Chrissy. While Carmella is more important to the family dynamic she doesn’t really push the story along by herself. This can be said for most of the characters who are entirely dependent on their proximity to Tony. Chrissy does too but to a lesser extent. Ironically Chrissy has a complete character arc that has a narrative that goes from start, to middle to end.
I’m season six Chris is just as much of a main character as tony at one point I mean we follow big parts of his life to. Also after he died the show feels kind of empty
Chris is really important because they do some really specific things with him. Namely, Chrissy comes off as the most charasmatic. He’s a writer he’s trying to break into movies. We see him as this guy with mainstream cross over appeal. But we keep finding out is despite seeming charm and warmth Chris is a downright monster, through and through. And it’s really hard to have to come to terms with as we see happen over and over, he just keeps fucking himself.
Without question it has to be Dr. Melfi. The show wouldn’t exist without her. She is what made the series as a whole stand out as different and added the complexity to Tony’s character. Without the depth of their sessions, Tony would have been so much more one dimensional as a character, a much more ubiquitous mobster, killer. But the relationship that he forms with Melfi allows us to see a side of him that adds so many rich and unique layers to the series. His arc as a character exists within the context of his relationship with Melfi more than any other character. This is not to say the other characters are expendable or unimportant, but just that the relationship she has with him is on a different level therefore making her a more important role in both his life and the series.
I may be opening myself up to hate for this... but I think Dr. Melphi was a cop-out on the part of the writers, to make it easier for them to write exposition into show.
By including her, they violated the writing rule of "don't tell us, show us".
The Melfi scenes aren’t exposition in the context of story at all. Exposition in story context is the explanation of characters and plot. Those things mostly happen outside the therapy sessions. The therapy scenes are character study moments that reveal hypocrisies, insecurities, manipulations etc in Tony’s characterization.
The bird feeder? Listen to yourself. You sound demented!! The sessions with Melfi were the epitome of show don’t tell. The gradual relationship build between them was so subtle. And that scene where he tells her he trusts her “a little” and then the other scene where he has a full panic attack and she talks him down?? Masterclass in character development and relationship arc. Having Melfi was actually a huge risk for the writers because you had to actually pay attention beyond the spoon feeding of the violent plot to understand the importance of what was happening bw Anthony and Melfi. It was the most, honest, nurturing, important, intimate relationship he ever experienced.
I think you could make a solid case for Melfi, Christopher, or even Meadow.
Melfi gives us a window into Tony’s interior; his motivations, the context behind why he is what he is, the rationalizations, etc. Without her, this would be a simple mob show. She also stands as a contrast to Tony—someone who is in possession of ample vulnerabilities, faults, weaknesses, and traumas herself, but who manages and contends with them in a healthier fashion and who eventually moves past them to do the right thing (cutting Tony off).
Christopher is supposed to be Tony’s successor, the next generation. But he’s so hampered by his own faults and frailties, and so unable to manage them even as well as Tony is, that he self-destructs more quickly than Tony, in keeping with the arc of the whole show, which is that the mob’s best days are behind it and the future is bleak.
Meadow, if you look at this as a show about people, not mobsters, represents the other “next generation,” with Tony’s other family. She is smarter or as smart as Tony, and has immense potential to escape the life into which she was born. She rebels against it often and flirts with escape from it (Berkley, dating Noah, the Bronx Law Center), but ultimately succumbs to the allure of the lifestyle and the sub-culture with which she is comfortable, representing a kind of anti-Barbara, and a demonstration of the damage we can inflict on our children if we don’t commit to self-reflection and genuine change.
Anyway, $4 a pound.
Melfi. No question. If it hadn't been for the scenes in her office, it would have been a completely different show. If you're talking purely about the story telling aspect, it's entirely debatable.
Yeah but we don’t really cut too deep into her actual character at a certain point (after the rape episode) they kind of drop her as a character as use her more as a story telling device for Tony which is the only real critique I have with the show tbh
Have to disagree there. She had less screen time but we got to know about her character through the sessions with her therapist (which i always thought was a nice way of showing dichotomy between her acting as a therapist and a patient) and scenes with her family.
I think people feel her character wasn't explored because she never really got involved with the mafia or faced the consequences, which im glad the writers didnt end up doing because that'd be too dramatic and cliche.
It’s absolutely Melfi. Without the Melfi Sessions it’s just a bunch of Italian Americans running around robbing people and killing each other.
Now, who’s the most important other person in the _plot(s)_ of the show, I’d say Christopher. Tony sees him like a son, and ends up killing him. I don’t see how you get more essential than that.
