Customer Reviews

The Sopranos: The Complete Third Season

5 star:		(89)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The third series of 'The Sopranos' consolidates the brilliance of the first two, rather than taking it in any radically new directions. The characters, their relationships and their environment are so strong; the dramatic irony between our sympathy with and enjoyment of these people, and our knowledge of their brutal and unhypocritically presented crimes, is so complex, that any blatant originality merely for the sake of it would be a betrayal.

But, because the central components are so strong, there is plenty of room for play - in the way narratives are set up to encourage then defy expectations; in the interplay with canonical gangster texts, especially 'The Godfather'; in the consistently creative use of music - for mood and to emphasise character, yes, but also to create ironic distance, to add montages of 'commentary' over the stories, to connect apparently disparate scenes, to add a depth of texture. Because it is in texture that 'The Sopranos' has really developed - the recklessly confident film-making; the layered scripts; the rich dialogue; and the knowing acting combine to create programmes of truly, yes, operatic density.

There are a number of new plot developments in this series - Meadow goes to Columbia University; the FBI (in a supremely funny handful of episodes) attempt to bug the Sopranos; the Russian mafia grow in menacing importance; Janice takes up with a Christian musician; Anthony Jr. becomes increasingly unmanagable at school and at play, but proves an unexpectedly skilful footballer; Ralph (Joe Pantoliano) replaces Richie Aprile as the major made-guy thorn in Tony's side; Carmela feels increasingly guilty about her mob-financed luxury; Tony begins an affair with a beautiful, smart, successful car saleswoman (Anabella Sciorra) who has even more mental problems than he. Most crucial for the series is the role of Jackie Aprile Jr., college-mitching son of Tony's former mob boss and best friend, who wants to see some of the criminal action, and starts dating Meadow as a spectacularly misjudged entree. The major weakness of the second series - the tokenistic continuation of the Dr. Melfi framing scenes long after they've outrun their dramtic usefulness - is corrected by both bringing the psychotherapist (dangerously) closer to Tony's life, and by having Carmela join in the sessions, to comic effect.

There is a brooding, elegiac feel to the series, with Tony thinking not just about his mother, but his dead friends, Pussy's actions in the last series, and the future possibilities open to the younger generation. If nothing else, Series 3 boasts the best-ever episode of 'The Sopranos', directed by one Steve Buscemi, which begins farcically, with Paulie and Christopher accidentally killing an irate Russian, and bungling the disposal of his body in a snow-wasted forest; before turning into a nightmare, as they lose their bearings after the corpse runs off, and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Loosened from the secure ties and identity-affirmation of family and Family, the episode brilliantly encapsulates what's at stake in the series, as unforgettably as the immortal 'Seinfeld' episode when the quartet can't find their car in the shopping mall car park.

If you are looking at this review, you probably already have the first and second season. All I can tell you is that the third season is as good, if not better, than the first and second. This is truly one of the best series ever to have graced the television screen. Leave it to HBO to have come up with such an engaging, well-written, well-acted, and totally addictive series.

There are some major plot developments this season. Starting off slowly, the first episode chronicles the synchronized, often comical efforts of the FBI, which is trying to get an electronic surveillance bug in place in the Soprano's household. The season then heats up considerably from thereon.

Livia Soprano, Tony's wicked mother and a canker in her children's lives, dies, bringing daughter Janice back from where she had fled, after she had bumped off her manic boyfriend, Richie Aprile, last season. Janice returns with a narcoleptic, musician boyfriend who is the antithesis of Richie. As always, Janice likes to stir up trouble, and her mother Livia's wake and funeral services are fertile country for her new machinations and self-importance. When she tries to stir up trouble with Livia's one legged, Russian caregiver, which leaves the caregiver searching for her missing prosthetic leg, however, Janice soon discovers that she has gone too far, and her chickens come home to roost with a vengeance.

Meadow, the Soprano's daughter and eldest child, a college student at Ivy League Columbia University, gets a new boyfriend, Noah Tannenbaum. He is handsome, intelligent, and articulate, and Tony hates him on the spot for reasons the viewer will quickly discern, as Tony pulls no punches with Noah. This will create a certain amount of tension between father and daughter, and an estrangement ensues. When Noah breaks her heart, Jackie Aprile, Jr. is waiting in the wings with her parent's blessing, and Meadow goes from the frying pan into the fire.

