Why did people like the Sopranos and root for Tony?

[Barry]

I respect the opinions here, so let me ask something out of left field...

 Why was the Sopranos so popular?  And why did people root for Tony?
 
25 years ago I came to the Sopranos late, which meant, then,  I could only catch up on the first episodes out of order and on my SD TV.
 
I know that gangster movies and TV shows have always been popular: Little Caeser, Scarface, Godfather, and Goodfellas. In these shows, and on Private Eye TV shows (Peter Gunn, Mannix etc) the police are always shown as either corrupt or inept. Of course we get the Untouchables and Blue Blues and the police ae perfect.
 
The acting on the Sopranos is extraordinary. Was that why it was so popular?  And people did root for Tony, was it because James Gandolfini was so good.
 
All characters, with speaking parts here, have made a deal with the devil. Everyone.
 
Tony was a murderer, adulterer, liar, thief, and a sociopath.
I am seeing Dr Melfi, for the first time, from the beginning. She too has made a deal with the devil. She learns what Tony is and what he does and that even threatens her life. Yet, she continues seeing him, seemingly hoping to make a murderer feel better, and not get panic attacks, after he kills someone. VERY REVEALING is that Melfi sends Tony’s wife to another psychiatrist. This doctor refuses to treat her unless she leaves Tony and says he will NOT accept payment from her because it is “BLOOD MONEY.” But Melfi continues to see Tony.
 
Carmela accepts his adultery, murders, lying, cruelty, violence so she can live very well and be treated like a queen wherever she goes.  She also uses “his power” when necessary.
 
I am seeing it, really, completely for the first time and wonder why people kind of “rooted” for some of these evil people.
 
I did have some sympathy for Adriana. But not that much as the show went on.  After Chris beat her she should have left. (He also gave her drugs and involved her in murders)
 

[David Vaughn]

Barry, I think it's the "anti-hero" that people relate too. While most people in this world are "good," everyone has a little bit of "bad" in them and seeing someone on the screen that gives the middle finger to the rules and just does what he wants makes people wish they could do the same thing. 

Heck, we finished watching Seinfeld from beginning to end over a period of a couple of months (1-2 episodes per day) and while we loved the characters, they weren't very good people either--all were selfish and self-centered. Maybe that's why America is circling the drain? 

[bmoney]

Barry, I think it's the "anti-hero" that people relate too. While most people in this world are "good," everyone has a little bit of "bad" in them and seeing someone on the screen that gives the middle finger to the rules and just does what he wants makes people wish they could do the same thing.

Heck, we finished watching Seinfeld from beginning to end over a period of a couple of months (1-2 episodes per day) and while we loved the characters, they weren't very good people either--all were selfish and self-centered. Maybe that's why America is circling the drain? 

This 100%. Plus it’s a whole cast thing. When the whole cast is outstanding it makes the show a group of friends you are visiting every week. 

[David Vaughn]

This 100%. Plus it’s a whole cast thing. When the whole cast is outstanding it makes the show a group of friends you are visiting every week.

Although these aren't the type of friends you bring home to meet your wife and kids

[Craig Peer]

I respect the opinions here, so let me ask something out of left field...

 Why was the Sopranos so popular?  And why did people root for Tony?
 
25 years ago I came to the Sopranos late, which meant, then,  I could only catch up on the first episodes out of order and on my SD TV.
 
I know that gangster movies and TV shows have always been popular: Little Caeser, Scarface, Godfather, and Goodfellas. In these shows, and on Private Eye TV shows (Peter Gunn, Mannix etc) the police are always shown as either corrupt or inept. Of course we get the Untouchables and Blue Blues and the police ae perfect.
 
The acting on the Sopranos is extraordinary. Was that why it was so popular?  And people did root for Tony, was it because James Gandolfini was so good.
 
All characters, with speaking parts here, have made a deal with the devil. Everyone.
 
Tony was a murderer, adulterer, liar, thief, and a sociopath.
I am seeing Dr Melfi, for the first time, from the beginning. She too has made a deal with the devil. She learns what Tony is and what he does and that even threatens her life. Yet, she continues seeing him, seemingly hoping to make a murderer feel better, and not get panic attacks, after he kills someone. VERY REVEALING is that Melfi sends Tony’s wife to another psychiatrist. This doctor refuses to treat her unless she leaves Tony and says he will NOT accept payment from her because it is “BLOOD MONEY.” But Melfi continues to see Tony.
 
Carmela accepts his adultery, murders, lying, cruelty, violence so she can live very well and be treated like a queen wherever she goes.  She also uses “his power” when necessary.
 
I am seeing it, really, completely for the first time and wonder why people kind of “rooted” for some of these evil people.
 
