The Sopranos: 10 Unpopular Opinions About The Show (According To Reddit)
The Sopranos is still highly regarded as one of the best TV shows ever made. But there are still plenty of unpopular opinions on Reddit!
With 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and plenty of other accolades, The Sopranos still remains a perfect example for anyone looking to make a great TV show. And with a prequel movie on the way, fans of the mob drama will have the chance to explore the ways of the New Jersey crime families, many years before the events of the pilot.
As is the case with most good TV shows, there is never much to disagree about. Everyone tends to share the opinion that a character or plot arc was good or bad. However, a few fans tend to have unique opinions. Most of these opinions can be found on Reddit. Here are those that many fans of the HBO series won’t agree with.
A.J. Was A Good Son
Despite the fact that most people found him annoying, Reddit user variable114 argues that A.J. was good. He simply behaved as an ordinary youngster would. But is that really the case? A.J. achieved nothing during his time on the show. All he did was act rudely towards his parents and get into trouble.
Despite being the only son, he showed no desire to follow in his father’s footsteps. He showed no desire to pursue a decent career like his sister Meadow either. Sins that disqualify him as a good son include crashing his mother’s car, complaining that the car he’s been gifted isn’t good enough, stealing communion wine, vandalizing his school’s pool, and cheating on a test.
The Ending Wasn’t Ambiguous
Quite a bold claim by Jamal-Ginsberg. Most fans of the HBO series feel it deserved a better ending. How was the ending like? Tony went to a diner, his family joined him, a strange man entered too, then the screen cut to black. That was it. One of the greatest shows of all time ended just like that.
This ending is quite unimpressive compared to the final moments of other great crime shows. Think of Walter White eliminating gangsters with an automatic machine gun before dying too or Jax Teller being chased by cops before intentionally crashing into a truck. But one of the greatest TV gangsters of all time just sits in a diner and that’s it? Who was the other man? Totally ambiguous.
Janice Was One Of The Most Intriguing Characters
User bigballerbland516 claims Janice rocked. Yes, that’s Janice the black widow, Every male character she was romantically involved with somehow ended up dead. She even killed one of her lovers (Richie) and asked the same Tony that she hated to come and clean up the mess.
Not to forget how schemed her way into Bobby’s heart after his wife died. She began helping out in the house and when he showed an unwillingness to commit, she went ahead to send his children anonymous threatening messages before showing up to comfort them. And when Bobby died, she was more interested in the inheritance than the kids. Intriguing? Not so much.
“College” Is Overatted
The fifth episode of Season One titled “College” is often considered one of the best, if not the best episode of the mob drama. Compared to other episodes, it was fast-paced and tension-packed, reminding viewers of movies like Goodfellas.
In the episode, Tony took his daughter Meadow on a trip to Maine in search of a college she could enroll in. Meadow went on to drop one of the most memorable quotes in the series: “Are you in the mafia?” Most importantly, Tony spotted a former foe, tracked him down, and strangled him. It was a beautiful episode but wolfgangfckface doesn’t understand what the hype is all about.
Tony’s Therapy Sessions With Dr.Melfi Were Unnecessary
Tony’s need for therapy was an important story arc. His sessions with Dr. Melfi enabled viewers to dissect his mind and understand him. The sessions also made him appear more human. Traditionally, mobsters had been portrayed as tough men with hearts made of iron. Nothing would ever shake them.
Tony was tough too but he had his fears. Dr. Melfi was the only person he was ever comfortable with. And there was always the lingering question of whether the two would get intimate. Would they? Would they not? This made their interactions something to look forward to. But Reddit user CousinDouchey feels the show could have been better without these scenes.
Christopher Moltisanti Deserved To Die
The scene where Tony killed Christopher after a car accident by making him asphyxiate in his own blood was quite heartbreaking. Christopher had been a loyal soldier to Tony all along. He even chose the organization over his lover Adriana when the feds forced her to become an informant.
He even described his boss as “the man I’m going to hell for.” In return, Tony always trusted him and gave him the most sensitive jobs. Christopher’s notable negative trait was his substance abuse. Reddit user devoushka feels Christopher deserved what happened to him because of all the crimes he committed. Going by that logic, 90% of the characters ought to have died since they were criminals.
The Series Should Be Rebooted
This might happen in the next 20 or 30 years but for now, it’s unlikely. No one would want it either. Rebooting The Sopranos is like making a remake of The Godfather. There are high chances it might not be received well. The phrase “leave the classics alone” has been used a lot and there’s nowhere where it’s more justified than here.
Reddit user extcm1 shared this opinion. The user even goes down the outrageous route by stating that Carmela should be the boss this time. Her right-hand man? Father Phil. At this point, the opinion comes off as a joke.
Tony Was A Weak Boss
Reddit user markhamilyze bears the opinion that Tony was a weak mob boss. He played it safe and just didn’t kill enough people. He was also not ambitious enough to conquer other territories or take out of his enemies like Junior.
While the user makes accurate points about Tony’s modus operandi, there was a good reason why he acted the way he did. He never wanted to be a John Gotti or Al Capone. He avoided attracting attention. This way, he managed to stay out of jail. He even avoided getting killed. This makes him smart.
Tony Should Have Left Carmela For Gloria Trillo
Despite the fact that Gloria was more independent than Tony’s other mistresses, it was obvious that she was a sociopath. She was possessive and often displayed violent tendencies.
She also began threatening Tony when he wanted to break up with her. Tony would have never gotten along with her. There was also no real reason for him to leave Carmela. It was always clear that if the marriage were to end, it would be due to Carmela leaving Tony. Still, Reddit user Kevo886y feels that a Tony and Gloria marriage would have been better.
The Series Ended Too Soon
User Jkendy7895 is upset that the series ended too soon. But was there any story left to tell? Most of the shows that have come to be ranked among the greatest of all time lasted no more than seven seasons. The showrunner and producers knew the right time to end things and this was the case with The Sopranos.
Unless the show is the procedural type where there are fresh plots every other day, pumping out more seasons might be detrimental. Except for the poor ending, most fans would agree that the HBO masterpiece wrapped up its storyline at the right time.
