The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.
The peaks and the valleys. Find the essential episodes — and the ones to skip.
Paulie and Christopher are engulfed in a nightmarish journey into the South Jersey woods while trying to collect a debt from a Russian mobster. Meanwhile, Meadow is suspicious that Jackie Jr. is two-timing her, and Tony finds that family demands are jeopardizing his romance with Gloria.
With the feds pulling a new trump card, Adriana ponders her options. Tony B. unloads some heavy baggage on Tony, and vice-versa. Johnny Sack makes Tony an offer he can refuse, and Tony offers Carmela a deal to make her real-estate dreams come true.
The spectre of disloyalty among the crew hangs over Tony as Phil Leotardo decides how to handle recent issues with the Soprano crime family. A hit gone wrong comes at a huge cost. A.J.'s conquering of his depression is challenged.
Silvio and Ralph must take care of a planned protest of the Columbus Day parade by a Native American group. At an Italian pride ladies' lunch, Carmela is embarrassed by anti-Mafia remarks. Meanwhile, Ralph deals with new relationship troubles, and Bobby receives some tough news.
Each point is an episode, plotted in order. Colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for the rise, the plateau, or the decline.
High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.
One point per season. Smooths out the episode-to-episode noise to reveal the bigger arc.
Did each season build or fizzle? Green means the finale outscored the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows, bigger swings.
How steady is each season? Tightly clustered dots mean reliable quality. Scattered dots mean a wild ride.
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