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James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in a not-so-nice mood

Facing an indeterminate sentence of weeks/months/years until new episodes, fans of The Sopranos are advised to take the fifth; season, that is. At this point, superlatives don't do The Sopranos justice, but justice was at last served to this benchmark series. For the first time, The Sopranos rubbed out The West Wing to take home its first Emmy® for Outstanding Dramatic Series. Michael Imperioli and Drea de Matteo also earned Best Supporting Actor and Actress honors for some of their finest hours as Christopher and Adriana. From the moment a wayward bear lumbers into the Sopranos' yard in the season opener, it is clear that The Sopranos is in anything but a "stagmire." The series benefits from an infusion of new blood, the so-called "Class of 2004," imprisoned "family" members freshly released from jail. Most notable among these is Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi, who directed the pivotal season three episode "Pine Barrens"), who initially wants to go straight, but proves himself to be something of a "free agent," setting up a climactic stand-off between Tony and New York boss Johnny Sack.

Carmela and Tony

These 13 mostly riveting episodes unfold with a page-turning intensity with many rich subplots. Estranged couple Tony and Carmela (the incomparable James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) work toward a reconciliation (greased by Tony's purchase of a $600,000 piece of property for Carmela to develop). The Feds lean harder on an increasingly stressed-out and distraught Adriana to "snitch" with inevitable results. This season's hot-button episode is "The Test Dream," in which Tony is visited by some of the series' dear, and not-so-dearly, departed in a harrowing nightmare. With this set, fans can enjoy marathon viewings of an especially satisfying season, but considering the long wait ahead for season six, best to take Tony's advice to his son, who, at one point, gulps down a champagne toast. "Slow down," Tony says. "You're supposed to savor it." --Donald Liebenson

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For an even deeper immersion into the world of crime (movies, that is) see our guides to crime classics and our who's who compendium of famous mob bosses.

Bada Bing! More of The Sopranos at Amazon.com

The Complete First Season	The Complete Second Season	The Complete Third Season
The Complete Fourth Season	Seasons 1-5	The Sopranos Family Cookbook

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Reviews (26)

The Goombas Are Back In Town:WARNING - SPOILERS
Time to stuff your face with pasta and wave your hands around when you talk, dropping an F-Bomb every other word - the long anticipated season 5 of the Sopranos is finally available on DVD to satisfy America's love affair with the mafia and pretending to be Italian.

Now here comes the shocker: you may have already heard this, but Season 5 reveals to us that Tony Soprano is Darth Vader's father.Also, the five families get together and put a hit on Meadow - putting US all out of our misery.Thank GOD.Junior gets a prescription for Viagra - and the best of all:Janice dies from choking, due to stuffing her face with a 96 ounce steak.Nobody has the physical strength to remove her fat @ss, so she's buried right there in Artie's restaurant.

The cover of this set - inspired by scenes from Dante's Inferno - was a horrible choice.It really bugs me.I hope season 5 is good.Haven't seen it yet, so don't spoil it for me.

The Best Aphrodesiac on Television
Maybe we have been too influenced by the Tarantino ultra- violent popular culture zietgiest machine, but my baby and me watch this show and afterwards we get it ON!

The sex, the violence, the food! These good-fellas and their exploits are da bomb!

A perfect warmup for animal passion with methods we learned on the dvd NEW SEX NOW...

Sometimes I fantasize about Tony and his hooker on the boat.

Oh my!

WHAT A SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what an amazing season. from the bear to tonys standoff with johnny sac over his cousin. pretty close to the best season if not the best season so far!

The Sopranos - The Complete Fifth Season
This Is a great Season and a great show but all the actors heads and wallets are starting to baloon way too big(James Gandolfini) Come on, they are acting like babys that are spoiled by their mother!! It really ruins the show when I think back to James Gandolfini holding out on the contract(like he ever had a better role in his life) HBO made him and he should be very thankful to them, as for me I wont buy this dvd but instead I ask all of you to buy HBO's Deadwood!!! better storys and a truling addicting show. HBO, Fire James and put the saved money into New Pilots and greatness will rise from the Soprano ashes, You have done it many times now and will again. Thats all I have to say about that. John Reynolds, Santa Barbara, Cal

Back in Business
After the 4th Season's emphasis on the Soprano domestic front, the 5th Season returns to the "family business" with a vengeance.

But, with all the backroom maneuvering, parking lot beatings, and streetside shootings, the most powerful moment came with the ultimate fate of Adrianna: after all the episodes and seasons that entertained and endeared us to this family, THE SOPRANOS reminds us of who these people really are.
It almost felt like the viewer got whacked at the end of the 5th Season.Pretty wild.

As usual, I can't wait for the next (and supposedly final) season. ... Read more

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No other show captures the ebb and flow of day-to-day human relationships like Six Feet Under, which chronicles the dysfunctional lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles. Though the overt theme of the series is mortality--every episode opens with the death of someone whose body will end up on the Fishers' slab--but the third season, even moreso than the first two, explores the intertwining struggles for connection and for personal freedom. The season starts slowly but compellingly, laying out the changes in the Fishers' lives. Nate (Peter Krause, We Don't Live Here Anymore) has married and has a baby. David (Michael C. Hall) is settling into tense domesticity with his angry boyfriend. Claire (Lauren Ambrose) has launched into art school. Ruth (Frances Conroy), their mother, is reaching out for companionship from an emotionally stilted young intern, and Brenda (Rachel Griffiths, Hilary and Jackie), Nate's ex-fiancee, has apparently vanished from their lives.

But as storylines unfold across the 13 episodes, the emotional heft of the season comes from the expanded roles of the family's intimates. Federico (Freddy Rodriguez), who has leveraged his way into a partnership with the Fisher brothers, finds himself fighting to be treated as an equal at work and struggling with his wife's depression at home. Trying to sort out their relationship, David and Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) negotiate everything from therapy to threesomes. Meanwhile Lisa (Lili Taylor, I Shot Andy Warhol), Nate's unhappy wife, increasingly becomes the center of the season as her jealousy and need become unbearable. Though big events happen, the most jolting drama on Six Feet Under comes from small conflicts--miscommunications, crossed desires, habits that don't mesh. The cast, writers, and directors can, with breathtaking skill and subtlety, spin a brief conversation into a microcosm of the character's lives. By this third season, the show has taken on the richness and complexity of a great novel; it's an impressive and deeply enjoyable achievement.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (39)

I want more!
I only watch the show for two reasons: David and Keith. I like everybody else, but seeing them together makes me happy. I hope they can put their heads together and get help. I want them to salvage whatever it is to save the best "gay" relationship on TV today. The show is ground-breaking, and having interesting and thought-provoking characters like David and Keith make me tune in every week to see what happens. I love the show! Keep up the great work! Matthew.

Not Bad
I have been following SFU as it has been released on DVD. I have to say that I am not a fan of Season 3. It has become a bit soap-opera-ish. Season 1 and 2 made you think and relfect on each episode, and the person who died in it, and what you could learn from their death. This one seems to have forgotten that; with the characters being two dimensional.I hope it picks up in Season 4.

Saying that, I still think this is an awesome series.

Very good, but not as good as seasons 1 and 2
Six Feet Under is one of my favorite shows - I love the writing; the realistic, flawed, and very likeable characters; the storylines; and the great acting. Watching 6FU on DVD is really the way to go - you watch on YOUR schedule - no more waiting a week for new episodes.

If you haven't seen Season 3 yet, I won't ruin the surprises that are in store for you, I will just try to set up what happens.

The first episode resolves the cliff-hanger from Season 2 regarding Nate's brain surgery.The episode also fast-forwards a few months, and we see the Fisher family having gone through some changes.Nate's situation is very different now - Brenda is out of the picture, and Nate's daughter Maya is a bigger part of his life.In Season 2, Lisa moved to LA to have Nate's baby, and in Season 3 she is a regular character on the show.She and Nate go through some interesting stuff, and later in Season 3, Brenda shows up and complicates things.