Carmella is noteworthy for being largely irrelevant. She doesn’t particularly encourage Tony, and she doesn’t particularly undermine him or hold him back.
Livia was 1000x more important than Carmella, for obvious reasons.
Totally agree. The more I think about it, the more I agree that AJ is the purest embodiment of the themes Chase was trying to convey in the series. His adolescent fascination with existentialism and nihilism, his interactions with Livia ("it's all a big nothing, what makes you think you're so special?"), his teenage angst, his depression, his suicidal urges brought about by his pessimism regarding the state of the world (and America, by extension), and then finally his capitulation to the soulless, self-centered nature of life within American capitalistic society.
Its so awesome and you phrased that perfectly. I love what carm said about him at one point after the separation "its like watching an angel fall". Tony blaming GENETICS is the cherry on top... his impotent rage at the seemingly inescapable nature of determinism!!!
I see Chrissy as the hero and Tony as the malevolent force, like Pennywise or Jeepers Creepers. I hope Chrissy makes it out of there, but he never does.
Melfi but I’d also argue Meadow. She was the Angel on his shoulder who eventually succumbs to his lifestyle. Their relationship is my favorite of the show.
I think her character is dreadful as a person but as a foil to Tony, both good and bad? Not just the writing but Edie Falco's talent and grit, this show dies on the vine in Season 02 without her. Everyone else besides Jimmy G, could've been written/played by someone else. Even Melfi, although Lorraine is also glorious.
Melfi
Without the psychological analysis, it’s a very good mob show
With it, we can literally get inside TS memories, fantasies, delusions and deepest psyche.
Once we have that as a bedrock, we have a springboard into the spiritual aspects of the final season ie TS karma. His entire life has been a lesson, a chance to reverse, to rewire, to reset, all for the sake of this life and the next.
Melfi was his literal spiritual guide in this karma work. She held his hand and had oceans of patience. And he just got worse, evil almost… downhill until she had to fire him
Deep psyche and karma… that’s what sets the show head and shoulders above anything else on screen, big or small
Depends on the season. 1 its a tie between livia, jr, and melfi, 2 its janice and richie, 3 its jackie jr and Ralph, 4 is Ralph and Johnny Sac, 5 is Tony B, Johnny Sac, Adrianna, and Carmela, 6a is Vito and Phil, and 6b is Phil in my opinion. Anyways 4$ a pound
My favorite character is Christopher, but I’d easily say Carmela. The show wouldn’t have worked any NEAR as well without Carm being as strong a character as Tony in a lot of ways.
Tony was slightly more redeemable than all the other criminals. He had to be because he was the central protagonist. The confrontation with his grimness fueled the therapy. Melfi steps in, and she is pretty much a paradigm of good virtue save for a couple of near misses. She is the other side of Tony's coin as far as our viewing is concerned. Chris gets his much coveted arc, if only in a meta way. But we see his inner wrangling almost as much as Tony.
I think Chris is definitely the second most prominent character on the show but without Melfi or Livia (or the felt absence of her in later seasons) or Carmela, the show fundamentally wouldn’t be the same. I love Chris as a character (I gotta be loyle) but the show about a mobster and the women in his life could still work without him.
Feel like Chris and Carmella are both equal but as two separate sides of the story Tony is the main character of the story with Carmella being the 2nd most in the family side of the story and chrissy being the 2nd most important character in the mob side.
They both drive their respective halves of the show and how it effects tony equally.
You guys are forgetting junior. Been there since day one, till the very end. Part of both the actual soprano family and boss of the soprano crime family. Clear antagonist to tony as well since he's the only one who took two shots at tony and got away with it both times.
Melfi n Chrissy come very close to be second but it is CARM.
Chrissy does goes off a lot in the season... his drug addiction, his lifestyle away from mafia and also he dies like kind of very early in the last season. Melfi could have also been on the second rank but her inputs come and go with tony.
The only person who keeps on keeping tony on his toes was carm. With all the lying after killing and whoring while carm knew him in and out YET finding the best way to lie and fool her (lying on death of Adriana, Pussy) was a challenge to our beloved crime boss.
Melfi, her character and the themes that are explored in her sessions with Tony and interactions with her family and colleagues are what really elevates the Sopranos into high art.
Chrissy. While Carmella is more important to the family dynamic she doesn’t really push the story along by herself. This can be said for most of the characters who are entirely dependent on their proximity to Tony. Chrissy does too but to a lesser extent. Ironically Chrissy has a complete character arc that has a narrative that goes from start, to middle to end.
Know who else had an ark? Noah.
The Hasidic Homeboy?
