The Sopranos: Every Season Ranked Worst To Best

7. Season One

Our introduction to Tony Soprano and co. is an extremely confident one. We open with our initial hook - a mobster walks into a psychiatrist’s office - and from there build on Tony’s double life as a philandering mafioso and family man (key to Tony’s character development - he’s always trying to be a good dad, something nearly every heavy drama would crib).

The major characters are set up beautifully, and from day one James Gandolfini and Edie Falco prove to be two of the finest TV actors in history. Christopher, Uncle Junior, Tony’s troublesome mom Livia - the core is established from the off.

It’s not for a while, though, that The Sopranos explores its deep bench. Paulie and Sil are there, but given minimal depth. Dr Melfi will go on to become much more interesting too. Indeed, one of the reasons The Sopranos maintains and even improves over time is Chase’s ability to delve so far into each of his characters, some of which are more archetypes at this point.

Season one is also far more of a standard gangster story. Beyond the psychiatry and family stuff, this is Tony’s rise to power. It’s thrilling stuff, particularly at the end, but the show has barely begun to flex at this point.