Anthony Soprano, Jr., the Sopranos' other angst ridden teenager and youngest child, who has turned out to be an unexpected gridiron wonder, is also sowing his wild oats, getting himself in deep trouble at school, much to his parents' anger and dismay. When Anthony, Jr. continues in this vein, there is a big surprise in store for him, causing him to undergo a major life change. He is not, however, the only Soprano family member to do so.

Tony finds himself head over heels with Gloria, another of Dr. Melfi's patients. A Mercedes car salesperson, Gloria, the new light of Tony's life, is gorgeous, passionate, and a totally loose cannon. She will cause quite a bit of conflict for Tony as their affair heats up, as Gloria likes to fight fire with fire. Gloria has to watch out that she, herself, does not get burned.

Carmela, Tony's long suffering and patient wife, being only human, finds her thoughts increasingly absorbed by Tony's henchman, Furio, the sexy, pony tailed Italian. The problem is that Furio, too, is experiencing deep feelings for Tony's wife, a situation that can only become increasingly dangerous for all concerned. How Furio and Carmela handle their feelings and resolve this potentially dangerous development is of great interest.

Dr. Melfi herself undergoes great personal angst this season, following her violent rape at the hands of a stranger. A very conflicted Dr. Melfi finds herself on the edge of taking a path from which there can be no return. This season also finds Dr. Melfi doing husband/wife tag team counseling with both Tony and Carmela, a venture that provides some comic relief and gives rise to potential conflict of interest.

Meanwhile, Jackie Aprile, Jr., Tony's godson and Meadow's new main squeeze, the deceptively soft spoken and good looking son of the late mob boss, Jackie Aprile, Tony's best friend, is up to no good. Lying through his teeth about everything to everyone, he is misguided by his seriously unstable step-father, mob made man Ralph Cifaretto, who is busy plying both sides of the coin. It seems that Ralph, dissatisfied with the role to which he has been relegated within the family, is doing Tony dirty, going against his wishes at every turn, and the situation with Jackie, Jr. is no exception, a situation that will culminate in heartbreak for all concerned.

Back at the ranch, Tony's other henchmen seem to have their own troubles. Corrado "Uncle Junior" Soprano, the nominal boss of the family, who is kept in check by his nephew Tony, is busy battling cancer and a federal prosecution. Young Christopher Moltisanti, Tony's nephew, gets his long desired promotion, and is told to report to Paulie "Walnuts" Gaultieri. Christopher soon finds out that with Paulie "Walnuts" business is business. Meanwhile, Christopher gets involved in a sideline that bodes ill for him and his fiancee.

When Tony sends a resentful Paulie "Walnuts", accompanied by Christopher, on a mission that should have been that of another, Christopher sees an unexpected side of Paulie. When the mission, involving a member of the Russian mob, goes bad at the hands of an angry Paulie, Christopher discovers that Paulie may not be as stand up a guy as Christopher thought. While this is a terrific episode, very funny in a macabre sort of way, it also cleverly sets up Paulie in a new light for future developments. This particular episode, one of my favorites, is a feather in the cap of actor Stephen Buscemi, who directed it.

These are just some of the highlights of the third season. There is so much more! The writing continues to be intelligent, and the story lines are as well thought out and engrossing as ever. The performances are uniformly stellar. The late, great actress, Nancy Marchand, whose portrayal of the venomous Livia Soprano was a feather in her cap, left a legacy of memories, having died after creating such a memorable character. She will sorely be missed. This third season's attempt to bridge her death and use existing footage and computer effects to create a dialogue between Livia and Tony, however, was misguided, as its effect is a tad ghoulish, as well as disturbing. Nonetheless, I absolutely love this series!

This season really focuses on Tony & Carmela's role as parents. The gangster plotlines take a backseat to Mr. & Mrs. Soprano's slow awareness that the future they hoped to provide for their children is something of a delusion.

Story lines move in unexpected ways, and some episodes really need to be viewed more than once in order to fully comprehend (Univesity, Fortunate Son). There are some great new characters (Gloria Trillo, Ralph Cifaretto, & Burt Young as a mean old brute, chain-smoking his way through lung cancer), but the main characters have new life breathed into them. Paulie Walnuts, always great comic relief, begins to show a darker side. And Christopher, now a Made Man, has grown into a genuine threat.

