Now, if you’re reading this you know that The Soprano’s is one of the best series ever on HBO (short of Curb Your Enthusiasm, of course). The Fifth Season of The Sopranos is absolutely spectacular – Gandolfini once again struggles with his role as humble family man and insane mob boss. Despite his best attempts to maintain peace and harmony, he’s dead in the middle of all the surrounding tension and gets sucked into the personal and business tensions that we would expect him to be part of. James and Carmela are officially separated this season, they but still manage to maintain a continuous stream of family problems. Christopher and Paulie continue to “manage the business” with Tony, and in classic fashion they run into their fair share of problems (hint: plenty of violence). To manage his sanity, Tony continues his therapy with Dr. Melfi and she continues to fend off his ever-so-subtle (yeah, right) flirtatious advances. Hands down, there are great performances by Adriana as well – you won’t want to skip a single episode nor some of the cool special features and commentary. This set is a must-have for your Sopranos collection.Read full review
That's what we call The Sopranos around our house. In a lot of ways, it could also be called "Tony 'n de gurls" We had seen the show in bits and pieces once the earlier seasons went into syndication. While we LOVED every show we saw, they jumped back and forth between seasons and we some things just didn't make sense because of it. I bought the first three seasons for my husband for Father's Day, added Season 4 a little later, and then picked up 5. I KNOW we'll get Season 6, I & II, but the prices are pretty high still. We're just about halfway through Season 4, and it just keeps getting better. It seems to me that they've taken a more classy approach to the sex and violence as the show has matured, and that really made it more enjoyable for me. Everybody talks about the conflicts in Tony's life, and the tension that creates in the show. Certainly, Tony and his life and interactions are central to the show. One of the best things about watching the series starting at Season I, Episode 1, is that the characters' actions make so much more sense! You can't really appreciate the series unless you understand why Tony relates to women in the ways he does. Once we met Livia, everything fell right into place. But some of the other characters, notably Carmela and Jennifer, are very conflicted. And their struggles only add to the greatness of the show. For instance, Carmela. For so long, she has been an enigma. Why does she stay with Tony? Obviously, she likes the perks of being the boss's wife, and she's great at getting what she wants by playing on Tony's guilt about his gumars. But she also works hard trying to ignore or avoiding facing up to what Tony's "business" really is. And then, in just one scene in the middle of Season 4, her character snapped into sharp focus! At heart, Carmela is just a good little Catholic school girl trying to please the nuns, her parents, the priests, and God -- in that order. On the other hand, she's drawn to Tony's primal power -- as are all the women in his sphere -- and Carmela LOVES the very comfortable life, especially the clothes, jewels, furs, and other luxuries Tony's business allow her to have. She could easily be a stereotype, but Carmela knows there's something very important missing in her life. Unfortunately, there's no way she can fill that need -- at least not without getting somebody killed. But that doesn't stop her flirting with disaster! In some ways, Edie Falco may be the best actor in the series! Her character experiences AND EXPRESSES so many emotions, and Ms. Falco puts them right out there with her facial expressions and little gestures! She's great. Then there's Dr. Jennifer Melfi -- Tony's reluctant shrink. She is simultaneously captivated and repulsed by Tony -- and by his business. He frightens her, but she's helpless to give him up as a patient. And the lengths to which both Tony and Jennifer go to disguise the true nature of Tony's "business transactions" is clever, comical, and professionally compromising. She is the one woman Tony treats with something approaching respect, but he's also puzzled by her seeming invulnerability to his charms. She probably knows him better than anyone else in his life, and we get to share in that insight through her character! Wonderfully written! Perfectly cast! Directed and edited with an exquisite touch. All the characters are very nicely nuanced. A great series. It would be a crime if you missed it!!!Read full review
Had not ever seen any of this series previously but have found myself addicted (even as not having used my television as such since 2010...having given up tv viewing). Must say, however, that I have spent the past couple of months or so somewhat addicted to this series....very high quality acting, script and scenes, to say the least. Planning to order every remaining season.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The personal and professional adventures of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) unfold once again in this fifth season of episodes from the show. This time out he's officially separated from Carmela (Edie Falco), but still beset by family problems and a wandering eye that strays into some dangerous territory. Christopher (Michael Imperioli), Paulie (Tony Sirico), and Silvio (Steve Van Zandt) still keep their eyes on the business end of Tony's life, while Anthony Jr. (Robert Iler) and Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler) learn some tough lessons as the offspring of a notorious mob boss. Tony's sister Janice (Aida Turturro) causes further problems for her beleaguered brother, including a stint in Anger Management classes, but fortunately the ever-reliable Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) is on hand to beat off Tony's advances and steady his nerves through her therapy sessions.Read full review
This set is amazing. The quality of the picture is fabulous, the music is wonderful and the plot thickens. We come to a better understanding of the characters and even delve deeper into Carmella's hear no evil see no evil attitude. She struggles daily to try to justify Tony's line of "work". She knows, the whole family knows, but the separation is becoming more of a live away husband and wife situation than an actual separation. Characters we haven't met yet or have been imprisoned are back. When Tony made the comment in a former episode, "I feel like I came in at the end" is beinning to make sense. I have the first four seasons on tape, the fifth sixth and part two six are about to arrive on CD. The CD picture is far superior to the VHS. Tony is doing his level best to be with his doctor on a more personal level, when she refuses him, the "other Tony" comes out. He admits ther are two Tony's, one is charming, loving, fun and nice to be with, the other Tony is cruel, hateful and has done horrific things, he seems more and more to be a-moral than just a person with no feelings. I am anxious to see the last episode even though I know what happens. It is great to own the entire set. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves this kind of action, drama and dark comedy.Read full review
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs