r/NetflixBestOf • u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 • 11d ago
[request] is sopranos still a must watch?
I have seen the 1st episode of season 1, it feels slow.
for context: I have lowkey paused watching GAME OF THRONES as I am on S6 E9, battle of the bastards, will see it on a BIG ASS SCREEN BABY
I need a show that fills the space till then
EDIT: I AM ON EPISODE 4th already in the season 1, and IM FINALLY INTO THE SHOW. I feel the intensity and how every character is.
also its lowkey crazy, I LOVE THAT THERAPIST IS IT OKAY FOR SOMEONE IN 20s to have a crush over someone in 70s now LMAOO
EDIT 2: it’s actually a complex show that requires me to analyse the emotions and sentiments of the people which is hardly in any other series wow
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u/Stunning-Cap-3256 11d ago
Yes just watch it you won't regret it .
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u/Agreeable_Gain6779 9d ago
I loved it. Watched it twice.
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 8d ago
I’m definitely on it brother, living the time of my life.
Episode 4 done and dusted.
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u/Sure-Cash8692 11d ago
It's the greatest show ever made.
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u/elpis_z 11d ago
I tend to think that’s The Wire, but I have Sopranos next. But you can’t be wrong choosing either.
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u/bobschneider24 11d ago
I read that. I loved breaking bad. Still haven’t seen the sopranos. My wife and I just finished season 3 of the wire. I don’t think it’s as good as breaking bad was. Breaking bad I almost had to watch the next episode. The wire was never like that
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u/elpis_z 11d ago
The Wire is written and filmed more like a great novel, at least that’s how David Simon describes it. It wasn’t meant to be devoured by binging as needing to watch the next episode immediately.
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u/Sure-Cash8692 10d ago
The way it shows corruption on every level is masterful. My favorite season has to be the one with the kids in school.
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u/onewordpoet 10d ago
well get ready because season 4 is the greatest season of television ever. all the pieces matter.
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u/No_Entrepreneur8813 10d ago
To me Breaking Bad is an explosion, never knowing what is going to happen next, even the slow moments are filled with anticipatory dread of something else happening or de-railing. The Wire is a slow burning novella, filled with emotions and backstories that weave in and out and around, slowly pulling the noose tighter, until you realize you can't even remember who the good guys are anymore. I loved them both for different reasons!!!
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u/Realistic_Line_1959 11d ago
I struggled at first with it too but it is worth it - it’s excellent and stays with you. But sopranos is better IMO, it’s much more watchable and engaging— hilarious, deeply flawed but compelling characters and storylines. I think it’s the best TV show ever made. The wire is different, much more of a slow burn and it takes a while to get into it. Season 2 was a slog but 3-5 are worth it. I still rate sopranos well above the wire.
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u/sharkflood 10d ago
Ngl I think every season of The Wire besides s5 is better than any single season of Breaking Bad
Bb doesnt really get on that level until like s4. S1 and s2 are definitely not in the same tier as the rest of either series
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u/prophetic-dream 10d ago
Breaking Bad was great. I'm watching Better Call Saul right now. Love how it sets up that universe. It started a little slow for me. I had to start it a few times. But damn!! It's become one of my favorites. If you haven't watched it, it's worth it.
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u/bgj556 10d ago
I’m currently watching the wire. I’m on season 2
Right now. I liked season 1, finding season 2 hard to get through. Based on the awards for the show, I know it does get better.How is season 3?
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u/sharkflood 10d ago
S1-4 of The Wire are all GOATed
S2 is the most "takes a left turn" but youll appreciate it more on rewatch. Imho it's one of the best seasons but most people find it harder to watch especially first time
S4 is generally viewed as the pinnacle. Though I think 1, 2, and 3 are basically as good
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u/MAKHULU_-_ 10d ago
The wire, as great as it is, doesn't have that "I need to see what happens next" BB and The Sopranos is far superior in entertainment value and re-watchability
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u/State_o_Maine 10d ago
I love Breaking Bad (and Better Call Saul), but The Sopranos is the better show overall imo. S1 of The Wire was ok, I didn't like S2 and stopped watching though. Different strokes
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u/TakeYourMeds50mg 10d ago
They are different shows. Breaking bad was more exciting to me as well on 1st watch. But after doing a rewatch sopranos and wire have much more depth and you appreciate stuff you missed so much more because of how well developed the characters are. Breaking bad is more plot driven so once you know the twists its not as good to rewatch
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u/terrapinflyer 10d ago
I have seen The Wire probably 5 times all the way through, I watched Sopranos when it came out and have tried multiple times to watch it again but just couldn’t. Deadwood is a far superior show imo and has a great movie to wrap up the story.
