The Sopranos (1999)

"The Sopranos" remains the gold standard of the mob drama. It tracks Tony Soprano's double life as a New Jersey crime boss. His panic attacks and family obligations collide with the slow rot of loyalty among killers. The series built its reputation on unflinching writing. It never softened the violence or the domestic chaos surrounding it. That same rawness extends to the Bada Bing club. It reaches the bedrooms behind closed doors too. Edie Falco brings a charged intensity to Carmela Soprano that plays out across several scenes. Jamie-Lynn Sigler sheds Meadow's buttoned-up image in a nude scene that surprised longtime viewers. Drea De Matteo's Adriana adds her own share of exposed, vulnerable scenes to the mix. Lola Glaudini, Erica Leerhsen, Kathrine Narducci, and Sarah Shahi round out a cast willing to bare it all for the story. In total, 19 scenes are collected here, tracing the show's most explicit and revealing threads.