“The Sopranos” is easily one of the best drama in television history along with shows like “The Wire” and “Breaking Bad.” Many of us realized it right away, as David Chase had created something unlike any other show on television, with James Gandolfini giving the performance of a lifetime in creating the iconic character of Tony Soprano.
Interviews
Interview with Michael Imperioli
We interviewed Michael about an upcoming movie, but of course Will addressed “The Sopranos.” In this excerpt, Michael discusses Christopher’s death on the show, and his impression of the character:
MI: Oh! Well, I mean, there were only, what, another four episodes after that? But I think it was very important, the way he died, because it really showed who Tony is. When you’re doing a show like that, you constantly have to walk the line, because people get sucked in by him, they feel they know him, and they like him. And (James Gandolfini) is a likeable guy, and he’s such a good actor. But the reality is that Tony is a cold-blooded criminal who, in the end, will kill his kin because, basically, he wants to keep his wagon train rolling and his money coming in. So it was really important to have him do something so…disgusting. I think it was brilliant. It was a brilliant choice of David Chase to do it that way.
BE: What do you think of the theories that Chris was a rat?
MI: (Adamantly) That’s not true. No, he wasn’t a rat. His girlfriend was a rat, but he wasn’t. But I think Tony was afraid that, because Chris couldn’t keep straight and, y’know, he kept falling back into the drugs, and he was rising up in his rank in the family. It just made everything too vulnerable. His girlfriend was a rat, and he was…maybe too high to be on top of it, to know that this was happening. And if things went a little further down the line, maybe he would become a rat.
Interview with Jamie-Lynn Sigler
We also interview beautiful Jamie-Lynn and got her impressions on the series finale:
BE: So not that you haven’t been asked a million times, but what were your thoughts on the series finale?
JLS: Honestly, I was satisfied with it, because to me, whether his life ended there or a week later or years later, I think we just sort of saw their life, and it was edited in a way that maybe we had never experienced it before. We’re seeing them as they’re relaxed, they’re happy, they’re in a good place and meeting for a nice family dinner, but as we’re looking around, we’re seeing all of these potential threats. And I feel like any scene from any episode in any season could’ve been edited that way. I think it’s an example of their reality, their life, that it could end at any moment. Like, this is the way it’s going to be, so whether it ended there or later, I think it was inevitable that it was going to. But I think that half of the audience would’ve been satisfied if his life had ended there, and I think half would’ve been upset if it hadn’t, you know? I don’t think you can please anyone, so I thought it was a perfect ending that leaves it up to however you’d like to envision it.
Blog
We hosted our Sopranos blog over at Premium Hollywood, so check out the blog feed and leave any comments there. Naturally, there are SPOILER ALERTS in case you haven’t watched or finished the series. And if that’s the case, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? (lol)
Cast Profiles
James Gandolfini
He nailed Tony Soprano and the entire show revolves around this epic performance.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Jamie-Lynn was brilliant as Meadow Soprano, Tony’s daughter. Her infamous “Are you in the Mafia?” scene is one of the more iconic moments in the series. She grew up on the show and always delivered strong performances.
Drea de Matteo
She played the lovely Adriana whose volatile relationship with Christopher added many layers of nuance to the show.