I did have some sympathy for Adriana. But not that much as the show went on.  After Chris beat her she should have left. (He also gave her drugs and involved her in murders)
 

I prefer The Untouchables / Blues Brothers type of films. Never seen the Sopranos and have no real interest. I do like some crime drama movies, but usually ones where the bad guys get it in the end. Like The Roaring Twenties. 

[bmoney]

Although these aren't the type of friends you bring home to meet your wife and kids

Eh. Ya never know hahah

I’m actually good friends with a close associate of Whitney bulger (although never brought him home. He is a very nice guy)

[Barry]

Barry, I think it's the "anti-hero" that people relate too. While most people in this world are "good," everyone has a little bit of "bad" in them and seeing someone on the screen that gives the middle finger to the rules and just does what he wants makes people wish they could do the same thing.

Heck, we finished watching Seinfeld from beginning to end over a period of a couple of months (1-2 episodes per day) and while we loved the characters, they weren't very good people either--all were selfish and self-centered. Maybe that's why America is circling the drain? 

 “The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their TV Ratings.”


First, David I agree with EVERYTHING you wrote.
 
There have always been “bad” people on TV.  J.R. on Dallas, Joan Collins on Dynesty and I bet bad people were on all Nighttime and Daytime soaps.
 
Situation comedies always seem to have an antagonist. Mel on the Dick Van Dyke Show, Colonel Klink on Hogan’s Heroes, Siegfried on Get Smart and, my favorite, Danny Devito on Taxi.
 
You might have loved watching them but you don’t root for them. And they were totally surrounded by people who you liked and rooted for. Not so on get Sopranos.
 
Seinfeld was certainly unique. But as bad as they were they didn’t kill anyone….at least not on purpose. (those wedding invitations!!!!). And they could have a “Contest” where you might have rooted for one of them. And speaking of contests, my biggest laugh was at the end of the Frogger episode.
 
One serious not about Seinfeld….People around the country laughed because they saw funny things mostly about New York.  People in New York laughed because they recognized so much and it was familiar to them. And if you disagree with me, then there is NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!!
 

[Paul Heroy]

I never did watch the Sopranos, despite a couple of brief starts. Mainly b/c I couldn't get my wife interested and don't spend a ton of time watching TV outside of Jeopardy and a few specific shows. as David said a big part of the appeal is making a character who's doing at least some things that most of us do in our head at times but never actually act out. I think people are fascinated with what they see some folks getting away with and want to know how they do it, or vicariously experience it.

The anti-hero show that we did watch and loved was Dexter - the serial killer with a "code". That was an interesting twist to make it justifiable to root for and like the anti-hero, because he strictly stuck to killing people who deserved it for some reason. Of course, that's subjective and leads to dramatic tension. They can't be too far gone into darkness though, for most of us they still have to have some redeeming positive qualities. 

There have been some shows I couldn't continue watching after a few episodes because none of the characters were likeable - Mr Robot and Altered Carbon being a couple of examples. But plenty of people did watch and like those shows. Another one that almost met that fate but thankfully turned it around quickly enough was Schitt's Creek. That ended up being an absolute favorite but it starts with characters that are horrible, entitled and thoroughly unlikeable folks. If you are of the opinion that people can change, it's a great show. If you don't believe that you might find it too unrealistic or cheesey.

[David Vaughn]

I never did watch the Sopranos, despite a couple of brief starts. Mainly b/c I couldn't get my wife interested and don't spend a ton of time watching TV outside of Jeopardy and a few specific shows. as David said a big part of the appeal is making a character who's doing at least some things that most of us do in our head at times but never actually act out. I think people are fascinated with what they see some folks getting away with and want to know how they do it, or vicariously experience it.

The anti-hero show that we did watch and loved was Dexter - the serial killer with a "code". That was an interesting twist to make it justifiable to root for and like the anti-hero, because he strictly stuck to killing people who deserved it for some reason. Of course, that's subjective and leads to dramatic tension. They can't be too far gone into darkness though, for most of us they still have to have some redeeming positive qualities.

There have been some shows I couldn't continue watching after a few episodes because none of the characters were likeable - Mr Robot and Altered Carbon being a couple of examples. But plenty of people did watch and like those shows. Another one that almost met that fate but thankfully turned it around quickly enough was Schitt's Creek. That ended up being an absolute favorite but it starts with characters that are horrible, entitled and thoroughly unlikeable folks. If you are of the opinion that people can change, it's a great show. If you don't believe that you might find it too unrealistic or cheesey.

We enjoyted Schitt's Creek as well for similar reasons. 

Of course, the one show we haven't brought up is Breaking Bad (and it's offshoot, Better Call Saul). Both are excellent anti-hero shows with great acting and writing, but I'm still bitter that the "good guy" in Breaking Bad, ends up 6 feet under. That was very hard to watch (sorry if I spoiled it for anyone, but I did leave their name out of it). 

