“...this show is about a guy who's turning 40. He's inherited a business from his dad. He's trying to bring it into the modern age. He's got all the responsibilities that go ... with that. He's got an overbearing mom that he's still trying to get out from under. Although he loves his wife, he's had an affair. He's got two teenage kids, and he's dealing with the realities of what that is. He's anxious; he's depressed; he starts to see a therapist because he's searching for the meaning of his own life ... the only difference between him and everybody I know is he's the Don of New Jersey.”
That quote — found in Wikipedia and attributed to the head of HBO Original Programming, Chris Albrecht — is as succinct a summary as you’re likely to find of “The Sopranos.” From that haunting start:
...to the open-ended conclusion, the groundbreaking TV series held sway as one of the must-see shows of the first decade of the 21st century. Its record speaks for itself: 21 Emmy Awards, and is the first cable-TV offering to win the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy; five Golden Globes; even TV Guide rates it number 5 on its Top 50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time.
Millions of devoted fans — some of whom even watch the censored version of the repeats on A&E — revere the show because of the inherently complex nature of its conflicted protagonist, waste-management consultant and the head of the DiMeo crime “family,” Tony Soprano.
What makes Tony an extraordinary character is not only his awareness that his “tough guy” persona takes much effort; it’s also his willingness to seek professional help to gain insight into his many issues. Through the sessions in Dr. Melfi’s office, we see the war going on inside him as a vital part of his existence that surpasses dramatic conceit.
Tony has ordered people killed ... he himself is a murderer many times over. He does make plans, but many of his highly consequential actions are spur-of-the-moment decisions such as murdering his former capo (and budding filmmaker) Christopher Moltisanti. Even in dealings with his childhood friend Artie Bucco, Tony finds ways to slant the relationship purely to his advantage.
Yet steeped as deeply as he is in his thug life, Tony occasionally shows he has a compassionate side. For one thing, he tries to shield his kids (unsuccessfully) from his work. Plus, he does the “modern” thing and gets counselling; this in itself is dangerous for both client and therapist, as seen in Season 1. However, Tony persists in his sessions throughout the 86 episodes, and provides one of the most fascinating continuity lines for any drama in recent memory.
Those sessions are some of the most compelling angles in the series. After all, why would a thug seek insight ... especially from a stranger? But Dr. Melfi is, in many ways, the linchpin of this project. The interplay between the Mafioso and the psychoanalyst is a narrative we have not seen before. Through it, we see the real clash within Tony Soprano: his desire to balance his past with his present.
He sees himself as a loser, a “sad clown” and “King Midas in reverse,” and through this we see the conceit of the statement as he avoids catastrophe time and again (ducking hits, the fateful car accident with Christopher). If the phrase “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is true, then Tony Soprano is a force of nature.
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