flew over my 14-year-old head. I just kept waiting for someone to get shot or get laid. It was only until its final season (which aired in 2007, when I was 18-years-old) that I really started to grasp just how amazing this series was. I started to understand that the show wasn’t just about the mafia.
I’ve always been a huge fan of crime dramas, particularly those involving the mob (e.g. The Godfather, Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, Casino, etc.) and I was starting to understand that The Sopranos wasn’t your typical crime drama series. No crime drama had ever dealt with or explored depression. This is why it finally hit home for me. Let it be known that my depression is self-diagnosed, so it’s probably not accurate. My feelings of emptiness and sadness could be attributed to other things like my generally bleak outlook on life. Anyway, before I digress even further… No other series that I had ever seen dealt with depression as well as The Sopranos – especially in its final season. It served as the perfect escape for dealing with my own issues.
"When some people first realize they're solely responsible for their decisions, actions and beliefs, and that death lies at the end of every road, they can be overcome with intense dread. A dull, aching anger that leads them to conclude that the only absolute truth is death." - Dr. Jennifer Melfi
For those who have never seen the series, I’ll try to sum it up as briefly and as best as I can: It’s about a mafia boss, Tony (played by the late great James Gandolfini), who goes to see a shrink. That’s it in a microscopic nutshell. Now, how does a young Pedi man from Soweto relate to a mafia boss from New Jersey, you ask? As much as Tony is one of the worst human beings ever, as it turns out, even tough guys have insecurities and emotional distress. You’d watch him commit a heinous crime in one scene, then pour his heart out to his shrink in the next. The insecurities and emotional distress are the aspects of Tony I related with. There’s something comforting about watching such a colossal mess of a human being pour his heart out. Look, we are all flawed, but Tony was next level. There are plenty of scenes that I could give as examples, but I fear I may spoil it for those still interested in watching it.
On top of the brilliant writing, the show also boasts an incredible cast of actors. Each character carrying their own unique flaws and demons - Christopher Moltisanti (pictured above, played by Michael Imperioli) being my favourite. Tragedy after tragedy, laugh after laugh, The Sopranos has captivated me well into my adult years. It also has easily the most controversial and talked-about series finales in the history of television. With every run-through, from season 1 to 6, it always feels like I’m watching it for the first time. I doubt I’ll ever get tired of it.
"Steer the ship the best way you know. Sometimes it's smooth, sometimes you hit the rocks. In the meantime, you find your pleasures where you can." - Corrado "Junior" Soprano
A prequel film titled The Many Saints Of Newark, written by series creator David Chase and directed by Alan Taylor who directed 9 episodes of the series, is set to finally drop in October 2021. James Gandolfini's son, Michael, will be portraying a young Tony Soprano. As you can probably guess, I cannot wait!
- SPeeKa, An Obsession or Two
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