At the end of Season 2, David and Keith were together again, but having rough spots; now they are going to couples counseling to work on their issues.Ruth is now newly single, having left Nikolai the florist, and there's ample room in her life for a new friendship with an eccentric character played by Kathy "I'm your number one fan!" Bates.Ruth's love life also gets some attention in Season 3.At the end of Season 2, Claire was just about to start art school; in season 3, her storylines revolve around art school, another student, and a teacher there.By the end of Season 3, just about everyone is at a crossroads.

Like Seasons 1 and 2, Season 3 has plenty of very dramatic, emotional scenes that are so well-written and so well-acted, they really make you FEEL what these characters are feeling.For us viewers, the experience of seeing them suffer is visceral.

But unlike Seasons 1 and 2, season 3 doesn't have as much dark, quirky humor (like in Season 1 when Ruth accidentally took the ecstasy that David hid in the aspirin bottle).I missed this.

The first half of Season 3 is a bit uneven - some episodes and storylines are great, others feel like filler to keep things moving along.The second half is really great, compelling, like a great page-turner that you don't want to end.Be warned: the last 4 episodes, while riveting and incredibly well-acted, contain some pretty depressing stuff.Also be warned that the last episode's very last scene, while excellent, will leave you wanting more.

One thing I loved about Seasons 1 and 2 was the epiphanies or transformative growth that one of the main characters would sometimes experience as a result of their interactions with the families of the people that die at the beginning of each episode.This happens much less in Season 3, unfortunately.However, toward the end of the season, Nate starts seeing connections between his own situation and that of the families of the deceased.And in the last episode, there's an extended scene involving Claire, her deceased father, and other characters in Heaven (don't worry - Claire's not dead) that brings a sense of resolution to a number of storylines that had been kind of left open, and is really quite beautiful.

All things considered, I definitely recommend Season 3, but the first half of the season is not quite up to the standard of excellence set by Seasons 1 and 2.

the last of the best
I have long believed that SFU was the best written/acted show on television (excuse me-it's not television it's HBO).In the opinion of a rabid fan season three was the last really primo season for this masterpiece program.Season four was so forced it was just lost in space.It wandered aimlessly until Lisa's body was found (ding dong the bitch is dead!) and Nate got himself beaten senseless to demonstrate his guilt.Back to season three.I believe it was the best of SFU and I will ad it to my collection of seasons one and two when released in May.I have no plans to watch season five when it begins in June.Season four destroyed my interest in this superb series and I am truly saddened. This is one program which should have ended after season three. It's sad when producers drag a story line out beyond it's logical and qualitative end point for the sake of money. I have canceled HBO because I can't bear to watch season five drag it down further and SFU was the only reason I subscribed to HBO in the first place. At least I'll soon have the last of the best three seasons to enjoy as reminders of one of the top five shows of all time.

Season Three
Season three starts out with a bang. The first episode shows a completely different life for the protagonist Nate. For the rest of the Fisher family everything is different too. To start off Rico has become a partner and Claire has started art-school. Ruth is getting fed up with Nikolai. The season's main brilliance comes in its incredibe developement of all the characters. Although it's sad to see Claire out of highschool, without her shrink, without ParkerMcKennough, she goes through a major transition through her interactions with Russel and other art school friends. Ruth becomes close with Bettina (played by Kathy Bates) who is looking after her sister while she gets rid of a Vocodin addiction. Brenda is seeking help for her sexual addiction.

The brilliance of the show is only furthered for the characters as this season appears to be a season of transition in their lives.

The cast continues to rock out in this season and Alan Ball and Laurence Andries continue to kick ass with their intense cinematography and beautifully crafted Los Angeles landscapes. Unlike many shows that depict California as a land of promise Six Feet Under portrays it in it's independant apathetic reality. The show also shows how the landscape as affected it's characters, mainly Brenda and Claire. ... Read more

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The winning streak for this veritable show continues through its fourth year. As with many long-running series, The West Wing faces the inevitable--a cast member chooses to leave. But this show handles Rob Lowe's exit with such well-executed grace, a could-be-harmful experience (or at least sudden) is turned into an asset. The season begins with three staff members marooned in the heartland (played mostly for laughs) and ends with a dramatic cliffhanger even more powerful than the initial season's shooting. In between are 20 excellent episodes packed with the series' trademark wit and pace, and an uncannily ability to create excellent moments for the entire cast. The election nears and West Wingers brace for the final onslaught including a make-or-break debate. There's a horrible genocide in Africa changing the course of the Bartlett administration and a covert assassination with effects lingering throughout the season. There's also the now-annual flashback episode, this time to the first days at the White House (with another comforting appearance by Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. Landingham). The series also has its first episode set mostly outside the West Wing when C.J. (Alison Janney) goes back to Ohio for a high school reunion and visits her father (Donald Moffat) who is starting to feel the effects of Alzheimer's.

Lowe's Sam Seaborn picks a new fate at the spur of the moment and is eventually replaced by the very person whose verve he was swept up by--a harried, vastly intelligent campaign manager, Will Bailey (Josh Malina, best known for his work in creator Aaron Sorkin's previous show, Sports Night). He's an excellent fit for the West Wing, both fictionally and for the series. Part of the show's success belongs to the continuity, helped immensely by high-caliber guest stars continuing long runs on the show, including Mary-Louise Parker, John Amos, Marlee Matlin, Tim Matheson, Timothy Busfield, Lily Tomlin, Anna Deavere Smith, and Ron Silver (hey, that's a pretty good cast for their own show). One-time guest stars are also used to the fullest. Notice how a single-episoe appearance by Christian Slater (as a naval attaché who strikes Donna's fancy) turns into a three-episode arc. Matthew Perry delivers an Emmy-nominated performance in a key role in the season's final arc. This fourth season was capped by the departure of creator-writer Sorkin and producer-director Thomas Schlamme, plus another Emmy win for Best Drama, its fourth straight. Many were surprised or even angered that the series kept up the winning streak. Perhaps the series was not as relevant to the times as four years earlier, but the proof is in the pudding--the series was still in rarefied air by the end of this season.

Luckily, Sorkin and Schlamme were invited to air the commentaries for the DVDs, here on three episodes. It allows them to talk about their departure, a subject barely mentioned in the two making-of featurettes. One deals with speechwriters and other with Stockard Channing's role on the show. Note: the documentaries and deleted scenes are hard to find. Look for the pointer (>) at the bottom right of the special features menu of the sixth disc. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (31)

West Wing - Thanks
I just wanted to write and thank the reviewer (Chris - Hamburg, NY) who informed me how to get the extras on the 6th disk.

The > was too near the Main Menu to seem to be a separate icon. To Brother Ziegler of the recent request - check out April 8th 2005 for the correct method.

As regards the series, Aaron Sorkin or no, it is still the best thing on television.Intelligent, witty, well acted and well written; it will be watched for many years to come.

I do agree that the constant introduction of guest characters, can be a little tedious at time - but at least it hasn't sunk to the level of 'Will and Grace' - also a very well written series, but for different reasons. There, an episode seems not to go by without some celebrity popping up.An ensemble cast of the calibre of the West Wing (or indeed 'Will & Grace') doesn't need it so much.

The 4th Season box set is well worth the purchase price.Enjoy it for what it is - good television, and many thanks again to Chris from Hamburg NY for unlocking the key to the extras problem.

Not up to the first three seasons
Not only has it become even more TOO LIBERAL AND PREACHY, to agree with a previous reviewer, it's become just plain boring!This season is much more soap opera and less a plausible look at real issues than the earlier excellent seasons.Whereas I used to easily watch a whole disk (3-4 episodes at once) in one sitting, it now takes five sittings to get through a single episode.I don't plan to buy any more season sets.

the good and the bad...
First the good:great program, and Season Four continues the good acting from this cast, as well as Aaron Sorkin's superb writing, mixing informative dialogue with amusing banter, that keeps one caring about this ensemble, and makes this whole series one to return to again and again.

The bad:the boxed set was sent without the booklet listing the episode titles and descriptions, so it is hard to find the episodes ones wants to watch. Returning for exhange didn't help, as ALL the stock in a major outlet was also missing the booklet, so I tried to track down the booklet separately, from the online seller, as well as from Warner Home Video directly - still waiting, after 2 months.I'd advise potential buyers to wait until this is sorted out, and ask specifically if the booklet is included, before purchasing.

