The Top 5 Sopranos Episodes Everyone Should Know
Image Courtesy of IndieWire
By: Jeremy Perillo
Arguably one of the best TV shows of all time, The Sopranos has had an incredible impact on television shows since it premiered in the late 1990s. With The Many Saints of Newark, a film that acts as a prequel to the famous series, being released on October 1, a reflection on what makes the crime drama series so special seems appropriate. It should be noted that there will be spoilers ahead for those sorry souls who have yet to enjoy James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano. Here’s an examination of the top five Sopranos episodes everyone should know:
#5 – “Employee of the Month” (Season 3, Episode 4): Because we see Dr. Melfi is violently attacked and sexually assaulted in this episode, this episode is certainly not for the faint of heart. What makes this episode compelling is her recovery from the attack. She knows about what Tony has done and what he’s capable of; she could have her attacker dead by the next morning if she told Tony. She even has lucid dreams encouraging this behavior. It’s that journey the viewer has with Melfi, and her eventual dismissal of her rage, that makes for an interesting episode.
#4 – “Funhouse” (Season 2, Episode 13): Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero was one of Tony’s right-hand men, a caporegime of the North Jersey mob. They knew each other for years and they did tons of business together throughout their friendship, making them both loads of money. Unlike Tony, however, Bonpensiero had several kids in college and needed to continuously earn for his family. When he was arrested for an illegal weapon violation, the authorities were able to convince him to rat on his boss. Well, Tony finds out about it, and in this episode we see Bonpensiero get whacked by Tony and their friends, Paulie and Silvio. It marks the first major death of the show, and Bonpensiero is the first of the “main” characters to die.
#3 – “Blue Comet” (Season 6, Episode 20): The penultimate episode of the series did not disappoint. As David Chase leads us towards the end of this story, we’re on the edge of our seats to see what’s going to happen during this intense time for the Soprano family. Not only do we see Dr. Melfi drop Tony as a patient, in a shocking almost anti-climatic altercation between the two, given their seven-year history, we also see the fateful demise of Tony’s brother-in-law, Bobby Baccalieri. When Bobby is introduced in the show, Tony berates him constantly. But in the last season, Bobby is married to Janice and holds a respectable role in the family operations. Truly the end of an era.
#2 – “Pine Barrens” (Season 3, Episode 11): Certainly one of the stranger episodes of the series, the majority is spent with Paulie and Christopher, who are stranded in the Pine Barrens after a payment collection goes wrong. Watching the pair try to survive in the freezing New Jersey forest is comical and pleasant aside from the typical dealings of a Soprano episode. Paulie and Christopher have a volatile relationship throughout the show, which is in full effect during their time in the Pine Barrens. At the end of the episode, we see them unite in a way, which is refreshing to see what that type of alliance could look like. We also get to understand the toxicity of Tony’s relationship with Gloria, with whom he is having an affair, which serves as the catalyst for the relationship’s end.
#1 – “Made in America” (Season 6, Episode 21): Now this is a hot take. “Made in America” is a controversial episode because of its ending, and I feel that’s what makes it number one on my list. I think it’s fair to say that almost everyone with whom I’ve ever talked about the Sopranos has mentioned the ending. For the most part, enough loose ends are tied for the audience to be satisfied upon its completion. The show could have gone on with ample plot lines to continue, but things were making a great natural exit. Until the last five minutes of the entire series. Carmela, AJ, Meadow, and Tony meet Soprano family members at a diner for dinner, and because of the way the camera dances through the scenes, it leaves an impression that Tony could be in danger from a number of mysterious figures in the diner. Right as the show is reaching its climax as to what could happen, the screen cuts to black, and that’s all folks. It’s not like the show needed more momentum, but David Chase is a genius for manifesting such a buzz.
