User Reviews

... says the first line of "Goodfellas" from 1990. I wonder if this series, as good as it was, would have been such a big hit if that film had not come first. Because it was the very first to examine the mobster life from the working gangster's point of view. All of those that came before either examined the mob from the executive suite ("The Godafther") or the gangsters lived exaggerated lifestyles of wine, women, and song. None of them had any mobsters who were also living suburban lives worrying about letting the sauce stick or picking up a disabled brother from his regular appointment at the hospital. "Goodfellas" did that. What The Sopranos did was build on what Goodfellas had done and drill down deeply into the characters, which is something you can only do in a series.

So it wasn't really a jarring experience late in the 90s to see mobster Tony Soprano, overwhelmed by his unique professional and rather routine private lives, taking his troubles to a psychiatrist. The pilot opens rather abruptly with Tony meeting his psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), for the first time. That meeting intersperses Tony's actual life with what he is telling Melfi, and although he gets the point across to her, he is leaving out some of the details. Such as when he discusses a delinquent debt owed him and how he and the debtor "had coffee". You see the actual meeting which is Tony running down the debtor with a car and then giving the guy a brutal beating.

Tony and Melfi have a complex relationship. Tony is initially a reluctant patient, but that changes with time. I think that Melfi, although she knows what Tony does for a living, initially thinks she can help this man, but that changes with time as she sees he really would never choose any other life than the one he has.

Rewatching this I was wanting to give it a 10/10, but I'm not sure if that just isn't because I am impressed with the series as a whole. So I knocked it down to a 9/10.

I was honestly surprised at how much i enjoyed this pilot! Despite the episode lasting almost an hour, it never felt too long!

This episode does a great job of setting up our main character, by showing us different perspectives of him, combining what he says.. and what we see!

The narrative way of explaining what is going on and who he is, was a nice breath of fresh air to me! I loved it cause it already makes this show stand out from other shows!

So many layers of depth, metaphors and comparisons that really gives the show a unique personality and keeps you invested as you have to pay attention to get it all! Loved how the ducks tied itself to what Tony was going through!

Tony is such an interesting character that we somehow quickly resonates with as he, despite what he does for a living, still cares about those closest to him like the rest of us!

A very promising show!

Aspiring mob boss Tony Soprano has a fainting spell and ends up in a shrink's office. It quickly becomes apparent through his chat with the shrink and a series of mostly comical flashbacks that he is a very bad man involved in some very bad stuff. You can feel the makings of a show here, obviously based on both THE GODFATHER and GOODFELLAS. Everything feels a bit rushed, but hey, it's a pilot and there's a lot to establish. Characters are not truly formed yet. Carmela is a typical New Jersey shrieker of a housewife, the kind we see in movies and hope never to meet. Sil and some of the other "boys" are only briefly glimpsed. Tony himself is not quite yet the Tony we will come to know; the gravitas is missing, if you'll pardon my use of that $100 word. But watch Tony's face as he gleefully runs down the guy who owes him money. He obviously loves the rough stuff, while feeling guilty about being both that guy and a family man with family responsibilities. By the way, the little bit of screen time Uncle Junior and Tony's mom have is worth its weight in gold, as these characters are played by two very sharp veteran actors. But just as THE GODFATHER was all about Marlon Brando, THE SOPRANOS ultimately will be all about James Gandolfini. Bring on all the guest stars you want, but without Gandolfini, there would be no THE SOPRANOS.

When this pilot aired in early 1999, few could predict a cultural phenomenon was born: after all, how many people would be willing to watch a cable drama about an Italian-American family (the gun-shaped "r" in the title was added to make sure no one wrongfully assumed the show revolved around opera singers), written by an unknown (David Chase) and starring a guy with weight issues, best known for playing Christopher Walken's henchman in True Romance (James Gandolfini)? In the end, though, quality prevailed over prejudice, and for nearly a decade The Sopranos kept seducing audiences all over the world with its clever writing, superb cast and medium-stretching complexity, deservedly earning the moniker "best TV show ever made". And it all started with this episode...

Borrowing the premise from mob comedy Analyze This, the show opens with Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) waiting outside a psychiatrist's office. The reason he is there is he allegedly had a panic attack. "They said it was a panic attack.", he quickly points out, believing a man in his position is incapable of having such problems. And what exactly does he do, asks Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco)? He works in waste management, comes the quick-fire answer. The truth, however, is entirely different: Tony Soprano is torn between two radically conflicting worlds. On the one hand, he has to provide for his family, which comprises wife Carmela (Edie Falco), daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and son Anthony Jr. (Robert Iler); on the other, he is a captain in the New Jersey mafia, working preferably with his nephew Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), his uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) and old friends Silvio Dante (Steven van Zandt), Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) and Salvatore "Pussy" Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore). Throw in an oppressive mother (Nancy Marchand), a Russian mistress and other problems, and it's no wonder poor Tony needs to see a shrink.

