re: Just started the Sopranos

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I am sure it might not hold up as well since the nature of TV has changed & it probably isn't as far out there as it originally was.

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I agree to a point. I think there were mixed signals going on. The family scenes were shot with an almost sitcom (or family dramedy) vibe that I cannot believe was an accident - some of the gangsters were played straight, and at the highest level of acting (I'm thinking Vincent Curatola's "Johnny Sack" character here), while others were delivered with a campy, over-the-top style (Paulie and Sil), without - quite - drifting into parody.

At that point, you had Michael Imperoli's Gen-X gangster, Christopher, trying to get his button in a changing landscape - and, despite the obvious self-reference to breaking into television/movies/music by a gangster - did a decent, realistic job of portraying a drug addict trying to function within the surrealistic gangster landscape.

But, putting the pieces together, with whatever inconsistencies, just worked for lack of a better word. I agree it doesn't hold up quite as well as my 2 big GOAT contenders from approximately the same era: The Wire and The Shield.

But, however much I like The Shield and enjoy Chiklis' portrayal of Vic Mackey, Tony Soprano is the greatest television character and Gandolfini delivers the greatest performance since Lucille Ball playing Lucy Ricardo (possibly excepting Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock).

And that's about the highest praise I can give. That's the gold standard.