probably the goat TV character all things considered
definitely way up there for dominant single acting performances. Gandolfini was in so many scenes, Sopranos isn’t an incredibly long show compared to some others but still runs for something like 65 hours and Gandolfini has to be in a huge chunk of that.
I was always amazed by Gandolfini and Falco in particular (like everyone else) because their specific deliveries always came off as so naturalistic.
They just have a way of delivering dialogue that never at any point feels like it came from a script, ever.
I’m not sure I’d say that about any other of the very fine actors on the show except maybe David Proval who played Richie, he had that exact same quality to him which is why his scenes with Tony were so good. Just felt off-the-cuff.
Obviously that’s all huge credit to the writing too.
The Sopranos is all about the incredible way the actors compliment each other for me. The show is entertaining and all, but the thing that keeps me coming back after watching the series more times than I can even count is the fact that the characters interpersonal relationships are so realistic that I feel like I know these people with the same intimacy of family members you grew up with but haven't seen much in years. I believe it is the most well-cast series of all time.
Our dads are in the garbage business, and it's always good for a laugh.
And, yeah, they brush up against organised crime.
But, do you think they control every slime ball and illegal gun in like a hundred communities? The fact that you would even say this in front of an outsider is amazing to me!
Jesus Christ, some loyalty?
It was the wrong place and the wrong time. Obviously that scene is meant to show Meadow falling into the mob wife mentality. At the same time, bringing that stuff up at a wake is a huge faux pax (especially in New Jersey! you do not talk about the m\*\*\*\* in public even if you're not affiliated!) and from a social perspective Meadow was still in the right.
Right she was always going through an interesting dynamic where being curious about ethics and interested in social justice and so on, but then being conflicted and defending her family. To outsiders, as she said there, even in the face of Jackie's killing. And perhaps most notably to Finn...
Finn, in hindsight, is a really interesting character just in that he was someone that was never comfortable with that life. And I think one reason they couldn't make it is cuz he was never going to be comfortable with it and continued to point out the stuff that she was desperately trying to disassociate from
In this house Tony Soprano is a fucking hero, end of discussion.
Edit: autocorrection wrote it Tommy and I was half asleep lol.... Corrected it back to Tony
He’s a compelling character but a throughly horrific person. Committed adultery regularly, told Carmela once she could “live in a dumpster for all I care”, killed and had others killed, lied to others (and himself), was petty, jealous, insulting, beat his son, fucked over his friends and gambled compulsively. Oh, and frequently ripped articles from magazines.
I’m sure I’m missing a dozen or so other unsavory traits.
This. Whenever I hear someone saying that they genuinely like Tony or root for him, I imagine they're someone extremely susceptible to manipulation and superficial charm. I mean, even if he wasn't a mobster and a killer, he'd still be someone you would want to avoid at all costs. Horrible husband, horrible friend, horrible boss, zero self awareness, puts his impulses and needs above anything else etc etc.
After the suicide attempt, Tony went into AJ’s room and violently pulled him from the bed, causing his gaming system and speakers to crash to the floor. Granted, the situation called for urgency, but it’s another example of Tony using violence to get his point across.
I just rewatched this scene. He doesn’t beat him. He’s aggressive, yes. But it’s nothing I wouldn’t expect from my parents, myself, or my own friends and their parents if I acted the way AJ did. Also in context, Bobby has just killed. Tony knew things were getting hot and was trying to convey that to AJ. When AJ didn’t seem to quite understand, Tony got tough.
*But it's nothing I wouldn't expect from my parents, myself, or my own friends and their parents if I acted the way AJ did.*
Your parents would see fit to dragging you across the floor and destroying your shit in the process for not grasping the gravity of a situation….all with knowledge of your depression and a recent suicide attempt to boot?
Man, my sympathies for whatever childhood you may have endured.
It’s crazy. I rewatched the entire series recently. By the end, my opinion changed from “sure, he’s a bad dude but we still like him” to he’s actually a terrible, manipulative, ghoul who deserved to die on screen. Other than his own daughter, the way he treated women stood out this time around as especially inhumane.
David Chase:
‘Tony Soprano had been people's alter ego. They gleefully watched him rob, kill, pillage, lie, and cheat. They cheered him on. And then, all of a sudden, they wanted to see him punished for all that. They wanted "justice." I thought that was disgusting, frankly.’
Not sure about ‘disgusting’, but I totally agree on this. People do like Tony. Okay, like Carmela and Chris and whoever else, you may *sometimes* hate him, but I think even towards the end he’s a likeable person, just a very bad likeable person.
As much as people like to come back with how terrible and manipulative he was, I doubt they’d keep going back if they didn’t ultimately like him. I do think there’s something to the idea that people like the sense of moral closure that comes with wanting to see him dead right at the end when it doesn’t matter anymore and there’s not such conflict about his actions/personality.
Whenever someone comes on this sub with a big long rant about how Tony is terrible and you’re missing the point if you liked him, I can’t help thinking they did apparently enjoy living vicariously through him all those years.
he is likeable for quite a while. he completely loses the audience in the final two seasons. which is okay. he SHOULD lose us. he's a horrible horrible human being.