By the season finale the characters have evolved in ways that leave them at odds in ways they've never been before.

This is my favorite season yet. Very rich, thought provoking, and in the end pretty frightening. My fav. episodes: Army of One (the finale), Pine Barrens (Tony needs to keep an eye on those 2!), & Employee of the Month.

Capice? This is one fine show that NEVER gets old. The Sopranos rock. They plot, they scheme, they love, they fight, they rig things, they steal... What WON'T they do? Turn state's evidence. Wild wild wild show.

Tony's mother has passed on--as has the fine actress who played her, sadly--and he's thinking.. O.k. my biggest irritant is gone, right? I'm done with therapy. Wrong!

Carmella begins to really come into her own in this season and we see more of Melfi. The rape of Dr. Melfi and her susbsequent moral battle--whether to utilize the services of Tony Soprano in righting her personal wrong--was just brilliant. {And, I for one, really wanted her to tell Tony what was going on.. to get that rapist the Adios he deserved. She is a bigger woman than me!}

Paulie and Christopher out in the snow is one of the funniest episodes I've seen. They say the actor who plays Paulie is really fussy about his hair and so for him to walk around for most of an episode with his hair mussed was torturous for him!

Annabella Sciorra makes a nice turn here as Gloria, Tony's mistress de jour. Nice. She and Tony have some heat and she plays her role very well.

Add to that, the misbehavior of Jackie Jr. and the FBI's attempts to wire the home and you have a great season!

The Sopranos, season 3, continues the story of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss who has to deal with all the hassels of organized crime as well as being the father of two kids and living in a tested marriage lifestyle. The thrid season does have its moments, and there are a lot of twists that made me want to continue on to season 4 and beyond...

Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood: An FBI agent named Agent Harris and his team construct a plan to bug the Soprano's household while everyone inside are away. This requires extensive planning from everyone, including tailing all the members of the Soprano household, even the maid, and planning when the right exact time is to set up a bug in the house. Meanwhile Tony is watching for any suspicious behavior from Patsy Parisi, a brother whose twin was killed and who was an ally of Uncle Junior.

Proshai Livushka: Tony is worried that his mom is going to rat on him to the Feds, but fortunately for him that never happens because Livia passes away. Despite her last wishes to not have a huge reception or funeral, Janice [Tony's sister] returns to throw a giant send-off. Meanwhile Meadow has a new boyfriend named Noah, who is both African American and Jewish, and Tony makes his own feelings for their relationship very clear, and it does not please Meadow one bit.

Fortunate Son: Christopher finally becomes a made man, but soon realizes its not all glamour and glory. Janice moves into her mother's house, but realizes that the Russian nurse, Svetlana, has been given a valuable record collection. Tensions mount after Svetlana refuses to give the collection to Janice. Meanwhile Tony and Dr. Melfi finally began to make headway in figuring out just what is causing Tony's panic attacks.

Employee of the Month: A man named Ralph, who took over the late mob boss Jackie Aprile's garbage business, is dating Jackie's widow and has endeared himself to Jackie's son, Jackie Jr. However he and Tony do not get along very much. However the real story is with Dr. Melfi, who becomes the victim of a very serious crime. Janice and Svetlana's feud comes to head with the introduction of the Russian mafia, and Tony can't help but wonder why a New York City mob boss, Johnny Sack, has come to town.

Another Toothpick: A retired hit man named Bobby "Bacala" Baccilieri comes out for one last hit against the wishes of his son and Uncle Junior and ends up in a bloody and violent gunfight. Christopher convinces his girlfriend, Adriana, to quit her job at Artie's restaurant, which leads to some questionable antics by Artie. Carmela is now actually taking Tony's therapy sessions with him, which leads to some awkward moments in Dr. Melfi's office. Also Tony fixes a speeding ticket, but soon regrets his decision.

University: Ralph is having a seriously violent relationship with a stripper that leads to a moment of violence between him and Tony in a parking lot. Meadow's relationship with Noah is put to the test when her needy roommate starts hanging around them all the time as they try to cheer her up.

