The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season
For Tony Soprano, there’s no such thing as business as usual. Balancing the demands of his immediate family – wife Carmel, daughter Meadow and son Anthony Jr. – witht the demands of his other family – Paulie Walnuts, Silvio Dante and Big Pussy Bompensiero – means walking a tightrope no self-respecting mobster should have to walk. With his mother and uncle plotting against him, his older sister Janice wreaking her own special kind of havoc, and the very real threat that one of his closest allies
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The Sopranos: The Complete Fifth Season
His separation hasn’t been working out. His nephew’s fiance has become a distraction. His paroled cousin is giving off bad vibes. His business rival is looking for payback. His therapist isn’t buying into the “other Tony.” It’s enough to send any mob boss over the edge. Hell hath no fury like The Sopranos.DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Other
Facing an indeterminate sentence of weeks/months/years until new episodes, fans of The Sopranos are advised to take the fifth; season, that is. At
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List Price: $ 49.99
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Review by Michael Crane for The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season
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The Sopranos is one of HBO’s greatest achievements (although I admit that I think it lost some of its momentum and spark with seasons three and four). When I first saw the show, I was hooked. I’d watch anywhere from three to four episodes a day. One of the great things about first watching this show on DVD was that I could watch any number of episodes instead of just watching one per week.”The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season” has to be my favorite season. As much as I love the first one, this was when things were really funny, intense, dramatic and involving. The season doesn’t let us down when it comes to Tony having more problems than ever before. Both in his Mafia Family and his immediate family, Tony can never get a break. His wife gives him grief while his kids keep doing things that upset him. And don’t get me started on his ill mother and self-centered sister. Life isn’t much better in his Mafia Family when the brother of Jackie is released from prison and is giving Tony a hard time both personally and professionally. Not to mention that his long time friend, Big P. comes back from a long hiatus when he was first suspected of turning rat to the Feds. All of this leads to one incredible and unpredictable season that showcases the show like none other.For me, this was the most entertaining season of them all. I loved the characters, the constantly changing storylines, and the personal and business life of Tony Soprano, which is superbly balanced in this season. There’s still the much appreciated humor in these episodes that were found lacking in the next two seasons. It doesn’t feel like a soap opera, but a more enhanced look into the Mafia world. There’s plenty of action as well as dramatic storylines that will make everybody happy for the most part.This season comes in a set of four discs, totaling at 13 episodes. The great thing about the show is that it is presented to us in a widescreen format that is enhanced for widescreen TVs. This really makes the show that more effective because you feel like you’re actually watching a movie rather than a show on cable. The picture and sound quality is great and really shows. There are some nice little extras, such as featurettes, brief previews and recaps of episodes, web-links and more.”The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season” is a bundle of laughs, suspense, drama, action and surprises. You’re always on your toes and you never know what’s coming next. One thing’s for sure; this is the most unpredictable season out of the four seasons (the fifth one looks pretty promising thus far). While you’ll want to start with the first season if you’ve never seen the show before, you’ll know that you will have something special to look forward to once you get to the second season. In my opinion, this is where Sopranos is flawlessly at its best. -Michael Crane
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In some viewer’s eyes, season two of HBO’s The Sopranos suffered in comparison to the sensational first season. The initial buzz of such a high calibre television show had worn off to a degree. What helps make season two so special is how those qualities that made season one such a hit were (and are) intact.O.K., the overall feel of the sophomore season isn’t as lighthearted as the first–should it be? There is much that Sopranos creator David Chase has to say about life in general. And you may find that you have more in common with the mobbed-up characters than you think. It’s an interesting, edgy, wicked, funny and frightening ride that hasn’t lost it’s intelligent touch. The production of The Sopranos in subsequent seasons has grown (along with the size of its viewership), and the writing has been progressively more mature, dark and realistic. Yet, it’s still fun to watch, even with the darker plotlines.If you’ve never seen an episode of The Sopranos, please do. WARNING: Once you do, you’ll probably fork over the money to buy both seasons of the series. It’s THAT addictive. The episodes are more rewarding upon repeated viewings.