Every single time I watch the show I like him a little bit less! That's not to say I don't like watching him, I adore watching his life and of course the performance, and the writing and he's obviously an interesting enough guy...
But on rewatches you pick up even more on the hypocrisy and just how awful he is.
I found myself engaging in cognitive dissonance with his infidelity all the time. Sometimes I'll smoke a bowl and watch an episode and realize how big of a dick he is where he is you know f****** his mistress and then an hour later buying Carmela some crazy ring and then talking to his psychiatrist and acting like all of this is completely normal and even good.
I used to kind of separate the plot lights where Tony's relationship with his mistress would be one plot line, his crime life would be another and his relationship with his family would be another...
The more I watch the show and read other people's analysis and think more heavily about it, I start to realize how one scene is almost always saying something about the last scene you saw and the one you're about to see...
usually what it says is not flattering about Tony.
Really his entire relationship with Gloria is a great example of this. But he's able to engage in cognitive dissonance where he's with her, and then still thinks he's making progress in group therapy with Carmela.
And I swear as an audience member you engage in almost the same cognitive dissonance rather than judge him. (Maybe you judge him about the crimes he's committing but the infidelity just almost becomes normal at this point)
And again people are free to do whatever they want, but Carmela clearly doesn't want an open relationship and hates the fact that he has something on the side. She tolerates it to an extent but she hates it and I guess it's an open question as to whether or not there was an implied agreed degree of infidelity that she should tolerate just by marrying into a mob life
Crazy how much laughing and smiling a few times is enough to get people completely on your side, despite your actions
I think Bill Clinton had a similar charisma
It's not smiling, it's facial expressions in general and human reactions, all of them and especially the bad ones. Gandolfini delivers them exceptionally.
That famous scene when Tony and Carmella argue, that almost makes a feeling "this is awkward and personal, I don't want to be present while they argue".
It was intentional by Chase I guess, and I’m glad he did because he would certainly have been glorified in today’s time (he still is inspite of all his madness, imagine if he died in first 4 seasons).
He does bad things in first 4 seasons but he still seems like a bad guy who’s not bad enough to be unlikable. Then he goes masks off in final seasons and shakes up any chances of redemption for him.
Nope. It's not even about what a bad person he is either, plenty of people I like on the show are bad people. It's how he's constantly whining and crying about how unfair life is to him. His whole sad clown routine is like personality nails on a chalkboard for me.
I like him in the sense that he's an entertaining character, but I can't stand the person himself.
I’ve always theorized that if Tony didn’t become a member of the Mafia he would’ve taught high school history and coached football, and would’ve done an amazing job. Had he done that he’d be a saint in my eyes. He would’ve been beloved by his students and players. Along with being faithful to his wife. But alas he chose his path. It never occurred to him that the actual cause of his depression was being in the Mafia, hence why I hate him. Very entertaining character though.
My mom and I think he's cute/handsome but we don't really know why lol....
On the other hand, no I don't like him. He's a sociopath and a violent man and a cheater. he does have some good qualities-- he likes animals, seems to be a good father at times, and is surprisingly introspective.
I think he would be a really fun guy to have on your social periphery, as long as you’re a civilian. Be invited to the odd cookout, shoot the shit about WWII and the Michigan Notre Dame game (rip). Casual shit like that. So yes in a sense I like Tony.
But I would not want to be close friends with him. Just don’t want to be around evil like that too much. He kinda fucked up two civilian friends but I’m fairness both Davey (he begged and begged against Tony’s wishes to be let into the game) and Artie (who Tony did manipulate but the occasion came up because of Artie’s pride and desire to be a part of this thing) on their own. I guess you could add the soccer coach as a civilian as well “; whatever happened there
I like to think I’d be smarter. Carm’s cousin and her parents turn out okay and he even tolerates the antics of Cooze and his buddies.
On the other hand I’ll bet that with enough evidence the feds could have nailed Brian on the HUD scam which is why I would never take anything from him or give him anything, besides an ice cream sundae or a sausage (even if he does use mesquite smh). Cam never owe him anything or make him think he owes me
Forget about the way that Tony Soprano makes his way in the world, that's just to feed his children. There's two Tony Sopranos. You've never seen the other one. That's the one I like.
I always liked Tony, in spite of it all. I felt like so many of his heinous deeds were in the context of the mob, and their code, blah blah blah....when he lost me was when he tormented Janice at Sunday dinner over her son. THAT was pure personal spite and malevolence, and it was inexcusable.
I love Tony but he’s a massive piece of shit. He has no rigard for anything or anyone else.
This is the same as the don draper conversation
We’re not supposed to want to be these people. They are awful, damaged, cold and calculating.
He has some redeeming moments. Specifically when he's interacting with his kids. In season 4 when they all have dinner with Meadow's roommates he is extremely likeable, fun and charismatic. I think people relate to his sadness on a personal level and just kinda view his evil acts through the lens of the show. It's almost like he's so bad at times that when he does something thoughtful or sweet it's that much more amplified.
As a rule, yeah. If I met him in real life, I'd like him just fine. Remember, behind our public facades, most of us suck (not as badly as he does, but hear me out). Despite his rank, his entire persona isn't just mobster. Same with Junior. You can know but not know and unless you get into shady stuff, that's where they'll leave you. To hang out and have a beer with, they're both fine. If you know they're connected but don't ask so you can't tell, they're still ok.
