The Sopranos Sessions

I pre-ordered this book and put down what I was in the middle of reading when it arrived. Now I'm putting this book down and going back to what I was reading before it arrived. When I finish that I'll pick this back up and restart at page 327, "The David Chase Sessions."The entertainment value of analysis within this book is subjective, similar to a history class. To me, this is why 2-5 stars exist. Glaring flaws indicative of a rushed product or sheer ignorance is objective, similar to a history class. This is why 1 star exists.I don't only believe The Sopranos was the best TV show ever made, I believe it to be the best thing ever put on film. I consider myself a hardcore fan that has strong opinions about not only the action, but the depth of the product. I find myself discussing the art of "Isabella," the hallucinogenic brilliance of "Funhouse," The Kinks within "University," and perfected acting within "Whoever Did This" in crowds who are usually caught up with "Pine Barrens" and "Made in America." I don't have extended discussions about the end of the show. My response is typically one sentence - "David Chase doesn't give us puzzles to solve; he shows us everything that happens." I say this because I am constantly interested in the opinions of others just as fanatical about the show as myself. The fatter the book, the better.The book goes by the formula of breaking down every episode. Fine by me. From the pilot synopsis, I immediately got the impression that this section of the book was written by someone watching the episode for the first time and pausing between scenes to write a college paper. There is so much missed. There's not even a mention of Chrissy's introductory scene, or its depiction unmotivated gen x to gen y bleed over behavior applicable to every character at or under 35 within the show (Brendan, Jackie Jr., Matthew Bevilaqua, AJ, Ade, and so on). This is a miss.Tony tells Melfie he loves her. According to the book, she shows strength in standing firm against this. The book missed Melfie's third dimension - that she changed her appearance in the next two sessions and brought this love up herself when Tony didn't. This is a miss.There's no mention of the true importance behind the "one time only scene preceding the opening credits" of ep 2. No mention of the camera shots to big Puss when rats turning states on the television is blatantly shooting a premonition across our bow. The shots to Chrissy when drugs are mentioned. Another miss.When I hit page 60 and read that "Mikey was a human being who had a wife that loved him" using her performance in front of the news camera as evidence, I remembered his final words to her from the actual show: "Go take a Midol." Sorry fellas, you were correct the first time when you mentioned Mikey was "essentially a comic character." You should've stopped there. This is a glaring mistake and, you guessed it, another miss.There are many more which I'm not going to break down for the sake of keeping this review somewhat brief. When I don't like what I'm reading, or find glaring mistakes in what I'm reading, I have no shame in putting a book down. I'm finished with the meat & potatoes of this book and hopefully I'll return and find some quality within the David Chase Sessions. Unfortunately I chalk up what I've read to a 20th anniversary cash grab and I'm angry that I contributed to it.I say stick to your favorite blog on this subject. Continue watching a show that refuses to age itself. Talk to your friends about it. Think of these words before you buy the book, or take them with a grain of salt. You are free.

... because I was so engrossed reading this.I've watched the series a few times, but it's great to have this recap and breakdown. It's like having a friend to 'compare notes' with. Really, crazy that it's been 20 years since this first aired. Back then, we only used our TV for our 'VCR' and mostly played back Blockbuster rentals. I had heard the buzz, but having grown up living in an area with wiseguy families, I just figured it was going to be cliche mafioso fare. A bout of homesickness around 2000/early 2001 led to my renting the first season at Blockbuster. After 9/11, I wanted to hook up the TV again for news coverage ... but of course I also wanted to catch the next season of The Sopranos, so we got HBO and there we still were in 2007 watching that finale. I really thought the power went out. Can't wait to get to the part with Chase discussing it all, including the ending. Personally, I always felt Tony was killed and it was foreshadowed a few episodes prior when Baccala opines that when you die "everything just goes black." To me, that would be a brilliant ending. And no matter what this book concludes, I won't "stop believing".

The detail in the book is insane. If you like behind the scenes stuff, you gotta get this book.

Absolutely brilliant. I am a huge fan of the show, easily have seen each episode/season a dozen times. I incorporate the dialogue into everyday conversations. Having said that, and being 6 chapters into the book (arrived last night) I am loving the trivia worthy tidbits on every page. Can't wait to finish the book and go back to rewatch episodes to rediscover all the things I missed. Perfect gift for all fans and a way to introduce this show to millennials who may not realize how much The Sopranos influenced all of their favorite shows of today.

I sped through this book. Well written,excellent analysis of the episodes. The interviews with Chase shed lots of light on his choices for the direction of the series. The letter to Gandolfini from Chase at his funeral is amazing.

The Sopranos is undeniably one of the best television shows of all time, but what truly makes it stand out are the layers upon layers that David Chase and his writers (and crew) added to each and every moment. This incredible books dives deep into these layers and offers analysis and facts and... fun? Truly, rewatching the series while reading this book has really made me realize the deep (dark) humor of this show. If you've watched the show - buy this book, if you've never watched this show - buy this book and bada binge those episodes right now.

I got my copy of this book yesterday and immediately started reading it. I have watched The Sopranos series multiple times, and with this being the 20th anniversary, I’ve been reading all I can about the show. My husband and I have closely followed Alan Sepinwall’s writings for years, so this book was the perfect addition for my love of the show. I haven’t read the entire book yet, but I do love the format of it. The book is broken up into each episode, so it’s easy to jump around and read more about the episodes I loved the most. It’s an easy read with some really good insight to the show and the symbolism throughout each episode with each character. I can’t wait to read each chapter!

Somehow, I really do not know how, I missed this series the first time round. Now I am obsessed. It is brilliant in so many ways. This book has proved to be invaluable giving additional insights to my second viewing. A must for any 'Soprano' fan. I cannot believe Gandolfini is no loner with us.

Such a rich resource, an amazing amount of work has gone in to making this book. I am really enjoying re-watching The Sopranos and reading the episode guides after each episode :) Congratulations on such an awesome book, thank you.I would like to recommend two ideas for any future re-issue or re-print;1. Increase the font size.2. Like Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition", create an illustrated/editorial version adding archive behind the scenes photos. Hire or source illustrations too. Include any interesting imagery that has appeared online or in magazines over the years.... could also include location maps - how far away is the Bada Bing from Tony's house anyway??

Re-watched Sopranos from the start for a second time and used this book as an episode companion. It gives a great insight into the characters as well as the episode as a whole. I found that with the book as a companion I was able to appreciate the scenes and characters better second time round.

We are both massive fans and my husband loved this for Christmas, he didn't even know it was out. Taking away on hols to read

Nothing to dislike, utterly amazing. Brings you right into the bowels of the show and it's characters. Chase is a genius and the writers of this book have done a superb job in recognising this.