The Sopranos. Season 3 [DVD]

Episode of Series “The Sopranos”.
The third season of this award-winning television series finds the Soprano family going about their business unaware that the FBI have begun a covert surveillance of their every move. But as the series progresses, the ever watchful eye of the Feds becomes less important than the personal experiences of the New Jersey crime family. Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is still in therapy and though he is still baiting psychoanalyst Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), he is getting closer to understanding the source of his anxiety attacks: they are triggered by memories of his violent childhood. But with the death of his mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), Tony has to deal with the twin demons of rage and guilt. Tony also has to deal with his daughter Meadow’s awakening sexuality (including her falling in love with a black man) as well as with the spiritual angst of his wife, Carmella (Edie Falco), who is increasingly disturbed by the ethical implications of her being a partner to a mobster. It’s only when he meets the beautiful Gloria (Annabella Sciorra) that things start looking up for Tony, but soon, in true Soprano’s style, her emotional instability creates a dangerous domestic situation for him. Outstanding episodes in this series include “Employee of the month”, which deals with the rape of Dr. Melfi, the black comedy of “Pine barrens”, directed by Steve Buscemi, and the horrifying violence of “University” which features the abusive relationship between a mobster and one of the strippers at the Bada Bing. The dark exploration of masculinity, abuse and violence which is central to this episode exemplifies what is unique to The Sopranos: terrific writing, outstanding performances and a daring audacity to fully explore the brutality of contemporary culture. The mores and ethics of organised crime seem an apt metaphor for the contemporary world.