[Paul Heroy]

Yeah, both great shows and we enjoyed BB & BCS too for the most part. There's a lot of debate about which of those is "better" but I think each found its own identity. The last season of BCS was a bit polarizing in some ways, too. (That "the most part" above is b/c my wife checked out around the end of the penultimate season.) 

[bmoney]

BB is my all time favorite show. Outstanding from beginning to end.  I’ve watched it probably 6 times. Which is a lot of time spent lol   But most of it on the treadmill 

[Barry]

I tell my friends that I am too old to watch TV or go to the movies. Not for ther reason you may think, but because I have seen so much it becomes predictable.
 
I’ve just finished the Sopranos. I’ll probably never see it again, and I would rate it “good” but in many ways it was a formula TV show.  It just handled topics we did not see on TV.
 
TV HEALABILITY:
On TV shows lead and supporting actors get hurt, injured, or diseased all the time.  But, apparently a week off, cures everything.  They have no symptoms the next week, no limps, scars or permanent damage. Sometimes they are healed at the end of the show.  Matt Dillion was shot 56 times on Gunsmoke, knocked unconscious 30 times and stabbed a few.  Always looked good the next week.  Well, this happens a lot on the Sopranos. Chris got beat up a few times and there are no scars, bumps or anything by the next week.  Tony was shot, was in the hospital for three weeks, but by the fourth week there is no limp , no scar, no nothing. A TV formula.
 
COINCIDENCES:
Tony drops his daughter at college and finds a man he has to kill; Tony goes into a bar and finds Meadow’s boyfriend making out with another girl.  Everyone meets everyone. On a TV show, Jan The Brady Bunch) might get a scratch on a car, a tattoo, or date a boy, and soon everyone, by coincidence knows about it. Or Sheldon (Big Bang) might have been yelled at work.  Here, Uncle Junior has sex with a woman in Florida and everyone in New Jersey knows about it!!!! Familiar ideas, x-rated categories.
 
FINALLY: I was glad that Dr. M<elfi finally saw she was always an enabler.  I wish it came sooner.
 
Finally, they didn’t have many choices for an ending:
1.  Tony gets killed
2.  Tony is arrested
3.  Nothing happens to Tony.
So it ends by not ending.

[David Vaughn]

I tell my friends that I am too old to watch TV or go to the movies. Not for ther reason you may think, but because I have seen so much it becomes predictable.
 
I’ve just finished the Sopranos. I’ll probably never see it again, and I would rate it “good” but in many ways it was a formula TV show.  It just handled topics we did not see on TV.
 
TV HEALABILITY:
On TV shows lead and supporting actors get hurt, injured, or diseased all the time.  But, apparently a week off, cures everything.  They have no symptoms the next week, no limps, scars or permanent damage. Sometimes they are healed at the end of the show.  Matt Dillion was shot 56 times on Gunsmoke, knocked unconscious 30 times and stabbed a few.  Always looked good the next week.  Well, this happens a lot on the Sopranos. Chris got beat up a few times and there are no scars, bumps or anything by the next week.  Tony was shot, was in the hospital for three weeks, but by the fourth week there is no limp , no scar, no nothing. A TV formula.
 
COINCIDENCES:
Tony drops his daughter at college and finds a man he has to kill; Tony goes into a bar and finds Meadow’s boyfriend making out with another girl.  Everyone meets everyone. On a TV show, Jan The Brady Bunch) might get a scratch on a car, a tattoo, or date a boy, and soon everyone, by coincidence knows about it. Or Sheldon (Big Bang) might have been yelled at work.  Here, Uncle Junior has sex with a woman in Florida and everyone in New Jersey knows about it!!!! Familiar ideas, x-rated categories.
 
FINALLY: I was glad that Dr. M<elfi finally saw she was always an enabler.  I wish it came sooner.
 
Finally, they didn’t have many choices for an ending:
1.  Tony gets killed
2.  Tony is arrested
3.  Nothing happens to Tony.
So it ends by not ending.

Barry, Tony was killed in the final episode. There's a prelude a few episodes before the ending when his bodyguard asks him while they are fishing "What do you think happens when you die?" Tony responds something to the effect that "Everything goes black." Hence, he was whacked in the restaurant. David Chase confirmed this at some point in the past few years. 

[bmoney]

Barry, Tony was killed in the final episode. There's a prelude a few episodes before the ending when his bodyguard asks him while they are fishing "What do you think happens when you die?" Tony responds something to the effect that "Everything goes black." Hence, he was whacked in the restaurant. David Chase confirmed this at some point in the past few years.

Never heard this or realized it. And it’s amazing! Thanks 😊 

[David Vaughn]

Never heard this or realized it. And it’s amazing! Thanks 😊

OK...I remembered the dialog wrong...it's been many years. The line was "You probably don't even hear it when it happens...."

Here's the scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RHvYRU2Aow&ab_channel=CapoTube