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Analysis of Season One and Two of The Sopranos

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Analysis of Season One and Two of The Sopranos

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The Sopranos is a crime drama surrounding a fictional Italian Mafia New Jersey. The series follows Tony Soprano, a Capo, trying to balance his family life, business life, and mental health. He tries to seek help from Dr. Melfi, his therapist, but he is never truly honest with her. While talking with her, he navigates situations, which could be incriminating, in a way to get the point across. As the series progresses, Tony becomes the boss of his crime family. To become the boss, he has to make tough decisions. Though Tony is not your average family man; he still struggles with balancing his life.

The logo of The Sopranos (“The Sopranos").

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The Sopranos is a show that uses dominance and power over people to succeed. This essay explores the rules of the Mob and the dominance created from it. The journey of Italian-Americans, Tony’s anti hero character, and punishments for those who go against the Mob are other topics in this essay. The lifestyle of the Mob can affect family members indirectly. Loyalty is a quality looked for in those who want to enter this lifestyle. The Sopranos are based on a real life Mob family. The series might be fictional, but some of the scenes come from some factual information. The Sopranos is about respect and dominance.

The purpose of analyzing The Sopranos is to see the way the Italian Mafia structures it’s society. The Mob follows certain rules and if someone breaks the rules there is punishment. In the first and second seasons of The Sopranos, the structure of their small community is displayed. Also there was one part of the opening credits that changed from the first season to the last. Though the Mob does illegal activities there are extensive rules and codes to follow.

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In the opening credits, Tony Soprano is driving from the Lincoln Tunnel to his house in North Caldwell. Once he passes the sign for the Lincoln Tunnel, he goes on the Turnpike through Newark and Elizabeth. As he is driving on the Turnpike, he passes oil drums. Then he drives through the suburbs to get to his house in North Caldwell. People can argue the opening credits are a small montage of Italian American’s journey (Stapinski). Many came from Italy through Ellis Island. They then settled in cities like Newark, Elizabeth, and Paterson, so they could get jobs. Through their hard work at factories, future generations were able to move out to the suburbs, similar to where Tony lives. Also Season one through three came out before 9/11, so there was a clip of the Twin Towers in the side mirror.  In Season four, which came out in 2002, the clip was removed from the opening credits. This is a form of intertextuality which is displayed in The Sopranos.

Photo of opening credits (Perkins).

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The series does not depict a hero, but an anti hero. Tony is the Capo for the DiMeo crime family. He is not afraid of killing anyone who does him wrong or gets in his way . Though Tony is this violent leader of a crime organization, the viewers see a side to Tony many people don’t get to see. He is, in his way,  loving and caring to his family and those he considers family, but there is this realness to him. The realness is presented through his anxiety. His panic attacks and constant struggle with mental health gives the viewers a sense that Tony isn’t this mythical man his friends and family think he is. Having to hide is mental health and doctors appointments is something many people struggle with. Being able to put Tony on a pedestal yet make him seem like everyone else creates a connection with the viewers and Tony.

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Example of Violent and Realness Side of Tony 

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Example of Violent and Realness Side of Tony 

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An example of this antihero side and his realness side can be seen in “College”. This episode follows Tony and Meadow, Tony’s daughter, visiting colleges in Maine. While driving to the motel he spots an old associate, Febby, who was an FBI informant and in turn was placed in the Witness Protection Program. Meadow meets a group of students who invite her out. She got drunk and kept apologizing to her father. He carries her into the motel room. The next day while Meadow was on a tour and an interview at Colby College, Tony goes in search of Febby. Tony ends up strangling him with a wire. One scene he is carrying his drunk underage daughter into the motel room, understanding he has been in similar situations at that age. A couple scenes later he is killing is former associate by strangling him. Killing Febby by strangulation, Tony showed his dominance.  The dramatic transition from fatherly actions to a killer is apparent and this is why the viewers start to see an antihero they can relate to.

