Spring Break
Long running HBO favorite comes to close at end of season
Nadum
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 2 next >
"Is this it?"
-Carmela Soprano
Those first words spoken in the final season of The Sopranos may come to define the show's legacy as a tragedy no less epic than the show itself. David Chase, creator of the single most influential piece of art in the last 20 years, shook water coolers around the world when he introduced Tony Soprano, New Jersey crime boss, murderer… and protagonist?
Chase's brilliance and what reinvented not only the mob drama, but all of television was an amazing ability to humanize his leading character. Audiences instantly fell head over heels for the vulnerable mafioso and The Sopranos became unparalleled in the lexicon of American pop-culture.
Relying on the internal conflicts of the 'family' over the standard shoot'em up gangster play, The Sopranos proved television was capable of producing fresh, thought-provoking content of cinematic quality.
With acting, directing and cinematography that rivaled that of any Academy Award winner, it's almost impossible to imagine the landscape of television today without the influence of The Sopranos
Could HBO have devoted their resources to an original programming division that gave us classics like The Wire, Deadwood and Six Feet Under?
Would F/X have ever dared base Rescue Me around a group of self destructive, misogynistic, alcoholic firemen (led by Denis Leary) in a post 9/11 world?
And what of Dexter, Showtime's new masterpiece about a Miami Metro Forensics expert who moonlights as a Robin Hoodesque serial killer-meticulously ending the lives of criminals he encounters in his day job?
If not for The Sopranos, television would still be defined by formulaic sitcoms, laugh tracks and self-contained dramas that provide swift resolution within the hour. Instead, television has moved out of the shadows, equaling if not surpassing film as the best artistic visual medium.
That fact is what makes The Sopranos decline so heartbreaking. After two seasons in the catbird seat, the show became overly enamored with its examination of Tony's psyche. Things got worse with each season as internal conflict came at the expense of any external developments and progression of the plot.
-Carmela Soprano
Those first words spoken in the final season of The Sopranos may come to define the show's legacy as a tragedy no less epic than the show itself. David Chase, creator of the single most influential piece of art in the last 20 years, shook water coolers around the world when he introduced Tony Soprano, New Jersey crime boss, murderer… and protagonist?
Chase's brilliance and what reinvented not only the mob drama, but all of television was an amazing ability to humanize his leading character. Audiences instantly fell head over heels for the vulnerable mafioso and The Sopranos became unparalleled in the lexicon of American pop-culture.
Relying on the internal conflicts of the 'family' over the standard shoot'em up gangster play, The Sopranos proved television was capable of producing fresh, thought-provoking content of cinematic quality.
With acting, directing and cinematography that rivaled that of any Academy Award winner, it's almost impossible to imagine the landscape of television today without the influence of The Sopranos
Could HBO have devoted their resources to an original programming division that gave us classics like The Wire, Deadwood and Six Feet Under?
Would F/X have ever dared base Rescue Me around a group of self destructive, misogynistic, alcoholic firemen (led by Denis Leary) in a post 9/11 world?
And what of Dexter, Showtime's new masterpiece about a Miami Metro Forensics expert who moonlights as a Robin Hoodesque serial killer-meticulously ending the lives of criminals he encounters in his day job?
If not for The Sopranos, television would still be defined by formulaic sitcoms, laugh tracks and self-contained dramas that provide swift resolution within the hour. Instead, television has moved out of the shadows, equaling if not surpassing film as the best artistic visual medium.
That fact is what makes The Sopranos decline so heartbreaking. After two seasons in the catbird seat, the show became overly enamored with its examination of Tony's psyche. Things got worse with each season as internal conflict came at the expense of any external developments and progression of the plot.
Be the first to comment on this story