The Sopranos (season 1)
The first season of The Sopranos aired on HBO from January 10 to April 4, 1999. The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on December 12, 2000,[1] and on Blu-ray on November 24, 2009.[2]
| The Sopranos | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 Region 1 DVD cover art | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Release | |
| Original network | HBO |
| Original release | January 10 – April 4, 1999 |
| Season chronology | |
The season introduces DiMeo Crime Family Capo Tony Soprano and his family, as well as his troubled relationship with his mother Livia. Also troubled is his relationship with his Uncle Junior, who becomes locked in a power struggle with Tony after the death of the Crime Family Boss, Jackie Aprile. Tony also begins therapy sessions with Dr. Melfi after his panic attacks become more frequent. Meanwhile, Tony's daughter Meadow becomes aware of her father's true profession while preparing to get into college, and Tony's nephew Christopher attempts to write a screenplay about his crime life and anxiously awaits becoming a made man. Due to Junior's plotting of an assassination, Tony also gets embroiled in a plot against childhood friend Artie Bucco, a charming but obsequious restaurateur.
Cast
Main cast
- James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano (13 episodes)
- Lorraine Bracco as Jennifer Melfi (13 episodes)
- Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano (13 episodes)
- Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti (13 episodes)
- Dominic Chianese as Corrado "Junior" Soprano Jr. (11 episodes)
- Vincent Pastore as Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (8 episodes)
- Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante (11 episodes)
- Tony Sirico as Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri (10 episodes)
- Robert Iler as Anthony Soprano Jr. (10 episodes)
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano (12 episodes)
- Nancy Marchand as Livia Soprano (11 episodes)
Recurring cast
- Al Sapienza as Mikey Palmice (9 episodes)
- Joe Badalucco Jr. as Jimmy Altieri (7 episodes)
- Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva (7 episodes)
- Jerry Adler as Herman "Hesh" Rabkin (5 episodes)
- Tony Darrow as Larry Barese (5 episodes)
- Oksana Lada as Irina Peltsin (5 episodes)
- George Loros as Ray Curto (5 episodes)
- Anthony DeSando as Brendan Filone (4 episodes)
- John Heard as Vin Makazian (4 episodes)
- Kathrine Narducci as Charmaine Bucco (4 episodes)
- Paul Schulze as Father Phil Intintola (4 episodes)
- John Ventimiglia as Artie Bucco (4 episodes)
- Sharon Angela as Rosalie Aprile (3 episodes)
- Michele DeCesare as Hunter Scangarelo (3 episodes)
- Michael Rispoli as Jackie Aprile Sr. (3 episodes)
- Frank Santorelli as Georgie Santorelli (3 episodes)
- Matt Servitto as Agent Dwight Harris (3 episodes)
- Sal Ruffino as Chucky Signore (3 episodes)
- Robert LuPone as Dr. Bruce Cusamano (2 episodes)
- Saundra Santiago as Jeannie Cusamano (2 episodes)
- Vincent Curatola as Johnny Sack (1 episode)
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Sopranos" | David Chase | David Chase | January 10, 1999 | |
| Tony Soprano, a capo in the DiMeo Crime Family, begins therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi after having anxiety attacks. His mother, Livia, refuses to move to a nursing home. Tony's Uncle Junior wants to use Tony's friend's restaurant as a location for a murder, but Tony prevents this by having the restaurant blown up. Christopher Moltisanti, Tony's nephew, murders the representative of a Czech mob that was trying to move in on the family waste management company. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "46 Long" | Dan Attias | David Chase | January 17, 1999 | |
| Christopher and Brendan Filone begin hijacking trucks. When they find that the owner of the trucks pays Junior for protection, their drug addictions prevent them from respecting Junior's orders to stop. Carmela asks Tony for a favor involving A.J.'s science teacher's stolen car. After one too many accidents, Tony forces Livia to move into a nursing home against her will. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Denial, Anger, Acceptance" | Nick Gomez | Mark Saraceni | January 24, 1999 | |
| The Sopranos hire the Buccos to cater a dinner party. Tony's daughter, Meadow, asks Christopher and Brendan for speed to help stay awake for SAT preparation. Tony accepts the task of securing a divorce for a Hasidic Jew's daughter. Junior unleashes retribution upon Christopher and Brendan for their truck hijackings. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Meadowlands" | John Patterson | Jason Cahill | January 31, 1999 | |
| Tony has his contact Detective Vin Makazian follow Dr. Melfi after she appears in his dreams. Christopher calls for retaliation against Junior and Mikey Palmice for the death of Brendan. The question of who will be Jackie Aprile's successor arises. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "College" | Allen Coulter | James Manos Jr. and David Chase | February 7, 1999 | |
| Tony and Meadow travel to Maine to visit colleges; and they discuss the nature of Tony's "business". Carmela fights the flu, and seeks comfort from Father Intintola after finding out that Tony's secret therapist is female. Tony comes across an old associate who has joined the Witness Protection Program and tracks him down for "business" purposes. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Pax Soprana" | Alan Taylor | Frank Renzulli | February 14, 1999 | |
| Uncle Junior Soprano is appointed boss of the DiMeo crime family. Tony engineers a way to get Junior to extend some leniency to a close Jewish friend. Carmela and Tony's 18th anniversary dinner turns sour. The Prozac Dr. Melfi prescribes for Tony begins taking a negative toll on his libido, though his recurring dreams lead him to become attracted to her. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Down Neck" | Lorraine Senna Ferrara | Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess | February 21, 1999 | |
| A.J. and his friends steal some sacramental wine and arrive to gym class drunk. Tony thinks little of the incident, until the school psychologist informs him that his son may have ADD. Tony reflects on his own childhood antics in therapy. A.J. is grounded and forced to regularly visit his grandmother, where he lets slip that Tony is in therapy. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" | Tim Van Patten | Frank Renzulli and David Chase | February 28, 1999 | |
| The Lupertazzi Crime Family goes on the lam to avoid possible indictments from the FBI. Tony and his crew, though not including Christopher, are named as possible subjects in a grand jury investigation. Christopher is depressed by his exclusion; he has nightmares, and unsuccessfully tries to shift his focus by writing a screenplay. Livia is shocked to learn that Tony is seeing a therapist, and she passes this news on to Junior. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Boca" | Andy Wolk | Jason Cahill and Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess | March 7, 1999 | |