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Dominance of Other Through Intimidation 

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Dominance of Other Through Intimidation 

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Not only is dominance displayed in this episode, but throughout the whole series. The dominance is shown in the form of fear. Many people within the Mob community fear Tony. The fear comes from the insane things he has done, like killing Feddy and beating up people who have gone against the code. The fear grows from intimidation and violence, the more violent and forceful one is the more feared others are of them. In the Pilot episode, Christopher, Tony’s cousin-in-law and protege, was trying to get money from a guy. The guy starts beating up Chris, so Tony decides to take matters into his own hands. He hopped over to the driver's seat and chased the guy. Tony was driving on the grass and people were dodging the car, all while he is laughing and smiling. He strikes the guy in the leg. Walking up to him asking if he was ok, Tony saw the opportunity to show even more dominance by punching him in his broken leg. Then Tony continues to yell at him about not receiving his payment. In this scene Tony doesn’t fear anything, while the spectators fear him. This is one of the many instances where Tony’s dominance is present.

Video of the scene described above (“Tony Beat the Guy - The Sopranos HD.")

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To  the outside world, anyone who comes from the Mob lifestyle is feared. The stories told about the crazy punishments and torture tactics used run through the “normal” communities. This is present in the scene from “Full Leather Jacket”. Carmela, Tony’s wife, was stressed about Meadow getting into college. She politely strong armed her neighbor, Jeanie, to talk to her sister about writing a letter for Meadow to Georgetown. Jeanie was reluctant, but eventually agreed. Her sister already wrote a letter and wasn’t going to write another. Jeanie nervously called Carmela on the phone to tell her the news. Carmela, not impressed, took matters into her own hands and went to the office herself. Jeanie’s sister knew Carmela  was connected, so fearing something could happen to her, she wrote the letter for Meadow.  Though Carmela isn’t in the Mob, her connection to it gives her dominance over outsiders and makes others fear her.

Gif about the scene described above (“21. She Loves Me, and These Are Her Child-Bearing Years.").

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The dominance and power over others who are not in the Mob is present, but there is a power structure between the husband and wife within the Mob. The men have the power in the relationship. They are known to hangout in strip clubs and have goomahs, mistresses. The relationship between Tony and Carmela is a complicated one. Carmela knows Tony has many mistresses, and understands that she is still the wife. There are times when Tony is upset about Carmela’s actions toward other men. Tony’s double standard of their relationship is irrational because Carmela is a little more friendly to the local priest, while Tony is allowed to sleep with mistresses. The pilot displays Tony’s jealousy with Carmela and the priest relationship and his relationship with his goomah. He takes his mistress to a restaurant and after they spend a night on a boat. The next night he takes his wife to the same restaurant. This double standard is very prevalent with men in the Mob and their significant others.

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When it comes to conflict between characters in The Sopranos, the characters show their dominance over others. Conflict is dealt within the family, Mob, or people who are affiliated. When problems occur they don’t go to the police or other officials, they figure out other ways to get the problem solved and their point across. If you have no connection with the Mob, you will not be affected by their physical presence. Some characters will have a friendship or an unwanted connection to the Mob which could lead to their unknown involvement with the Mob. The depiction of Tony’s character as an antihero should lead viewers to understand his actions are illegal and immoral. There are times when Tony’s actions are criminal, but the viewers support and root for his success. In the Pilot, Tony and his uncle, Junior, are having a long standing battle on who is going to move up to eventually become the new boss. Tony hears Junior is planning to have Little Pussy, Junior’s enemy, killed at Artie Bucco’s, Tony’s friend from childhood, restaurant. Artie is not in the Mob, so rather than talking to Junior, who is irrational, or telling Artie, Tony asks someone in his crew to burn the place down. Tony thought this was the best option, so Artie’s restaurant’s name would not be tarnished and the insurance money could be used to open a new one. The rationale behind this theory is coming from a good place, but the actions are immoral. Artie is an honest businessman who doesn’t want to be connected with the Mob, but his friendship with Tony leads to his unknown involvement with the Mob. This is why viewers could see Tony as a caring man who only knows how to express this through illegal actions.

