This article contains references to suicide and sexual violence.
From Christopher’s intervention to Tony’s fight with Carmela, The Sopranos is jam-packed with iconic scenes. The Sopranos singlehandedly kickstarted the Golden Age of Television, and it remains one of the crowning achievements of the entire medium.
James Gandolfini’s portrayal of Tony Soprano is one of the greatest performances ever put on-screen, and the show’s writing was strong enough to support the weight of that performance. The Sopranos has plenty of memorable moments, from the darkest gags to the most profound conversations.
20
Tony Kills Febby
The moment Tony Soprano became Tony Soprano is the first time he killed someone on-screen. No other TV show had been as bold as to make its so-called protagonist a literal murderer. When Tony killed Febby, the TV antihero was born.
The Sopranos’ first truly great episode, “College,” solidified the dichotomy that would make Tony such a captivating character. He was a good dad to Meadow, but he also wouldn’t hesitate to garrotte an old enemy.
19
Uncle Junior Thinks He’s Larry David
The writers of The Sopranos always thought of the most creative ways to show, don’t tell. As the series went on, Uncle Junior slipped further and further into dementia until he couldn’t even recognize his own family. One of Junior’s earliest signs of dementia made for one of The Sopranos’ funniest scenes.
While flipping channels, Junior finds himself watching Larry David and Jeff Garlin in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and he’s convinced it’s him and Bobby. It was a tongue-in-cheek way to show Junior’s increasingly confused state, but it also hilariously points out a visual similarity between these two iconic HBO double acts.
18
Ralphie Breaks Down In Tony’s Arms
Ralph Cifaretto is one of The Sopranos’ most iconic characters. He’s utterly despicable, he’s pure evil, but he’s also strangely lovable (mostly thanks to the innate charms of Joe Pantoliano). After all the terrible things he did, it didn’t seem like Ralph had a single redeeming quality.
And then, against all odds, the writers made us sympathize with the devil. When his son is maimed in a horrific accident, Ralph begins to unravel and show glimmers of real humanity. As he breaks down crying in Tony’s arms, we finally see the emotional human being underneath the murderous sociopath.
17
Bobby Beats Up Tony
Bobby’s relationship with Tony shifted when he became his brother-in-law. Bobby will allow Tony to walk all over him to an extent, because he’s the boss, but he draws the line at Tony mocking and belittling his wife.
Pushing Janice’s buttons and getting a rise out of her is one of Tony’s favorite pastimes, and Bobby won’t stand for it. When Tony takes the ribbing a bit too far, Bobby attacks him. It was rare that we saw Tony get beaten up, and this was over such a petty issue, that it arrived as a real surprise.
16
Paulie Reluctantly Accepts Leadership Of The Aprile Crew
In the final episode of The Sopranos, as Tony looks forward to the future, he offers Paulie the job of running the Aprile crew. But Paulie is reluctant to take the gig, because everyone else who held that position met a grim fate, and he’s superstitious that the same thing will happen to him.
After some umming and ahhing, Paulie reluctantly takes the job and resigns himself to that fate. It sums up the Faustian bargain of organized crime. The more power and money you have, the more risk you run of being gunned down in the street.
15
Dr. Melfi Rejects Tony
Dr. Melfi had to reject Tony a couple of times throughout The Sopranos’ run, because he kept falling for her. Dr. Melfi couldn’t deny that she developed feelings for Tony during their sessions, but she knows that to act on those feelings would be unethical and unprofessional (and would, in all likelihood, ultimately get her killed).
But she always had to be tactful, especially the second time she rejected him. She lets him down easy, but makes sure to set clear boundaries. The tension is palpable, because the performances and the dialogue feel real.
14
Tony’s Bizarre Fish Market Dream
In The Sopranos’ season 2 finale, the long-running storyline of Pussy betraying his friends and becoming a rat comes to a head in the most surreal way imaginable. As Tony succumbs to food poisoning, he suffers strange hallucinatory dreams in between the bouts of vomiting and diarrhea.
It’s during one of these dreams that Tony imagines Pussy speaking to him as a fish at the market. It’s an unforgettable visual, tying in to the old mob trope of sleeping with the fishes, and it was the quirkiest, weirdest way for the show to convey this plot point.
13
Tony Chases Phil Leotardo
Only a show with The Sopranos’ oddball sense of humor would make a car chase this ridiculous. In any other gangster series, a high-speed pursuit between two mob bosses would be a thrilling set-piece, but The Sopranos deflates the tension with slapstick comedy.
As Tony chases down Phil Leotardo to talk about a debt, the old-school tune of “Rock the Casbah” plays on the soundtrack. The crash at the end is the perfect visual punchline for this subversively silly car chase.
12
Christopher & Paulie Get Stranded In The Pine Barrens
Arguably the most iconic episode from The Sopranos’ run — certainly the best standalone episode — is “Pine Barrens.” It starts off like any other episode, but it devolves into a Waiting for Godot-style two-hander when Christopher and Paulie get stranded in the woods, trying to find their escaped hostage.
The banter between Michael Imperioli and Tony Sirico was always a joy to watch. It was funnier than ever when they found themselves stuck in the middle of nowhere, with nobody but each other for company, in a frostbitten fight for survival.
11
Tony Saves A.J.’s Life
In one of The Sopranos’ most shocking late-season turns, A.J. attempted to take his own life by tying a cinder block to his ankle and jumping in the pool. When Tony sees him, he races out there, drags A.J. out of the pool, and saves his son’s life.
It’s one of the only times we see Tony do something truly heroic, and Gandolfini gives an incredible performance. We see that he’s angry at A.J., but also has compassion for his struggle, and he’s confused that his son was experiencing so much pain and he didn’t realize, and more than anything, he’s just relieved that A.J. is still alive.
