The critics ring in: The Sopranos: Violence Rises on TV, but on This HBO Show, It Makes a Point

“But while the blood, beatings and deaths have kept everyone buzzing, from

ordinary viewers to the president of NBC, the more important issue goes beyond

how much splatter appears on screen. For the first time, this season’s Sopranos

relied heavily on violence directed against innocents, especially women,

characters not involved in Tony’s mob career.

And Tony’s explosion against his girlfriend put him in the center of violence

outside what his business demands. By daring to put Tony in such an

unsympathetic position, the series’s creator, David Chase, has done more than

escalate the brutality. He has kept the series honest, true to the lethal

consequences of a mob boss’s life, and refused to let audiences feel comfortable

with Tony’s career choice. In giving new meaning to the phrase brutally honest,

this season matched the awe-inspiring artistry of the first.” New York Times

And the psychoanalysts:

‘For 13 weeks the debate has intensified about what makes The

Sopranos so compelling. With tonight’s final episode for the

season–which was indeed anticipated in much the same manner

as the Super Bowl–we can answer the question. We are drawn

to the show because it is so radical in the sense that it explores

in an unflinching way some of our most troubling and deep-seated

sociocultural problems…

Kafka said that psychoanalysis provided a means for secular Jews

to try to orient themselves in the modern world. Tony is in the

same position as the newly secularized Jew was of Kafka’s time.

The traditional solutions don’t work, and the best place to turn to

get one’s bearings is some form of psychotherapy. Therapy

certainly can’t provide the certitude and the consolation of

traditional religions. Like life itself, it is an imperfect process

practiced by imperfect people, and we shouldn’t pretend

otherwise. And while Dr. Melfi has come in for her share of

criticism at our hands, she has turned out to be one of the most

constructive figures in Tony’s life. At times, it seemed she wouldn’t

make it through this treatment. But she persisted, battling her own

demons along the way. And now–psychologically

speaking–we’d have to say that Tony is in a much different

position than he was when he first walked though her doors three

seasons ago. Whether he is at the same time politically weakened

as a mafia don is another story.’ Slate