The whole "boss in therapy" thing might have seemed like a too far-fetched idea, but Chase gets away with it, so to speak, by crafting a complex but realistic universe in which to move his players and making sure every single character comes off as a three-dimensional person instead of a pale gangster caricature. Take Paulie, Silvio and Chris, for instance: we don't see much of them in this first show, but great lines and nuanced acting make sure there's more to them than just snazzy suits and foul mouths, as later episodes proved brilliantly. Naturally, the most impressive of these people is Tony, to whom Gandolfini lends a contradictory charm: how many family men are able to be endlessly tender when left alone with their wives and, five minutes later, beat the crap out of a man yelling: "Where's my f*cking money, you pr*ck?", and conquer the audience's sympathy with the latter behavior? Contradiction lies at the show's heart and is perhaps what viewers responded to the most: love and vulgarity, poetry and violence, laughter and death all went hand in hand throughout the series' 86-episode run, often in the same scene, leaving a blueprint for other HBO masterworks (Six Feet Under, Deadwood) to follow.

Speaking of blueprints, The Sopranos might initially sound like a small-screen version of The Godfather, and there are in fact several references to the mafia masterpiece in the show, not least Tony's tendency to compare himself to Marlon Brando. In reality, though, the series is closer to Goodfellas, as has been admitted by Chase himself, and not just in the casting (Bracco, Imperioli and Sirico all appeared in Scorsese's magnum opus): the family/crime contrast, the stress and paranoia, the profanity (Tony and his affiliates swear more in one season than Joe Pesci has in his entire career), the shocking violence (there's a quite brutal murder at the end of this episode, and more would follow) all belong to either product, and they all prove the same thing: organized crime isn't as fun as it has looked in the past. It's an ugly, uncompromisingly bleak life. And it makes for essential television.

So great, I couldn't describe it as great and awesome.

This is how a pilot should be: intense, to the point. Characters presents themselves but not much exposition.

Gandolfini is excellent. (RIP)

Lots of creepy vibes and funny jokes. Action moves solidly from act 1 to 2 to 3. At the end you are hooked.

Finally watching this show and its gotten off to a great start.

So, it's the pilot and if you know what's coming up after this, it does rather pale by comparison to the rest of the series but then, it is a pilot. More light hearted, wacky, more odd cinematic camera angles, a very different narrative style to the rest of the series but, even by the half way mark of this pilot it starts to resemble what it is to become, Tony's Looney Tunes Cartoon accent has begun to fade in places and we can almost forget we're watching the 1st episode. It took me a while to give The Sopranos a chance. It was an episode of season 3, the first one I saw in full, that made me want to see it from the start. That was back in 2001. I often think the more comical narrative of this pilot which was probably the subject of many of the early Channel 4 trailers was what put me off for the first few years. That, and the then close resemblance to the then recent film Analyse This. As a first time viewer though, you should not be put off. Within a few episodes you'll see why this is now considered by many as one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

James Gandolfini has charisma and presence as NJ mobster Tony Soprano. Starting to suffer anxiety attacks, he is sent to a psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). Despite his embarrassment over this situation, he finds it easier and easier to open up to her. Meanwhile, his family issues are piling up: a mother (Nancy Marchand) who adamantly refuses to go live in a retirement home, a daughter (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) rebelling against her mother. He has a nephew (Michael Imperioli) who's becoming hard to handle. And not for nothing is the family of ducks that temporarily makes his swimming pool their home.

This viewer is determined to make up for lost time and check out this series that became a cultural phenomenon for several years, boosting some of its ensemble cast to star status and turning the whole mob genre on its ear. (Interestingly, this came out around the same time as the theatrical film "Analyze This".) It doesn't shy away from violence, treating it as a matter of fact in this sort of storytelling. But it tempers the more serious elements of the story with some disarming humour, and the whole cast is great. Some of them don't get a lot to do in this debut episode, but we can sense that all of these characters are going to be developed in interesting and effective ways.

The series was created by David Chase, a veteran TV writer / producer whose credits date back to shows like 'Kolchak: The Night Stalker' and 'The Rockford Files'. Here, he also writes & directs this pilot, and keeps us engaged from beginning to end.

Seven out of 10.

New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano starts seeing a psychiatrist.

This is an excellent start to a great show that sets the scene perfectly and introduces one of the great characters in popular culture.

I think it's one of the best starts to a television series. It not only introduces you to the main characters and themes of the overarching story, but it works as a standalone piece of filmmaking.

Tony Soprano is an ingeniously written character. He is portrayed with many antisocial traits, but you can't help but like and identify with him and his issues. James Gandolfini brings him to life with humour, sadness, intimidation and unbelievable charisma.

The Sopranos frames Tony's existential crisis perfectly through fears that everything around him is changing in a negative way. He is depicted as someone obsessed with the past who is facing the world as it approaches the twenty first century. This pilot wonderfully introduces many concepts associated with this angst that are given further depth as the series goes on. Gary Cooper, the ducks, his dream and various other exchanges of dialogue are all unforgettable examples of how David Chase hooks the audience with the insight and vulnerabilities of a Mafia boss.

We also have strong introductions to other characters such as Livia, Carmela, Uncle Junior, Dr Melfi and Christopher. I never tire of watching the scenes involving Gandolfini, Nancy Marchand and Dominic Chianese.

