Currently on season 2 and I had no idea there would be themes of alienation, nihilism, searching for meaning and belonging, and crumbling of the American dream, etc. I thought it was just a crime drama with some comedy involved. I'm pleasantly surprised and its making rediscover my gabagool side.
I've never seen The Wire but yes I think you should give it a try. A good blend of comedy, drama, and suspense.
Sopranos is one of the few shows worth mentioning in the same sentence as the Wire so y
I'm on episode two of season one. It's so weird, it's like the opposite of Breaking Bad (which I also love). Instead of ordinary man becoming a crime boss, it's about a crime boss dealing with ordinary problems. I haven't been super hooked into it yet since there's not really any sort of overarching engrossing plot yet, but it has been interesting just for how different it is.
I recommend to continue. Every character is complicated and while you're seeing their ordinary problems which usually brought on by insecurity or family problems you get reminded periodically of their vicious nature. Its a nasty cycle of violence caused by an aimless existence. Reminds me of Fight Club in a lot of ways.
Duuuuude, tell me about it. I’ve heard how great it is for years, started my first watch during lockdown, I’m up to the end of season 5. I’d say the last couple of seasons I’ve watched aren’t quite up to the level of the first few, but god damn it’s an incredible show. Sometimes I just smile at how much I’m enjoying it - not because of comedy or anything, just genuine pleasure in watching something of such quality.
One thought that came to me while watching it was “why does Breaking Bad exist?”. I watched BB as it was airing, and enjoyed it a lot, but it literally doesn’t need to exist. This show did it all, ten years earlier, and did it better.
If anyone’s reading this and hasn’t watched it, I can’t recommend it enough, it totally lives up to the hype. Even if “crime shows” aren’t your thing, it’s so much more than that.
The arc of Walter White turning into Heisenberg is compelling and a thing unto itself that sets itself apart from Sopranos. Both great shows but not the same experience.
I get that, but there’s a huuuuge overlap in the middle of that Venn diagram. I still think BB was great, I just feel like Sopranos explores all the same themes and is a level above BB in writing, acting, etc. Although nobody beats BB (or BCS) for cinematography, some of the most beautifully shot shows.
For me, they're exploring the same things from polar opposite perspectives. Walter White hates himself, he lives the "American dream" nuclear suburban family, he's broke, disrespected and dying, and he seeks a way out into the world of crime and murder, and becomes a sociopath. Tony Soprano is a sociopoath, he also hates himself, he's rich and surrounded by sycophants, he is in that world of crime and murder, and imagines what his life would be like on the outside of the mob (although he doesn't have a realistic way out the way Walter White has a way in).
I hesitate to compare the two in quality because they're both transcendent experiences for me. Though they do explore the same themes to an extent, they're both pretty unique imo.
Sometimes I just smile at how much I’m enjoying it - not because of comedy or anything, just genuine pleasure in watching something of such quality.
This is because the characterisation is so good. It doesn't really matter if a scene really has a purpose within the larger plot, as long as it illustrates how the different characters interact.
Even the 'lesser' seasons are still a joy because the characters are so great.
The ending when you get to that, left a lot to be desired back in the day. I won’t spoil it, but you’ll see what I mean. I remember watching that and many people were angry thinking their cable went out in the final minutes.
I think you kinda just spoiled it. lol
I think it's intended that way. I won't spoil the end but it does lend itself to the framing that we were just getting a 6 year look into the lives of a bunch of people, rather than seeing an epic told in narrative form with a begging and an end.