‘The Sopranos’ 20th Anniversary: Here’s Your Complete Guide to Rewatching It

Coincidence that the 20th anniversary of "The Sopranos" coincides with a swaggering Mafiosa-type thug holding our highest elective office? I loved the series but could not understand the adoration of Tony (brilliant performance by Gandolfini aside). Was there a deep-seeded wish to be like him-- brutal, amoral, narcissistic, philandering, never ending supply of other people's cash, screwing others, living by a credo of perverse rules, demanding of loyalty, demeaning of women --and the appeal being able to experience this type of life vicariously through the show? Well, it seems a lot of people were attracted to Tony's dark and corrupt inclinations not only good for a vicarious thrill but were admirable characteristics in a President. Accordingly, they lauded a man who bragged he could shoot a person on 5th Ave. and no one would care and advocated knocking the "c**p out of people, etc. Think of every gangster impulse Tony Soprano exhibited and you can find it in DJT. These anti-social impulses were now endorsed by a significant number of Americans through the ballot box, not just the cable box. David Chase said many people who watched the show wanted "less yak more whack," so for many, the brutality and amorality of Tony were clearly the appeal. Add a strong dash of racism and, ta da, President Trump. Sad. At least Tony struggled with self-awareness. At least Tony had a fashion sense. At least Tony was a FICTIONAL CHARACTER.

The Godfather started Americas love affair with the Mafia, all three of the series continued it (all but the last, because it showed the real results of that life), then Goodfellas, then The Sopranos. These guys were all shown to be as American as cowboys... they're not.

If you have a smart TV, they usually have an Amazon Prime app, Otherwise get something like a Roku stick for Prime access. If you don't have Prime, find the DVDs somewhere or download it with BitTorrent.

For my money, the best "Sopranos" episode of all was "The Strong, Silent Type" (season 4, episode 10), in which Christopher gets an intervention, Mafia style.

I just binge-watched the whole HBO marathon (my 8th viewing). I loved it as much as I did the first time. And it was so engrossing and time consuming that it was 7 days I didn't pay any attention to Trump. Which was paradise...

I used to say "The Sopranos" was the best dramatic program in television history, until I watched "The Wire". The best "Sopranos" episodes are as good as the best films—"College, "Pine Barrens" and "The Blue Comet" come to mind—but "The Wire" didn't have any bad episodes. It's not really episodic in nature. It's more like a novel.

I binge watched each season (in two all night sittings) as they came out in DVD sets -- except the last season that was excruciating painful to watch, as things close in on all the characters which I invariably had invested so much emotional connect. It is stunning to think Chase and Co. made world-class fine art out of the soap opera form (which explains whatever unevenness there was, as well as the need to watch the whole thing front to back to witness the character development). Also, even setting aside all the other great acting, Gandolfini's body of work is as great as that of any of the greats Brando, Bogart, Nicholson, etc.

I saw every episode when they came out. I am re-watching now. A big difference for me is that I am now watching it in HD, on a large flat screen. Big improvement.

It has no equal. The loss of Gandolfini was the loss of both Gandolfini and Soprano.

Excellent article and appreciate the thoughtfulness you employed to navigate through the series. Watching episodes this week on HBO, it is just so well written and acted, with fascinating characters that seduce you into a moral tension with oneself as you are watching. Hooray for the arts.

I was surprised by how much I loved this series. I wasn't interested in it as it aired and watched it about a year ago on Amazon simply because I missed the Northeast. The first thing that caught me was the opening credits because I'm from that area and the route is familiar. After it was all done I wished I'd paced myself better because it is some of the finest television I've ever seen. Another reason to pace oneself is that it is very disturbing and it affected me in a negative way. They made me care about people who did awful things because they weren't one-dimensional, but they still did awful things. As the series progressed it got harder to watch, but I realize if I ever paid for Amazon again, I'd watch it again.

The parts I liked the best were when Tony got yelled at by Carmela. Edie Falco was awesome in that role. Tony's interactions with his kids, especially AJ, was interesting because they were so normal and suburban, much like how "civilian" parents generally deal with difficult kids. The entire six season is on Amazon, free with Prime. So, watch away. P.S. This was a very welcomed diversion - so sick of Trump and The wall. The only "The Wall" I want to think about comes from Pink Floyd.