Consistency.
"The West Wing" is easily the most reliable series I have ever purchased.The level of quality filmmaking that this show achieves is remarkable.From the professional direction, to the great ensemble chemistry, to the often incredible writing, there really is no reason to hesitate gathering all the episodes currently available and showcasing these DVD collections prominently and proudly.Having praised "The West Wing" with all due accolades, Season 4 is actually the least effective of the first four seasons.The acting is good, as per usual, as are the direction and cinematography and writing; but it was a rare moment when I got that buzz that made the second half of Season 1 and all of Season 2 so phenomenal.Season 3 was an effective continuation, but during Season 4 I frequently felt the throughline story was sent to the back of the bus to be tabled for a later date, or ignored altogether, so a new character 'name' actor could be introduced in the hopes of injecting some charisma.Of those I remember, there was Christian Slater, Matthew Modine, John Goodman...To be completely honest, these actor-infusions were more distracting than helpful.The cast is already one of the best ever assembled in the history of dramatic television.Then there is the one episode where C.J. goes to her hometown reunion and has to deal with her Father's descending mental capacity.I thought I had put in the wrong DVD.This is supposed to be "The West Wing," not some Sunday afternoon melodrama.Regardless, Season 4 does have plenty of stellar moments.There are no standout episodes, in particular, such as episode 17 from Season 3 entitled "The U.S. Poet Laureate," which is absolutely all-around brilliant, but there is enough excellence strewn throughout Season 4 to recommend it highly."The West Wing" is, without a doubt, the most consistent dramatic program I have ever had the pleasure and privilege of watching.Thank you.

Sorkin's "Swan Song"
Great season - "Game On" and the espisode about Toby's father are some of my favorites.
QUESTION:Can anyone tell me HOW you access the special featurettes?Not the commentaries...but the "Behind Every Good Man..." and Unaired Scenes.I can't play these items!!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I say thee, YEA!
I just wanted to add my two cents to the review written by Mr. Marold of Bethlehem, PA.I agree with nearly everything Mr. M had in his review, with the exception of his comment about the episode where Bartlett stepped aside while his daughter was being held captive.I believe that was an entirely plausible situation and it was presented in an accurate manner.

Be that as it may, I have a different reason for enjoying "The West Wing".I too came to the show late in it's run and somewhat reluctantly.I thought, given the cast, that they would be laying on the liberalism with a heavy hand.Being an independent and a moderate, I have some liberal tendancies, but I do think of myself as a conservative and the thought of Martin Sheen and company preaching at me for an hour was too much with which to cope.However, once I saw the reruns on Bravo and some of the new episodes, I began to warm up to the show.I found that 95% of the time, the liberal cant is handed out in managable portions.The other 5%?Well, I can live with that because I found another overwhelming reason for loving this show.They...make...me...LAUGH OUT LOUD!The banter back and forth amongst the staffers gets to be hilarious and the President will joke with anybody from his aide, Charlie, to Adm. Fitzwallace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.I cannot think of an episode that I watched where there wasn't something that made me burst out with laughter.Maybe the "Zoe kidnapping" episodes.

Watch "West Wing" for the political machinations and the insight into our political and constitutional systems.But also for the humor and wit.You will be well rewarded on all fronts.

Major Entertainment and Civics Class, all in one!
This DVD set includes all available `The West Wing' seasons in a single package and it represents the least expensive way of acquiring all four seasons, if you do not already own one or more seasons on DVD.

I am late in coming to appreciate this show, as my attention over the last four years has primarily been on retiring, learning to cook, and religiously following the careers of my various Food Network heroes. I have just recently started watching this show when the Bravo network started running `The West Wing' marathons and showing episodes on most weeknights.

The very first criterion I have for buying a DVD might be called `rewatchability'. There are certain movies and certain shows that are so rich that you are still detecting nuances after the fourth or fifth viewing. Compared to a show like the CSI incarnations, `The West Wing' easily retains its power on a third or fourth or fifth viewing. `CSI', except for those with a big element of office politics in the plot, loose their punch after you remember who the perp is as soon as you know what episode it is you are watching. Once the rush from listening to the great `The Who' intro passes, so does the thrill.

`The West Wing' has gotten lots of praise and awards for the quality of its writing and acting, but I am almost willing to believe it has gotten less than it deserves. I have never been moved so much by a scripted television show since some of the very best `All in the Family' episodes. Amid the flood of reality shows, I am even tempted to say that between `The West Wing', `CSI', `Law and Order' and all of the various spin-offs of these shows constitutes a golden age of scripted television drama, especially in this twilight of the great comedies of the past decade.

The quality of `The West Wing' for me lies primarily in the accuracy with which it portrays the realities of American politics and, beyond that, the realities of politics in general. In doing so, I believe the show can help to explain to most Americans why political `horse trading' is essential to the way our policy making works, why raw power is not always effective on the international stage, regardless of how seductive the use of that raw power may be. It also highlights that most important political virtue, loyalty. I have not read James Carvell's book on this subject, but I suspect that he would say that without party loyalty, government would simply be impossible, or at least much more difficult than it is now. As so many stories show so well, political loyalty works two ways. An elected official must be loyal to his constituents or the representative will not get reelected. An elected official must also be loyal to his party, or he will get no political largess bestowed on the people in his constituency. I can thing of no more dramatic example of this than in the change in benefits coming Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley after the election of Ed Rendell to be Pennsylvania governor, replacing Tom Ridge. Ridge and most other governors in my lifetime came from outside the Philadelphia sphere of influence, into which the Lehigh Valley falls. Thus, it almost seems as if Harrisburg suddenly discovered that the Lehigh Valley was now a part of Pennsylvania when Rendell was elected.

The third energy, after politics and international crises which drives the plots of `The West Wing' are the particular strengths and weaknesses of the principle characters, starting with President Bartlett and his remitting MS weighed against his great intellectual ability and accomplishments. For other major characters, it is part of the great genius of this show that while they are riddled with human frailties, they are sustained and succeed in high government positions due to their loyalty to both Bartlett and basic American and Democratic ideals. The chief of staff is a brilliant politician with alcoholism, the head of White House communications is a sour puss who is rarely wrong on principles, the assistant chief of staff is a little boy in a grown up body who has a great imagination for political tactics, the White House press spokesman has a father with Alzheimer's and a passion for women's issues which she sometimes needs to control if it conflicts with White House policy. The assistant head of communications is a brilliant writer with a weakness for inappropriate liaisons. The first lady is an important, talented medical doctor who compromises medical ethics to care for her husband and his political vulnerabilities.

One of my greatest pleasures is the fact that while I share the political priorities of the Democratic Bartlett administration, the Republicans, who are written to control both houses of the Congress, are not represented as straw men with positions which it is easy to dismiss. The tactics of the Bartlett team would not be nearly as believable if the House and Senate Republicans were cardboard caricatures. It almost seems like the writers intentionally make House and Senate Democrats and members of the cabinet as ornery and as difficult to work with as the Republicans.

If I have any difficulties with the plots of these stories at all, it is with the suspicion that a real modern president would not get involved in a lot of small details such as in the episode when two American girls were arrested in central Africa for prostylicizing for a Christian church. In real live, it seems this would reach no higher than an assistant Secretary of State. Another implausibility is when Bartlett stepped down from the presidency temporarily, handing it over to the Republican speaker of the house, while Bartlett's daughter was kidnapped by Arab terrorists. But then, we would not have had the pleasure of watching John Goodman play president for three episodes!

This show is great and parts should be required watching in high school civics classes.
... Read more

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It's goodbye to Capeside, hello to Boston in Dawson's Creek's fifth season (a.k.a.: Dawson's Creek: The College Years).While the end of the fourth season sent the five friends their separate ways--Dawson (James Van Der Beek) to USC Film School, Joey (Katie Holmes) to Wilmington College, Jen (Michelle Williams) and Jack (Kerr Smith) to Boston Bay College; and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) to the high seas--it doesn't take them long to find themselves together again.That's a good thing, especially when tragedy strikes a family member and threatens to tear the survivors apart.