Second Opinion: Tony wants Uncle Jr. to get a second opinion about him possibly having cancer. Carmela takes Dr. Melfi's advice and starts seeing a shrink. Meanwhile Christopher has to continue to deal with embarrassing situations with Paulie regarding with him being a made man now, and finally Tony has a "chat' with the wife of the late former friend of the family.

He Is Risen: Tony's feud with Ralph soon starts to escalate after taking Ralph's invitation to come to Thanksgiving away. Ralph, upset at how he is being treated, goes to New York crime boss Johnny Sack for help. Meanwhile Meadow and Jackie Aprile Jr. soon realize they have a lot more in common than they thought and start dating. Also Tony sees a beautiful patient of Dr. Melfi's and generously gives up his appointment so the other patient can see Dr. Melfi instead.

The Telltale Moozadell: Tony has a new woman, a Mercedes saleswoman, and takes her all over the place in style. Christopher gives Adrianna her own club, while he and Furio are the two partners behind the scenes, but there are problems with drug dealing in the club which Furio takes care of. Also Anthony Jr. is caught vandalizing his school, but the punishment given to him from the school leaves Carmela a little puzzled. And finally Tony gives Jackie Jr. a serious talk about treating Meadow with respect.

To Save Us All from Satan's Power...: Tony catches Jackie Jr. at a club with a woman who is not Meadow, and wants to "talk" to Jackie Jr. about it. Its Christmas time and for the first time in a long time there is no Santa to play for the kids coming to visit to get presents, so everyone points the finger at someone else to play Santa. Tony is also haunted by the memory of one of his former best friends, who he took out at the end of season two, and his memories only double after a Christmas present from Meadow.

Pine Barrens: After losing a victim in the South Jersey wilderness, Paulie and Christopher struggle with injuries, hunger, extreme cold, and no idea if they will survive the night. Meadow starts to get a suspicion that Jackie Jr. is cheating on her, which leads to a surprising ending. Also, Tony's new mistress Gloria may have some hidden problems, problems that are surprisingly similar to another woman of Tony's past...

Amour Fou: Jackie Jr. hears a tale from Ralph about how his own father became a made man and decides to rob a local card game. This decision may turn out to be his very last...Meanwhile Tony finds it harder and harder to spend time with Gloria, but after she threatens to tell Carmela all about their secret relationship, Tony has to figure out what to do with her. Meanwhile Carmela has had a huge guilt trip because of how she lives and where the money comes to pay for all her gifts from Tony and decides to confess to a priest.

The Army of One: Anthony Jr. gets in trouble yet again at his school, so the decision is made to send him to military school to put some discipline into him. Also there is another death in the family that results in everything falling apart. Paulie is upset because Ralph owes him money, so they have a sit down to discuss things, and finally the entire family gathers in Artie's restaurant where Uncle Jr. makes his return to the family in full swing...

This is still one of the greatest shows ever made. Each season is worth watching again and again. I will continue to review each season until I have finished the whole series. Season3, much like 1 and 2 that I have already reviewed, is highly recommended...

As compelling as the first two seasons were, season three is even more compelling, which is at odds with what I'd heard from several different people. Series creator David Chase obviously had to continue and even further improve on the intriguing and suspenseful saga that is the "family" life of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano and he and the rest of the cast and crew did that quite successfully with this particular season.

The entire season is set up quite beautifully with them giving a larger role to the Jackie Aprile Jr. character and them showing what Tony tried to do to keep the kid out of the business and harms way and of course, Joe Pantoliano's role as Ralph is brilliant in the conflict it creates between him and Tony.

Every one of the actors and actresses deserve every award and accolade they've received for their performances in this brilliant season. The ever beautiful Annabella Sciorra makes a very poignant and compelling guest appearance and her acting skills shine through in this role.

I highly recommend not only this third season DVD set but every one that is available; you will be hard pressed to find a more compelling and intriguing series on television today that covers the material that the Sopranos does with such ease.

Episode recaps:

Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood - I truly enjoy how they begin every season with Tony walking down his driveway to get the paper and looking "around." In this brilliantly written season opener, FBI Agent Harris concocts a bold scheme to get a bug in Tony's basement where he holds "private" business meetings.

