As someone who is sad, if not a bit afraid to admit it, I missed The Sopranos when it first came out. Granted, I was twelve when the series premiered and just graduating high school when it wrapped up, so I have a bit of an excuse for parental limitations in the beginning, at least.
Still, over the years, I’ve watched countless other prestige television shows and done my homework on the vast genre of mob and gangster films. The Sopranos hasn’t been a blind spot either, as we watched episodes of it in various film and television history courses I took in college, and I’ve also—again, sad to admit—seen almost every pivotal scene as TikToks or Instagram Reels.
So, it was with long-overdue enthusiasm that I recently sat down to finally watch the series in its entirety for the first time. Maybe the best decision I’ve ever made because the show is even more enjoyable, well-acted and directed, and at times hilariously funnier than I ever imagined.
And for all the great moments so far, there is one quote that stands out to me, at least, as the most poignant, the most true, and the most devastating, echoing in my head whenever I think about the show now.
The Legacy of 'The Sopranos'
'The Sopranos'
Credit: HBO
Now that I’ve gotten all my apologies out of the way, I can say with no hesitation that The Sopranos is one of the greatest achievements in television history. A touring show that hits the biggest highs with big fights, chaotic clashes of characters, and hugely human emotional climaxes.
It’s also a show that understands the importance of the little moments, with small character details somehow able to blow you away with their authenticity, acting decisions that should be studied from now until the end of the human acting experience itself, and those innocuous lines of dialogue that feel like throwaways at times, but when you think about it, they can be meta-textual and surprisingly poignant.
There are many great lines in the show’s history, some funny, some sad, some revealing heavy truths about the human condition. But one line, which I feel sums up what the show is most ultimately about, seems to come out of nowhere, but can drag you down into the murky depths of what the show is about.
“It Won’t Be Cinematic”
In the 12th episode of the 3rd season of The Sopranos, an episode titled "Amour Fou", a French phrase referenced in the episode as meaning “mad love,” the tragic love story of Tony Soprano and Gloria Trillo is played out.
Their love is indeed mad, but from the lens of the audience, it is at least understandable, as both Tony and Gloria are flawed characters who could seemingly at the very least enjoy each other’s company, albeit for a short time until their short fuses are both blown.
However, while their tale reaches its full conclusion in later episodes, the love story does come to an end after Gloria threatens to tell Tony’s wife and daughter about their affair as a way to meet her own demise. A short while later, Tony sends his soldier, Patsy, to reiterate, in no uncertain terms, the finality of their relationship.
When explaining the repercussions for going near Tony or his family again, Patsy—as if he were explaining the weather or the agenda for a meeting in an office job—tells Gloria that his face will be the last thing she sees before she dies, not Tony’s, and that “it won’t be cinematic.”
Great Writing Escapes Itself
'The Sopranos'
Credit: HBO
As far as performances and directing go, The Sopranos has been a great show to watch on all fronts. So many great acting decisions, so many great directing ones. However, it’s a show that really stands the test of time thanks to its writing and its ability to create moments that can live both within the universe and outside it.
“It won’t be cinematic” is perhaps the best exemplification of this, as it really shows that a character like Gloria, like all humans, is possibly aware that their life is, or at least could be, viewed as a character in a movie—or in this case, a TV show.
Yet, for her and for all of us, even if that were the case, life isn’t actually cinematic. It’s just life. And it’s cold, and it’s cruel, and it’s something that can and will end at any time.
And that line, to me at least, seemed to say so much of that in more and feels like one of the best lines and moments that sum up how the show can be so great, so memorable, and yes—at times—so devastating to watch even today.