More than anything, the fifth season seems to be about falling into bad relationships.Jen dates a cute but sleazy musician (Chad Michael Murray), Pacey gets a job in a restaurant where he pursues a woman (Lourdes Benedicto) already having an affair with a married man, then fends off a vampish new boss (Sherilyn Fenn, Twin Peaks).Joey is drawn to her handsome English professor (Ken Marino).And Jack joins a frat, becomes a jerk, and starts a devoted relationship with his beer bottle.Dawson meets an eccentric young filmmaker (Jordan Bridges) which in turn leads to a meeting with his favorite Boston film critic (Meredith Salenger).And Joey's new roommate, the annoyance-with-a-heart-of-gold Audrey (Busy Phillipps), becomes the newest major addition to the cast. The irritation factor is high this season, a couple of "Joey is threatened" interludes don't have the punch that they could have, and in the season finale, the inevitable resolution of the show's central relationship doesn't really resolve anything at all.But viewers who have followed the Capeside crew for four seasons will still want to see what happens in the fifth.

The fifth season is the first to have no DVD extras at all, and it continues the music-replacement strategy (which, since the second season has replaced much of the music, and since the third season has replaced Paula Cole's theme song, all due to licensing expenses).In addition to the usual background-music switches, some scenes have been edited (for example, the episode "Highway to Hell" has cut two of the performances on-stage at the Drunk & Dead).Also, the opening credits of "The Long Goodbye" and "Downtown Crossing" had originally used instrumental versions of "I Don't Want to Wait," which had underscored the emotion of those episodes. In the DVD set, those have been replaced by the standard version and an instrumental version, respectively, of "Run Like Mad." --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (26)

happy but not satisfied
I loved season 5 all the way back to season one but I have to say the cuts and change of songs are pretty disapointing I to delt with the changed theme song all though i hate it. anyways I don't have any thing to bad to say but i do feel like i got ripped off I was looking forward to extras and bonuses. i red in some one review that we would pay top dallor if thats what it takes and i second that if you need to bump up the price then please do so .

Paul Stupin, you're killing me!
I've heard it all before.It costs a lot of money to get credits for songs.But when I think I'm buying Season 5 of "Dawson's Creek" and what I really get is some whacked-out EDITED version of the show, I'm gonna be unhappy!This is the situation.I dealt with the theme song change.I dealt with some horrendous replacement songs.But I shouldn't have to deal with the decision to edit out some scenes for licensing issues.I hope I speak for many when I say that I am willing to pay top dollar for the unedited, as they aired versions of each and every episode of "Dawson's Creek".The DVDs as they are do not do the show justice.Only Season 1 is in its original state.It's the only set I suggest buying.

Pretty Good Season. Not As Bad As Everyone is Saying.
The fifth season saw alot of change for Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen, and Jack, but it also brought a more "adult" and loose feeling to the cast that, otherwise, wasn't there in seasons 1-4. Having said that, I feel that this season isn't as strong as other seasons, but it still worth the watch. I definitely think if you skip this season, then you will not get the season six. The reason I said that is because I quit watching Dawson's Creek around the middle of this season. I quit watching not because I thought it wasn't any good at the time, but rather that I was really busy with work and school.

Anyway, this season as I said, brings forth change, but one thing remains is the Joey-Dawson-Pacey love triangle and the Jen and Jack friendship. College really messes these characters up. They find themselves in a new environment with new characters like Audrey (Joey's college roommate), whom I think isn't that great of a character, but does add a nice break from the five.

People can say what they want to about this season. I like it. I know it's not as good as the other seasons, but it does have an interesting feel that the other seasons didn't. Things change and so do people. This is most comfortable I've seen these characters since their early beginnings in Capeside. It's definitely a different season, but I think it's a very welcoming change that has some interesting plots and twists.

its missing alot
I can understand the idea of not including certain songs because of the cost, but at the same time there are soemthings you just shouldn't change and should be forced to pay the money for. For example joey only sings one song when she performing with charlie at the dive bar.They totally edited that out, also when jenn dedicates a song to dawsons, how do u not get the rights for REM's Nightswimming.That song was chosen in the Tv series especially for that scene, i just dont get it.Also coem on Paul how about a little commentary, you definityl shoudl have had some words to say about a few episodes, such as the episode where Joey gets mugged and the episode with Mitch's funeral.Oh well at leats we have the episode on dvd

Dissappointing!
Okay, I am a hardcore Dawson's Creek fan...and yes I have bought this set of DVDs...but for a producer who was very passionate about this series, he didn't really put much into it. Some of the episodes look very grainy and the 100th episode, in the first flashback between Joey and Dawson, they forgot to mix in Dawson's dialogue so you only hear Joey talking, and Dawson's mouth moving, but no sound...all I have to say to Paul Stupin is..wtf? If he cared enough he might have taken the time to do some commentary, perhaps even get the rights to some of the better songs that they played during this season. For instance, the song in "Downtown Crossing"...the one Joeys dad used to sing to her, they cut out Joey humming the song and they replaced it with some other song. Mary Beth Meziarz is an awesome pianist and singer and they should have tried to keep her in the soundtracks. All we have here is the 23 episodes of the 5th season with music changes. Paul Stupin, I beg of you, please do something with Season 6...make buying these DVDs worth while! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Conventional wisdom prior to season one of The West Wing was that the only successful television shows were half hour sitcoms and hour long police, legal, or medical dramas. Building on surplus ideas from his film The American President and the walk-and-talk style of comedy and drama from his critically acclaimed television show Sports Night, Aaron Sorkin bucked the trend and created his masterpiece, one of the most memorable American political depictions to reach the big or small screen. Season one introduces viewers to a Nobel Prize-winning economist and unabashed intellectual president Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his key staff members, a newly elected Democratic administration trying to find its footing amidst the corridors of the White House's west wing. To the credit of its cast and their brilliant ensemble acting, The West Wing manages to immediately conjure nearly a dozen distinct and memorable characters. Perhaps the greatest star of all is Sorkin's rapid-fire dialogue, especially as delivered by Press Secretary C.J. Craig (Alison Janney), Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), and Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer). They carry on conversations while stalking purposefully and unhaltingly down corridors, around corners, and through doorways, and all of it unfurls with the choreographic precision of a classical ballet and the pace of an Olympic ping-pong rally.

What emerges is more than a collective liberal dream of an impassioned administration battling back ultra-conservative bogeymen ranging from the religious right to bigots to gun-toting militants. Wonderful episodes like "The Pilot" and "In Excelsis Deo" portray a government led by heroic, intelligent, and decent men and women. Whether or not one regards that as a political fantasy, it's a remarkably refreshing and appealing vision of politics and its practitioners, one that the public embraced with consistently strong television ratings. In a country whose citizens are used to viewing their elected leaders with mistrust and cynicism, that might be The West Wing's greatest accomplishment. --Eugene Wei ... Read more

Reviews (131)

Best Show on TV
This DVD has the first eleven episodes with a bonus of interviews with the writer Sorkin and most of the cast.

West Wing is one of the better ensemble dramas ever screened on television. However it was only after seeing the interviews of Sorkin and the cast members that one realised how it was done. Sorkin is clearly highly intelligent and his scripts are powerful and the basis of the show. This becomes clear when you hear the cast members talk. They lack the presence of their on screen personalities and although they are talented actors one realises that it is the structure of the plot and their lines which creates the characters.

Sorkin also indicates how in reality the plots have a high level of sentimental resolutions. One doesn?t pick this up in watching it. Sorkin explains how he uses humour to break up the flow of the story and to prevent the material becoming mawkish. He also indicates that although the White House portrayed is a Democrat one, he interplays conservative and liberal story lines. On first viewing the show it appeared to be moderately liberal but on re-watching the episodes on the CD Sorkin is right. The second episode is highly nationalistic and the last scene is the character played by Martin Sheen regretting that Americans cannot walk the earth with the same protection that was afforded the ancient romans. In other episodes the character Donna argues strongly the Republican line on taxation.

Watching these eleven episodes after watching them on TV some years ago, one is still struck by the strength of the characters, the frantic pace of the action and the fact that the scenes are seldom static. Even though one begins to see that there is a sentimentality which initially slips by you, one can still be moved when Toby arranges the funeral and honour guard for the homeless war veteran. It is however the humour and intelligence which is the driving force of the series and what makes it so watchable.

