15 years ago, a guy walked into a psychiatrist’s office. That guy happened to be a captain in the north Jersey mob. I suspect many of you know what happened next.
On the one hand, it seems incredible that 15 years have already passed since “The Sopranos” pilot aired. The series still feels so fresh, and vital, and so much a piece of everything that came afterwards. On the other, so many shows followed it in the dramatic revolution I wrote about in my book that of course a lot of time has passed, and there are certain pieces of the show (starting with the shot of the Twin Towers in the opening credits for seasons 1-3) that mark it as a product of its time.
Some “Sopranos” reading to look at today if you’re in an anniversary frame of mind:
* Dan and I discussed the pilot episode in a summer installment of the Firewall & Iceberg Podcast.
* The tribute I wrote to James Gandolfini after his sudden death last summer, and the complete text of David Chase’s eulogy. (I also unsurprisingly loved Matt Seitz’s Gandolfini tribute.)
* An excerpt from my book dealing with the show’s later years, including “Pine Barrens” and the oft-debated series finale.
* Links to all of my “Sopranos” episode reviews from The Star-Ledger, mainly from the final season, but also with a few from seasons 4 and 5, plus my Chase interview from the morning after the finale aired.
And if you’re in the mood for a specific anniversary dish, I would of course recommend ziti.