I'm embarrassed to admit that as soon as I saw the photo atop this story, I actually said (nearly aloud), "That's from the last episode." I know every facial expression, every tableau. When I first heard about this series, like many others (I hope), I thought it had to do with singers. (We didn't have TV.) Then we ran into a guy at the music store who told us how he had begun the series and then watched it for 13 hours, unable to quit. So we started, always on DVD. After the first three seasons, we bought the cookbook and began to have Sunday dinners, made from recipes in the book, in between watching two (sometimes three) Sopranos episodes with friends. It felt as if they were cousins, and we spent time discussing, what IS is that's so fascinating about these people? Later, we lent the series (naturally, we owned the whole thing) to neighbors and began to do the dinners with THEM. I can't think about the Sopranos without smelling Carmela's lemon chicken (the cookbook is excellent, with superb recipes developed by the respected Michele Scicolone). It was great fun to watch the last episode with the neighbors just for their reaction to the end. Ach! I love that NYT ran this piece. And I pretty much agree with Noel's calls on both the greats and the skippables. But hey. Watch the whole thing.

Spoilers ahead- besides the pilot, and some of the mentioned episodes, classics I'd recommend include the going to Naples episode in season 1, where Tony learns about real cold violence (via Furio), ending of episode where Junior is made boss and (FBI) waiter secretly photographs all the mobsters celebrating, the episode ending where Phil Leotardo at a bar, lamants his name and his 'weakness' in handling Tony and the episode ends as he gazes on pictures in the bar of all former bosses is definitely better ending than the one that ends him, the episode where adrianna gets whacked by Silvio has as much tension as any episode could muster. Very few bad episodes other than the last one- my own disappointment is a weakness for the unresolved.

Every single episode, in order, is the only way to watch this series. I have had the DVD box set for years but just started watching them at Xmas (and the extras). I took a pause between S3 and S4 and I am ready to finish the series. Luckily, I am old enough to get most/all of the jokes and old culture references. The only other series I am this in love with are Six Feet Under and Mad Men, although Dead Like Me is a favorite binge. All four series have episodes that make me ugly cry every time I watch and stand and cheer every time I watch.

Spoilers ahead- besides the pilot, and some of the mentioned episodes, classics I'd recommend include the going to Naples episode in season 1, where Tony learns about real cold violence (via Furio), ending of episode where Junior is made boss and (FBI) waiter secretly photographs all the mobsters celebrating, the episode ending where Phil Leotardo at a bar, lamants his name and his 'weakness' in handling Tony and the episode ends as he gazes on pictures in the bar of all former bosses is definitely better ending than the one that ends him, the episode where adrianna gets whacked by Silvio has as much tension as any episode could muster. Very few bad episodes other than the last one- my own disappointment is a weakness for the unresolved.

Never was a fan of the show. Found it contrived and tedious. I don’t think time will change that. (I do like Ray Donovan)

The best, the one that started it all, and the one that all are measured against. It’s daunting to try to watch it all, but it is worth it if you can do it. They will be watching this show 100 years from now. It’s underlying conflicts will always be current to the human condition. The Sopranos is required watching for people watching to work in TV drama.

One of the best lines in the series is when Tony and Carmella are in the office with the school psychologist to discuss their son and his recent behavior, i.e., drinking the communion wine. The psychologist is suggesting that AJ may have ADHD. Tony leans forward, and says, "What constitutes a fidget?" I used this line in my discussions with prospective teachers to help them imagine a Tony Soprano on the other side of the table when suggesting that a child may display characteristics of ADHD.

I watched every season, every episode .... yes, I was "addicted" to "The Sopranos". I was really excited to watch the last episode of the series, there was a lot of hype in the media. As luck would have it, my cable service stopped working a few hours before the episode I was looking forward to watching. I went to a few restaurants in the area and none either had a TV or did not plan to have HBO on. I tried one more restaurant, YES they planned to have HBO on in the bar area. It was a Italian restaurant .... to my surprise they had a full buffet of Italian food that was free and you could eat as much as you wanted. That was one plus, the other plus was the people at the bar, they could have been extras for "The Sopranos". I will never forget that night, although I was extremely disappointed (as was everyone at the bar) how the last episode ended.

