The Sopranos: 10 Best Episodes Of Season 4 (According To IMDB)
The Sopranos Season 4 continued the fantastic show with some weaker episodes. Here are the 10 best according to IMDb.
For those who’ve yet to witness the epic soap-operatic mob-drama The Sopranos, it’s worthing noting that HBO has unlocked its back-catalog during this trying time of the COVID-19 global pandemic. If you don’t have a subscription to HBO, don’t fret, you can also access older shows such as The Sopranos via Hulu and Apple TV.
Anyway, the critical mass seems to suggest that Season 4 of The Sopranos is collectively the worst of the entire series. While that may be a bit harsh, here are the 10 Best Episodes of The Sopranos Season 4, according to IMDB!
Watching Too Much Television (Episode 7) 8.2/10
As the title of the episode suggests, Adriana is sorely let down when learning life isn’t the way it’s depicted on the tube. She learns from a TV show that a wife isn’t permitted to testify in court against her husband, but the FBI has other plans. Christopher, on the other hand, is too high to care much about anything.
Meanwhile, the crew throws a welcome-home party for Paulie after his release from prison. When Tony learns Assemblyman Zellman is seeing his former mistress Irina, he puts on a front to conceal his escalating anxiety.
Pie-O-My (Episode 5) 8.2/10
One of the major thematic motifs of the entire series is Tony’s relation to animals. In Pie-O-My, the theme is made abundantly clear through Tony’s natural interest in Ralphie’s newly bought racehorse.
Although Ralphie buys a racehorse called Pie-O-My, it’s Tony who becomes close with the steed. After winning some money on the horse at 8-1 odds, Tony refuses to invest in Carmela’s living trust. Meanwhile, Christopher’s heroin use continues to spiral out of control. Adriana wants to get Chris the help he needs but is continually badgered by the FBI for sensitive intel.
Eloise (Episode 12) 8.3/10
The rift between Tony and Carmine widens, leading to the former torching Johnny Sack’s new restaurant ahead of its grand opening. Carmine retaliates by unleashing the labor’s union on the Esplanade construction, which Tony’s invested in. Paulie confronts Carmine to clear up the dispute, but Carmine has no idea who Paulie is!
Elsewhere, Furio goes back to Italy when learning of Tony’s gross infidelity to Carmela. At a dinner party thrown by Meadow, Carmela voices her displeasure with Furio’s departure by lashing out at the guests.
No Show (Episode 2) 8.3/10
When Paulie gets sent to the hoosegow, Chris replaces him as crew captain. Unfortunately, Chris’s escalating drug use leads to one major failure after another.
The main thrust of the episode, however, concerns Ralphie’s insulting remark about Johnny Sack’s wife. Sack looks for permission to whack Ralphie as a result but needs permission from the higher-ups to do so. Back at the Soprano abode, Meadow suffers from increasing PTSD over Jackie Jr.’s death, prompting her visit to a shrink recommended by Dr. Melfi.
For All Debts Public And Private (Episode 1) 8.3/10
For whatever reason, season premieres of The Sopranos rarely rank very high among IMDB voters. Season 4 is no exception, despite being off the air for 16 months in between the world-altering event of 9/11.
Upon returning, Junior is set to face his court-date. Meanwhile, Carmela implores Tony to use some of their dirty money to invest in legitimate businesses to secure their future. While they bicker over how to invest, Christopher’s heroin use ramps up. Perhaps most shockingly though? Janice Soprano begins an affair with Ralph Cifaretto!
Everybody Hurts (Episode 6) 8.4/10
Depression looms large for several key players in Everybody Hurts, the midway point of season 4. But first, Tony hands the keys of the Soprano future over to Chris, unaware of his crippling drug dependency.
When Tony learns of his mistress Gloria’s suicide, he blames himself. Later, Tony gives $50,000 to Artie for an investment in a French liqueur, which Artie cannot reimburse. Tony is further depressed when learning that Artie is terrified of the repercussions he may face. The only person who doesn’t seem sad is AJ, who brings home a new girlfriend.
The Weight (Episode 4) 8.5/10
In The Weight, Johnny Sack’s desire to kill Ralphie over calling his wife fat continues to gather steam. Sack has his goons assault several of Ralphie’s men before asking Carmine and Junior permission to whack Cifaretto. Upon denial, Sack takes matters into his own hands.
Elsewhere, Carmela and Furio are becoming a bit too chummy for comfort. Meadow begins a position at a volunteer law center in the Bronx, while Tony balks at Carmela’s desire to invest money in a lucrative real-estate deal.
The Strong, Silent Type (Episode 10) 8.8/10
In the aftermath of Ralphie’s death, Tony scrambles to cover up his involvement. But the real crux of the episode concerns Chris’s rampant heroin use, which prompts the gang to stage an intervention.
Chris’s drug abuse is so out of control that he physically assaults Adriana after accidentally killing her dog while high. This prompts a highly confrontational intervention, where Chris argues with those who love him most. Tony, on the other hand, infers to the capos that Johnny Sack may have been involved in Ralphie’s sudden disappearance.
Whitecaps (Episode 13) 9.1/10
As Junior’s criminal trial comes to a halt, Tony’s problems only increase in the season finale, Whitecaps. When Johnny Sack approaches Tony with the idea to whack Carmine as a way to settle the dispute between families, Tony agrees. Alas, Carmine has his own tricks up his sleeve!
Tony’s domestic life takes a hit as well when Irina calls Carmela and informs her that Tony has been sleeping with her one-legged cousin, Svetlana. Carmela explodes with rage and kicks Tony out of the house, threatening the family’s purchase of a gorgeous new seaside home.
Whoever Did This (Episode 9) 9.2/10
The undoubted high-water mark of the season comes in the explosive and highly unpredictable ninth frame. When Ralphie’s son Justin is put on life support after being shot in the chest with an arrow, we sympathize with Cifaretto for the first time.
But when Tony learns Ralphie was responsible for the death of Pie-O-My, he absolutely snaps. The two engage in an epic brawl in Ralphie’s kitchen, where Tony chokes him out and slams his head on the floor until he perishes on the spot. Frantic, Tony calls Christopher to help clean up the mess, which he’s nearly too doped out to do. How will Tony explain the sudden disappearance of his highest earner?