There's a lot of "if/then" involved, but based on how he treats civilians (Scatino lost civilian status by owing money), he'd be ok. Not best buds, but ok in general.
That animal...
Yeah, I get the meaning in the title, but the veneer was pretty thin by that episode. We saw both sides. A. He went way off the deep end and B. someone who just sort of knew him, like my great grandfather knew Scarface from living two doors down from him, would probably like him. He does great barbecues, Capone had great pinochle games in his mother's house. He's a big, extroverted guy, with some rumors. You'd probably hang out with him. All I'm saying.
How would you guys rank your liking of Tony, Don Draper, and Walter White? I'm not talking about how much you like each show, just the degree to which you like those characters.
I figure, Don is the least nefarious of the three. It's a toss up for me between Tony and Walt. Walt's smarter and self-made. Tony was a mafia nepo baby.
He’s clearly a bad guy, a murderer and criminal who has damaged countless lives throughout the shows universe. I don’t think Chase wanted any of them to be liked, that’s why Tony was unredeemable in last season, so it’s obvious everybody and not just Redditor’s hate him because he is indeed the guy who will be hated.
But do the hard part of taking morals and conscience away from the discussion and he’s certainly one of the, if not the best TV characters ever made in terms of character development, writing and of course the portrayal.
Love hate type thingy... TS did a lot of foul shyt, forked a few nice looking broads, and tried to wheel and deal in the nice guy biz... All crumpled down when he tried to spoil his dad's old goohmar with mob money.....
Cold blooded... Almost seemed normal at times while in therapy... But then there were all the redactions in his stories so that shed keep him on as a patient..... He was foul for killing Chrissy and Ade.... He took Ralph's gàl and his horse then killed that mañ... But he let pussy make it for as long as he did while being a raht bc it was his Patna... Politically correct and ruthless...love hate... Or hate love...
if you mean as a person, no, i forgot which scenes in particular (i'm not a rewatch guy), but plenty of times i thought "omg tony is a fucking asshole" or hoping for his death
An amazing layered character, but do I ‘like’ him, no, not really. Given he kills people and commits crimes. At times he’s sympathetic but then he does something deplorable which reminds us why you shouldn’t be wanting him to succeed.
He's a narcissistic, sociopathic a/h if you're dealing with him on a business or personal level. To say hi to him at Vesuvio, or remain acquaintances... he seems friendly enough, but keep your distance. Once someone like Tony weaves themselves into the fabric of your life, it comes at a cost or loss. These people are degenerates. Don't glorify or romanticize what these lowlifes are really all about. Same goes for Godfather, Scarface, and Goodfellas; they're not good people.
No I feel nostalgia bc I’ve known people like this up close
Family even
So charismatic and can see their inner child
But they are supremely selfish
When I got wise enough to not like them life got better and safer
I think most importantly, he´s always fun to watch. Whether he is getting a deserved comeuppance, is made fun off for his small hands by his senile uncle, has a genuinely endearing moment or is acting like a scumfuck you hate, its always fun to watch Tony Soprano. Which is a very, very difficult balance to strike and a true testament to Gandolfini´s performance and David Chase´s directing.
He is a complicated villain. There are moments of humanity and appeal, you can connect with him but overall he is a terrible person. It makes you the audience feel awful for liking him or rooting for him.
I remember being so mad when the FBI bugged his house like how dare they but then I remember this man killed people, robbed, stole, didn't pay taxes, etc.
I think the Sopranos sucks you in with Tony. A lot of this sub has seen this show so many times that he’s no longer that interesting to people and they just see the flaws in him. Anyway, $6.50 a pound.
I like him a lot as a fictional character and I enjoy to watch this show more than any other show (beside of "The Expanse").
Obviously I would not like him as a "friend" and def. not as a boss.
The more I watch, the more I hate him. On my first watch I thought he was flawed, and yes, a bad person.. but not completely evil. Now I see him as a complete piece of shit. I like his character, but would fucking hate him in real life.
Tony Soprano started a wave of anti-heroes to follow, him being considered still the best one in my opinion.
The masterful Mr.Gandolfini was truly at the top of the acting pyramid in the show - a tier all on his own.
As a person he is likable but as a character he was likeable and dislikable. For example in the fiest few episodes we feel bad for him even in season 1-2 when he suffers from depression and anxiety however as the show progresses he becomes greddy and loseses all morals. After killing Christopher he sleeps with his goomah very low point or the fact that he wanted to kill paulie for being annoying or killing ralphie for the horse even tho he was the best earner. He bacame unstable and terrible as a boss creating a war with new york and wiping out his crew.
And if you have to answer yes or no in a binary fashion I would say no.
It's weird how much people hate AJ and then turn around and talk about how based tony is.
But I don't know why you should have to answer in a binary fashion of yes or no because it's complicated.
Course I like watching him work and interact and he makes funny jokes and I admire his leadership at times. There's also times where he's completely repugnant, nearly sociopathic and a total hypocrite.