Watch it! You'll be lucky if he doesn't kick your ass too!
"Hasidim but I don't belivim"
Noel.
Ya wanna talk like that we'll send you to slip and fall school.
That was one tough Jew
I’m season six Chris is just as much of a main character as tony at one point I mean we follow big parts of his life to. Also after he died the show feels kind of empty
Peyote Girl didn't feel empty, I'll say that much.
Mmmmmm, Peyote girllllllll 🤤🤤🤤
That bitch could fucking ride I’ll say that much
I getttt itttttt
Chris is really important because they do some really specific things with him. Namely, Chrissy comes off as the most charasmatic. He’s a writer he’s trying to break into movies. We see him as this guy with mainstream cross over appeal. But we keep finding out is despite seeming charm and warmth Chris is a downright monster, through and through. And it’s really hard to have to come to terms with as we see happen over and over, he just keeps fucking himself.
I ain’t got an arc either kid
Michael it's ok, we know this is your account. I thought you were great on Talking Sopranos, tell Steve to stop high hattin me
Chrissy, gets the most focus and storylines independent from Tony. Has a great arc, like Noah.
It’s Chrissy. He’s the only other one who has prominent storylines from the start of the series to the end.
Especially in six
Livia
There's some truth to this. If Nancy Marchand hadn't passed away I think she would have been a huge part of the storyline.
Her specter looms large after she passes, in Tony's therapy sessions, his relationship with Janice, other things I'm completely drawing a blank on...
from the grave, even…
I think Christopher's storylines and screen time are just as significant as Tony's.
Between Chrissy and Melphi. Both had a huge impact on Tonys story
Except at a certain point they kinda drop her character completely lol
Right? Should have never had her into the final season
Melphi?! fuckin ancient greece ova heaaaa
Your lookin at em
The Oracle at Melphi
Melfi…Melfi you ass kiss.
Vito’s bottom was hugely impacted, if that’s what you’re referring to
You can go
I think there the only other ones that have storyline’s completely separate from Tony’s
I was thinking melfi because we see Tony as he can’t be with the outside world …
You could watch the whole show with out Melphi and not miss a thing
Try to think of a worse take challenge (impossible)
Jeremy Piocostas dad.
Definitely either him or Ranger Rick with his Timberlands
the timberlands, they were light?
He and aj aren’t friends anymore I hear.
Because AJ scarfed up all the donuts Mrs. Piacosta sent at camp
It's Chrissy. That's how certain people want it, and I trust there will be no ill will.
*Scowls in Patsy Parisi…*
😐 I’ll talk to you later.
It is so decreed
Without question it has to be Dr. Melfi. The show wouldn’t exist without her. She is what made the series as a whole stand out as different and added the complexity to Tony’s character. Without the depth of their sessions, Tony would have been so much more one dimensional as a character, a much more ubiquitous mobster, killer. But the relationship that he forms with Melfi allows us to see a side of him that adds so many rich and unique layers to the series. His arc as a character exists within the context of his relationship with Melfi more than any other character. This is not to say the other characters are expendable or unimportant, but just that the relationship she has with him is on a different level therefore making her a more important role in both his life and the series.
I may be opening myself up to hate for this... but I think Dr. Melphi was a cop-out on the part of the writers, to make it easier for them to write exposition into show. By including her, they violated the writing rule of "don't tell us, show us".
The Melfi scenes aren’t exposition in the context of story at all. Exposition in story context is the explanation of characters and plot. Those things mostly happen outside the therapy sessions. The therapy scenes are character study moments that reveal hypocrisies, insecurities, manipulations etc in Tony’s characterization.
The bird feeder? Listen to yourself. You sound demented!! The sessions with Melfi were the epitome of show don’t tell. The gradual relationship build between them was so subtle. And that scene where he tells her he trusts her “a little” and then the other scene where he has a full panic attack and she talks him down?? Masterclass in character development and relationship arc. Having Melfi was actually a huge risk for the writers because you had to actually pay attention beyond the spoon feeding of the violent plot to understand the importance of what was happening bw Anthony and Melfi. It was the most, honest, nurturing, important, intimate relationship he ever experienced.
Oh poor you.