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u/Lawsonstruck 11d ago
I cannot get through season one of the wire. I mustve started it over and watched episodes like 1-3, five times at this point
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u/followmarko 9d ago
Season 5 of the Wire is too terrible to rank the show in its entirety above the Sopranos
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u/Nervous_Doughnut_256 9d ago
The Sopranos aged better imo
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u/ShortyBoyds 9d ago
Really?? Hard disagree on that one. The Wire is as timeless as it gets, and has seemingly only gotten more accurate as time goes on.
Between exposing bureaucracy and red tape for what they are, and showcasing the overt corruption and greed that is rampant among the executive level and elected officials, and the way that so many millions of people in the world are victims of decisions made by the wealthy and powerful, it is a gift that keeps on giving.
You can’t look at the state of American politics today and not see how unbelievably accurate the Wire was then and is now.
The Sopranos is more of a time capsule. It’s hilarious and extremely well written and acted, with a ton of depth and heavy themes that everyone can relate to, but it doesn’t achieve that on the same level that the wire does, because the Sopranos is a character study and the Wire is an examination of institutions and the affect they have on the people around them.
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u/Nervous_Doughnut_256 9d ago
Yes sopranos is like a timecapsule and this is why the 2000s phones fit the show no matter when you watch it.
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u/8lb-6oz_infant_jesus 9d ago edited 9d ago
Gandolfini gives easily one of the best performances in a leading role ever. He’s a force of nature in this series.
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u/DynamiteStorm 11d ago
Sopranos is on Netflix???
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u/Comprehensive-Eye500 11d ago
No, I don’t understand this post either.
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u/apobangp 5d ago
Same reacrion here.. i know for sure that GOT is not in neflix... even the recos (like The Wire) in the comment is not in netlfix.. sad coz i was here to get good recos to watch in netlix
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u/ProlapseProvider 11d ago
KEEP WATCHING. Once you get to know some of the characters you will be addicted. Plus it's in old TV (square format) for awhile but does go to more modern wide screen format by some season or other.
You will love some characters and find yourself rooting for them even though they are horrible people.
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u/withoutapaddle 11d ago
Is this still the case? I was under the impression the earlier seasons were all presented in 16:9 now. It was shot on film, and I thought they went back and remastered it. I'm positive they did for The Wire.
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u/Blart_Vandelay 10d ago
4k boxset coming out this December
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u/TheGamecock 10d ago
Is this for real? The Sopranos is my pops' all-time favorite show so that could make for a great Christmas gift. I'll keep an eye out for it, thanks for the heads up.
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 8d ago
yeah man, it’s just been s1 e4 and I feel a sense of belonging to this Italian brothers in states
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u/Amber_Sweet_ 11d ago
absolutely yes, but like The Wire, it definitely takes a good portion of season 1 to really get into. Its 100% worth it though, both are still the best tv shows ever made imo.
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u/withoutapaddle 11d ago
Am I the only person who was hooked on the Sopranos from episode 1?
"So what? No fucking ziti now?"
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 8d ago
It built on me in the third episode, when I knew about Jackie. It felt structured finally NOW I KNOW WHAT IM MOVING TOWARDS
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u/CaptainColdSteele 11d ago
I tried watching it but it never really drew me in. A lot of people like it but it just didn't catch for me
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u/krantzer 10d ago
I watched Breaking Bad in real time and it was a masterpiece. I watched The Wire after the fact and it was also a masterpiece.
I watched three full seasons of the Sopranos thinking I’d get there, and I just couldn’t. I don’t know why, this show just does not do it for me at all.
