Why 'The Sopranos' Was Vital To The Creation Of An Anti-Hero
it's also just the best crime drama to ever have existed.
"The Sopranos" aired on January 10th, 1999, with James Gandolfini starring as the protagonist, Tony Soprano. The series was created by David Chase and is often referred to as the greatest series of all time. I literally could not agree more, the show is captivating and groundbreaking for when it was released.
Before Tony Soprano, there hadn't been a character that made the audience feel so split. Soprano was both a father and a mobster, who would go from beating the shit out of a guy to talking to his therapist about how ducklings made him feel. You wanted to hate him, but his flaws were what attracted you in the first place.
Also, he is a gangster that is prescribed Prozac, are you serious? That is ingenious! I cannot believe HBO produced such an incredible piece of artwork, why are the collections of the six seasons not hung next to the Mona Lisa because they are spectacular.
It was the beautiful tie between the old school belief that depression didn't exist and as we transitioned into the new millennia realizing that these were deep and painful psychological issues.
I think for me as someone who was born right as the series was beginning it provides me with an insight into the generation before me and how they relate to this constant struggle in beliefs.
I think the development of the way Tony handles going into therapy and talking about the hardest parts of his life, really trying to figure out why his mental and physical health decline so quickly throughout the first season.
It's that self - awareness, the self - care needed to start seeing the psychiatrist and continuing to go to each appointment even if he stormed out. That was what made Tony something to love.
Honestly, James Gandolfini's performance in the series is absolutely incredible. I can't believe he's gone, and I respect him so much for the consistent respect he brought to Tony's character because the realness makes it easy to connect with a mob boss, a literal mafia legend.