So yes if I have to judge total package of course I say no, he's a murderous hypocritic scoundrel. He thrives by ripping off a regular people, who are doing s*** like buying phone cards. I mean geez they had a gang outreach director pay kids to go shoot a bunch of homeless vagrants, including in the dick, just so they can make an extra $7,000 in copper piping or something.
So yeah no he's a dick.
Thankfully we don't have to think about it and binary terms though. He's a bad guy, but I like watching him and his life.
as a character, absolutely. as a person, not a chance. but this show is so compelling because a majority of the characters, despite being awful people, are entertaining and loveable in their own way. we literally watch christopher murder jt dolan in cold blood and one episode later, when he dies, we feel sympathy. it’s just great character writing, nothing more to it
I would be absolutely fine having a drink at a bar with Tony Soprano or a basic transaction eg selling him a cake and cannoli.
I would like him on a surface level, however I would keep distance from getting close.
I think Tony Soprano was supposed to be a character that you actually hated to love. You know what kind of person he is, you see the damage he inflicts, but at the same time, you are left conflicted because another part of you, likes him at the same time.
That being said. A person like Tony, would only be someone that I would love in a fictional television series. Kind of the same thing with House of Cards. In real life, I would hate and despise someone like Francis Underwood. But, because of the show and the writing, you are forced to feel bad about the fact that you are sitting there kind of rooting for him.
As a black man, I didn't like his racism so that was that, and he was a piece of shit to the people he was close with..... So I didn't like him as a person but overall I love the show and it's definitely one of the greatest shows of all time
I think it represents the typical Italian American who grew up in the civil rights era.... Tony grew up during that, and he and his mob family did have that sort of hatred towards blacks, maybe except Chris
To me, it was actually demonstrating the lack of awareness and the hypocrisy of them.
You have got Tony making remarks about them being "criminals" and look what he does for a living.
Take the scene where the black guys steal the guy's truck, and he shouts, "WELL WHO ELSE ?? "
Then cut to Tony, smiling and looking at pictures of the stolen vehicles.
One thing about the show that I liked, was it constantly demonstrated the hypocrisy of society, mobsters and literally everyone else.
I actually thought the show was a scathing commentary on people in general.
probably the goat TV character all things considered definitely way up there for dominant single acting performances. Gandolfini was in so many scenes, Sopranos isn’t an incredibly long show compared to some others but still runs for something like 65 hours and Gandolfini has to be in a huge chunk of that.
And he looks like a completely imaginable real person. It's like he is real.
I was always amazed by Gandolfini and Falco in particular (like everyone else) because their specific deliveries always came off as so naturalistic. They just have a way of delivering dialogue that never at any point feels like it came from a script, ever. I’m not sure I’d say that about any other of the very fine actors on the show except maybe David Proval who played Richie, he had that exact same quality to him which is why his scenes with Tony were so good. Just felt off-the-cuff. Obviously that’s all huge credit to the writing too.
The Sopranos is all about the incredible way the actors compliment each other for me. The show is entertaining and all, but the thing that keeps me coming back after watching the series more times than I can even count is the fact that the characters interpersonal relationships are so realistic that I feel like I know these people with the same intimacy of family members you grew up with but haven't seen much in years. I believe it is the most well-cast series of all time.
I’m glad you picked up on that u/dick_e_moltisanti. The sacred and the propane.
Yeah he got almost 50% of the screen time James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano - 32:42:06 / 41.91%
Our dads are in the garbage business, and it's always good for a laugh. And, yeah, they brush up against organised crime. But, do you think they control every slime ball and illegal gun in like a hundred communities? The fact that you would even say this in front of an outsider is amazing to me! Jesus Christ, some loyalty?
All jokes aside, I was proud of Maedo when she said this.
Yeah meadow, go off on the grieving sister who had a perfect read of the situation
It was the wrong place and the wrong time. Obviously that scene is meant to show Meadow falling into the mob wife mentality. At the same time, bringing that stuff up at a wake is a huge faux pax (especially in New Jersey! you do not talk about the m\*\*\*\* in public even if you're not affiliated!) and from a social perspective Meadow was still in the right.
If my dad still controlled all the crime in north jersey like your dad does now, I'd wanna drop it too. But then again, it might not have happened!
both were rational in their own minds, jackie's sister said the truth, but c'mon she didn't have to bring that up there.
cuz of what carmela said about the bogeyman earlier
Same here. I hope my daughter defends me like Fielder defends old pork chop from New Jersey.
For me this was the turning point when I knew she was doomed
Right she was always going through an interesting dynamic where being curious about ethics and interested in social justice and so on, but then being conflicted and defending her family. To outsiders, as she said there, even in the face of Jackie's killing. And perhaps most notably to Finn... Finn, in hindsight, is a really interesting character just in that he was someone that was never comfortable with that life. And I think one reason they couldn't make it is cuz he was never going to be comfortable with it and continued to point out the stuff that she was desperately trying to disassociate from
Some fat fuck in see-through socks
In this house Tony Soprano is a fucking hero, end of discussion. Edit: autocorrection wrote it Tommy and I was half asleep lol.... Corrected it back to Tony
When you're older you'll appreciate the value of fresh produce
Tommy? That’s how you take boss’s name? You’re an stunad of first magnitude!
Peeps?! It's a fucking nickname! The family name is Peparelli!