Proshai, Livushka - Tony no longer has to worry about his mother ratting him out with the Feds when she passes away and the shows creators come up with a digital masterpiece to give Tony and Livia one final scene; meanwhile, Tony meets Meadow's new boyfriend from college and is not exactly pleased with his heritage.

Fortunate Son - Christopher soon discovers that being a "made" guy isn't all it's cracked up to be as finds himself behind in payments to Paulie plus he allows Jackie Aprile Jr. to help him on a heist which doesn't exactly make Tony happy; Janice moves into Livia's house and immediately has a problem with the Russian housekeeper; Anthony discovers some leadership skills and something "else" on the football field.

Employee of the Month - Ralph Cifaretto is starting to become a major problem for Tony; Dr. Melfi faces a major personal crisis which makes you wish she'd chosen differently at the end of the episode; Svetlana calls on the Russian mob to help with her conflict with Janice and Tony cannot help but wonder why Johnny Sack has moved to Jersey.

Another Toothpick - Bobby Baccilieri Sr. comes out of retirement to make a hit against the wishes of his son and Junior; Christopher insists that Adrianna quits her job at Arties restaurant and Arties finds he must confront his feelings between both Adrianna and his wife Charmaine and Carmela is now taking a more active role in Tony's therapy.

University - Ralph's behavior comes into even further question by Tony when Ralph has a volatile relationship with one of the strippers from Bada Bing; Meadow and Noah's relationship becomes strained due to her mentally instable roommate.

Second Opinion - Tony convinces Junior to seek a second opinion; Carmela sees a different shrink and Christopher finds himself being even further humiliated at the hands of Paulie and his probationary period.

He is Risen - Tony and Ralph's relationship becomes even further strained despite Johnny's "efforts" but Ralph's luck is about to change; Jackie Jr. and Meadow become involved, much to Tony's pleasure and Tony meets Gloria (Annabella Sciorra) at Dr. Melfi's office.

The Telltale Moozadell - Tony meets Gloria at the Mercedes dealership and their relationship becomes a lot more interesting; Christopher gives Adrianna a night club; Anthony Jr. gets into some serious trouble at school and Tony has a serious conversation with Jackie Jr. about his relationship with Meadow.

...To Save us All from Satan's Power... - Tony is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past; Janice has a new boyfriend and a music "career" and Furio and Tony pay a surprise visit upon a Russian who roughed up Janice.

Pine Barrens - This episode has to be one of the most hilarious episodes of the entire series as Paulie and Christopher go to collect from a Russian and Paulie's mouth sets off the Russian and they "whack" him and take him to the woods but soon find out he's not dead and they end up lost in the woods; Tony's relationship with Gloria takes a very unexpected turn for him.

Amour Fou - Ralph tells Jackie Jr. about how his father became a made guy and Jackie Jr. decides to attempt to follow in his fathers' footsteps and everything falls apart for him and Tony discovers that his relationship with Gloria is very similar to that which he had with his mother.

The Army of One - Tony begins to seriously reconsider his practices as the head of two families; Anthony Jr. gets himself expelled from school and Tony tries to send him to a military school; Jackie Junior's attempt to become a made guy puts him at odds with the business and Meadow is forced to reflect upon life and death in the Soprano family at his funeral. {ssintrepid}

Episode list:

Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood
Proshai, Livushka
Fortunate Son
Employee of the Month
Another Toothpick
University
Second Opinion
He is Risen
The Telltale Moozadell
...To Save us All from Satan's Power...
Pine Barrens
Amour Fou
The Army of One

Special Features:

-Episode commentaries by Michael Imperioli, Steve Buscemi and David Chase
-Behind the Scenes Featurette
-Episodic and season recaps and previews