Best DVDs I've bought... Too bad they're the UK version
By this point there should be no doubt as to the quality of the television programming captured on these DVDs. Every review I've read, both on Amazon and elsewhere, and my own immense enjoyment of the set attests to its quality.

How disappointing then that US fans of this show must look outside their own country to buy the DVD set. I went to Amazon.co.uk (the British local site for Amazon) and found the West Wing Season 1 set there. Be forewarned, however: These are Region 2 discs, meaning they can be readily played only by folks in Europe, the Middle East and Japan. If you are in the US, with a standard (i.e., non-region free) US player, you are out of luck. Your only recourse is to buy a "Region Free" player (many Web sites hawk modified low market players that can play any disc), modify your own player (don't even think about it), or try getting your computer DVD drive to play it.

This last option is what I've accomplished, and though I'm happy to be able to watch these West Wing episodes whenever I like, it's a bummer to have to view them on my computer monitor. C'est la vie, I suppose.

Excellent!
I watch a lot of TV, too much really, and the vast majority of the time I feel guilty about it. But the one show that I never feel guilty watching is The West Wing. There's not a character I don't like, or an episode that does not make me laugh then cry. The writing is at times humorous and at other times inspiring. Finally, I learn something new about government, or people, or the world at large every episode. Makes you feel better about watching all that tv.

Simply the BEST
I missed WW on TV. When I heard about it I rented the first season DVDs. What a show! It is just great. It will make you laugh and make you cry. This has got to be one of the best shows out there.
And, I have seen a lot of movies. One of the few movies that I agree with the critics on.

Warning: Be carefull, if you buy it or rent it you will be hooked. Very difficult not to start watching the next episode when the previous one ends.

The series deals with many current issues and shows us how the people behind the politics really try to do their best (in most cases). Not that this is real life, mind you. But could sure serve as an inspiration to those that serve as our elected officials and those that aspire to serve in that capacity in the future.

What else can I say. Buy a copy, rent a copy but you just have to see this series. Then let us all know what you think.

I was blown away. I think you will be too.

All I can say, it "Wow"
I was skeptical about buying the series before I've even seen it but I've always been a fan of movies with a theme like this one. "The American President", for example. While deployed with the US Military, I took a chance and didn't buy just the first season, but both season I and II at once. I was hooked within the first few minutes of the pilot episode. The mix of drama, suspense and humor have been done with expert precision and I couldn't wait until I saw the next episode. The clifhanger from season I to II had be ripping the disk from my computer just to plow the next one in. All I can more is I really wish Season III was available as I have so much more time deployed and really want to watch more of this show. Several of us at work are now watching it as well. This show has my backing! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: Like 1999's other screen touchstone, American Beauty, the HBO series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood.

The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatization of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchmen and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed.

The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (232)

How the Sopranos saved Christmas.
On December 22, 2000, I recived the Sopranos First Season on DVD. It was a Birthday/Holiday gift form my girlfriend of 5 years. Over the course of the next week and a half, if there was any doubt of my whereabouts, it was a safe bet I was watching the next episonde. I am a 23 year old actor. My VHS collection numbers 350. My DVD collection a mere 20, however the Sopranos box set delivered more hours of riveting enjoyment than anything has in a long time. The show is, in my opinion a perfect blend of satire, drama, social comentary and fantastic story telling. Every person I introduce to the Sopranos is throughly impressed with all aspects of the series. On a personal note, I think James Gandolfini has finally given us something that Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino have long strived to achive. Gandolfini brings a familiarity to this roll that is one of the key elements to the show's success. He has created a character that is not out of reach for the veiwing audience. Edie Falco and Nancie Marchand are also invaluable components to the creation of the overall feeling of accesability. While we may not all know what it is to have an AK-47 within arms reach, we do know what it is to have a nagging mother and a confused and judgmental spouse. The icing on the cake of this series is its supporting cast, the boys at the club and kids at home create an atmosphere that is simply tantilizing to the veiwing audience. I recomend this set to mafia fans and house wives alike. Get it for the gangster in you, after all...a hit is a hit.

Woke up this morning and got myself the Sopranos...
Anyone who knows me could tell you I'm a huge fan of mob/crime films, so it's rather weird that I never had a huge interest in this show until now. I don't have HBO in my house and simply never cared enough to go out and rent/buy all four seasons. Then my parents watched it and were suddenly in love with it. Knowing that my mother wouldn't go within ten yards of a film like "Goodfellas," I figured this had to be an excellent show.

And I was right.

I still don't get HBO, but when I think of the past five years where I could have been watching this show on DVD instead of "Paradise Hotel" on FOX, I kick myself. I've only watched the first season and am looking forward to what comes next. "The Sopranos" is a meticulously crafted drama that's unlike anything else I've ever seen on television. Frankly, I was always just into comedy sitcoms because I didn't have the interest or patience for this type of TV. But, in "the Sopranos'" case, I'll make an exception. I'd only be cheating myself if I didn't.

I might be five years late, but at least now I understand what the hype is all about. Highly recommended for other late bloomers.

HBO's way of telling us to thank God our dad isn't a mobster
"The Sopranos" has done more than just revolutionize television...being one of the best shows on TV with compelling story lines, quarky characters, and snappy mafia lingo...the show has redefinied the definition of family. But while we've grown up with our family, we've grown up with Tony's family and it's HBO's way of telling us to thank God our father isn't a mobster. The first season is great when we see Tony desperately trying hard to hide the salomi with his psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi. There's his dutiful wife that suspects that he's been cheating. TRUST ME THE LAST THING THAT I NEED TO SEE AT NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT ON HBO IS JAMES GANDOLFINI'S SLUGGISH, BEARISH BODY ON TOP OF A HOT CHICK. But it only fuels to the show. The violence. The sex. The language. It all accomplishes the real grit of being a mobster. I've heard fans say that they think Tony is the tragic hero-type, but HE'S A COLD-BLOODED KILLER! There's nothing heroic about that. Then there's the fact that a few years ago, somebody made a real adult film based on "The Sopranos". That's when you know you've become part of pop culture. Five stars all the way, for the cinematic effect that the collage of episodes brings to the small screen. Now you've got the skinny on "The Sopranos"...kapish?!

HBO's way of telling us to thank God our dad isn't a mobster
With compelling story arcs, quarky characters, and catchy mafia lingo, "The Sopranos" has taken the definition of family and redefined it. But ever since the beginning, "The Sopranos" has sparked a sensation with American pop culture and has revolutionized television with the use of sex, drugs, violence, and profanity to fuel complex story lines. For example, "The Sopranos" has had so much of an impact that there's an adult film called "The Sopornos" based on it. That's when you know you've got a hit. NOW THE CRITICISM: As always I've got to slam every movie/show I see, so first of all, what is the deal with Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) trying HIDE THE SALOMI with Dr. Melfi. And why doesn't his wife Carmella (Falco) give a s*#%. Second, Dr. Melfi (Bracco) doesn't have a right to complain since all she has to do is transfer her mob boss patient out of there, but SHE DOESN'T. I THINK SHE NEEDS A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF HER OWN. There's Uncle Junior (Chianese) with his grandpa nit-picking. I liked the start of the show when Tony and Uncle Junior were warring over turf. Why can't Sirico win the Emmy for Paulie Walnuts. (...) Another thing, I bet if I had a ring stuck on my finger, I'd just run it through Silvio's greasy hair and it'd fall off, shelled in hardened vasoline. Finally, what is with the audience, thinking Tony is a tragic hero. He really isn't, HE'S A COLD-BLOODED criminal. Just because he provides for his family doesn't justify his actions. While Chase (writer/producer) humanizes him, he's still a vicious guy that treats women like garbage. Note: The last thing I need to see at 9:00 on HBO is Gandolfini's sluggish, bearish body on an intensely hot chick. BUT this is certainly one of the best shows on TV, if not THE BEST! "The Sopranos" is great in its writing, directing, and acting. I JUST WISH THOSE PROTESTORS WOULD SHUT UP , STOP RANTING, AND STOP RUINING IT FOR THE REST OF US. I IMPLORE YOU TO WATCH THE FIRST SEASON AND I GUARANTEE YOU'LL GET HOOKED, at least for the first three seasons. NOW I'VE TOLD YOU THE SKINNY, SO CHECK IT OUT...KAPISH?!