| Parents are shocked when they find out a successful high school coach has sex with one of his teenage players. Gossip reaches Tony regarding Junior's sexual secrets. Junior is humiliated when Tony makes open references to them, and Roberta. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "A Hit Is a Hit" | Matthew Penn | Joe Bosso and Frank Renzulli | March 14, 1999 | |
| According to the suggestions of Dr. Melfi and Carmela, Tony attempts to be more social by getting to know some of his neighbors better. Christopher and his girlfriend Adriana La Cerva befriend rap mogul Massive Genius. Christopher agrees to help Adriana produce a demo for a band, though one of its members is her ex-boyfriend. Massive Genius threatens to sue Hesh for supposedly stolen music royalties. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Nobody Knows Anything" | Henry J. Bronchtein | Frank Renzulli | March 21, 1999 | |
| A tip from Vin Makazian leads Tony to make a tough decision regarding one of his most trusted friends. Tony has Paulie Walnuts keep an eye on things. Junior, Mikey and Chucky Signore, after conferring with Livia, conspire together to consolidate power. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Isabella" | Allen Coulter | Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess | March 28, 1999 | |
| Despite prescriptions for Prozac and lithium from Dr. Melfi, Tony falls into chronic depression. He hallucinates meeting Isabella, a beautiful Italian exchange student staying at the Cusamanos', which temporarily lifts his spirits. Junior's plan is put into action. The FBI pay a visit to the Sopranos. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" | John Patterson | David Chase | April 4, 1999 | |
| Junior agrees with Tony on the situation with Jimmy Altieri. Tony finds out about his mother and uncle's plot. He warns Dr. Melfi that her life may be in danger. Christopher, Paulie, and Silvio Dante take care of family business. Tony's friend Artie Bucco re-opens his restaurant. | ||||||
Reception
Critical response
The first season of The Sopranos was met with wide acclaim, receiving a score of 88 out of 100 on Metacritic,[3] and a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (with an average score of 10/10), the latter site reporting the critical consensus as, "The Sopranos smartly runs an emotional gamut, offering detailed character work and riveting suspense while displaying a flair for both comedy and drama."[4] James Gandolfini was widely hailed for his performance, with Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly praising his "magnificently shrewd, wary performance" as Tony Soprano.[5] Deseret News expressed approval for the show's clear insight into the "modern incarnations of family and mortality and ambition."[3] Marvin Kitman of Newsday wrote, "It's a great show, the best new series of the year. It's so - dare I say it? - original. It catches you off guard. Basically, it's everything I'm always looking for in drama. It's beautifully written, authentic, without the plastic Los Angeles look. The acting is marvelous. It's funny in a darkly comedic way, involving as a soap opera, and quirky. I never quite know what's going to happen, even though the subject matter is by no means unprecedented for television."[3]
Awards and nominations
- Nomination for Outstanding Drama Series
- Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini) (Episode: "Pilot")
- Win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco) (Episode: "College")
- Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco) (Episode: "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti")
- Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Nancy Marchand) (Episodes: "Pilot" & "46 Long")
- Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (John Heard) (Episode: "Nobody Knows Anything")
- Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (David Chase) (Episode: "Pilot")
- Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Chase) (Episode: "Pilot")
- Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess) (Episode: "Isabella")
- Win for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (James Manos Jr.) (Episode: "College")
- Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Frank Renzulli) (Episode: "Nobody Knows Anything")
6th Screen Actors Guild Awards
- Win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini)
- Win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Edie Falco)
- Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Nancy Marchand)
- Win for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Entire Cast)
- Win for Best Drama Series
- Win for Best Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini)
- Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco)
- Win for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco)
- Win for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film (Nancy Marchand)
- Nomination for Best Drama Series
- Nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini)
- Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco)
- Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco)
Writers Guild of America Awards 1999
- Win for Best Drama Episode (Jason Cahill) (Episode: "Meadowlands")
Directors Guild of America Awards
- Nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (Daniel Attias) (Episode: "46 Long")
- Nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (Henry J. Bronchtein) (Episode: "Nobody Knows Anything")
- Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (David Chase) (Episode: "Pilot")
- Nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (Allen Coulter) (Episode: "College")
- Award for Program of the Year
- Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama
- Award for Outstanding New Program of the Year
- Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama (James Gandolfini) (Tied with David E. Kelley for The Practice)
- Nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama (David Chase)
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References
- "The Sopranos - The Complete 1st Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- "The Sopranos - The Complete 1st Season (Blu-ray)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- "The Sopranos: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- "The Sopranos: Season 1 (1999)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- Tucker, Ken (January 15, 1999). "The Sopranos". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
External links
- Official website
- The Sopranos – list of episodes on IMDb
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