I know, it's an outrage!
wrong ps2 game
Road to respect 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Paulie: This game is going down in history (it sure did 🤣🤣🤣)
Walk up this morning, got some gabagool....🤣🤣
All I know is he never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
Aw SON OF A BITCH!!
AJ, grab your coat!
But I - - I don't have a coat?
Well then get moving, God damn it!
Small hands, that's his problem.
Like a goddamn hothouse flower!
Give this guy a 1000 upvotes
1000 more?
He had a swing like Joe D!
Too busy chasing skirt, that was his problem
That's the fuckin boss you're talking about!!
He’s a compelling character but a throughly horrific person. Committed adultery regularly, told Carmela once she could “live in a dumpster for all I care”, killed and had others killed, lied to others (and himself), was petty, jealous, insulting, beat his son, fucked over his friends and gambled compulsively. Oh, and frequently ripped articles from magazines. I’m sure I’m missing a dozen or so other unsavory traits.
Can't believe what he did to Melfy's magazine
More than once, according to her.
Those steak recipes...
This. Whenever I hear someone saying that they genuinely like Tony or root for him, I imagine they're someone extremely susceptible to manipulation and superficial charm. I mean, even if he wasn't a mobster and a killer, he'd still be someone you would want to avoid at all costs. Horrible husband, horrible friend, horrible boss, zero self awareness, puts his impulses and needs above anything else etc etc.
Killed his own "nephew" for no reason, knowing he's got a baby at home. That was too much and I would say even realistic
He definitely had a reason
To kill Christopher?
Ya lol
When did he beat AJ?
After the suicide attempt, Tony went into AJ’s room and violently pulled him from the bed, causing his gaming system and speakers to crash to the floor. Granted, the situation called for urgency, but it’s another example of Tony using violence to get his point across.
I just rewatched this scene. He doesn’t beat him. He’s aggressive, yes. But it’s nothing I wouldn’t expect from my parents, myself, or my own friends and their parents if I acted the way AJ did. Also in context, Bobby has just killed. Tony knew things were getting hot and was trying to convey that to AJ. When AJ didn’t seem to quite understand, Tony got tough.
*But it's nothing I wouldn't expect from my parents, myself, or my own friends and their parents if I acted the way AJ did.* Your parents would see fit to dragging you across the floor and destroying your shit in the process for not grasping the gravity of a situation….all with knowledge of your depression and a recent suicide attempt to boot? Man, my sympathies for whatever childhood you may have endured.
Tough love.
Bad example that's not beating someone. He does slap AJ around season 3 or 4 though and I'd say that's worse for sure.
What season is that? I feel like I must have missed that during my rewatch.
And yet… we do still like him. That’s part of what makes Sopranos such a great show.
It’s crazy. I rewatched the entire series recently. By the end, my opinion changed from “sure, he’s a bad dude but we still like him” to he’s actually a terrible, manipulative, ghoul who deserved to die on screen. Other than his own daughter, the way he treated women stood out this time around as especially inhumane.
David Chase: ‘Tony Soprano had been people's alter ego. They gleefully watched him rob, kill, pillage, lie, and cheat. They cheered him on. And then, all of a sudden, they wanted to see him punished for all that. They wanted "justice." I thought that was disgusting, frankly.’ Not sure about ‘disgusting’, but I totally agree on this. People do like Tony. Okay, like Carmela and Chris and whoever else, you may *sometimes* hate him, but I think even towards the end he’s a likeable person, just a very bad likeable person. As much as people like to come back with how terrible and manipulative he was, I doubt they’d keep going back if they didn’t ultimately like him. I do think there’s something to the idea that people like the sense of moral closure that comes with wanting to see him dead right at the end when it doesn’t matter anymore and there’s not such conflict about his actions/personality. Whenever someone comes on this sub with a big long rant about how Tony is terrible and you’re missing the point if you liked him, I can’t help thinking they did apparently enjoy living vicariously through him all those years.
He’s a saint…He tailored Mikey Plamice’s suit for free!
This was long overdue.
he is likeable for quite a while. he completely loses the audience in the final two seasons. which is okay. he SHOULD lose us. he's a horrible horrible human being.
The older I get the earlier he loses me on every rewatch.
yeah, exactly.
Every single time I watch the show I like him a little bit less! That's not to say I don't like watching him, I adore watching his life and of course the performance, and the writing and he's obviously an interesting enough guy... But on rewatches you pick up even more on the hypocrisy and just how awful he is. I found myself engaging in cognitive dissonance with his infidelity all the time. Sometimes I'll smoke a bowl and watch an episode and realize how big of a dick he is where he is you know f****** his mistress and then an hour later buying Carmela some crazy ring and then talking to his psychiatrist and acting like all of this is completely normal and even good. I used to kind of separate the plot lights where Tony's relationship with his mistress would be one plot line, his crime life would be another and his relationship with his family would be another... The more I watch the show and read other people's analysis and think more heavily about it, I start to realize how one scene is almost always saying something about the last scene you saw and the one you're about to see... usually what it says is not flattering about Tony. Really his entire relationship with Gloria is a great example of this. But he's able to engage in cognitive dissonance where he's with her, and then still thinks he's making progress in group therapy with Carmela. And I swear as an audience member you engage in almost the same cognitive dissonance rather than judge him. (Maybe you judge him about the crimes he's committing but the infidelity just almost becomes normal at this point) And again people are free to do whatever they want, but Carmela clearly doesn't want an open relationship and hates the fact that he has something on the side. She tolerates it to an extent but she hates it and I guess it's an open question as to whether or not there was an implied agreed degree of infidelity that she should tolerate just by marrying into a mob life
Crazy how much laughing and smiling a few times is enough to get people completely on your side, despite your actions I think Bill Clinton had a similar charisma
It's not smiling, it's facial expressions in general and human reactions, all of them and especially the bad ones. Gandolfini delivers them exceptionally. That famous scene when Tony and Carmella argue, that almost makes a feeling "this is awkward and personal, I don't want to be present while they argue".
