Even before its divisive yet iconic finale in 2007, The Sopranos was being talked about as one of the greatest television shows ever put to screen. Created by showrunner David Chase and starring a stellar cast led by the late, great James Gandolfini, the series is often considered to be one of the best of all time, and credited with birthing the “Golden Age” of the medium of television. While The Sopranos is best enjoyed and appreciated as a whole, the show also boasts some of the most memorable single TV episodes ever. Here are four of the very best.
“Whoever Did This” (S4, E9)
Gambling plays an important role in the show from time to time, from the poker games loved by many characters to Tony’s (James Gandolfini) brief Vegas adventure in the final season. In the fourth season, the racetrack plays a large role, with Tony forming a bond with a racehorse named Pie-O-My that he appreciates even more than the thrill of the races themselves.
If the show were set today, perhaps Tony and antagonist Ralph (Joe Pantoliano) would have been more into online gaming, where a wider range of games have been transformed from table classics to online versions. Instead of visiting the racetrack, they may have played casino games like poker and roulette on reliable NJ casino apps. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case, and a feud over the racehorse led to Ralph’s untimely demise in one of the show’s most exciting, darkly comic hours.
“College” (S1, E5)
The fifth episode of the series, “College” can be said to be the episode where we first see how dark the mob lifestyle can get. In fact, it’s the first of only a handful of episodes where we see Tony commit a murder (“Whoever Did This” being an example).
“College” is one of the most balanced blends of the show’s two focuses — crime and the family. The episode shows Tony literally trying to juggle the demands of his two “families” simultaneously, taking his daughter Meadow (Jamie Lynn-Sigler) to college open days while also hunting down an informant. Until this point, Tony’s violent side was obscured by his persona as a family man. Once we had seen him violently strangle his rival, there was no denying his dark side.
“Whitecaps” (S4, E13)
Despite the show’s premise being so tied to the world of the New Jersey mob, many of the most exciting and nail-biting moments come from its character-based drama and explorations of familial relationships. Season four’s finale “Whitecaps” is perhaps the very best example of this.
While the episode’s subplots are as strong as ever, it’s the central conflict between Tony and his wife Carmela (Edie Falco) that marks one of the show’s most dramatic and memorable scenes. When Carmela finally confronts Tony over his marital infidelity, years of bottled-up resentments come exploding to the surface in a vicious argument. As well as the excellent, perfectly observed writing, Gandolfini’s and Falco’s chemistry makes this scene — and episode — shine.
Honourable Mentions
Choosing just a few Sopranos episodes was no easy task, and many iconic episodes just about missed out on a place on my final list. The very first, “Pilot”, is a perfect introduction to the series’ characters and themes while also being a pacy and watchable episode of TV, and the show’s finale “Made in America” is both one of the most critically acclaimed and most controversial television finales ever.
In between, we also have episodes like the Steve Buscemi-directed fan favourite “Pine Barrens”, which sees Chrissy and Paulie trapped in the show’s dark, bizarre version of a buddy comedy. “The Test Dream” is a surreal, Lynchian trip, while “The Strong, Silent Type” includes a dysfunctional intervention that’s as hilarious as any sitcom.
From the fairly conventional crime/family drama episodes to the more leftfield ones, The Sopranos showed the range of characters, situations, themes, and genres that a truly great show can cover. TV was never the same again.