Through out television history there have been certain shows that have defined a genre: Law and Order, Seinfeld, etc. But none have come close to the defining television show: The Sopranos. Filled with witty and subtle humor, the Sopranos launches the viewer into a world filled the glamourous and the not so glamourous world of the mafia Family the Sopranos and its counterparts.
The show stars James Gandolfini as panic attack ridden Tony Soprano. What most people don't know about Tony is that he runs two families, his blood family, which consists of daughter Meadow, son Anthony Jr and wife Carmela, and his other Family, worker Paulie Walnuts, nephew Christopher Multisanti, consiligere Silvio Dante and Uncle Junior Corrado Soprano.
Season 3 starts right where season 2 left off, with the F.B.I investigating a murder. Although the feds try to tap their house, they get foiled, as with almost all of the goverments attempts to stop the mafia family. A new character that takes the place of fallen Richie Aprile (may God rest his soul) is the volitile Ralphy Ciffareto who is played by the talented actor Joe Pantaliano of Memento fame.
Lorranie Braco (GoodFellas) plays Tony's sexy psychicatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi. Tony first came to her about panic attacks, but soon finds out more about himself than he could ever know. Jason Cebranone plays the tough but very dumb son of the great Jackie Aprile, Jackie Jr. Annabela Sciorra plays the all too familiar Gloria Trillo.
Although this season doesn't get into the mafia aspects as much as the other two, it dwells into the differant characters more. Hilarity comes when Carmela joins Tony at therapy and Paulies does a little sniffing around.
Definatley the best episode of the series so far is Pine Barrens. See this season if you can.

The third season of HBO's acclaimed Sopranos continues the established tradition of this film-quality television series. The Sopranos are a fairly normal suburban New Jersey family except that the father, Tony, is the head of an organized crime organization. In the third season, Tony's mother Livia dies (as did the actress that portrayed her, Nancy Marchand), daughter Meadow goes off to Columbia University, son Anthony, Jr. struggles to stay in high school, and Tony's mobster friends continue with their regular business ventures. James Gandolfini's portrayal of Tony is always at the heart of the series' success. He is able to pull off the difficult task of being likeable as a suburban father while simultaneously cheating on his wife and killing people. People I know who don't usually care for onscreen sex, violence, and foul language are irrestibly drawn to this series because of its compelling performances, professional direction and screenwriting, and long-spanning story arcs. There is a large cast of supporting characters whose stories progress as the audience becomes more familiar with them, as in a daytime soap opera. Of course, some of them get whacked. Actually, the third season has considerably less killing and nudity than the first two. But the profanity continues in full force. This is not material suitable for the kiddies. To me the best aspect of the content of this series is the way it examines the themes of integrity, responsibility, and especially loyalty. There is a perverse sense of justice when a disloyal mobster is "disappeared" by the collective efforts of his mob family. The DVD extras are very slight. The featurette is very short but does offer a chance to hear the actor who portrays Furio speak without his Italian accent. The audio commentaries by actor/screenwriter Michael Imperioli, director (better known as an actor, though not of Sopranos) Steve Buscemi, and creator David Chase are among the least informative I have ever heard. Buscemi, one of my favorite actors, is entirely too humble and deferential to the set-in-place Sopranos powers-that-be to deliver any sort of authority on his commentary. But despite the lack of substantive DVD extras, this package is well worth watching to those who like competently delivered episodic television. But do definitely start with the first season!

I have watched through to the sixth season, but I have still not shaken episodes from the third season... ESPECIALLY the one called "University" (spoilers ahead)

The episode "University" to me, completely pushed home the concept that this was a show more about how some people are underprivileged and others are so well off. But also the concept of "hawks and sparrows". The idea of a mafia "family" comes not from opulence, but desperation. In this particular episode, the daughter of mob boss Tony Soprano begins to date a Columbia University student who happens to be Jewish/African American to which Tony is completely overwrought with anger. At the same time, a desperate stripper tries to gain Tony's trust in his mafia world, but only finds horror, humiliation, and eventually death at the hands of one of the "made guys". It is not an accident that she is just around the same age as Tony Soprano's own daughter...

The writers of the show are completely aware of what they are doing, and what it is, is nothing short of trying to reintegrate compassion into our collective psyche.. A noble gesture, I would say.. and using the Kinks "Living on a Thin Line" to open and close the episode is just pure genius.

You can't have better entertainment. I don't get HBO or cable, so I was going through withdrawal - I had finished the entire 1st and 2nd seasons renting at BLOCKBUSTER (and with the $8 overcharge fees, I should have just BOUGHT) until the third season got released. And then I watched them all over three weeks. This DVD package is pure heroin without the terrible side effects. If you're on the fence - BUY IT!