It's a hit!
EXCELLENT DIRECTING/PRODUCING/WRITING/ACTING. Great performances and the originality is unbelievable. ... Read more

Description

Episode 14--"Guy Walks into a Psychiatrists Office": In the long-awaited season opener, the more things change, the more they stay the same--and create agita for Tony Soprano.
Episode 15--"Do Not Resuscitate": When Pussy goes to the doctor for steroid injections in his back, the person leafing through old magazines in the waiting room is FBI Agent Skip Lipari. As they drive home afterwards it's revealed that Sal Bompensiero, AKA Big Pussy Bompensiero, made man and life-long friend of Tony Soprano, is facing a heroin possession charge and has become an informant for the Feds.
Episode 16--"Toodle-F***ing-oo": Big brother of the late, great Jackie Aprile, Richie has just finished ten years in prison and is looking to pick up where he left off. He figures it should be pretty easy, too. After all, the jerky kid he used to look out for in the old neighborhood has grown up to be none other than the current Boss, Tony Soprano.
Episode 17--"Commendatori": Tony goes to the old country to conduct business while Carmela stays home and contemplates the nature of marriage.
Episode 18--"Big Girls Don't Cry": Watch out, New Jersey, Furio Giunta has arrived. The latest addition to the Soprano crew is safely in the States and now that his operation has some new talent, the Boss can make a few organizational changes.
Episode 19--"The Happy Wanderer": Now that he's back with Dr. Melfi, Tony tells her that he's angry with all the "happy wanderers" in the world: the people who manage to get through life "with a clear head." At the moment, however, he doesn't have time to explore this anger. He's got to organize the "Executive Game."
Episode 20--"D-Girl": On the eve of Anthony, Jr.'s confirmation, uncertainty abounds. A.J. has discovered Camus and Nietzsche and thinks life is meaningless. Christopher has a tryst with his cousin's filmmaker fiancee and thinks he would rather be a player in Hollywood than New Jersey. And Pussy must decide whether the threat of thirty years in prison can force him to wear a wire into Tony's house.
Episode 21--"Full Leather Jacket": Worried about Meadow's college prospects, Carmela asks her next-door neighbor, Jean Cusamano, for help. Richie makes a peace offering to Tony. Christopher's friends, Sean and Matt, seek to improve their status by pledging allegiance to Richie through an enterprising plan.
Episode 22--"From Where to Eternity": Christopher, clinically dead for a moment during surgery, has a textbook out-of-body experience. Paulie consults a psychic. In therapy, Dr. Melfi tells her psychiatrist about her complex relationship with Tony, and discusses her growing substance abuse problems.
Episode 23--"Bust-Out": Richie complains to Tony about his business situation, and seeks an alliance with Junior. Tony decides to spend more quality time with Anthony Jr., with mixed results. Tony orchestrates the bankruptcy of David Scatino's sporting goods store, while Carmela hires Scatino's virile brother-in-law Vic to wallpaper the Soprano powder room.
Episode 24--"House Arrest": After dodging a legal bullet, Tony is advised by his lawyer to spend more time at his legitimate business interests. Junior relieves the tedium of house arrest in the company of widow Catherine Romano. Tony confronts Richie over drug sales. Stressed out Dr. Melfi gets into a public altercation.
Episode 25--"The Knight in White Satin Armor": What's to be done about Richie Aprile? It's not a rhetorical question. And it's going to have to be answered soon because he's rapidly running out his string with Tony. Richie's not the only one with whom Tony would like to sever ties. He's been trying to break up with Irina, his Russian goomah, but she's not the kind of girl you can just shove a pie at, Junior-style. Meanwhile, Pussy's grown increasingly resentful of the Boss' treatment of him since his return. Is Pussy's resentment strong enough that he'll finally give Tony up to the Feds?
Episode 26--"Funhouse": The last episode of the season finds things going pretty well for Tony. Business-wise, things are great. But despite his success, one night Tony's doubts about Pussy keep coming up--along with the chicken vindaloo he ate in an Indian restaurant. Tony wakes up determined to find out the truth about Pussy, one way or the other.

(c) 2003 Home Box Office.All rights reserved.HBO(r) and The Sopranos(r) are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (86)

The Second Season: Nearly as Great as the First
THE SOPRANOS had a tough act to follow after that remarkable first season. With so many characters having gotten wacked by the end of the first season, the show faced the always-tricky challenge of integrating new characters into the mix.

Although there are some lulls early in the second season, the show ultimately surfs the transition extremely well. Episode 14, the first of the second season, reveals what became of Big Pussy Bonpensiero; it also introduces us to Janice, Tony's ne'er-do-well sister from the West Coast. In episode 16 we get a blunt introduction to Richie Aprile (brother of the late Jackie Aprile Sr.). Richie has just been released from prison, and we immediately know that he's going to be a nasty thorn in Tony's side. But frankly, you could skip over episodes 17 and 18 and you would barely miss a thing. By far the most significant long-term development in those episodes occurs when Tony brings Furio back after a "business trip" to Italy.

Things really start cooking in episode 19 when we meet Tony's high school buddy and "degenerate gambler" David Scatino, brilliantly played by the underrated actor Robert Patrick. (Frank Sinatra Jr. has a cameo in this episode). It would be unfair to newcomers to detail any more plot twists beyond this point.

The sessions between Tony and Dr. Melfi remain the prism through which the entire show is filtered. One of their best and most pointed exchanges occurs in episode 22. Dr. Melfi asks Tony if he believes that his nephew Christopher will burn in hell because of his mob activities. Who among us really belongs in hell? "The serial killers, the people who kill for pleasure, the child molesters, the Hitlers, the Pol Pots. Those are the [...] who belong in hell, not my nephew," Tony responds (I'm paraphrasing a bit). After all, "Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan were crooks and killers too." But those Gilded Age elites needed Italian immigrants "to build their cities and dig their subways and make 'em richer." The rise of La Cosa Nostra early in the twentieth century, Tony concludes, was simply a class struggle in which the hard-working sons of Italian immigrants claimed their rightful "piece of the action." Not even Dr. Melfi can stomach this much moral equivalence. In one of the few times that she blows her stack at Tony, she angrily asks, "Does that justify EVERYTHING you do?"

The show's little touches are almost as impressive as the big ones. For example, episode 23 begins with an eyewitness telling the cops about a murder. Later we see him at home, sipping wine and reading ANARCHY, STATE AND UTOPIA. This episode also reveals Richie and Janice's unorthodox (and hysterically funny) lovemaking techniques, which only the two of them could have dreamed up.

One could go on and on about what makes this show so special. The key to the show's success, I believe, is that it tends to be character-driven, whereas too many other shows are strictly plot-driven. That explains why THE SOPRANOS almost always rings true. Thank God this show is on HBO and not regular network TV.

Every time I think I'm out, it pulls me back in!
Things are going pretty well for Tony Soprano at the beginning of the second season of "The Sopranos." With most of his enemies safely sidelined, he is the unchallenged boss of the New Jersey mob, with lots of lucrative business opportunities presenting themselves. Yet, as always, new problems present themselves. His kids Meadow and A.J. are as rebellious as ever, and wife Carmela is increasingly fed up with Tony's absences, infidelities and fits of temper. Janice, his hippie-dippy sister, shows up unexpectedly. Richie Aprile, a mobster so greedy and violent that he scares even Tony, is released from prison and starts muscling in on Tony's business. Dr. Melfi, Tony's shrink, refuses to talk to him. And then, as always, there are the feds... As always, "Sopranos" creator David Chase and his superb team of writers cook up a fascinating, mesmerizing witch's brew of money, murder and various misbehaviors, enacted by what may well be the best ensemble cast in the history of television. (If there were a Nobel Prize for TV acting, James Gandolfini and Edie Falco certainly would be on the short list every year.) Once again, if you're offended by rough language, nudity and violence, stay away. Otherwise, be prepared to get hooked.

