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Rating:  -
I am watching the Sopranos at a feverish pace, and I love every season, but I had to give special mention to the episode in Season Three entitled "Employee of the Month." Lorraine Brocco gives a performance that is nothing less than breathtaking, as Dr. Melfi is the victim of a violent crime. You'll never forget the final few minutes of this one; it's the most powerful scene in the series so far. Simply brilliant and devastating!
Rating: -
Excellent performances of the actors, incredible stories and the same good quality of the earlier seasons make this one a great add to the show. Absolutely recommended!
Rating: -
Great value for money especially in comparison to other stores. Intend on ordering the other seasons from this website. package arrived on time and in good condition.
Rating: -
Having never had HBO, I never stumbled upon The Sopranos while surfing channels. Last year I watched season 1 & 2, enjoyed them immensely, and just never got around to watching it again. Now a year later, I've finished watching the show. The show really hit its creative stride in its third season and despite one really weak episode ("...To Save Us All From Satan's Power..."); It's a solid season. This season showed the departure of Tony Soprano's (James Gandolfini) mother and the entrance of Ralphie (Joe Pantoliano, who is terrific in the show); A made guy trying to make his mark in Tony's family. There's no point in me getting into the plot much (I call it the plot, because I think of The Sopranos as one long movie and not separate episodes), but everything is superb here. The writing, the acting...And there's some real surprises here. Probably my favorite episode here is "Pine Barrens" in which the newly made Christoper Maltisanti (Michael Imperioli) and Paulie whack a Russian they have a problem with. The problem gets worse when they drive into the woods to bury him and find him alive in the trunk. The episode is directed by Steve Buscemi (who would later become a regular on the show) and seemed to me like an extended version of a sequence in Francois Truffaut's "Shoot the Piano Player." I don't remember enough of the previous two seasons to say which one's better, but any person who has seen the previous two seasons will not be disappointed with this one. It has plenty of action and quick, snappy dialogue that people look for when they're looking through mob-associated features, but this season takes a lot of time exploring the sensitive, humanistic sides of Tony, his wife Carmela (Edie Falco, who is superb this year) and their children Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and A.J. (Robert Isler). Even one episode ("Employee of the Month") explores a much darker topic than seen on previous episodes and has Dr. Melfi (Lauraine Bracco) serving as the main character, essentially. Main point that I'm trying to establish; This is amazing and I highly recommend you check it out.
GRADE: A-
Rating: -
Again, I struggled with penning these reviews because the series is really just too brilliant for words. With each passing season `The Sopranos' perfected itself and left us with utter brilliance time and time again. Each plot twist was so intricately woven into itself, so expertly crafted and engineered and most importantly delivered with such gusto and bravado that it feels so silky smooth against our eyes. If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, there is no television show before or after that has ever nor will ever amount to the effortless excellence that was `The Sopranos'. Now, season three is lauded as one of if not the best season `The Sopranos' has ever experienced, and while I can't say that I wholeheartedly agree (I'm torn really since they were all so good) I can understand why there is so much love for this particular season. Sadly we lost Nancy Marchand but we gained so much that her absence does not leave the void that could be expected.
With the passing of Livia Soprano some worries are set at ease but some serious inconveniences take their place. Tony can rest easy that his mother won't flip on him to the feds but with her gone his sister soon moves into her home and starts demanding and expecting things that Tony is not ready to give her. Janice moves herself into her mothers home all but manually removing Svetlana, the Russian nurse Tony hired to take care of his ailing mother, from the home. Janice continues to make problems for Tony with her actions, but Tony also has issues a little more close to home to contend with. His daughter Meadow has a new boyfriend, an African American boy named Noah whom Tony cannot accept. He has no desire to see his daughter making a life with a non-Italian, especially not an African American (and part Jewish) boy. Differences of opinion cause Tony and Meadow to clash on more than one occasion and threaten to destroy their relationship. This also causes Tony to suffer more of his blackouts and a startling discovery is made as to the root cause of them.
