The Sopranos is rightfully recognized as one of the greatest television shows of all time. But when it comes to favorite season, a variety of perspectives emerge. While my overall favorite is season two, here are five things I think also make The Sopranos season five extra remarkable.
1. Tony Uncle Al! Tony Blundetto
First, welcome home, Tony Blundetto! Cousin to both Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti, Tony B. served 17 years in prison for a failed truck hijacking. Notably, Tony S. was supposed to participate in that truck hijacking, too, but he had a panic attack and never showed up. What made Tony Blundetto especially unique (other than his 158 IQ) was that he wasn’t itching to get back into his “trade.” Instead, he wanted to start a legitimate business and career, which is no easy thing for a returning prisoner, as we come to witness.
Just like some other characters, Tony Blundetto had a tragic downfall, with the falling dominoes taking him to that point of no return.
Next, it’s that guy “Anonymous”! When I think of Phil Leotardo, a couple or three things come to mind, one of which is that he’s old school. Old school can be good and bad, as we’ll see a little later on. Phil also returned from prison in season five after serving 20 years. That’s right, 20 F*CKIN YEARS! That’s 20 years of compromise through eating grilled cheese off the radiator instead of manicotti. Can you imagine?!? On a more serious note, Frank Vincent does an incredible job playing Phil Leotardo, and neither seasons five nor six would be the same without him. By the way, here are my favorite Phil Leotardo quotes, if you’re interested.
3. The Man, The Legend...Feech La Manna!
Besides Tony B. and Phil, another fundamental season 5 character is Michele “Feech” La Manna. Though both Richie and Ralph had previously mentioned his name, it wasn’t until season 5 that we got to meet him for ourselves. To be frank, Feech was an acquired taste, as he’s pretty brutal and loves stepping on toes. But the more I watched, the more I couldn’t help but love this big angry mess of a guy.Â
Unfortunately, we only got to see him for four episodes, but he sure left his mark. (By the way, if you’re a big fan of Feech, check out this Feech La Manna trivia).
Further, The Sopranos season five contains the famous Test Dream episode (season five, episode 11). It doesn’t take long to realize that so much is buried deep beneath the surface of Tony Soprano’s conscious mind. Though Dr. Melfi does help Tony make some progress starting from the very beginning, there’s a certain point from which even Dr. Melfi is unable to delve deeper. And that’s where The Test Dream comes in to help (though it also generates even more questions!)
For some reason, I really love this scene. pic.twitter.com/8CvP2CtziV
— Stephanie Rosendorf Diaz (@srosendorf1014) August 1, 2021
Overall, besides going deep into the mind of Tony, The Sopranos season five displays powerful imagery and symbols that further illustrate the show’s brilliance. Season 5, episode 10, “Cold Cuts” is a perfect example. Aside from that, other episodes I particularly enjoy are Rat Pack, All Happy Families, Marco Polo, Unidentified Black Males, and All Due Respect. Long Term Parking is also an extraordinary episode, though I admittedly watch it less often because of how sad it is.
EXTRA: Some Miscellaneous Season Five Scenes & Quotes
Other Perspectives
Finally, what’s your favorite thing about The Sopranos season five? As I recently wrote in a prior post, part of what makes The Sopranos so magnificent is the way it allows us to connect with others who have their own unique Sopranos perspectives. So, on that note, let’s connect online! You can also subscribe to Sopranos Blueprint and/or support my writing/trivia-making adventures if you’d like.
Until then, Salute!