Artie's Restaurant blowing up (“Artie and Livia: To Tell The Truth.”)

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Tony is willing to protect those who mean something to him. He doesn’t know how to show affection for others. The only way he knows how to is through protection. In season one, Junior wants Tony dead because he is going to therapy and could be talking to an outsider about the family “business”. Tony lets Dr. Melfi know that she may be in danger, so she leaves the state per the request of Tony. In “Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist’s Office..” Tony tries to figure out how to deal with his mental health without going to a therapist. This causes him to have a panic attack while he is driving and causes an accident. He sees another therapist who knows who he is and will not allow Tony to be his patient. Junior being locked up and Tony killing Junior’s two right hand men allowed Tony to call Dr. Melfi and tell her it is safe to return. She was startled that he knew where she was. Tony felt bad and surprised her at a restaurant to apologize. Dr. Melfi was reluctant at first but then accepted his apology. Similar to Artie, Dr. Melfi doesn’t want to be in this lifestyle, but understands this is what happens when one is affiliated. This was Tony’s way of showing he cares. It is not a conventional way to show it but he wasn’t taught affection by his mother, so protection is the only way he shows affection and caring.

Photo of Dr. Melfi and Tony in a therapy session (xoJane).

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Though most of the events in the Sopranos may seem fake, the show is loosely based on a real crime family based in New Jersey. The DeCavalcante crime family is housed in NJ and is part of the Mob (Stasi). Most of the scenes are fictional but the creator, David Chase, uses knowledge and stories about the Mob to create this series.

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With this series loosely based on a real Mob family, the characters have to live by a code, like the real Mob does. This code forms their cultural and societal values. The biggest value is to respect others.  In addition to respecting others, trust is hard to come by in this community. Once a character builds their trust with another, they are able to know more information. Not trusting many people, the characters who are in and associated with the Mob must keep many secrets.

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Though this “family” is built on crime and illegal activity, they pride themselves on following the code. If someone of a lower rank disrespects or disobeys orders of a higher rank, then they will be punished. Depending on the lower ranked member's status in the Mob and the relationship they have with the person they disrespected or disobey will determine their punishment. An example of a low ranking associate disrespecting a higher ranked member is present in the episode “Full Leather Jacket”. Matt Bevilaqua, a low level associate, and his partner Sean were aggravated that they were not moving up the ranks faster, so they took matters into their own hands. While Chris was coming out of a restaurant, they pulled up in a car and started shooting at him. Sean ended up dying and Matt ran away.  Tony was told of Matt’s whereabouts and went over to talk about what had occurred. He realized Matt and Sean acted alone in trying to kill Chris. While interrogating him, Tony and Big Pussy, a member of Tony’s crew, were beating up Matt. After finding the information he needed, Tony shot Matt. In the Mob and Sopranos the only people who order a hit, to kill someone, is the Capos, Underbosses, and the Bosses. In this case Matt and Sean thought they should kill Chris to be seen by Tony. If they did their jobs and followed the rules over time they would have become made men. Showing patience, committing, and respect to the life is what Tony and other Mob leaders look for. This is an example of an associate disobeying orders and his consequence was death.

Photo of Matt beaten up by Tony and Pussy right before his is shot (Hugh Blowmont).

