Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "THE SOPRANOS" Season Four

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 09-16-2002, 05:49 PM:

Although I use television to watch movies on DVD, laserdiscs and once in a while, on tapes, I would only watch CNN, Fox and CNBC and a few movies on HBO and the other premium movie channels. I have never watched any series during their television run and many of them are now coming out on DVD. One of the series is "THE SOPRANOS". When Season One was introduced on DVD, I first rented the set and after the third episode 'I was hooked' and so far I had purchased all three seasons on DVD. The rest of season one and all of season two were excellent but I must admit, season three left me a little cold. I felt that it did not have the spark the first two season had. I made an effort to actually watch the first season four episode last night on HBO and in my humble opinion, it is like many season three episodes, it sucked! Am I the only one who feels that "THE SOPRANOS" is not as good as it once was or my taste in mob movies and television had changed?

-Claude

Posted by Joe Beres (Member # 678) on 09-16-2002, 06:23 PM:

Claude, I have to say I agree with you to a degree. Season three was a bit off compared to the first two, but the Pine Barrens episode, directed by Steve Buscemi, was possibly the best ever. I have caught up with the first three seasons on dvd, and will definitely catch season 4 as soon as it's available. Season three might have been a bit sub par in comparison to the first two, but it's still better than most any show on tv.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 09-16-2002, 07:06 PM:

I think that Season One is definitely the best. It had a complete story to tell, and it did so superbly, while still making each episode enjoyable on its own.

Season Two is the worst of the three, but that's like saying that Lucy Liu is the least attractive of Charlie's Angels. It's still a million times better than anything else on TV. My problem with Season Two is that there wasn't a definitive storyline which progressed from week to week. You could easily watch the first few episodes and the last few episodes, and get the whole story.

But Season Three was sort of a return to greatness. The events of each episode build on top of the ones before it, and the end is just perfect, resolving some issues but creating much bigger ones in the process. This is why I was looking forward to last night's episode more than any other so far. But it just did its own thing.

SPOILERS

Last season ended with Meadow getting drunk, throwing bread at Uncle Junior, and running away through oncoming traffic. This, to me, is the most intriguing thing they've ever done on the show. That kid's relationship with her family is totally fucked up now. It will never be the same. Where does she go from here? That's what I wanted to see. But no. It wasn't even really touched upon. It's not fair to judge the show at this point in time, because we still haven't seen the other 12 episodes. Who knows what they'll do? But as of right now, it looks like this will be the worst season yet. But it's still good.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 09-16-2002, 07:17 PM:

Missed the season opener last night (No HBO) but will catch it eventually. Season One was, by far, the best season. It was a new show, completely different from any other show with the 'in your face' style. Season two was good enough to hold my attn and so was season three... but then they skipped a whole year before Season 4?

In that time along came a new show on F/X, The Shield. This show grabbed my attn much moreso than did the Soprano's. I watched each episode in it's entirety. Tuesday activities were planned so that we would be in front of a TV at 10pm. I can't remember a show ever grabbing hold of my attn in that manner, save the Sopranos.

At any rate, I'm hoping that The Shield will hold the same spell binding effect that it did during it's first season. It's just too bad that it won't happen until next year... At least I still have The Soprano's too tide me over..

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 09-16-2002, 08:03 PM:

Who wants to watch a show about a bunch of high-pitched singers anyway?

Mike, Lucy Liu IS the least attractive of Charlies Angel's.

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Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 09-16-2002, 09:24 PM:

I know. The point is that, even as the least attractive of Charlie's Angels, she's still insanely beautiful.

THE SHIELD Season One comes out on DVD 1/7.

That year long gap really did hurt the show from a storytelling point of view. Season 3 ended in Late January/Early February 2001. Season 4 supposedly starts in the following Late August/Early September. But the aftermath of September 11th seems to be rather important to the new season. I think that this could have been dealt with better. As it is now, we have to use the same suspension of disbelief that's used while reading Marvel Comics (Comics from the '60s take place in the same timeline as comics from the present, but nobody has aged more than about 10 years). This somehow seems wrong.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 09-16-2002, 11:50 PM:

As a religeous follower of the Soprano's, I find it my duty to help the rest of us along as to why certain things don't seem right, as far as the soprano's go.

First, understand the the Soprano's was originally intended as a four season series. After four seasons, the climax of the show would be had between Tony, Junior, Mother, and a few others. All things would build to that, and to also find out who would rule the family after the death/imprisonment of Tony.

Season one jumped right in and gave us so much information right off the bat that it just seemed so full and lively. It was only natural that Season Two would seem slightly off.

However, when season three rolled around, problems hit the set. The untimely death of Nancy Marchand (the wonderful actress who played Tony's mother), meant re-writing the eventual outcome of the story line.

David Chase, the series creator, made the difficult and now in hindsite, the very bad decision of pressing forward, re-writing storylines as they went along. The entire season seemed disjointed and never went anywhere.

The highlight for me as far as season three went was the hit on Mustang Sally. That was a great and very well played out episode.

Now on to season four. This may not become the last season, but James Gandolfini is not signed to further years, so it is up in the air at this point if the show will really continue past this year.

The reason for the very long delay, is so that creator David Chase can get his thoughts and creative ideas together. He needed the extra time to re-write the outcome of this season, after the death of Nancy Marchand. This break should have come before season three, but what is done is done.

At least now we can get back to business.

As for the first episode of season four sucking? Well if you compare it to the very first episode, yes it sucked. It did not have that same feel that the very first look at the sopranos had. I will give it the whole season, and hope to hell it pays off. David Chase has promised that this season would blow away the entire series, so I hope that is in a good way. I imagine that this first couple of episodes are nothing but story setup, introducing new characters, and new situations, bringing us up to date, before all hell breaks loose.

SPOILERS...

Truth is, we learn about Tony's illgotten dealings OUTSIDE the family, cheating his underlings, his partners, and his wife. He has more than just a hotel on the line, he has something up his sleeve. He set up his nephew to kill off someone, and he may or may have not lied about who he was.

Remember that Tony is an Anti-Hero. The guy you love to hate, and hate to love. In this episode, even I was hoping someone would plug him. Perhaps that is where we are going in this season.

Here is hoping for better as the weeks move on.

Dave

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 09-17-2002, 12:36 AM:

Dave,

Thank you for your input on "THE SOPRANOS" I do agree with everything you said. The reason why I thought last night's episode sucked was it's failure to make me want to tune in again next week to see what happens next like all of the episodes in the first two seasons did. I have decided not to watch the rest of this season's epidodes of "THE SOPRANOS" on HBO but will watch them on DVD when it is released by next Summer. "THE SOPRANOS" will end with season five and that should be the the best of the series as long as the writers do not screw it up with very lame plots and it's ending.

-Claude

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 10-11-2002, 11:07 PM:

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think that THE SOPRANOS has jumped the shark. How can this be?

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 10-13-2002, 01:21 AM:

"Jumped the shark"?

Call me a Utahn but I don't get it.

Dave

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 10-13-2002, 01:43 AM:

Jumping the shark is the point at which a good show turns bad. It comes from the episode of HAPPY DAYS when Fonzie jumped over a shark. Here is its place of origin: www.jumptheshark.com

It's interesting to note that the episode of THE X-FILES in which The Lone Gunmen die is officially titled JUMP THE SHARK.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 10-13-2002, 01:53 PM:

Now I get it.

I think it is possible that at one time the sopranos had indeed jumped the shark. I do believe now that they are trying to get back behind the shark. It takes a while to write yourself out of a hole, and I do believe that we are on the way. I just wish if that were true, it would happen MUCH MUCH FASTER.

Dave