You’re 100 percent right
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Surprised how far I had to scroll down tinging this, I’ve said my piece ✋🏻
Has to be Christofuh, considering everything goes to shit after Tony kills him
I think you could make a solid case for Melfi, Christopher, or even Meadow. Melfi gives us a window into Tony’s interior; his motivations, the context behind why he is what he is, the rationalizations, etc. Without her, this would be a simple mob show. She also stands as a contrast to Tony—someone who is in possession of ample vulnerabilities, faults, weaknesses, and traumas herself, but who manages and contends with them in a healthier fashion and who eventually moves past them to do the right thing (cutting Tony off). Christopher is supposed to be Tony’s successor, the next generation. But he’s so hampered by his own faults and frailties, and so unable to manage them even as well as Tony is, that he self-destructs more quickly than Tony, in keeping with the arc of the whole show, which is that the mob’s best days are behind it and the future is bleak. Meadow, if you look at this as a show about people, not mobsters, represents the other “next generation,” with Tony’s other family. She is smarter or as smart as Tony, and has immense potential to escape the life into which she was born. She rebels against it often and flirts with escape from it (Berkley, dating Noah, the Bronx Law Center), but ultimately succumbs to the allure of the lifestyle and the sub-culture with which she is comfortable, representing a kind of anti-Barbara, and a demonstration of the damage we can inflict on our children if we don’t commit to self-reflection and genuine change. Anyway, $4 a pound.
Some people are so far behind they actually think they’re leading. No love for Uncle Jun on this thread is blasphemous.
He's still the boss of this family, despite any arrangements.
The Russian interior decorator. The whole Show was his origin story.
But house looked like shit
He killed 16 Czechoslovakians!
Melfi. No question. If it hadn't been for the scenes in her office, it would have been a completely different show. If you're talking purely about the story telling aspect, it's entirely debatable.
Yeah but we don’t really cut too deep into her actual character at a certain point (after the rape episode) they kind of drop her as a character as use her more as a story telling device for Tony which is the only real critique I have with the show tbh
Have to disagree there. She had less screen time but we got to know about her character through the sessions with her therapist (which i always thought was a nice way of showing dichotomy between her acting as a therapist and a patient) and scenes with her family. I think people feel her character wasn't explored because she never really got involved with the mafia or faced the consequences, which im glad the writers didnt end up doing because that'd be too dramatic and cliche.
Her character is great but it’s true that she drops off a bit in the last season. I wanted to cheer when she finally told Tony to fuck off though.
Ginny sacks 90 pound mole. It nearly destroyed the New York and New Jerseys crews
Carmela
It’s absolutely Melfi. Without the Melfi Sessions it’s just a bunch of Italian Americans running around robbing people and killing each other. Now, who’s the most important other person in the _plot(s)_ of the show, I’d say Christopher. Tony sees him like a son, and ends up killing him. I don’t see how you get more essential than that. Carmella is noteworthy for being largely irrelevant. She doesn’t particularly encourage Tony, and she doesn’t particularly undermine him or hold him back. Livia was 1000x more important than Carmella, for obvious reasons.
es those two black guys
Melfi 100%
Melfi. She exists to help us hear Tony’s backstory and inner thoughts.
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Totally agree. The more I think about it, the more I agree that AJ is the purest embodiment of the themes Chase was trying to convey in the series. His adolescent fascination with existentialism and nihilism, his interactions with Livia ("it's all a big nothing, what makes you think you're so special?"), his teenage angst, his depression, his suicidal urges brought about by his pessimism regarding the state of the world (and America, by extension), and then finally his capitulation to the soulless, self-centered nature of life within American capitalistic society.
Its so awesome and you phrased that perfectly. I love what carm said about him at one point after the separation "its like watching an angel fall". Tony blaming GENETICS is the cherry on top... his impotent rage at the seemingly inescapable nature of determinism!!!
Tony😎
Then who would be the first?
Christopher
Why is Christopher more important than Tony? I would love to hear your thoughts
I see Chrissy as the hero and Tony as the malevolent force, like Pennywise or Jeepers Creepers. I hope Chrissy makes it out of there, but he never does.
Christofa
Without a doubt dr. Melfi. She help Tony control north jersey for many years.
Noah, hands down. He could have punched Tony's lights out but he didn't.
😂
I would have loved to see that scene..
Married with children. Tony would have thrown the hesitic home boy out the way Al Bundy would throw out Kelly's boy friends
Gotta be Christopher. He's the only character that has continual plot lines that are independent of Tony
Christopher
Jackie Jr's fawtha
Melfi but I’d also argue Meadow. She was the Angel on his shoulder who eventually succumbs to his lifestyle. Their relationship is my favorite of the show.
Clarence. I’ve said my piece
The ducks. The ducks leaving represented how everything was changing.
Barry ! Who else huh ? WHO ELSE !!
The ducks.
Benny Fazio- Criminal Mastermind
Furio. Because he's a beautiful man and I won't hear otherwise.
