“There’s an old Italian saying: you fuck up once, you lose two teeth,” growls crime boss Tony Soprano in the hit drama series The Sopranos. Fans of this tough but troubled character (played so well by James Gandolfini) and his two families — his wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and kids, and his gun-toting crime associates — can celebrate the return of the series this week for its fourth season, immediately followed by the fifth. That means 26 weeks of well-scripted intrigue, dark comedy and sessions on the couch with Dr Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), Tony’s patient psychiatrist. Carmela is worried about her and the kids’ future financial security, and Tony has to get the gang together to discuss their income. Meanwhile, Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) worries about his upcoming trial and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) sets out to avenge an old murder.
Like Six Feet Under, The Sopranos thrills (sometimes violently) without losing its tongue-in-cheek edge. It’s addictive viewing
The Sopranos trivia
The Coalition of Italian American Associations has condemned the series for perpetuating negative Italian-American stereotypes.
In season one, Christopher (Michael Imperioli) shot a bakery clerk in the foot because he perceives the man to be disrespectful. In Goodfellas, Imperioli’s character was shot in the foot for the same reason.
Lorraine Bracco has worked as a DJ.
Although it paid for a pilot, Fox TV network turned down the series, after which HBO picked it up.
The Sopranos starts on e.tv on Friday May 9 at 9pm.