10 Reasons The Sopranos Is Still The Best TV Show Of All Time
2. Tony Soprano
There can be few characters in any kind of fiction as well realised as Anthony Soprano. The focal point of the majority of the show, he is an endlessly watchable, consistently fascinating, ever evolving creation, and James Galdolfini’s performance is one of the crowning achievements of TV.
You’re never meant to like Tony - he differs from, say, Walter White in that he is innately villainous from the beginning. But he is so compelling because we’re given so much insight into why he’s like this due to his upbringing, his surroundings, the expectations of society, and to an extent his genes.
The show’s overarching question is: is Tony Soprano capable of change? Can he become a better man? And the answer is essentially: no. Over six seasons we watch him sink ever deeper into the moral depths until he becomes more monster than man. And yet it’s done so subtly - there’s no one moment in which he makes the choice to embrace further darkness; he’s just on a downward path he has no interest in getting off.
In spite of this, we never get sick of watching him. You’re not supposed to root for Tony, but you’re certainly going to understand him.