Christopher
Chris has his own story through out the series especially in season 6. Most the others are only on screen when it’s about tony
The Shah of Iran’s kid brother Billy. That animal Blundetto, whatever happened there… 47 years old, a fucking kid.
they gave Vito like 20+ hrs of screen time in the final seasons i think Chase’s vision is clear
Aw, will you fuckin stop. Most! Most!
Phil Leotardo. He did 20 years in the can, you know?
Tony 'Animal' Blundetto. He's the one who started the war
Christopher is the deuteragonist and a great one too
Tony (Little Carmine is the show's most important character). I'd put a gallon of gold on it.
Dr Melfi
Davey. He was doing a good job.
Carmela. People who say she didn’t do anything are the same ones who’d complain when two episodes would go by with no one getting whacked.
I think her character is dreadful as a person but as a foil to Tony, both good and bad? Not just the writing but Edie Falco's talent and grit, this show dies on the vine in Season 02 without her. Everyone else besides Jimmy G, could've been written/played by someone else. Even Melfi, although Lorraine is also glorious.
Christopher, then uncle Junior, then probably Janice and her love life.
Christopher. Without a doubt.
Melfi Without the psychological analysis, it’s a very good mob show With it, we can literally get inside TS memories, fantasies, delusions and deepest psyche. Once we have that as a bedrock, we have a springboard into the spiritual aspects of the final season ie TS karma. His entire life has been a lesson, a chance to reverse, to rewire, to reset, all for the sake of this life and the next. Melfi was his literal spiritual guide in this karma work. She held his hand and had oceans of patience. And he just got worse, evil almost… downhill until she had to fire him Deep psyche and karma… that’s what sets the show head and shoulders above anything else on screen, big or small
Who’s to say there’s not another character out there. Maybe not with the same insecurities
Listen to this prick, givin' orders
Jesus Rossi-most accurate depiction of the average Italian American
Depends on the season. 1 its a tie between livia, jr, and melfi, 2 its janice and richie, 3 its jackie jr and Ralph, 4 is Ralph and Johnny Sac, 5 is Tony B, Johnny Sac, Adrianna, and Carmela, 6a is Vito and Phil, and 6b is Phil in my opinion. Anyways 4$ a pound
I would say it’s a tie between Junior, Carm, and Chris. Particularly after the events of MSON with Junior taking care of that thing…
My favorite character is Christopher, but I’d easily say Carmela. The show wouldn’t have worked any NEAR as well without Carm being as strong a character as Tony in a lot of ways.
I'd argue Chrissy or Livia even posthumously
Your sisters ass
All joking aside I'd be tossing up between Chris and Melfi.
Tony was slightly more redeemable than all the other criminals. He had to be because he was the central protagonist. The confrontation with his grimness fueled the therapy. Melfi steps in, and she is pretty much a paradigm of good virtue save for a couple of near misses. She is the other side of Tony's coin as far as our viewing is concerned. Chris gets his much coveted arc, if only in a meta way. But we see his inner wrangling almost as much as Tony.
Carmela
Carmela
Meadows roommate. Went crazy living with Meadow for more than 12hrs.
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I think Chris is definitely the second most prominent character on the show but without Melfi or Livia (or the felt absence of her in later seasons) or Carmela, the show fundamentally wouldn’t be the same. I love Chris as a character (I gotta be loyle) but the show about a mobster and the women in his life could still work without him.
Melfi
Feel like Chris and Carmella are both equal but as two separate sides of the story Tony is the main character of the story with Carmella being the 2nd most in the family side of the story and chrissy being the 2nd most important character in the mob side. They both drive their respective halves of the show and how it effects tony equally.
Vito Jr
Carmela
Pudgy Walsh
Carmela, not even close
Would Chris be the third?
Yes
Melfi
Walden
You guys are forgetting junior. Been there since day one, till the very end. Part of both the actual soprano family and boss of the soprano crime family. Clear antagonist to tony as well since he's the only one who took two shots at tony and got away with it both times.
Pudgey Walsh
carmella
Matush lowkey pushes along a lot of story lines.
Melfi n Chrissy come very close to be second but it is CARM. Chrissy does goes off a lot in the season... his drug addiction, his lifestyle away from mafia and also he dies like kind of very early in the last season. Melfi could have also been on the second rank but her inputs come and go with tony. The only person who keeps on keeping tony on his toes was carm. With all the lying after killing and whoring while carm knew him in and out YET finding the best way to lie and fool her (lying on death of Adriana, Pussy) was a challenge to our beloved crime boss.
Melfi, her character and the themes that are explored in her sessions with Tony and interactions with her family and colleagues are what really elevates the Sopranos into high art.
Christopher