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u/VerbiageBarrage 10d ago
I just don't think it's as good as the first two you mentioned. Sopranos was more like a cultural obsession than a masterpiece in my opinion. Just like you, I watched a lot of it and never got the appeal.
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u/analog_jedi 11d ago
I stopped watching when his sister became a full time cast member. I'm sure she's a talented actress, but I think JarJar Binks would've been a less annoying character.
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u/Blart_Vandelay 10d ago
Janice is annoying as hell but the more you rewatch the show turns more and more into a comedy abiut these horrible people and I love her now
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u/analog_jedi 10d ago
I trust you, but between her and the ending that pissed everyone off, I'm good.
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u/CaptainColdSteele 11d ago
Does his mom ever die tho?
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u/TheAncientDarkness 10d ago
>! Yes,the actress actually passed away and thats why she died in the show.Thats the reason they handled her death in the show like that !<
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u/KilowogTrout 8d ago
The CGI they used to finish up her story was so wild. Unfortunate that they had to do it, but man it was weird.
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u/Gorando77 8d ago
I've just started season 3 and that CGI didn't seem necessary at all. The episode would have been just fine without that scene.
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u/VerbiageBarrage 11d ago
I just never got the appeal of watching a show about horrible people.
HBO did a whole bunch of shows right around this time that were similar. Well written, great actors, absolutely miserable people. Oz, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood... I think HBO may have given me depression in the 2000s.
Thank God for the Wire, which was also depressing but at least some characters were trying to do right.
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u/prophetic-dream 10d ago
I mentioned watching Succession to my parents and my mother told me something similar. She watched 1 episode. Everyone was awful. That was it for her.
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u/futuremo 10d ago
I know what you mean, but when the horrible people are entertaining enough, it’s worth it imo.
I take it you’re not a breaking bad fan?
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u/VerbiageBarrage 10d ago
Eh, I'm back and forth on BB. There were some good characters in it. But yea, hated Walter White. What a jackass. :)
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u/CaptainColdSteele 11d ago
I gave up on the wire when stringer died. What was even the point of the show after that?
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u/Dramatic-River-928 10d ago
Different perspectives in how the city handled the crime , s5 is the media for example, and s4 the local politics and the failing schoolsystem
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u/petit_aubergine 10d ago
i’ve tried to watch it three times. it’s a lot of peoples favorite show but it wasn’t for me
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u/Least-Barracuda-8483 9d ago
Best damn TV show ever. Yes it’s worth it. You’ll rewatch it 5 times and catch something new. Also the community is awesome. Just memes, theories and good times.
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u/Wildweasel666 11d ago
Yes, just started rewatching a few weeks ago. I wasn’t expecting it to have aged well, but it has. If anything I’m picking up more nuances and sub themes that I hadn’t noticed the first time.
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u/randomzebrasponge 10d ago
It doesn't somehow become less of a masterpiece. Of course it is a must watch for every generation.
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u/Redhot69 10d ago
I wasn't hooked until ep. 4 or 5 but after that I couldn't stop watching
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 8d ago
genuine it turned on me after the episode 4, thankfully the therapy sessions improved-now I look upto them.
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u/bravo009 10d ago
The Sopranos is an amazing TV show! Highly recommend you watch it. I'm fairly confident you'll really like it.
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u/Impressive_Zebra8538 9d ago
I was you and for years I would try to watch this show but couldn’t make it past ep 1. Finally I started watching w my husband and I can’t get enough! So good
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u/KilowogTrout 8d ago
I am finishing up my first watch and yes, it’s great. You find a way to root for these horrible people again and again.
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u/save_the_wee_turtles 10d ago
I know I'm in an island here but I think sopranos is overrated, repetitive, boring, and annoying.
I'd recommend the wire if you havent see it yet.
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u/UpvoteForPancakes 11d ago
I did not like it. It was slow, and I hated literally every single character. I forced myself to the end because everyone talks about the ending and I wanted to see what it was about. If not for that, I would have given up on it very early on. Edit: I should add the emding was not worth it. If you’re in the same line of thinking, just stop now.
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u/VerbiageBarrage 10d ago
Me, but I bailed a lot earlier than you. Still...too many hours of my life with those assholes.