The 21st Century Is Awesome, So Is This Cable TV Show
Thank God for the 21st century, we live in a great time of great
movies like The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Crouching Tiger
Hidden Dragon, A Beautiful Mind, and Chicago. A great time of
great music like: Linken Park, and Fisher Spooner. A great time
of miniseries: Band Of Brothers, the miniseries of Ken Burns, and Angels In America. A great time of Books: Film books, and
all other types of reading. And also a great time of great TV:
HBO's Oz, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Family Guy, and of course The Sopranos. What I love about this show is everything, it is completely flawless from the fascinating storylines to the outstanding performances from
everyone involved. James Gandolfini not only plays mafia family
man Tony Soprano with character and depth, but with his persona-
lity he captures the works of Hollywood legends Robert De Niro,
and the late Marlon Brando, who was such a legendary actor with
classic films like The Godfather and On The Waterfront (I coulda
been a contender) which De Niro used for his Jake La Motta role
in the flawless masterpiece Raging Bull. Edie Falco brings
human emotion to her role in the show as Carmella Soprano, and
another standout is Michael Imperolli (Who played Spider in
Goodfellas). This is what TV should be. Five Stars.

Can you survive thirteen episodes with The Sopranos?
I was totally looking forward to this second series of The Sopranos. Its amazing writing and compelling story lines are the finest ever to emerge from TV. Never as a TV show had the same effect on you as a movie does.

Series Two is a lot better than series one and contains more depth in the characters. If the Sopranos just went about killing one another we wouldn't really care about it, but because it could almost be described as a psychological drama (with guns) it is fantastic. I'm Italian American and don't mind one iota at some of the humor in this and appreciated every second this DVD had to offer.

If the creator David Chase is reading this (ha) then when The Sopranos finishes, how about a prequel/spin off with JOHNNY 'BOY' SOPRANO in the fiftys? It'll be a sure hit.

It's a Family Thing....
The Sopranos is one of HBO's greatest achievements (although I admit that I think it lost some of its momentum and spark with seasons three and four). When I first saw the show, I was hooked. I'd watch anywhere from three to four episodes a day. One of the great things about first watching this show on DVD was that I could watch any number of episodes instead of just watching one per week.

"The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season" has to be my favorite season. As much as I love the first one, this was when things were really funny, intense, dramatic and involving. The season doesn't let us down when it comes to Tony having more problems than ever before. Both in his Mafia Family and his immediate family, Tony can never get a break. His wife gives him grief while his kids keep doing things that upset him. And don't get me started on his ill mother and self-centered sister. Life isn't much better in his Mafia Family when the brother of Jackie is released from prison and is giving Tony a hard time both personally and professionally. Not to mention that his long time friend, Big P. comes back from a long hiatus when he was first suspected of turning rat to the Feds. All of this leads to one incredible and unpredictable season that showcases the show like none other.

For me, this was the most entertaining season of them all. I loved the characters, the constantly changing storylines, and the personal and business life of Tony Soprano, which is superbly balanced in this season. There's still the much appreciated humor in these episodes that were found lacking in the next two seasons. It doesn't feel like a soap opera, but a more enhanced look into the Mafia world. There's plenty of action as well as dramatic storylines that will make everybody happy for the most part.

This season comes in a set of four discs, totaling at 13 episodes. The great thing about the show is that it is presented to us in a widescreen format that is enhanced for widescreen TVs. This really makes the show that more effective because you feel like you're actually watching a movie rather than a show on cable. The picture and sound quality is great and really shows. There are some nice little extras, such as featurettes, brief previews and recaps of episodes, web-links and more.

"The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season" is a bundle of laughs, suspense, drama, action and surprises. You're always on your toes and you never know what's coming next. One thing's for sure; this is the most unpredictable season out of the four seasons (the fifth one looks pretty promising thus far). While you'll want to start with the first season if you've never seen the show before, you'll know that you will have something special to look forward to once you get to the second season. In my opinion, this is where Sopranos is flawlessly at its best. -Michael Crane ... Read more

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"So," Tony Soprano asks analyst Dr. Melfi in the wake ofnot-so-dearly-departed Livia's death, "we're probably done here, right?" Sorry, Tone, not by along shot. Unresolved mother issues are the least of the Family man's troublesin the brutal and controversial third season of The Sopranos. Ranked byTV Guide among the top five greatest series ever, The Sopranosjustified its eleven-month hiatus with some of its best, and most hotly debated,episodes that continue the saga of the New Jersey mob boss juggling thepressures of his often intersecting personal and professional lives. The thirdseason garnered 22 Emmy nominations, earning Lead Actor and Actress honors forJames Gandolfini and Edie Falco for their now-signature roles as Tony and hisincreasingly conflicted wife, Carmela.

The Sopranos continued to upend convention and defy audience expectationswith a deliberately paced, calm-before-the-storm season opener that revolvesaround the FBI's attempts to bug the Soprano household, and a season finale that(for some) frustratingly leaves several plot lines unresolved. The secondepisode, "Proshai, Livushka," confronts the death of the venerable NancyMarchand, who capped her career with perhaps her greatest role as malignantmatriarch Livia. A jarring scene between Tony and Livia that uses pre-existingfootage is a distraction, but Carmela's unsparing smackdown of Livia at the wakeredeems the episode. "Employee of the Month," in which Dr. Melfi is raped andconsiders whether to exact revenge by telling Tony of her attack, earned Emmysfor its writers, and is perhaps Emmy nominee Lorraine Bracco's finest hour. Thedarkly comic "Pine Barrens"--another memorable episode, directed by SteveBuscemi--strands Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) in theforest with a runaway corpse. Other story arcs concern the rise of the seriouslyunstable Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) and Tony's affair with "full-blownloop-de-loo" Gloria (Emmy nominee Annabella Sciorra). Plus, there is Tony'sestrangement from daughter Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler), his wayward delinquentson Anthony, Jr. (Robert Iler), Carmela's crisis of conscience, bad seed JackieJr., and the FBI--which, as the season ends, assigns an undercover agent tobefriend an unwitting figure in the Soprano family's orbit. Stay tuned forseason four. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (85)

A series that just gets better and better.
The third series of 'The Sopranos' consolidates the brilliance of the first two, rather than taking it in any radically new directions. The characters, their relationships and their environment are so strong; the dramatic irony between our sympathy with and enjoyment of these people, and our knowledge of their brutal and unhypocritically presented crimes, is so complex, that any blatant originality merely for the sake of it would be a betrayal.

But, because the central components are so strong, there is plenty of room for play - in the way narratives are set up to encourage then defy expectations; in the interplay with canonical gangster texts, especially 'The Godfather'; in the consistently creative use of music - for mood and to emphasise character, yes, but also to create ironic distance, to add montages of 'commentary' over the stories, to connect apparently disparate scenes, to add a depth of texture. Because it is in texture that 'The Sopranos' has really developed - the recklessly confident film-making; the layered scripts; the rich dialogue; and the knowing acting combine to create programmes of truly, yes, operatic density.

There are a number of new plot developments in this series - Meadow goes to Columbia University; the FBI (in a supremely funny handful of episodes) attempt to bug the Sopranos; the Russian mafia grow in menacing importance; Janice takes up with a Christian musician; Anthony Jr. becomes increasingly unmanagable at school and at play, but proves an unexpectedly skilful footballer; Ralph (Joe Pantoliano) replaces Richie Aprile as the major made-guy thorn in Tony's side; Carmela feels increasingly guilty about her mob-financed luxury; Tony begins an affair with a beautiful, smart, successful car saleswoman (Anabella Sciorra) who has even more mental problems than he. Most crucial for the series is the role of Jackie Aprile Jr., college-mitching son of Tony's former mob boss and best friend, who wants to see some of the criminal action, and starts dating Meadow as a spectacularly misjudged entree. The major weakness of the second series - the tokenistic continuation of the Dr. Melfi framing scenes long after they've outrun their dramtic usefulness - is corrected by both bringing the psychotherapist (dangerously) closer to Tony's life, and by having Carmela join in the sessions, to comic effect.

