Who's watched The Sopranos?

[Everlong]

I've been looking for a new show to work through, and I've heard great things about The Sopranos so I just started today.

Who's seen it? General opinions? Am I in for a good series?

[Circled Square]

I haven't seen and am curious about the opinions of the show. I have seen some Mob movies, like Goodfellas for example. And have seen crime series like The Wire. Would I like it?

[EmperorWu]

The Sopranos can be slow at times but it is a great show. You can't go wrong with HBO. The writing is great, the performances are solid and the characters are developed. It might have a slow start but it's worth giving a shot no doubt.

Speaking of HBO shows you guys should definitely watch Deadwood, Carnivale, Rome, Oz, Band of Brothers and the Wire. The Wire might be my favorite show of all time, but those others are high up there. Carnivale is in my top 10, such an underrated show. I would watch most of those over Breaking Bad any day.

[Everlong]

I've seen Band of Brothers. Have the box set on DVD, actually. Incredible mini series.

[PorkChop]

I've seen one episode and really enjoyed it, I told myself I'd start watching it regularly. Unfortunately, it's never on tv here and I'm not going to buy the boxset after seeing one episode. I'm not really sure what to do.

[Everlong]

I've seen one episode and really enjoyed it, I told myself I'd start watching it regularly. Unfortunately, it's never on tv here and I'm not going to buy the boxset after seeing one episode. I'm not really sure what to do.

www.cokeandpopcorn.eu

or google project free tv

thank me later

[Matteo]

It's one of my absolute all-time favourite television works. The writing is sublime all around, and it engenders some of the greatest black comedy and satire I have ever seen - it's often hilarious and facetious, but also highly dramatic and even rather powerful and poignant in areas. It touches upon many important sociocultural and sociopolitical issues, but never in a heavy-handed or overt manner and especially not with any explicit bias or agenda (unlike other great shows like The Wire or Breaking Bad). It is much more than your conventional mobster slice of fiction, and this is something I can not stress enough. In fact, I've always asserted that the mobster elements in the show are merely a springboard for Chase to explore deeper and more intriguing concepts, such as the institution of the contemporary American family, post-9/11 America, the 'Age of Terrorism', Italian American identity, etc.

It is restrained and cinematic storytelling, and aside from some occasional hiccups in pacing and writing here and there, it's also extremely addictive and easy to watch. It makes you sympathise and care for characters who are, at their most fundamental level, egregious and unpleasant people. I'm still rather staggered at how much I like Tony Soprano, despite all of his sociopathic and aberrant tendencies. That's great writing for you. It brings you into a world that you can emotionally invest in without dragging its characters down to become 'likable'. At the time of its release, it was a work that refused to conform to television norms, particularly in regards to how it told a story, its complete lack of non-digetic sound, and its visual sensibilities.

I should note that it's a work that improves considerably with rewatches. I loved the show when I first watched it, but not to a particularly huge extent. Subsequent viewings allows you to pick up on various subplots, character and narrative traits, and numerous other subtleties that just adds a whole new dimension and light to the show. It's also stunningly photographed, and from a visual standpoint, better than 90% of films made today. It is framed, edited and presented like a film - each episode feels so cinematic. The cinematography is simply admirable. It's such a revolutionary show, too - it changed the television landscape in America and set the standard. It's just brilliant and I can not recommend it enough.

[Circled Square]

oh god matteo stop it stop stop STOP with the great posts