The Sopranos: The 10 Best Episodes, According To Reddit
From "Pine Barrens" to "Long Term Parking", The Sopranos is full of legendary episodes. Fans took to Reddit to share their faves of the mafia show.
Earlier this year, The Sopranos stars Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow Soprano) and her TV brother Robert Iller (A.J. Soprano) appeared in a Superbowl commercial. Although this renewed hopes for a potential revival or spinoff, Sigler squashed the rumor via CNN. After all, The Many Saints Of Newark proved just how hard it is to top a classic.
Fans will not get to watch new scenes at the Bada Bing!, but they can always look back to some of the series’ iconic episodes. The critically acclaimed HBO series has been applauded for the great writing, visceral acting, and immaculate directing, and Redditors remarked on a few flawless episodes that deserve some attention.
“Bust Out” (S2.E10)
After Tony’s friend Davey fails to pay off a gambling debt, the New Jersey mob boss assumes control of his business — Ramsey Sports & Outdoors — and runs it to the ground. Tony also becomes concerned after a witness links him to Matt’s murder. ShutUpDonny_007 says, “it’s one of the only episodes where we see Tony scared,” adding, “Davey’s Story was tragic, and one of my favorite side plots in the series.”
The Redditor accurately points out Tony’s uncharacteristic emotional state. Generally, the mob boss is depicted as someone who has total control over everything, but on this occasion, he fears he might really get locked up for homicide. Tony’s state of hopelessness demonstrates his humaneness, contrasting him with the untouchable Cosa Nostra figure he usually is. And through Davey’s fate, this episode illustrates how poor choices can ruin lives.
“Whitecaps” (S4.E13)
Preemo47 recalls that “the argument between Tony and Carmella was so intense and passionate. You could feel the rage and built-up frustration they both had.” In the episode, Irina, one of Tony Soprano’s better mistresses, calls Carmela to reveal his affairs. This bombshell results in Tony and Carmela having a nasty altercation before separating.
“Whitecaps” perfectly underscores the volatility of the Sopranos’ marriage. One moment, the happy couple is kissing near a North Jersey home they intend to buy and the next moment, she is throwing his belongings out. The fallout of their separation has devastating effects on other members of the Soprano family, particularly Meadow.
“College” (S1.E5)
While heading to Maine with Meadow to check out prospective colleges, Tony spots Fabian “Febby” Petrulio, one of the key FBI informants in The Sopranos, and goes after him. Dumbsopranosfan feels that “‘College” perfectly outlines the The Sopranos‘ basic premise: “the line between humanity and inhumanity.”
No other episode showcases Tony’s duality better. Despite his mob commitments, he makes sure to create time for Meadow and uphold his values as a family man. He also notably tells Meadow that he is indeed in the mafia. And when duty calls, Tony instantly shifts from loving father to ruthless gangster, killing Febby in broad daylight
“The Test Dream” (S5E11)
Redditor rocketsauce2112 thinks this episode is “an exceptionally dark experience.” Tony falls asleep after calling an escort and then goes on to have a strange dream where some of the dead people (and animals) in his life appear.
Tony Soprano’s dream sequences are littered all over the show, but “The Test Dream” has some of the most fascinating. Watching Tony have sex with Charmaine while Artie coaches him is a surreal viewing experience and so is Gloria Trillo counseling the mob boss at Dr. Melfi’s office. These darker moments build throughout the episode with Valetina accidentally burning herself and Tony B’s former cellmate getting murdered. The episode alone is a roller coaster ride of laughter and tragedy.
“Employee Of The Month” (S3E4)
In “Employee of the Month,” Dr. Melfi is attacked and sexually assaulted by an unknown man in the parking lot. She later sees an “Employee of The Month” picture of the same man at a sub shop but refuses to tell Tony. LowRentMegazord labels the episode “the high water mark for the series.”
Dr. Melfi knows she can easily ask Tony to kill her attacker and he’ll gladly do it but she chooses not to. The final few minutes are particularly emotional, with the mob boss imploring her to tell her what’s wrong only for her to hide her trauma and refuse to go the eye-for-eye route.
“Soprano Home Movies” (S6E13)
Carmela and Tony visit Bobby and Janice at their new home in upstate New York. There, Bobby beats Tony up because of the insensitive comments he makes about Janice. Redditor gladitsknight praises the episode, saying “it has everything you could want; hilarity, tension, drama, brilliant acting.”
Tony rarely loses but in “Soprano Home Movies,” Bobby bruises both his body and his ego when he easily defeats the mob boss in a fight. Through the loss, Tony’s unreasonable and vindictive side once again rears its head. The DiMeo crime family Don does the unthinkable by ordering Bobby to conduct his first kill as a way to punish him.
“Pine Barrens” (S3E11)
Paulie and Christopher are tasked with collecting a debt from the Russian mobster Valery but it all goes terribly wrong, resulting in a manhunt in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. This Reddit user calls it “a near-perfect episode; suspenseful, exciting, funny.”
“Pine Barrens” is regarded as one of the best episodes because of its humor. It not only has one of the funniest quotes in The Sopranos, where Paulie misquotes Tony, but it’s also laughably reminiscent of Kevin McCallister and the burglars in Home Alone. Despite the fact that they are two of the most formidable mobsters, Paulie and Christopher are outfoxed by Valery in rather laughable ways.
“Kennedy And Heidi” (S6E18)
While driving Tony back from a meeting with Lupertazzi crime family boss, Phil Leotardo, an intoxicated Christopher crashes the car. In the heat of the moment, an angry Tony kills him instead of saving him. Redditor somerton is full of praises for the episode, writing, “It’s such a fascinatingly structured episode, beginning with a scene that’s positively traumatic in its visceral brutality, and ending with an almost peaceful, tranquil (yet foreboding) sense of awe”
Christopher’s death is undoubtedly one of the biggest twists on the show. Given how close he and Tony have always been, no one expects the mob boss to kill his friend instead of calling 911. Tony is a gangster first and foremost. Friend or not, he saw Christopher as a liability and made one of his coldest decisions.
“Whoever Did This” (S4E9)
AtleastIthinkIsee describes the episode as “a real work of art.” Tony’s favorite horse Pie-Oh-My is killed when a fire breaks out at the stables. He ends up killing Ralph after suspecting him of the crime.
This was the boiling point for Tony and Ralph’s already strained relationship, as Pie-Oh-My’s death showed just how different the two men are. To Ralph, a horse is nothing to cry over but to Tony, it’s the most precious thing. Ralph also has a tendency to downplay the seriousness of situations, which costs him his life.
“Long Term Parking” (S5E12)
In “Long Term Parking,” Adriana confesses to Christopher that she is an FBI agent. Christopher tells Tony, who orders that she be killed. MarcusDA specifically labels the final minutes as “some of the best TV ever.”
Adriana’s death is heartbreaking because she doesn’t deserve it. Despite being been arm-twisted into becoming an FBI informant, she refrained from giving the authorities any meaningful information due to her loyalty. Regrettably, that only brings her more harm.
