Review of The Sopranos: Season 3

The Sopranos Season 3 Review

Grade: A+

Season two of The Sopranos was easily the series’ funniest season: a memorable chapter that doubled down as both great drama and great comedy. But it’s also easy to forget that the year ended on a severely depressing note — the execution of Big Pussy Bonpensiero. His death was a turning point for the entire series, leading directly to the darkness of The Sopranos season 3.

As a result, The Sopranos season 3 takes on a much gloomier tone compared to its predecessor. Even the color palette is noticeably darker, reflecting the downward spiral slowly engulfing the storyline. Nevertheless, the experimental nature of the chapter makes for The Sopranos’ most rewarding season yet. It’s a seamless continuation of seasons one and two, yet it stands apart due to its tragic scope.

Season three’s tragedy is baked into its creation. Off the set, actress Nancy Marchand died of lung cancer. Her portrayal of Livia Soprano had been crucial to the show’s early success, and her untimely passing forced series creator David Chase to undergo a massive rewrite. Partly due to Marchand’s death, the season took on an introspective and occasionally avant-garde approach. Yet one thing remains constant — the mournful mood that haunts every scene.

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You wouldn’t know from the lighthearted premiere that season three would focus exclusively on pain and suffering, but tragedy is what shapes the course of the season. Still, The Sopranos becomes more compelling and more universal as a result. It remains above all a show about family, and Tony Soprano’s fear of losing his has never been more evident.

The death of his mother and concerns about his children’s future lead Tony to lose focus as boss of the family. Loyal confidants like Christopher Moltisanti, Paulie Gualtieri and Uncle Junior become disillusioned by Tony’s leadership. Meanwhile, the introduction of violent capo Ralph Cifaretto causes the factions to become even more splintered. Yet for the first time in Sopranos history, the mob storyline doesn’t take precedence.

The Sopranos themselves are the main focus of season three, and the familial tensions that build throughout the year are just as explosive as the bursts of ultraviolence seen in every episode. For example, Meadow’s relationship drama is contrasted with the stripper who is brutally killed by Ralph in “University,” one of the series’ most powerful episodes. Elsewhere, AJ’s irresponsibility is compared to the recklessness of Jackie Aprile Jr., who is gunned down by the very gangsters he aspired to be.

Whether it is within his crew or his own household, the divisions in Tony’s life grow deeper and deeper as the year progresses. In the superb “Second Opinion,” Carmela questions her marriage and entire life’s choices. A few episodes later, Tony starts a toxic new affair with a woman who seems to be his mother reincarnate.

Despite all odds, however, Tony manages to retain some sense of normalcy by the end. Even though the season finale acts as an ambiguous anticlimax, “The Army of One” manages to end a most violent year with a somewhat optimistic conclusion. Then again, that’s exactly what The Sopranos wants us to think.

Throughout the season, Chase strategically uses music to manipulate our emotions. Songs like “Core ‘ngrato,” “Black Books” and “Return to Me” deceive us into thinking that the characters are capable of making good choices, when in fact the music disguises the disgusting actions we see weekly.

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Season three is The Sopranos‘ most nuanced chapter yet. It’s evident in the philosophical undertones that color each episode. Despite the lack of a discernible central conflict, season three is a masterclass in consistency. In look and feel, each installment has that unmistakable season three touch.

Even so, The Sopranos is at its best when it revels in standalone storytelling, and nowhere is this more evident than in “Pine Barrens,” the brilliant bottle episode in which Paulie and Christopher get lost in the frozen New Jersey wilderness. The installment is so legendary that it has taken on a life of its own, at times overshadowing the series itself due to its stature as one of the greatest episodes in TV history.

Yet for all its significance, “Pine Barrens” is only a fraction of what season three has to offer. When viewed as a whole, these thirteen episodes make up the show’s most artful chapter, the storytelling working hand-in-hand with the filmmaking. It results in another finely-woven tapestry that adds up to more than the sum of its parts.

In the season one finale, Tony told us to remember the times that were good. By the end of season three, the last vestiges of the golden age are now gone, and there’s no turning back. Yet despite the slow trudge toward oblivion, The Sopranos itself is only getting better. It remains the greatest television show of all time.

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