There is a brooding, elegiac feel to the series, with Tony thinking not just about his mother, but his dead friends, Pussy's actions in the last series, and the future possibilities open to the younger generation. If nothing else, Series 3 boasts the best-ever episode of 'The Sopranos', directed by one Steve Buscemi, which begins farcically, with Paulie and Christopher accidentally killing an irate Russian, and bungling the disposal of his body in a snow-wasted forest; before turning into a nightmare, as they lose their bearings after the corpse runs off, and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Loosened from the secure ties and identity-affirmation of family and Family, the episode brilliantly encapsulates what's at stake in the series, as unforgettably as the immortal 'Seinfeld' episode when the quartet can't find their car in the shopping mall car park.

Oddly compelling despite subject matter
The third season of HBO's acclaimed Sopranos continues the established tradition of this film-quality television series. The Sopranos are a fairly normal suburban New Jersey family except that the father, Tony, is the head of an organized crime organization. In the third season, Tony's mother Livia dies (as did the actress that portrayed her, Nancy Marchand), daughter Meadow goes off to Columbia University, son Anthony, Jr. struggles to stay in high school, and Tony's mobster friends continue with their regular business ventures. James Gandolfini's portrayal of Tony is always at the heart of the series' success. He is able to pull off the difficult task of being likeable as a suburban father while simultaneously cheating on his wife and killing people. People I know who don't usually care for onscreen sex, violence, and foul language are irrestibly drawn to this series because of its compelling performances, professional direction and screenwriting, and long-spanning story arcs. There is a large cast of supporting characters whose stories progress as the audience becomes more familiar with them, as in a daytime soap opera. Of course, some of them get whacked. Actually, the third season has considerably less killing and nudity than the first two. But the profanity continues in full force. This is not material suitable for the kiddies. To me the best aspect of the content of this series is the way it examines the themes of integrity, responsibility, and especially loyalty. There is a perverse sense of justice when a disloyal mobster is "disappeared" by the collective efforts of his mob family. The DVD extras are very slight. The featurette is very short but does offer a chance to hear the actor who portrays Furio speak without his Italian accent. The audio commentaries by actor/screenwriter Michael Imperioli, director (better known as an actor, though not of Sopranos) Steve Buscemi, and creator David Chase are among the least informative I have ever heard. Buscemi, one of my favorite actors, is entirely too humble and deferential to the set-in-place Sopranos powers-that-be to deliver any sort of authority on his commentary. But despite the lack of substantive DVD extras, this package is well worth watching to those who like competently delivered episodic television. But do definitely start with the first season!

My Favorite Season of the Sopranos
I'm a great fan of the series and have all four seasons on DVD and just finishing watching 5 on HBO. The third season is my favorite by far. Some reasons why:

The introduction of Ralphie Cifaretto to the show (played outstandingly by Joe Pantoliano), the hilarious and well acted Pine Barrens episode, the great chemistry and high drama between Tony Soprano & Gloria Trullo (Anabella Sciorra), and Jason Cerbone as Jackie Aprile (nice plot line involving him and besides he's great eye candy), the return of Janice, Carmella's scene in the male psychiatrist's office when she briefly confronts the reality of her life.

It's just fantastic and like the entire show so far, it's a must see. Although some were disappointed with Season 5 and truthfully it could have been better, the Sopranos continues to be complex and quality TV. It's more than just a mob show, for sure.

BADA BING...BADA BOOM...
If you are looking at this review, you probably already have the first and second season. All I can tell you is that the third season is as good, if not better, than the first and second. This is truly one of the best series ever to have graced the television screen. Leave it to HBO to have come up with such an engaging, well-written, well-acted, and totally addictive series.

There are some major plot developments this season. Starting off slowly, the first episode chronicles the synchronized, often comical efforts of the FBI, which is trying to get an electronic surveillance bug in place in the Soprano's household. The season then heats up considerably from thereon.

Livia Soprano, Tony's wicked mother and a canker in her children's lives, dies, bringing daughter Janice back from where she had fled, after she had bumped off her manic boyfriend, Richie Aprile, last season. Janice returns with a narcoleptic, musician boyfriend who is the antithesis of Richie. As always, Janice likes to stir up trouble, and her mother Livia's wake and funeral services are fertile country for her new machinations and self-importance. When she tries to stir up trouble with Livia's one legged, Russian caregiver, which leaves the caregiver searching for her missing prosthetic leg, however, Janice soon discovers that she has gone too far, and her chickens come home to roost with a vengeance.

Meadow, the Soprano's daughter and eldest child, a college student at Ivy League Columbia University, gets a new boyfriend, Noah Tannenbaum. He is handsome, intelligent, and articulate, and Tony hates him on the spot for reasons the viewer will quickly discern, as Tony pulls no punches with Noah. This will create a certain amount of tension between father and daughter, and an estrangement ensues. When Noah breaks her heart, Jackie Aprile, Jr. is waiting in the wings with her parent's blessing, and Meadow goes from the frying pan into the fire.

Anthony Soprano, Jr., the Sopranos' other angst ridden teenager and youngest child, who has turned out to be an unexpected gridiron wonder, is also sowing his wild oats, getting himself in deep trouble at school, much to his parents' anger and dismay. When Anthony, Jr. continues in this vein, there is a big surprise in store for him, causing him to undergo a major life change. He is not, however, the only Soprano family member to do so.

Tony finds himself head over heels with Gloria, another of Dr. Melfi's patients. A Mercedes car salesperson, Gloria, the new light of Tony's life, is gorgeous, passionate, and a totally loose cannon. She will cause quite a bit of conflict for Tony as their affair heats up, as Gloria likes to fight fire with fire. Gloria has to watch out that she, herself, does not get burned.

Carmela, Tony's long suffering and patient wife, being only human, finds her thoughts increasingly absorbed by Tony's henchman, Furio, the sexy, pony tailed Italian. The problem is that Furio, too, is experiencing deep feelings for Tony's wife, a situation that can only become increasingly dangerous for all concerned. How Furio and Carmela handle their feelings and resolve this potentially dangerous development is of great interest.

Dr. Melfi herself undergoes great personal angst this season, following her violent rape at the hands of a stranger. A very conflicted Dr. Melfi finds herself on the edge of taking a path from which there can be no return. This season also finds Dr. Melfi doing husband/wife tag team counseling with both Tony and Carmela, a venture that provides some comic relief and gives rise to potential conflict of interest.

Meanwhile, Jackie Aprile, Jr., Tony's godson and Meadow's new main squeeze, the deceptively soft spoken and good looking son of the late mob boss, Jackie Aprile, Tony's best friend, is up to no good. Lying through his teeth about everything to everyone, he is misguided by his seriously unstable step-father, mob made man Ralph Cifaretto, who is busy plying both sides of the coin. It seems that Ralph, dissatisfied with the role to which he has been relegated within the family, is doing Tony dirty, going against his wishes at every turn, and the situation with Jackie, Jr. is no exception, a situation that will culminate in heartbreak for all concerned.

Back at the ranch, Tony's other henchmen seem to have their own troubles. Corrado "Uncle Junior" Soprano, the nominal boss of the family, who is kept in check by his nephew Tony, is busy battling cancer and a federal prosecution. Young Christopher Moltisanti, Tony's nephew, gets his long desired promotion, and is told to report to Paulie "Walnuts" Gaultieri. Christopher soon finds out that with Paulie "Walnuts" business is business. Meanwhile, Christopher gets involved in a sideline that bodes ill for him and his fiancee.

When Tony sends a resentful Paulie "Walnuts", accompanied by Christopher, on a mission that should have been that of another, Christopher sees an unexpected side of Paulie. When the mission, involving a member of the Russian mob, goes bad at the hands of an angry Paulie, Christopher discovers that Paulie may not be as stand up a guy as Christopher thought. While this is a terrific episode, very funny in a macabre sort of way, it also cleverly sets up Paulie in a new light for future developments. This particular episode, one of my favorites, is a feather in the cap of actor Stephen Buscemi, who directed it.

These are just some of the highlights of the third season. There is so much more! The writing continues to be intelligent, and the story lines are as well thought out and engrossing as ever. The performances are uniformly stellar. The late, great actress, Nancy Marchand, whose portrayal of the venomous Livia Soprano was a feather in her cap, left a legacy of memories, having died after creating such a memorable character. She will sorely be missed. This third season's attempt to bridge her death and use existing footage and computer effects to create a dialogue between Livia and Tony, however, was misguided, as its e