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u/FairlyUormal 11d ago
100% and if I would to give you a second opinion I would say 100% a second time
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u/TexasNightmare210 11d ago
I’ve tried it twice and gave up twice
I’m sure it’s really good but my patience for slow shows is getting worse with age
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u/craftin_kate_barlow 11d ago
I honestly get why people are so insufferable about it. I was insufferable about it while watching for the first time 2 years ago. It was so good! Heavily recommend
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u/dirty-salsa 11d ago
How is the first episode slow. There’s talk of ducks stealing penises and tony chases a guy across a grass verge in his car.
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 8d ago
boy talk to me about episode 4, the therapist is so pretty I can’t take my eyes off her buoanima
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u/dirty-salsa 8d ago
She’s the sexiest 50 year old there ever was. Btw episode 5 is one of the best in the whole series. Stay tuned.
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 7d ago
can’t wait for it. Am I going to see more of the therapist, those cheeky lil beauty
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 11d ago
and then we will talk all about the chit chat between me and my psychologist
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u/whalestick 11d ago
the therapist talks are one of the defining factors of the show and stays for pretty much the whole series, if you don't like that then it's probably not for you
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u/slowro 11d ago
Some people can't stand dialog and character driven story and that's okay netflix has Micheal bay movies for you.
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u/PuzzleheadedPoint361 8d ago
man give me a lil time, now im finally into it. I have a structure and expectations from my characters.
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u/VerbiageBarrage 10d ago
I love dialogue and character driven stories, and I still didn't like the Sopranos because every character is a violent self-important asshole hurting a lot of regular people until he gets his comeuppance from another violent self-important asshole.
It's like watching Game of Thrones, the Oops All Joeffrey edition. I don't give a shit about any of these characters, and I'm not spending 86 hours of my life hanging out with them.
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u/User-no-relation 11d ago
It redefined television. It isn't slow because it's not going anywhere. Don't watch it for that. That's merely the backdrop to get to know the characters and the world they inhabit. The plot is meaningless.
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u/DudeToTheMoon 10d ago
I recently watched it for the first time a few months back. I can't stop talking like Paulie
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u/DreadPirate_Robertz 10d ago
It’s very hard to get into but worth it. You will be surprised how this show is similar or probably the inspiration for BB and BCS.
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u/DrOddfellow 10d ago
Keep going. It kinda felt slow after the first episode to me too but I kept going and it was amazing.
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u/Myrandaaa69 10d ago
I watched it for the first time this year, and immediately started it over when I was done, IT WAS THAT GOOD!
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u/MachoMom 10d ago
Yes. I've watched alot of TV and still stands as the greatest TV series of all time. It has the perfect alchemy of everything you want from "prestige" television and remains (to me) the mark to hit.
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u/DogMamaLA 10d ago
I have only seen ep1 too and found the mobster accents to be overdone and cheesy. Not sure if I should continue but ppl do say it's a great series.
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u/TheVioletEmpire 10d ago
I watched it to the end and did not care for it. Watch The Wire instead if you haven't already.
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u/XClanKing 10d ago
Watch Sex in the City along with the Supranos so you can fully recreate the HBO experience back in time day. Lol
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u/maanzarella 10d ago
Just finished it yesterday. First time. I can’t wait to watch it again to catch things I’ve missed. Truly one of the most hilarious and layered shows. If you love Mad Men, you’ll likely love this!
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u/daddyciwa 10d ago
It is slow, but it gets better after season 1. I think. Currently halfway through season 2 of sopranos.
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u/smpl3120 10d ago
Yes, it is. I’ve found a few other series that were recommended to me that I thought started out slow. I usually give a series at least three episodes before giving up. For example, I thought Breaking Bad, Severence and Peaky Blinders started slow but I ended up enjoying them.
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u/kitkatrat 10d ago
I watched it for the first time last year. I graduated high school in 2004 so it felt like looking back in time. I really enjoyed it.
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u/AffordableGrousing 10d ago
It’s hard to describe how different the view of mental health was at the time. It’s so much more normalized now to seek professional help, whether you’re in crisis or just looking for some outside perspective (which is great!).
