Introducing the biggest baddie since Michael Corleone, Tony Soprano explodes onto the scene as the heart, soul and mind of one of the biggest mob families in New Jersey. Every episode we see the ups and downs of running a mob with the FBI breathing heavily down their necks while, at the same time, managing a dysfunctional family, featuring a stressed out wife, a rebellious teenage daughter, and an awkward preteen son.
After several strokes, Tony seeks counsel to cope with the constant stress. At first, he was adamant, often swearing and telling the psychiatrist off, but he always returned by the end of the episode. As the season progresses, however, he becomes more loose about his secret. I guess to kick it up a notch on whether the psychiatrist will alert the authorities.
Outside the home and the therapist office, the DiMeo clan struggle to keep their grip tight with their clients only to often lead to disasterous results, like Tony losing his friend Artie because he intentionally blew up Artie's restaurant. Chris, Tony's protégé, struggles with an existential crisis of trying to make his own name. He even tried to write gangster film screenplays to gain some fame.
Even though Tony runs everything, it's his Uncle Junior who's the head honcho, and much of the season has them clash on how to efficiently run the family, which makes you wonder how this show managed to stay on for 5 more seasons after this.
The biggest chip on Tony's shoulder is his mother is always comparing him to his father, calling him a saint. This is actually the reason I decided to check out this show. It is rumored that a spin off film is in the works, The Many Saints of Newark, with James Gandolfini's son, Michael, filling in the role of Tony Soprano, as it will show Tony's father during the time of the 1967 riots in Newark. But the flashbacks were enough to see that he wasn't always a saint. But who knows?
After several strokes, Tony seeks counsel to cope with the constant stress. At first, he was adamant, often swearing and telling the psychiatrist off, but he always returned by the end of the episode. As the season progresses, however, he becomes more loose about his secret. I guess to kick it up a notch on whether the psychiatrist will alert the authorities.
Outside the home and the therapist office, the DiMeo clan struggle to keep their grip tight with their clients only to often lead to disasterous results, like Tony losing his friend Artie because he intentionally blew up Artie's restaurant. Chris, Tony's protégé, struggles with an existential crisis of trying to make his own name. He even tried to write gangster film screenplays to gain some fame.
Even though Tony runs everything, it's his Uncle Junior who's the head honcho, and much of the season has them clash on how to efficiently run the family, which makes you wonder how this show managed to stay on for 5 more seasons after this.
The biggest chip on Tony's shoulder is his mother is always comparing him to his father, calling him a saint. This is actually the reason I decided to check out this show. It is rumored that a spin off film is in the works, The Many Saints of Newark, with James Gandolfini's son, Michael, filling in the role of Tony Soprano, as it will show Tony's father during the time of the 1967 riots in Newark. But the flashbacks were enough to see that he wasn't always a saint. But who knows?
The season got off with a roaring start that makes want to stay tuned every week. Then the season kind of waned when the FBI made a move on the family's less important members. When the season ends with the Sopranos enjoying spaghetti at Artie's refurbished restaurant, you wonder if it's worth continuing to season two. I wonder if HBO had no idea how the viewing audience would react, so the gave the show a neutral ending in case the show bombed.
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Aired on HBO: January 10 - April 4, 1999
Rating: TV-MA
Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, Vincent Pastore, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Robert Iler, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Nancy Marchand
Directors: David Chase, Dan Attias, Nick Gomez, John Patterson, Allen Coulter, Alan Taylor, Lorraine Senna Ferrara, Tim Van Patten, Andy Wolk, Matthew Penn, Henry J. Bronchtein
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% Certified Fresh
IMDb Score: 8.7/10 (Average)
Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Drama Series - Nominated
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini) - Nominated
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco) - Winner
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco) - Nominated
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Nancy Marchand) - Nominated
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (John Heard) - Nominated
- Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (David Chase) - Nominated
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Chase) - Nominated
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess) - Nominated
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (James Manos Jr.) - Winner
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Frank Renzulli) - Nominated
- Best Drama Series - Winner
- Best Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini) - Winner
- Best Actress in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco) - Nominated
- Best Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco) - Winner
- Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film (Nancy Marchand) - Winner
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