The production values are generally good but they improve greatly in future episodes. Some song selections and camera angles are a bit random. Also the realism is improved, particularly around how characters behave in front of onlookers. However, there are plenty of iconic images such as the opening and closing shots, the intimidating use of the Passaic River bridge, the scene inside Satriale's and various other location shots around New Jersey.

Some of the editing contains great humour, particularly when we have transitions like from Tony saying "It's a beautiful day. What could be so bad?" to the miserable, cantankerous faces in the next scene.

I first began watching the series back in 1999 and I'm pleased to say the pilot has lost none of its capacity to entertain. It's not a perfect hour of television but it sold a network the idea of The Sopranos and for that alone it is worth its weight in gold.

A daunting premiere. There's already enough here to fill more than half a Godfather length film, and it's only the first episode, meaning it's only going to get worse from here. The show feels heavy like a weight on my mind already, I can only hope it stays consistently good throughout the large episode count, just like Legend of the Galactic Heroes or Curb/Seinfeld

A great start to an excellent series. "Pilot" is the first episode of The Sopranos, and it shows us Tony, our protagonist, dealing with a panic attack. It is honestly not one of the best episodes of the series, but it is compelling enough for the viewer to continue watching.

The writing is snappy and fast at times, the performances are quite good and compelling, and it lays the foundation for what is to come in the development of the remaining 85 chapters.

In conclusion: "Pilot" is a great first episode that lets us know the characters and their environment.

9/10.

Un capítulo que va marcando y enseñando el arco de cada personaje formando las bases de todos los personajes y de lo bien contruida que está Muestra y enseña los problemas de Tony, las que cosas que lo afectan y lo que lo marcaron desde pequeño un capítulo MAGISTRAL en todo su explendor.

Legendary and soo. Good best show ever we stan omg

As of the first episode, it gave me a BB vibe. Slow but sure.

Despite its cult status The Godfather is definitely not in my favorites list. I'm just not stimulated by these gangster-driven productions. That's why it took me so long to finally check out The Sopranos. Now that I have seen its pilot despite a few interesting elements I'm convinced that I could have spent the hour doing something more important.

If conventional mob stories bore you to death, move on. The pilot featured everything you can expect from the genre : Murders, explosions… So it's probably entertaining to many people, otherwise the show wouldn't have been so successful, but it lacked the creativity and boldness some premieres have been remembered for. The production is good, it's immersive, but not a single scene wowed me. Only a surprising lighting in an outdoor scene caught my attention. The rest felt like déjà vu and it also applies to the characters.

The story is really about Tony Soprano's struggle as a criminal, husband and father. James Gandolfini's performance was convincing but his part wasn't demanding. However I'm sure he was hired for a reason and that some of the upcoming episodes put him in a whole new light. In fact this first installment also portrayed him as a normal man, the nice neighbor next door. The psychotherapy sessions were specially enlightening to comprehend what's going on behind the curtain and at times it was hilarious. They also served to joint the different sequences and delivered an interesting way to introduce the protagonist. Lorraine Bracco made a decent shrink as Doctor Jennifer Melfi and her dynamic with the patient was quite good actually. The ducks metaphora was thoughtful and well exploited all along the episode. So even if her seduction factor makes her less believable their relationship is by far the most intriguing element.

Beside their arc I was also moved by a discussion Tony had with his daughter in a church about two of their ancestors who had built it. She mocked his words but he explained that they were among a crew and she realized how proud they must have been. It opened the Soprano family history book and revealed a certain potential behind the action and neverending manipulations. Even his wife mentioned something about spirituality so maybe the series deserve a second look.

This episode is so good example of how a slow episode can good. Tony has different vibe,i liked him. I laughed some scene especially at Tony's dream. This was enjoying and good pilot. But I have a problem with this pilot episode cuz i didn't understand so many characters are who is. And this episode was a bit long(I prefer 45 mins than 1 hour).8.0/10.

This seems to be an engaging start to a series that all I hear about it is praise. Exciting to see this series continue.

As a first time viewer of the sopranos, knowing nearly nothing about the show. This first episode is pretty good with a great performance from James Gandolfini. I'm not normally that into crime dramas but am interested to see what this show holds because of its insane critical acclaim. This episode lays some groundwork regarding Tony's mental state but doesn't get too much into the crime side of things. All in all, it's a good pilot which establishes the core characters but doesn't go that far below surface level in terms of plot and character. But it's a pilot so it's fine. I'm excited to see where this series goes and I hope to see series one build to a great climax.

Episode rating:8.45 MVP:James Gandolfini.

The first episode of the era-defying show "The Sopranos". Something made apparent immediately after starting the episode is the influence the film "Goodfellas" had on it. Examples include the use of Tony's therapy sessions serving as narration to the comedic tone of the home scenes.

The worldbuilding also is different from what the rest of the series portray such as the relationship between characters implying they aren't as close as one might expect. This does result in the episode sticking out from the rest which gives the pilot an unique vibe.

Despite this, one can clearly see that the series has good ideas and the ability to make its cast interesting and leaves the viewer wanting to learn more about them. There's a reason why this show had 6 seasons after all.