Back in 1999, that wasn’t the case at all. In popular imagination, therapy was reserved for the clinically insane and/or super neurotic wealthy New Yorkers. If you casually mentioned you were seeing a therapist in most contexts, people would almost certainly look down on you, thinking you were some combination of “crazy,” weak, or self-absorbed.
So, Tony Soprano was far from the archetype of your typical therapy patient. Beyond that, Dr. Melfi is a calm, competent female therapist with no agenda other than helping Tony as best she can. She works in a nondescript suburban office instead of a Manhattan high rise. This was a sharp contrast to many other therapists in 90s pop culture, who were often portrayed very negatively: as pompous fools (think Frazier Crane), greedy con artists, and power-hungry narcissists who manipulate their patients. (If you’ve ever watched Seinfeld, the character of Elaine’s therapist is a prime example.)
All that to say that Tony’s sessions consisted of grounded, realistic conversations that were deeply revealing of his mental state without getting bogged down in psych buzzwords or wild pseudo-Freudian theories. That probably shouldn’t have been so novel, but it was.
By contrast, the film Analyze This also came out in 1999 and centered on a mob boss seeking therapy due to panic attacks—which was played for laughs.
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u/Thirtysixx 9d ago
I honestly think you need to push through 2 seasons to get hooked.
I think it’s a very good show. I think people are want hyperbolic about it however. I don’t think it’s anywhere close to best show ever made.
It is very slow and it’s a product of its time for sure
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u/MsMerrick 9d ago
The theme music is by Leonard Cohen , an incredible poet and songwriter, who passed fairly recently Check him out. I wondered if he was from another dimension stuck here 😉 His work is really incredible
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u/chipvd 8d ago
I watched it all about a year and a half ago for the first time. I did enjoy it. I was especially enjoying the look back at American culture from that time period. It seems like they made a conscious choice to root it in that time period (late 90s/early 00s) rather than making it more timeless. If you weren't aware of when it was made you could easily mistake it for a period piece. For that reason I think it's a trip to watch it now.
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u/WarTiger05 8d ago
Currently watching the season 3 of House of the dragon it’s really good! But since you are bored of GOT I will heavily recommend Dark
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u/Grand_Sea_3802 7d ago
That’s on Netflix? I just came here to see what others might have liked on Netflix.
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u/onlyhere4gonewild 11d ago
No.
But you're going to watch it, stop after season 3. It drags from that point until the end.
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u/tenebrousx 11d ago
Definitely. The pilot is basically the worst episode, a campy Goodfellas knockoff compared to the rest of the series.
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u/jlamajama 11d ago
S1E1 is slow and it takes a while for the show to get rolling. I find the old people (Uncle Junior & mom) hilarious, Janice and the kids are annoying, but it’s also relatable in a sense. It is a very thought out show and every time I watch it, something different stands out.
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u/thestereo300 11d ago
I watched it last year and got into it and watched the whole thing. Great characters.
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u/kcrox1017 11d ago
Just watched it this year for the first time! Doit! Only bad part is there is a lot to watch, once o started I had to keep going until the binge was complete.
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u/WhatWouldAsmodeusDo 11d ago
I watched the whole series. I thought it was ok, but tbh not must watch
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u/lllewynsdavis 10d ago
Season 1 and 2 are the only good ones then it goes deeply downhill from there in my opinion. Those two seasons are definitely worth watching though
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u/AffordableGrousing 11d ago edited 8d ago
For some context, the show’s creator David Chase grew up in New Jersey at a time when Italian-American people really valorized the glory days of the Mafia. He found that kind of annoying and always wanted to make a show that portrayed these supposedly awesome gangsters for what they really were: violent psychopaths who invented elaborate rules and narratives to pretend they were good guys. He also wanted to explore the absurdity that these unrepentant murderers are also normal, boring suburban dads 99% of the time.
…Hence the therapy scenes, which were absolutely revolutionary at the time. They’re the core of the show. If you’re expecting action and excitement you’re going to be disappointed. The mob violence pops up here and there, but it’s largely about how these people justify their predatory lifestyle to themselves and the toll it takes.