6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BADA BING...BADA BOOM..., January 4, 2003
This review is from: The Sopranos - The Complete First and Second Seasons (DVD)
My son is a big Sopranos fan, so I bought him the DVD set for the first season for Christmas. I myself had seen maybe two or three episodes on cable and had enjoyed them. So, when he began watching, I was right there watching with him. What a terrific show! It is absolutely gripping.
It is a marvelously creative series with a stellar cast. For those of you who have been visiting relatives in Antarctica for the past several years, the story revolves around the mob in New Jersey. It centers on one family specifically, the Sopranos, headed by Anthony Soprano (James Gandolfini), who is married to his loyal childhood sweetheart, Carmela (Edie DeFalco). Together they have two children, Meadow and Anthony, Jr. Tony's dangerously manipulative mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), is bound for a retirement home, if Tony has any say.
Tony, however, has another family, comprised of a bunch of murderous henchmen, who occasionally march to the tune of a different drummer. He also has a Russian mistress. Trying to balance all this has given Tony panic attacks, so he goes to a psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), whose relationship with her client alternates between fear and fascination.
The writing for this series is splendid and the interweaving of comedic and familial moments with the darker, more violent ones provides the viewer with an intelligently woven plot. James Gandolfini is outstanding as Tony Soprano, a powerful mob boss, who can also be a teddy bear of a guy and a good friend, unless you are perceived to have been disloyal. Then, you may kiss your buns goodbye. Tony is mercurial, sexy, fearful, cautious, and, given the right circumstances, deadly. He is a fascinating and beguiling character. Edie DeFalco is warm, funny, loyal, and the glue that binds their immediate family together. Yet, she too has her own sting, and she knows the power that her husband has. She is not above using it herself, if necessary. The late Nancy Marchand was terrific as Livia, the manipulative, scheming mother.
While the first season was sensational, all I can tell you is that the second season is as good, if not better, than the first.
There are some major plot developments. Livia and Tony's uncle hatch a plan that can have murderous consequences for Tony. Carmela is doing all in her power, and I mean all, to help Meadow get into a good college. In her own sweet way, Carmela can be just as scary as Tony. Janice (Aida Turturro), Tony's sister, comes back home, wreaks havoc, marries the former mob boss's jailbird brother, and then leaves town with a bang. One of Tony's best friends becomes a snitch for the Feds. No wonder Tony continues to have anxiety attacks and still needs to see his psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi.
The writing continues to be intelligent, and the story lines are as well thought out and engrossing as ever. I absolutely love this series!
The first and second seasons DVD sets each come nicely packaged with four discs. The nice thing about the DVDs is that before an episode begins, if one likes. one may read a plot summary of that episode. The visuals and audio are crisp and clear. There are also some bonus features. There is a terrific interview with David Chase, the creator of the Sopranos, and some behind the scenes featurettes. All in all, this is a great show, and these are two great DVD sets to add to one's personal collection. I have already seen the first, second, and third seasons. I now can't wait for the fourth season to come out on DVD.
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