The Sopranos. Season Three

Great season opener. The FBI goes on a covert mission to plant a bug in Tony Soprano's basement. Get in, plant the bug, get out. It's that simple. Except for the getting in part. Plus great use of The Police's "I'll Be Watching You", remixed of course.

And other highlights of Season Three:

• The matriarch Livia Soprano dies. (And she was one of my favorite characters.)
• Johnny Sacks moves into Jersey.
• Carmela joins Tony in therapy.
• Ralphie Cifaretto creates bad blood with Tony by accidentally killing one of the Bada Bing dancers. But he is eventually made captain.
• Uncle Junior's cancer operation is a success.
• Meadow leaves the black guy Noah and starts dating Jackie Aprile, Jr.
• Tony Soprano begins his destructive love affair with Gloria Trillo.
• Jackie Jr. takes his first step into mob life.

Livia Soprano's death was actually because of actress Nancy Marchand's real death. Creator David Chase actually rewrote a huge chunk of the third season to adjust to this unfortunate event.

Annabella Sciorra makes an appearance as Gloria Trillo, while Michael Imperioli appears as screenwriter for the second time, writing episode 35 of this third season (his first screenwriting credit was for episode 22 of Season Two). Bert Young (who played Uncle Paulie in Rocky) also appears as Old Man Bacala (episode 31). Steve Buscemi makes his directorial debut with the series (directing episode 37), and of course, the excellent actor Joe Pantoliano debuts on the series as the annoying Ralph Cifaretto.


*some info from IMDb and HBO
pic from HBO


The Sopranos (Season Three). USA. 2001.


Rating: Eight out of ten.