The Sopranos' season 1 episode "College" is being credited as the moment the show redefined TV writing by turning its protagonist, Tony Soprano, into a genuine antihero. In the episode, Tony takes his daughter Meadow on a college tour, but their trip is interrupted when he spots a former associate, Febby, who had entered Witness Protection. Despite his ongoing efforts to reassure Meadow with half-truths about his mafia life, Tony tracks Febby down and strangles him with his bare hands. Febby had reportedly already been planning to kill Tony, but Tony had no knowledge of that at the time, making the killing an unprovoked, brutal act carried out purely for revenge.
The episode is seen as pivotal because it left audiences without a clear hero to root for, establishing a template that would go on to shape prestige television. James Gandolfini's performance as Tony throughout the episode is regarded as one of his best in the role. Following The Sopranos' success, HBO produced other dramas built around complex, morally compromised leads, including Mad Men's Don Draper, The Wire's Omar Little, and True Blood's Eric Northman. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan later told The Hollywood Reporter, "Without Tony Soprano, there would be no Walter White."
Beyond "College," the show is remembered for storylines it deliberately left unresolved, including the violent attack on Tony's psychiatrist, Jennifer Melfi, a plot thread that remains controversial among viewers. Another standout episode, "Pine Barrens," follows Paulie Walnuts and Christopher Moltisanti on a job with a Russian man that goes wrong, leading them to believe they've killed him and bury him in the woods — only to discover he's alive and impossible to track down, with his fate never explained.
Critically, The Sopranos has maintained strong ratings across all seven seasons on Rotten Tomatoes. Season 1 scored 98% with critics and 96% with audiences; season 2 earned 94% and 97%; season 3 hit 100% and 97%; season 4 scored 92% and 96%; season 5 recorded 93% and 96%; season 6 earned 89% and 95%; and season 7 closed with 84% and 95%. The show's grounding in mundane domestic details, alongside its references to films like The Godfather, is cited as part of why it continues to be regarded as a benchmark for character-driven television.
Photo: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