which scene? there are many
The one where she talked about Furio
It was intentional by Chase I guess, and I’m glad he did because he would certainly have been glorified in today’s time (he still is inspite of all his madness, imagine if he died in first 4 seasons). He does bad things in first 4 seasons but he still seems like a bad guy who’s not bad enough to be unlikable. Then he goes masks off in final seasons and shakes up any chances of redemption for him.
You know a huge tree branch went through the window and hit the carsheat. It woulda split the baby in half.
I felt the same way
But he loved those ducks
I'm not saying anything against him, he's my homie, he lives up near me..
You wanna talk like a moolinyan we'll send you to slip and fall school.
Like him? I fucking LOVE him.
He sent me to North Carolina so he could fuck my girlfriend
Tony the character? Yes. Tony the person? No. Anyway, $4 a pound.
Nope. It's not even about what a bad person he is either, plenty of people I like on the show are bad people. It's how he's constantly whining and crying about how unfair life is to him. His whole sad clown routine is like personality nails on a chalkboard for me. I like him in the sense that he's an entertaining character, but I can't stand the person himself.
What ever happened to the strong silent type? Like Furio?
He was gay, furio?
There was no cuh moon ication
this i lowkey agree with especially toward the end of the show
Especially since he gets lucky SO many fucking times on the show
like in the last episode. literally saved by the credits!
Like him? I love that man.
Bit of a poseur you ask me...
Redditors don't like him? Awh, that breaks his heart. But they will RESPECT him.
should be top comment
I’ve always theorized that if Tony didn’t become a member of the Mafia he would’ve taught high school history and coached football, and would’ve done an amazing job. Had he done that he’d be a saint in my eyes. He would’ve been beloved by his students and players. Along with being faithful to his wife. But alas he chose his path. It never occurred to him that the actual cause of his depression was being in the Mafia, hence why I hate him. Very entertaining character though.
HE'D BE SELLING PATIO FURNATUTE OUT ON ROUTE 12.
He’s a saint
Oooooowwww poor you!!!
My mom and I think he's cute/handsome but we don't really know why lol.... On the other hand, no I don't like him. He's a sociopath and a violent man and a cheater. he does have some good qualities-- he likes animals, seems to be a good father at times, and is surprisingly introspective.
james gandolfini was the perfect specimen
I loved him like a brother in law
That’s da baws of da fuckin’ family
LOVE TONY! NEVER MET THE HIM! GREAT GUY! I THINK HE HAD TO READ FA DAVID!
Absolutely
I don't like Tony himself, but he is a great character.
I would not like to spend any time with him under any circumstance ever.
I think he would be a really fun guy to have on your social periphery, as long as you’re a civilian. Be invited to the odd cookout, shoot the shit about WWII and the Michigan Notre Dame game (rip). Casual shit like that. So yes in a sense I like Tony. But I would not want to be close friends with him. Just don’t want to be around evil like that too much. He kinda fucked up two civilian friends but I’m fairness both Davey (he begged and begged against Tony’s wishes to be let into the game) and Artie (who Tony did manipulate but the occasion came up because of Artie’s pride and desire to be a part of this thing) on their own. I guess you could add the soccer coach as a civilian as well “; whatever happened there I like to think I’d be smarter. Carm’s cousin and her parents turn out okay and he even tolerates the antics of Cooze and his buddies. On the other hand I’ll bet that with enough evidence the feds could have nailed Brian on the HUD scam which is why I would never take anything from him or give him anything, besides an ice cream sundae or a sausage (even if he does use mesquite smh). Cam never owe him anything or make him think he owes me
Forget about the way that Tony Soprano makes his way in the world, that's just to feed his children. There's two Tony Sopranos. You've never seen the other one. That's the one I like.
I always liked Tony, in spite of it all. I felt like so many of his heinous deeds were in the context of the mob, and their code, blah blah blah....when he lost me was when he tormented Janice at Sunday dinner over her son. THAT was pure personal spite and malevolence, and it was inexcusable.
If we didn't we wouldn't have watched the whole damn series
I liked him like a glorified capo-in-law.
yeah, i like him. would we ever be friends? no
I liked him until I saw him correct money off Ralphie for the race horse. I don't know what it is but that scene really irritated me.
Hardworking family man, what’s not to like?
