TV Theory: 'The Sopranos' review (Week 2, Term 2)

Season 1, Episode 1 'Pilot'

Genre: Crime, Drama

Follows Tony Soprano, a mob leader who is forced to go to therapy after collapsing due to constantly dealing with conflicting issues to do with both his job, and family life.

The Sopranos is an American crime drama created by David Chase, and starring James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano. It first aired on the HBO network from 1999-2007, running for 86 episodes over 6 seasons. 

Review:

What most surprised me about this show was that the character of Tony Soprano was very different from how I had expected him to be. When I saw the show was about the leader of a mob, I expected him to be tough and somewhat heartless, however he was presented as more of the opposite. For example, he openly cries in therapy, and is shown walking into his pool fully clothed just so he can feed some ducks which he has become very attached to. I thought this made him seem more human and complicated as a character, as it gave him layers so he was different from the normal stereotype of a mob leader. This was the thing most praised by critics when the show first aired in 1999, The Hollywood Reporter stating that 'Gandolfini makes Tony an Everyman, which is no easy task' (Garron, 1999), with Entertainment Weekly calling Tony's opposite traits of mob boss and anxious middle aged father 'a brilliant conceit' (Tucker, 1999). I also liked how the show was directed, especially the moment when Tony cries during therapy being seen from the back of his head, framed in a wide shot, as up until then the audience had been placed mainly in his point of view, which made this moment even more disconcerting. The lighting was interesting as it was very cinematic and different to the soft lighting usually used in TV dramas, however critics thought this was confusing in places 'as the filmic hue of the darker scenes doesn’t necessarily translate on the small screen' (Gallo, 1999). Overall, I enjoyed this first episode of The Sopranos, and would be interested in watching future episodes.

Bibliography:

Garron, B. (1999) ''The Sopranos' First Episodes: THR's 1999 Review' In: hollywoodreporter.com 10.01.99 [online] At: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sopranos-first-episodes-thrs-1999-815890  (Accessed on 23 January 2018)

Tucker, K. (1999) 'The Sopranos' In: ew.com 15.01.99 [online] At: sopranos-9 (Accessed 23 January 2018)

Gallo, P. (1999) 'The Sopranos' In: Variety.com 05.01.99 [online] At: http://variety.com/1999/tv/reviews/the-sopranos-4-1200456522/ (Accessed 23 January 2018)