Pilot

When this pilot aired in early 1999, few could predict a cultural phenomenon was born: after all, how many people would be willing to watch a cable drama about an Italian-American family (the gun-shaped "r" in the title was added to make sure no one wrongfully assumed the show revolved around opera singers), written by an unknown (David Chase) and starring a guy with weight issues, best known for playing Christopher Walken's henchman in True Romance (James Gandolfini)? In the end, though, quality prevailed over prejudice, and for nearly a decade The Sopranos kept seducing audiences all over the world with its clever writing, superb cast and medium-stretching complexity, deservedly earning the moniker "best TV show ever made". And it all started with this episode...

Borrowing the premise from mob comedy Analyze This, the show opens with Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) waiting outside a psychiatrist's office. The reason he is there is he allegedly had a panic attack. "They said it was a panic attack.", he quickly points out, believing a man in his position is incapable of having such problems. And what exactly does he do, asks Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco)? He works in waste management, comes the quick-fire answer. The truth, however, is entirely different: Tony Soprano is torn between two radically conflicting worlds. On the one hand, he has to provide for his family, which comprises wife Carmela (Edie Falco), daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and son Anthony Jr. (Robert Iler); on the other, he is a captain in the New Jersey mafia, working preferably with his nephew Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), his uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) and old friends Silvio Dante (Steven van Zandt), Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) and Salvatore "Pussy" Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore). Throw in an oppressive mother (Nancy Marchand), a Russian mistress and other problems, and it's no wonder poor Tony needs to see a shrink.

The whole "boss in therapy" thing might have seemed like a too far-fetched idea, but Chase gets away with it, so to speak, by crafting a complex but realistic universe in which to move his players and making sure every single character comes off as a three-dimensional person instead of a pale gangster caricature. Take Paulie, Silvio and Chris, for instance: we don't see much of them in this first show, but great lines and nuanced acting make sure there's more to them than just snazzy suits and foul mouths, as later episodes proved brilliantly. Naturally, the most impressive of these people is Tony, to whom Gandolfini lends a contradictory charm: how many family men are able to be endlessly tender when left alone with their wives and, five minutes later, beat the crap out of a man yelling: "Where's my f*cking money, you pr*ck?", and conquer the audience's sympathy with the latter behavior? Contradiction lies at the show's heart and is perhaps what viewers responded to the most: love and vulgarity, poetry and violence, laughter and death all went hand in hand throughout the series' 86-episode run, often in the same scene, leaving a blueprint for other HBO masterworks (Six Feet Under, Deadwood) to follow.

Speaking of blueprints, The Sopranos might initially sound like a small-screen version of The Godfather, and there are in fact several references to the mafia masterpiece in the show, not least Tony's tendency to compare himself to Marlon Brando. In reality, though, the series is closer to Goodfellas, as has been admitted by Chase himself, and not just in the casting (Bracco, Imperioli and Sirico all appeared in Scorsese's magnum opus): the family/crime contrast, the stress and paranoia, the profanity (Tony and his affiliates swear more in one season than Joe Pesci has in his entire career), the shocking violence (there's a quite brutal murder at the end of this episode, and more would follow) all belong to either product, and they all prove the same thing: organized crime isn't as fun as it has looked in the past. It's an ugly, uncompromisingly bleak life. And it makes for essential television.

A daunting premiere. There's already enough here to fill more than half a Godfather length film, and it's only the first episode, meaning it's only going to get worse from here. The show feels heavy like a weight on my mind already, I can only hope it stays consistently good throughout the large episode count, just like Legend of the Galactic Heroes or Curb/Seinfeld

This is how a pilot should be: intense, to the point. Characters presents themselves but not much exposition.

Gandolfini is excellent. (RIP)

Lots of creepy vibes and funny jokes. Action moves solidly from act 1 to 2 to 3. At the end you are hooked.

I was honestly surprised at how much i enjoyed this pilot! Despite the episode lasting almost an hour, it never felt too long!

This episode does a great job of setting up our main character, by showing us different perspectives of him, combining what he says.. and what we see!

The narrative way of explaining what is going on and who he is, was a nice breath of fresh air to me! I loved it cause it already makes this show stand out from other shows!

So many layers of depth, metaphors and comparisons that really gives the show a unique personality and keeps you invested as you have to pay attention to get it all! Loved how the ducks tied itself to what Tony was going through!

Tony is such an interesting character that we somehow quickly resonates with as he, despite what he does for a living, still cares about those closest to him like the rest of us!

A very promising show!

Finally watching this show and its gotten off to a great start.