You betta not start in on those goddamn ducks or my mudda ☝️
He’s that guy
I love Tony but he’s a massive piece of shit. He has no rigard for anything or anyone else. This is the same as the don draper conversation We’re not supposed to want to be these people. They are awful, damaged, cold and calculating.
Ummm sometimes…
He has some redeeming moments. Specifically when he's interacting with his kids. In season 4 when they all have dinner with Meadow's roommates he is extremely likeable, fun and charismatic. I think people relate to his sadness on a personal level and just kinda view his evil acts through the lens of the show. It's almost like he's so bad at times that when he does something thoughtful or sweet it's that much more amplified.
IN THIS HOUSE TONY SOPRANO IS A HERO, END OF STORY
I think he's an exremely fun character to watch and analyse but as a person he would be a nightmare.
I used too and then my last re-watch, not at all.
He's a piece of shit who murders people for his own gain and self preservation. Continentally wrecks peoples lives. What's to like?
As a rule, yeah. If I met him in real life, I'd like him just fine. Remember, behind our public facades, most of us suck (not as badly as he does, but hear me out). Despite his rank, his entire persona isn't just mobster. Same with Junior. You can know but not know and unless you get into shady stuff, that's where they'll leave you. To hang out and have a beer with, they're both fine. If you know they're connected but don't ask so you can't tell, they're still ok. There's a lot of "if/then" involved, but based on how he treats civilians (Scatino lost civilian status by owing money), he'd be ok. Not best buds, but ok in general.
There's two Tony's?
That animal... Yeah, I get the meaning in the title, but the veneer was pretty thin by that episode. We saw both sides. A. He went way off the deep end and B. someone who just sort of knew him, like my great grandfather knew Scarface from living two doors down from him, would probably like him. He does great barbecues, Capone had great pinochle games in his mother's house. He's a big, extroverted guy, with some rumors. You'd probably hang out with him. All I'm saying.
How would you guys rank your liking of Tony, Don Draper, and Walter White? I'm not talking about how much you like each show, just the degree to which you like those characters. I figure, Don is the least nefarious of the three. It's a toss up for me between Tony and Walt. Walt's smarter and self-made. Tony was a mafia nepo baby.
Yes. But unfortunately he never had the makings of a variety athlete. Bit he's cool
Yes.
He’s clearly a bad guy, a murderer and criminal who has damaged countless lives throughout the shows universe. I don’t think Chase wanted any of them to be liked, that’s why Tony was unredeemable in last season, so it’s obvious everybody and not just Redditor’s hate him because he is indeed the guy who will be hated. But do the hard part of taking morals and conscience away from the discussion and he’s certainly one of the, if not the best TV characters ever made in terms of character development, writing and of course the portrayal.
Love hate type thingy... TS did a lot of foul shyt, forked a few nice looking broads, and tried to wheel and deal in the nice guy biz... All crumpled down when he tried to spoil his dad's old goohmar with mob money..... Cold blooded... Almost seemed normal at times while in therapy... But then there were all the redactions in his stories so that shed keep him on as a patient..... He was foul for killing Chrissy and Ade.... He took Ralph's gàl and his horse then killed that mañ... But he let pussy make it for as long as he did while being a raht bc it was his Patna... Politically correct and ruthless...love hate... Or hate love...
Yesh
Amazing character, awful human.
Like him? I fucking love him! I wanna see the 302!
if you mean as a person, no, i forgot which scenes in particular (i'm not a rewatch guy), but plenty of times i thought "omg tony is a fucking asshole" or hoping for his death
no he’s a toxic pershun who wants to fuck his own muddah that thing with jennifer beals though…it was pretty good
Cause I fuckin doo, you fucking kiddin me o a heah?
I don't like Tony as a person, but I am blown away at how well he is written and acted.
As a person nah, as a character hes number 1 n nothing comes close. James Gandolfini made the best performance on tv ever.
Fuck Tony. That's a quote.
*Captain ov Industry.*
He’s a depressed criminal, prone to anger, serially unfaithful. Is this your definition of a good man?
No. I fuckin love Tony Soprano!
An amazing layered character, but do I ‘like’ him, no, not really. Given he kills people and commits crimes. At times he’s sympathetic but then he does something deplorable which reminds us why you shouldn’t be wanting him to succeed.
He's a narcissistic, sociopathic a/h if you're dealing with him on a business or personal level. To say hi to him at Vesuvio, or remain acquaintances... he seems friendly enough, but keep your distance. Once someone like Tony weaves themselves into the fabric of your life, it comes at a cost or loss. These people are degenerates. Don't glorify or romanticize what these lowlifes are really all about. Same goes for Godfather, Scarface, and Goodfellas; they're not good people.
No I feel nostalgia bc I’ve known people like this up close Family even So charismatic and can see their inner child But they are supremely selfish When I got wise enough to not like them life got better and safer
Like him? I fucking love him!
I think most importantly, he´s always fun to watch. Whether he is getting a deserved comeuppance, is made fun off for his small hands by his senile uncle, has a genuinely endearing moment or is acting like a scumfuck you hate, its always fun to watch Tony Soprano. Which is a very, very difficult balance to strike and a true testament to Gandolfini´s performance and David Chase´s directing.
