I picked up the first three seasons on DVD sets. Was watching it real time as well.
What I realized was that they were making the audience feel sympathetic towards a criminal who could order people to be murdered, who dealt in just plain nasty business.
It was actually quite skillfully done; you see the main character with the psychiatrist, pouring out his problems, etc., his “normal” family life - hey, he’s just a Jersey guy who loves his wife and kids, after all (except for the multiple affairs with his girlfriends) - who goes to work every day to provide for his family; now, the fact that that “providing” involved murder, narcotics, prostitution, etc., never mind - they made you overlook all that find a reason to like the guy.
Sort of like how in “Angels With Dirty Faces” form the 30s you liked Cagney’s character, even though he was a crook. But back then, “crime doesn’t pay” was the message - as he was going to the electric chair; you knew that’s where it would end up.
Now, in this time and era, evidently, crime DOES pay, is the message, and not does it pay, it pays well.
To Jim Gandolfini’s credit, he played the part well and OWNED it - and that is what every actor strives for.
His other movie and TV roles are what they are, but like Stallone with his Rocky/Rambo characters, Travolta with Vinnie Barbarino and Saturday Nite Fever, Jim Gandolfini will ALWAYS be Tony Soprano to folks, because that is where his on-screen impact was made on hearts and minds.
Sorry to lose him at such a young age. He appeared to be a really decent guy. Prayers out for his family.
He was a good actor, no doubt.
I don’t know if the message was crime pays. Yeah they made a lot of money, and had to always fear the cops, and rivals, and even allies. They’re constantly going to jail or getting killed. Especially when you get all the way through season 6, if you take the most common interpretation of the ending then the only survivors from Tony’s mob family are Paulie and Sil, and Sil’s in a coma not expected to recover, and Paulie had done jail time and was now in charge of the “unlucky” crew whose top guy has had a life expectancy of about a year. Really not much pay when you get down to it.
Do you think that about ‘The Godfather’ as well?