If only they had filmed "The Pine Barrens" IN the Pine Barrens! That hilly, deciduous forest was such a distraction! South Jersey don't get no respect.

I'm finishing up season 2 in what is perhaps my fourth or fifth binge watch over the years, yet the series is so good that I do very little fast forwarding. A prime example of how David Chase respected the audience and did not dumb anything down was in season 2 when Uncle Junior made a reference to Judge Crater. I'm willing to be that only a couple of people in a hundred knew who Judge Crater was, and yet Chase included it, when others would have gone for cheaper and/or more familiar humor.

It is a show worth watching as Chase and company allowed it to evolve. This idea of which to watch is applicable only to those of us who watched the whole series in order (I own the entire set). Others have already said it and I echo their suggestions: watch it through, once, if you have not already done so. And then I add that you read Ricci's Born under a Bad Sign, which will offer some very interesting insight into the symbols and whatnot peppered in the work--and then of course re-watch and re-read the series.

How do I watch? I have cable with HBO but I never watch TV - I only record few things and watch later. So is this still playing in HBO and I can just record? How do I binge watch (my favorite method for everything)

There aren't too many shows where people are still talking about the finale, and no other show's finale is as controversial. Brilliant!

I've been watching the series unfurl on HBO over the past week and have really enjoyed watching episodes I'd forgotten all about. One thing that came back to me is how loathsome almost all of the characters really were, including Carmela. Loathsome because they all made terrible compromises in their lives, compromises with evil, in order to avoid making really hard choices. You saw that especially with Carmella, who because Edie Falco played that character so well, was ultimately the character who disappointed you the most. Amazing writing, direction and performances. The Sopranos will always be a touchstone for excellence in television to me.

I could never get past the Italian stereotypes. Maybe I'm too thin-skinned. Edie Falco is a marvel.

This is great, thank you! When Soprano’s started, I was 12 so my father was obsessed but I wasn’t allowed to watch it. (He let up by the time The Wire aired, thank goodness.) I snuck some episodes and have seen a few over he years as I grew older (Pine Barrens looks familiar...) but I haven’t watched the whole series and have wanted to, stopped only by the fact that it is several seasons of hour-long eps. This is a very helpful guide as I dip my toe into once forbidden waters with my sweet, sweet adult agency.

I watched the pilot episode this week. It felt very dated. Time for a remake?

As I rewatch the show I am reminded how sexist it was. The NYT coverage of the anniversary mirrors that. Reference was made to a "needy young stripper" in Tony's club. As I recall (and I cannot rewatch that episode), she was a 19-year-old mother who worked in the club as a dancer. How dehumanizing.

What episode should I watch if I want to hear Tony grunt like a pig while Carmela’s head is out of view?

Do yourself a favor, and watch every episode, in Order. The best TV show EVER. Great writing and acting, and doesn't age poorly. You become very invested in the characters, and sometimes forget what they really are. A masterpiece.

My all time favorite show ever.

I personally feel you would be short-changing the series if you were to skip whole seasons, so richly woven with detail is the storyline. It is quite simply some of the finest television ever produced and deserves to be watched in its entirety. Take your time.

I have no idea how I let this entire series go unwatched. That said, I do not want any spoilers, not even hints. What’s a newbie to do? I’m still trying to catch up with past years and this year’s shows. When I love a series, I commit to the whole thing. But this is overwhelming. On top of loving television, I’m a bibliophile, so I have to be judicious. Help! Help?

Ahh, well done. I completely realize that one sweeping arc throughout this series is just how many times a moral compass is offered to these characters. And redemption is the soothing balm applied to "free will" which demands choices from these mortal inhabitants. I always found this premise surprising, exhilarating and deeply sorrowful. And especially powerful is how the FBI, the "good guys," treated their sources with the same disregard and expendability as the criminals in hot pursuit. It always ended badly. The audience gets to chose which side of "family" the heart is beholden to. Seven years...! No other choice but fade to black.

Even the relatively poor episodes have some decent entertainment value, and, in my opinion, are worth watching.