There was once a time when all shows on television followed a protagonist who was a good person. They might have had a few flaws or even did some bad things, but the characters always displayed some level of decency. It seemed to be a no-brainer to make the main character good at heart in some way and crooked characters could never share the spotlight of the person to root for. Then, the Sopranos aired.
The show has had the title of one of the best shows in history for doing everything perfectly. It has good writing, tremendous acting, interesting characters, captivating shots, and much more. For me, what really made the show stand out from the rest at the time was its protagonist, Tony Soprano.
Tony is the head of the New Jersey mob family in the show. Throughout the seasons, we get insight into the person that he is, and it is usually not very flattering. He takes advantage of people and kills anyone in his way. He is the embodiment of rage and often takes it out on those he loves most. His greed is insurmountable and overshadows any loyalty or respect he has for his own crew. Sure, he has some redeeming qualities and is even quite charming, but the show constantly reminds us that none of these people are good people. The show does not give him any sort of redemption.
His evil nature and conflicting morals are what makes him the most intriguing character in TV history. The Sopranos gave rise to many shows of the same ilk, like Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc. Most of these shows would not exist without the Sopranos acting as a foundation to build on. The show proved that the audience could root for such an evil person, even if we really shouldn’t. I highly recommend the show.