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There are also times in the series where soldiers, made men who work for their Capo, would turn federal informant or would talk about family “business” with those who shouldn’t know. The perfect example of this is a storyline told through the second season. Big Pussy left in season one and returned in the season two premiere. In “Nobody Knows Anything” Pussy was at a mob hangout when it got busted and he tried to run, but he ended up pulling his back. He didn't return until the season two premiere. Normally if someone gets arrested during a bust and they don’t return for awhile, then that means they most likely cooperated with the feds. Knowing this Pussy surprised Tony at his house one morning. Still skeptical Tony thinks he is a rat, Pussy makes him promise if they go inside Pussy will be alive when he exits the house. Tony agrees and when they were in the basement Tony gives Pussy a hug, so he could feel if Pussy had a wire on him. Pussy swears he is not an informant and the history they have made Tony believe him, but Tony still kept an eye on him. Tony put Paulie Walnuts, another member of Tony’s crew, on finding out if Pussy was an informant. In “Funhouse”season two finale, Tony is still skeptical that Pussy is an FBI informant, so when he is in Pussy’s house he makes up an excuse to go to the bathroom. Rather than going to the bathroom he goes into Pussy’s room where he searches for anything that ties him to being an informant. Right before he leaves the room Tony found Pussy’s wire. Tony then orders a hit on Pussy. Paulie  Silvio, a member of Tony’s crew,  and Tony shot and killed Pussy. It was hard for Tony because Pussy was like a brother to him.  He turned his back on the family and turned into a snitch. Other than respect in the Mob, the number one rule is to not snitch to the feds. If someone in the Mob gets caught talking to the FBI, there will be a hit on them. The Mob uses the name La Cosa Nostra, which translates to “our thing”. There is an understanding within the community though sometimes some people  may not agree, they will never bring outsiders in their thing.

This video is the scene where Big Pussy dies (“The Sopranos - Pussy Gets Whacked.”)

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La Cosa Nostra may mean our thing and most people choose this lifestyle, but family members of the Mob can be affected by their actions. Meadow struggles with understanding what her father actually does. In the episode “College”, she asks her father about his occupation. He is reluctant to say that he is in the Mob, but he does admit to her he has made money from illegal gambling. With the absence of an affectionate and present father, she struggles with being perfect. This leads her to taking the drug speed so she can study for the SATs. Meadow in the same scene where she asks her father what he does for a living, she tells him she has taken speed. Tony freaks out and asks her where she got it from and she is not willing to tell him. They both agree at the end of their conversation they both have secrets to keep, but they are still somewhat honest with each other. As Meadow and AJ, Tony’s son, grow up they will experience issues only families in the Mob experience.

This is the car ride where Meadow and Tony start to open up to each other about questionable decisions they made (Giphy).

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The expectation of the family, as the kids get older, is to have a basic understanding of what their father does as a job. But the expectations of the mother is to make sure everything at home is running smoothly. She is expected to make dinner and clean the house. Though women's rights have improved over the years, when people enter the Sopranos household they will be brought back to the 1950s. This is common in Mafia households. Carmela also doesn’t ask questions about what Tony does. She knows he is in the Mob but won’t push him to open up about it. In “The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti” there are indictments brought down on the DiMeo crime family. Once Tony found out he tells Carmela and they both move questionable items, like guns and money, out of their house. She is willing to help him even if she doesn’t know the details about his job. There are many times Carmela has to deal with AJ and Meadow’s issues, like bad grades or getting into fights at school. Tony is only brought in if Carmela feels like she can’t get through to her kids. He shows his dominance over his kids. Although the kids don’t know about their father’s violent side, they do fear him, so when he tells them what to do they tend to listen more than when their mom does. The expectations of mothers in the Mob is to ensure the household duties are complete and if they can’t handle disciplining their kids, they ask their husband for reinforcement.

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The Sopranos is about a crime family who experiences issues that all families go through. Italian-American’s journey to their current place is displayed in the opening credits. Tony struggles with mental health which makes his anti hero character more relatable to viewers. Tony’s way to show he cares about people is in protecting them. Loyalty and respect radiates through this lifestyle. The women of the Mob are expected to be similar to the women from the 1950s, do household chores and raise the children. Dominance over people with the Mob and those outside the Mob is present. Overall The Sopranos is a depiction of a subculture, which from the outside may look terrifying and dysfunctional, but in reality it is an honest family being dishonest to outsiders.

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