Review by Jason Waldman for The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season
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I originally rented the first season of the Sopranos on DVD and ended up watching all thirteen episodes over a two day period. I went out and bought the second season as a Christmas present for myself and I am pleased to say it surpassed even my lofty expectations!The season starts out where the last one left off. Tony’s not talking to his mother, Uncle Junior’s been arrested and is let out on house arrest, Big Pussy’s is now an FBI informant, and Dr. Melfi’s seeing patients in a motel. But things get turned upsided down with the addition of two new characters: Tony’s sister Janice (aka Parvati) and Richie Aprile, the brother of the late former boss Jackie Aprile and Janice’s former lover. He’s just been released from prison and is looking for a piece of the action, both from Tony and from Janice.I’m not going to spoil the season for you by running down every episode, but every episode, while self-contained, helps paint a piece of the larger picture of the season. Everything is covered here from the relationship between Tony and Dr. Melfi to a friend’s gambling problem to a power struggle at the type to a final farewell to a major player in the Sopranos.I know the high price might keep some people from buying the set, but it is well worth it! If you get the chance, buy it!
Review by carol irvin for The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season
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I watched the 1st season from the public library’s collection. I liked it so well that I bought the second season on DVD. Now I am so hooked on these characters and the intelligent writing that I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the 3rd. I really don’t want to subscribe to HBO just to see it but it is tempting. One would think you couldn’t do anything new with this mobster scenario but boy, does brilliant writing make the difference. Each episode is very well thought out. Once again, the females are not slighted in the storytelling which is usually the case in these mafia storylines. In fact, Tony’s sister is a major new character in this season. At first she comes off as a New Age flake but gradually you discover that the acorn didn’t fall far from the tree. Her whole romance with fellow gangster Richie becomes one of the prime plotlines of the 2nd season because Richie makes Tony nuts, even causing him anxiety attacks! I can’t recommend the series highly enough. If you can resist compulsively watching this episode after episode, you are stronger than I!
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Building on the excellent foundation set in the first series, the second season continues the character development of NJ’s favorite mafia family nicely. There is less violence than in the first series (which should to be watched before this one if you want they full background).Almost none of the characters are clear-cut, making them very believable. The acting is excellent and the script is fantastic, with the slight exception of a somewhat over-contradictory role written for a priest. Tension and distrust seem to be the main constants in Tony Soprano’s life. You can decide if the worst thing in his life is his mother and uncle, or his crew and the Feds…or, maybe, himself. There is less screen time given to certain key “family” members in this series but it does not lessen their impact on the storyline and the addition of a few “blows-ins” adds to the tension.If you enjoy excellent acting, won’t hate yourself for actually liking some things about the ruthless main protagonist, and can cope with occasional graphic violence then this set of shows is absolutely worth watching.
Review by Jeffrey E Ellis for The Sopranos: The Complete Fifth Season
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The death of Carmine, family crime boss of New York, sets up the organizational tug of war that operates through the fifth season. The brutal push and shove between Little Carmine and Johnny Sack provides the dramatic backdrop as tensions mount between the families. Through it all, Tony tries to maintain neutrality but finds himself, as usual, in the thick of things.
On the home front there are several touching and poignant moment between our lovable thug, Tony, and his long-suffering wife, Carmella. Slowly and sweetly, they inch toward each other; each painfully aware of the sensitive issues and the deep divide which separate them. In a grimly amusing scene, Tony may have found Carmella’s price.
Without question, this is Gandolfini’s finest hour. He gives a performance which portrays not only the ruthlessness and thuggery of Tony Soprano but also the maturity, thoughtfulness, humor and depth of a caring husband father. No humanitarian awards just yet, though, this is brutal gangsterism and intimidation of innocents, after all. Carmella, Christopher, and Adriana also deliver their very best performances to date. Well-deserving of their awards and recognition.
Adriana’s episode commentary in bonus features is worth listening to.