Barnes & Noble

A film has only one chance to make its impression, but a television show can add layers to itself every seven days. Most programs don't take advantage of that, but few have done better than HBO's The Sopranos. The first season, released in a four-DVD set, allows one to savor The Sopranos, which quickly became one of the most confident and insightful shows on television. Early on, David Chase's portrait of the private and professional life of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano teeters on the edge of parody. Tony himself, artfully played by James Gandolfini, is believably complicated and conflicted, emerging as a family man (in both the literal and colloquial senses of the word) depressed by the slow rot of his own inner life. His sessions with psychotherapist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) help in some ways (through a new understanding of his family's importance, and a Prozac prescription) and hurt in others (his continued "anti-social" behavior and an intense case of doctor-patient transference), but never go over-the-top. It's Tony's fellow gangsters who feel exaggerated at first, though the crew develops quickly in the first season from well-acted stereotypes who spend a lot of time quoting Al Pacino movies into legitimately multi-dimensional characters. These supporting performances, most notably by Michael Imperioli and Vincent Pastore, give the show's mafia moments the juice they need to transcend parody. The other Soprano family members -- an upper-middle class nuclear unit that worries about upper-middle class things -- is that rare portrayal of suburban life: one drawn with care and humor without condescension, and with attention to regional and ethnic detail. Ultimately, though, what makes The Sopranos so good is its unfailing dedication to its characters. Their lives are fully and richly imagined, steeped in a deep understanding of suburbia by writers and directors who know what they're doing and care about doing it intelligently. No show since Homicide: Life on the Street has created so nuanced a world; one packed with real ironies, ambiguities, and quiet truths. Who would've thought the artistic high road would look so much like the New Jersey Turnpike? Dave Roth

Barnes & Noble

Having proven itself to be both smarter than the average Mafia story and better than a Freud-by-the-numbers family drama, the second season of HBO's Emmy-winning gangster soap opera, The Sopranos, continued to break new ground. For the most part, things pick up where they left off in Season 1 for Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). Heavy-hitting characters such as Tony's mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), and Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) move into the background to make room for denser ensemble conflict and, in Marchand's case, to give the actress a rest during her battle with cancer (which eventually took her life after production wrapped). A handful of new antagonists are introduced, the most treacherous of whom is Richie Aprile (David Proval), the embittered brother of former boss Jackie Aprile and Tony's No. 1 rival. Tony's once-estranged sister, Janice (Aida Turturro), returns to New Jersey, motivated by...who knows? Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) also gets more of the spotlight, boosting her presence from mere sounding board to that of a well-developed character. Causing further agita for Tony are the usual family and work crises, most of which are shadowed by the return of his close friend and colleague in crime, Pussy Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) -- who secretly wears a wire for the F.B.I. This tense story line fuels the entire season, climaxing in an emotional finale reminiscent of The Godfather: Part II. These highlights only scratch the surface, however, as The Sopranos tries to best itself after an almost mythical first-season success; supporting characters Carmela (Edie Falco), Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), Anthony, Jr. (Robert Iler), Christopher (Michael Imperioli), Paulie (Tony Sirico), and the rest are also given their due focus. The four-DVD set affords director commentaries for several episodes, two featurettes, and much more. Tony Nigro

Barnes & Noble

The Sopranos Complete Third Season offers Episodes 27 through 39 of David Chase's sensational HBO drama, which began its original run in March 2001. The third season earned 17 Emmy nominations and won 4, including Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (for James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano) and Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series (for Edie Falco as Tony's wife, Carmela). Available as either a 4-DVD or 5-VHS set, The Sopranos Complete Third Season comprises the following 13 episodes:

Product Details

• UPC: 883929072439
• Source: HBO HOME VIDEO
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Editions: Repackaged
• Sales Rank: 8,392

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• The Sopranos: Pilot
• The Sopranos: 46 Long
• The Sopranos: Denial, Anger, Acceptance
• The Sopranos: Meadowlands
• The Sopranos: College
• The Sopranos: Pax Soprana
• The Sopranos: Down Neck
• The Sopranos: The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti
• The Sopranos: Boca
• The Sopranos: A Hit Is a Hit
• The Sopranos: Nobody Knows Anything
• The Sopranos: Isabella
• The Sopranos: I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano
• The Sopranos: Guy Walks Into a Psychiatrist's Office
• The Sopranos: Toodle-Fucking-oo
• The Sopranos: Commendatori
• The Sopranos: Big Girls Don't Cry
• The Sopranos: The Happy Wanderer
• The Sopranos: D-Girl
• The Sopranos: Full Leather Jacket
• The Sopranos: From Where to Eternity
• The Sopranos: Bust-Out
• The Sopranos: House Arrest
• The Sopranos: The Knight in White Satin Armor
• The Sopranos: Funhouse
• The Sopranos: Do Not Resuscitate
• The Sopranos: Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood
• The Sopranos: Proshai, Livushka
• The Sopranos: Fortunate Son
• The Sopranos: Employee of the Month
• The Sopranos: Another Toothpick
• The Sopranos: University
• The Sopranos: Second Opinion
• The Sopranos: He Is Risen
• The Sopranos: To Save Us All From Satan's Power
• The Sopranos: Pine Barrens
• The Sopranos: Amour Fou
• The Sopranos: Army of One
• The Sopranos: For All Debts Public and Private
• The Sopranos: No-Show
• The Sopranos: Christopher
• The Sopranos: The Weight
• The Sopranos: Pie-O-My
• The Sopranos: Everybody Hurts
• The Sopranos: Watching Too Much Television
• The Sopranos: Mergers & Acquisitions
• The Sopranos: Whoever Did This
• The Sopranos: The Strong, Silent Type
• The Sopranos: Calling All Cars
• The Sopranos: Eloise
• The Sopranos: Whitecaps
• The Sopranos: Two Tonys
• The Sopranos: Rat Pack
• The Sopranos: Where's Johnny
• The Sopranos: All Happy Families
• The Sopranos: Irregular Around the Margins
• The Sopranos: Sentimental Education
• The Sopranos: In Camelot
• The Sopranos: Marco Polo
• The Sopranos: Unidentified Black Males
• The Sopranos: Cold Cuts
• The Sopranos: The Test Dream
• The Sopranos: Long Term Parking
• The Sopranos: All Due Respect
• The Sopranos: Members Only
• The Sopranos: Join the Club
• The Sopranos: Mayham
• The Sopranos: The Fleshy Part of the Thigh
• The Sopranos: Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request
• The Sopranos: Live Free or Die
• The Sopranos: Luxury Lounge
• The Sopranos: Johnny Cakes
• The Sopranos: The Ride
• The Sopranos: Moe 'n' Joe
• The Sopranos: Cold Stones
• The Sopranos: Kaisha
• The Sopranos: Soprano Home Movies
• The Sopranos: Stage 5
• The Sopranos: Remember When
• The Sopranos: Chasing It
• The Sopranos: Walk Like a Man
• The Sopranos: Kennedy and Heidi
• The Sopranos: The Second Coming
• The Sopranos: The Blue Comet
• The Sopranos: Made in America