There are changes that take place within the business as well. Christopher finally gets his `made man' status but soon realizes it's not as glamorous as he expected. He starts butting heads with Paulie and continues to do so throughout the season. An episode in particular placing Christopher and Paulie lost in the wilderness in pursuit of a botched hit really fleshes out their tense relationship. His promotion also affects Adriana, who at this point is working for Artie Bucco at his restaurant. With Christopher prompting her to quit Artie is left to deal with his emotions and true feelings for Adriana. With the end of his tense and unhealthy marriage he struggles with letting someone like Adriana out of his life. There's also the issue of Ralph Cifaretto. Ralph really becomes an essential character throughout this season, mostly because of his temper and his ability to illicit pure unadulterated loathing from the audience. Ralph begins dating Rosalie Aprile, the late Jackie Aprile's widow. Ralph's sporadic and uncontrolled actions though cause Tony to distance himself despite the families close relationship to Rosalie and to her son Jackie Jr. An incident involving Ralph's stripper girlfriend alone nearly brings Tony to the point of murder.
This season also introduces us to Johnny Sack, a New York City mob boss who's moved into town. As the seasons progress his relationship with Tony will grow, but at his arrival Tony is curious and maybe even skeptical of his presence.
The season brings a lot of turmoil and new revelations throughout the Soprano `family' in every meaning of the word. Meadow grows as she leaves for collage and her relationships with both Noah and eventually Jackie Jr. are tested. Jackie Jr. himself becomes the cause of most of Tony's grief as he struggles with a commitment he made to the boys late father and protecting his business and his family. Jackie Jr. is insistent on being part of what his father helped helm but Tony refuses to allow him to ruin what he has going for him. He wants him to finish school and get a respectable job and although Jackie Jr. agrees to try he fails to deliver. Tony's relationships with women outside his marriage also take a turn for the more adventurous. He finds himself a new girlfriend in Gloria Trillo, a fellow patient of Doctor Mefli's who also happens to be a Mercedes Benz saleswoman. She's fun and exciting not to mention utterly gorgeous, but she is a little crazy and this puts a strain between her and Tony. Tony's relationship with Doctor Melfi also takes a turn and this is apparent more in Melfi than it is in Tony. When she is brutally attacked while leaving her office she becomes introverted and afraid and when given the opportunity to have someone like Tony take care of the problem her eyes say it all. I won't go into much detail, but when you see it you'll know what I mean. She is changing, especially in her feelings towards Tony and what he does, and this becomes very apparent.
The acting again this season is beyond brilliant. James Gandolfini is again at the top of his game delivering Tony to us with such conviction and true vigor. I swear with each passing year he got better and better. Why he doesn't have seven Emmys to his name is beyond me. Edie Falco, Larraine Bracco and Aida Turturro all shine this season, especially Turturro as Tony's meddlesome sister, but its Annabella Sciorra who really takes the cake for me here. Her performance was just so memorable. That, and she is unforgettably beautiful. Jamie-Lynn Sigler ups her game here and only continues to shine as the seasons come and go, and towards the end of this season Robert Iler is also given a chance to grow. Michael Imperioli is perfect here, as is Dominic Chianese and Tony Sirico, but those are give-ins. Joe Pantoliano really delves in his character of Ralph, and does so brilliantly, and Sharon Angela is fantastic as Rosalie. Vincent Curatola's Johnny Sack eventually becomes close to my favorite character on the show, and in this season he has his moments, but his true genius comes in seasons to follow. John Ventimiglia does a great job as Artie, and I feel I must mention his as I have failed to do so in my previous reviews. His character keeps growing with each passing season, but it's here that he really begins to flourish.
I could go on and on but who has the time to really read all I have to say. Just know that season three is a definite high point in the evocative series known as `The Sopranos'. The get everything right and deliver non-stop thought provoking entertainment that is sure to enjoy just about everyone. There is really nothing negative to say about this show for from its conception till its death (is it really `dead'?) it has proved to be nothing short of spectacular. Until season fours review, I hope this has proved helpful.
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starring: James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Dominic Chianese, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico
directed by: Allen Coulter Tim Van Patten
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: SOPRANOS
EAN: 9780783119830
Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
ISBN: 0783119836
Label: HBO Home Video
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: HBO Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: August 27, 2002
Running Time: 780 minutes
Studio: HBO Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: January 10, 2001
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