FTA-TV The Sopranos

[BEaston]

Constantly have this argument with someone else. His point on The Wire being better is based on the fact it covers all sides of American life and culture through the slow death of a major East coast city. It does cover crime, eudcation, politics, press etc.

The depth of The Sopranos trumps this in my opinion though. One example is the final scene in Holstens that ramps up the tension without really doing anything. Just the bell every time the door opens, the shots of all the different people around. Then there's the dream episodes, the coma and Kevin Finnerty. It's layer upon layer of brilliance.

Could never warm to Breaking Bad and feel bad for it but it just never hit the mark.

What do you mean by depth though? To me, The Wire has Sopranos covered in terms of depth for plot, characters (Tony aside) and setting. The examples you gave don't really illustrate depth to me (but we could be working off different definitions). Genuine question.

 

[Righteo]

The Wire is unmatched in terms of realism, character-building, subject matter, research, social commentary etc etc but for me The Sopranos is just a more entertaining show and imo it isn't fair comparing the two because they're so different and brilliant in their own ways. The Wire is almost too real at times and is like the most depressing documentary ever made whereas TS is shot, written and produced as a much more theatrical and dramatic production; overall easier to digest and better for bulk rewatching.

Comparing either to GoT makes my heart hurt though. Yeah it's a decent show, at least during the first few seasons, but so it should be with the rich source material, fantastical setting and exorbitant budget it had.

 

[RAPPA]

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

The Wire is unmatched in terms of realism, character-building, subject matter, research, social commentary etc etc but for me The Sopranos is just a more entertaining show and imo it isn't fair comparing the two because they're so different and brilliant in their own ways. The Wire is almost too real at times and is like the most depressing documentary ever made whereas TS is shot, written and produced as a much more theatrical and dramatic production; overall easier to digest and better for bulk rewatching.

Comparing either to GoT makes my heart hurt though. Yeah it's a decent show, at least during the first few seasons, but so it should be with the rich source material, fantastical setting and exorbitant budget it had.

Without being defensive I guess it's because the Sopranos was also first and the patient zero for the golden era of television that has followed. The performances also and the fact sometimes things were left like the Russian etc. The Wire also built on a foundation as it went along. I find them both very even but Sopranos just shades it.

 

[bok_party]

Without being defensive I guess it's because the Sopranos was also first and the patient zero for the golden era of television that has followed. The performances also and the fact sometimes things were left like the Russian etc. The Wire also built on a foundation as it went along. I find them both very even but Sopranos just shades it.

Oz was patient zero

 

[Demonic Ascent]

The wire is definitely better than Sopranos.

I rewatched Sopranos earlier this year and currently rewatching the Wire (just finished series 2).

I previously had the Wire a nose ahead of Sopranos but now I'm not sure. Sopranos has so much depth to it from a "literary" perspective. The Wire is more of a slow burn so I'll see how I feel after I complete it but at the moment I'd have Sopranos ahead but really it's hard to split the two. The characters in Sopranos are hilarious, it really could almost be watched as a pure comedy.

 

[charcoalchicken]

I have the sopranos as better than the wire but only just, both excellent shows and agree with people putting breaking bad in the same bracket as those two have no idea what they're talking about

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Oz was patient zero

Oz was a gay soap opera.

 

[bok_party]

Oz was a gay soap opera.

Harsh

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

That's what is descended in to. Was awesome initially but then it started to get more than a little ridiculous and unrealistic compared with what came after.

Wasn't there some stat that not even the worst jails in BOlivia had as many murders as Oz did?

 

[rumply]

I rewatched Sopranos earlier this year and currently rewatching the Wire (just finished series 2).

I previously had the Wire a nose ahead of Sopranos but now I'm not sure. Sopranos has so much depth to it from a "literary" perspective. The Wire is more of a slow burn so I'll see how I feel after I complete it but at the moment I'd have Sopranos ahead but really it's hard to split the two. The characters in Sopranos are hilarious, it really could almost be watched as a pure comedy.

Yes, The Sopranos is a work of art - the setting, characters, drama, humour, music, all helped of course by a generationally outstanding actor.

Unfair to compare the 2, both have their place in Hall of Fame TV.

 

[STFU Donnie]

All modern arc-based TV shows owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Hill Street Blues. Maybe no longer the best, but certainly the most ground breaking show ever.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

All modern arc-based TV shows owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Hill Street Blues. Maybe no longer the best, but certainly the most ground breaking show ever.

Absolutely. It's a show I really want to revisit.

 

[royboys4eva]

Fair to say the majority agree that ... The Sopranos and The Wire are streets ahead. Game of Thrones was awesome but as pointed out so it should have been with the depth of story and characters and money spent.

Still think Six Feet Under was very underrated.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Game of Thrones is nowhere near the top after the final season.

 

[rumply]

Fair to say the majority agree that ... The Sopranos and The Wire are streets ahead. Game of Thrones was awesome but as pointed out so it should have been with the depth of story and characters and money spent.

Still think Six Feet Under was very underrated.

6FU definitely in my top half a dozen, great show which I dont think has been too underrated, it just wasn't for everyone which made it even better

 

[STFU Donnie]

Absolutely. It's a show I really want to revisit.

Do. I watched some episodes a couple of years back; it still holds up. Amazing standard of writing and the character development - stellar!

 

[BEaston]

Game of Thrones is nowhere near the top after the final 3 (or 4) seasons.

EFA

 

[Mazza1234678]

Best series of all time for me

Watched it the third time around the last month or so

Pine barrens is probably my favorite episode, but what I love about it is for such a good drama series the amount of hidden gold and one liners in there is amazing

The final scene with Tony and Junior is amazing and sends shivers down my spine whenever I watch it

So ******* good

 

[Mazza1234678]

I have the sopranos as better than the wire but only just, both excellent shows and agree with people putting breaking bad in the same bracket as those two have no idea what they're talking about

Agreed

Breaking bad is a great show but there is just something about those two shows that just has it a class above for me

The characters are way more relatable and you get so absorbed by them

 

[Mazza1234678]

Anyone remember this guy lol

 

[rumply]

yeah poor ol Georgie, Tony's personal punching bag, great acting tho, those scenes cant have been easy for anyone

 

[rumply]

Sopranos Autopsy

Examining TV's Greatest Series

sopranosautopsy.com

Great website if you want to get into each episode a little (or a lot) deeper. The last time I watched The Sop's (a couple years ago), I would go read the episode breakdown then watch it, was really enjoyable, expanded my appreciation for the series even more. At that time though the website creator had only just started on season 5 & I see now he's well into the last season & with the work he puts in, it's understandable it's taking so long.

Recommended.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Loved this scene

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Rewatched second half of season 6 this week as it was on the hard drive. You forget how funny it is. Actually I saw the second half of season 6 back in 2007 when my parent asked me to torrent it. Didn't watch The Sopranos from the start myself until years later, then took an indefinite break once it got to the stuff I'd seen before. Need to rewatch it all in order over a month some time. So good and deserves a more linear story in my memory.