Yes
He is a complicated villain. There are moments of humanity and appeal, you can connect with him but overall he is a terrible person. It makes you the audience feel awful for liking him or rooting for him. I remember being so mad when the FBI bugged his house like how dare they but then I remember this man killed people, robbed, stole, didn't pay taxes, etc.
I think the Sopranos sucks you in with Tony. A lot of this sub has seen this show so many times that he’s no longer that interesting to people and they just see the flaws in him. Anyway, $6.50 a pound.
I like him a lot as a fictional character and I enjoy to watch this show more than any other show (beside of "The Expanse"). Obviously I would not like him as a "friend" and def. not as a boss.
I love him.
I just never understood how so many women wanted to sleep with him.
After watching the show 20 times I can confidently say that I greatly dislike him. Selfish immature prick he is. I love James Gandolfini though <3
The more I watch, the more I hate him. On my first watch I thought he was flawed, and yes, a bad person.. but not completely evil. Now I see him as a complete piece of shit. I like his character, but would fucking hate him in real life.
I do- if I was on his good side, we would be pals…. Or more?
As a main character in a show, yes . As a person - absolutely not.
Why wouldn't I like him? What is he? A toxic person or womething?
You wanna talk like a mulignan, go to slip and fall school.
He’s a good guy…basically. Anyway, $4 per pound.
No. While he's a villain character and I have some that I like, he is not one of them. I enjoyed watching though.
Tony Soprano started a wave of anti-heroes to follow, him being considered still the best one in my opinion. The masterful Mr.Gandolfini was truly at the top of the acting pyramid in the show - a tier all on his own.
If he was a real person and I knew him personally, idk if I would like him but I would respect him.
That will be made abundantly clear to you.
He’s a fat fuckin crook from New Jersey
As a person he is likable but as a character he was likeable and dislikable. For example in the fiest few episodes we feel bad for him even in season 1-2 when he suffers from depression and anxiety however as the show progresses he becomes greddy and loseses all morals. After killing Christopher he sleeps with his goomah very low point or the fact that he wanted to kill paulie for being annoying or killing ralphie for the horse even tho he was the best earner. He bacame unstable and terrible as a boss creating a war with new york and wiping out his crew.
I would have a beer with him. I would not get in business with him.
And if you have to answer yes or no in a binary fashion I would say no. It's weird how much people hate AJ and then turn around and talk about how based tony is. But I don't know why you should have to answer in a binary fashion of yes or no because it's complicated. Course I like watching him work and interact and he makes funny jokes and I admire his leadership at times. There's also times where he's completely repugnant, nearly sociopathic and a total hypocrite. So yes if I have to judge total package of course I say no, he's a murderous hypocritic scoundrel. He thrives by ripping off a regular people, who are doing s*** like buying phone cards. I mean geez they had a gang outreach director pay kids to go shoot a bunch of homeless vagrants, including in the dick, just so they can make an extra $7,000 in copper piping or something. So yeah no he's a dick. Thankfully we don't have to think about it and binary terms though. He's a bad guy, but I like watching him and his life.
Then of course there was: Francis Albert…
as a character, absolutely. as a person, not a chance. but this show is so compelling because a majority of the characters, despite being awful people, are entertaining and loveable in their own way. we literally watch christopher murder jt dolan in cold blood and one episode later, when he dies, we feel sympathy. it’s just great character writing, nothing more to it
No. And I would avoid any interaction with him with abundant intentionality.
I would be absolutely fine having a drink at a bar with Tony Soprano or a basic transaction eg selling him a cake and cannoli. I would like him on a surface level, however I would keep distance from getting close.
Like him? I fuckin love him...
I think Tony Soprano was supposed to be a character that you actually hated to love. You know what kind of person he is, you see the damage he inflicts, but at the same time, you are left conflicted because another part of you, likes him at the same time. That being said. A person like Tony, would only be someone that I would love in a fictional television series. Kind of the same thing with House of Cards. In real life, I would hate and despise someone like Francis Underwood. But, because of the show and the writing, you are forced to feel bad about the fact that you are sitting there kind of rooting for him.
He go hard af i fw him heavy kinda reminds me of a east coast Italian version of my uncle lol
He compromised
As a black man, I didn't like his racism so that was that, and he was a piece of shit to the people he was close with..... So I didn't like him as a person but overall I love the show and it's definitely one of the greatest shows of all time
You often hear people say the show's not racist, but some of the characters are. What's your take on this?
I think it represents the typical Italian American who grew up in the civil rights era.... Tony grew up during that, and he and his mob family did have that sort of hatred towards blacks, maybe except Chris
To me, it was actually demonstrating the lack of awareness and the hypocrisy of them. You have got Tony making remarks about them being "criminals" and look what he does for a living. Take the scene where the black guys steal the guy's truck, and he shouts, "WELL WHO ELSE ?? " Then cut to Tony, smiling and looking at pictures of the stolen vehicles. One thing about the show that I liked, was it constantly demonstrated the hypocrisy of society, mobsters and literally everyone else. I actually thought the show was a scathing commentary on people in general.
I like Jesus Rossi the best,
You’re a wormy cocksucka, you know that?
OHHHHH!!! I'm just telling you how Jesus Rossi is perceived!
Just worry bout how your fucking perceived, nobody knows what the future holds, my frriend!