The Sopranos Best Episodes, Ranked (2024)

Even with great dramas like Succession and The Wire, The Sopranos still remains one of the best TV drama shows of all time. From its iconic opening credits song to its deep examination of masculinity, culture and mental health (rarely discussed openly on TV in 1999), The Sopranos redefined TV storytelling and character studies while inspiring later greats like Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

At the heart of The Sopranos is the concept of family, relationships and its dynamic and deep characters that are put into extraordinary situations. Whether it be mob boss family man Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) or Tony's erratic nephew Christoper Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), The Sopranos has had some incredible episodes exploring its well-developed characters over its six-season run.

12 "Funhouse" Took a Deep Dive Into Tony Soprano's Subconscious

Season 2, Episode 13

"Funhouse" is The Soprano's first jump into the surreal as Tony battles food poisoning and his suspicious thoughts about his close associate Salvatore "Big puss*" Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) being an FBI informant. "Funhouse" is also the first time audiences were able to peel back the curtain of Tony's psyche, which is later iterated on in episodes like "Join the Club" and "Test Dream."

From a talking bass representing Sal's eventual sleep with the fishes to Tony, Paulie (Tony Sirico), and Silvio (Steven Van Zandt) dumping Sal's body in the ocean, there are a lot of iconic moments from "Funhouse." Not only does "Funhouse" feature the series' first betrayal, but it also sets the tone for more heartbreak as the show goes on. Even as it ranks among the best of the best Sopranos episodes, it lands at the bottom of the list because things only got better as the show went on.

11 "Sopranos Home Movies" Showed Fans Just How Vindictive Tony Soprano Could Be

Season 6, Episode 13

"Sopranos Home Movies" is probably the ultimate episode in exploring The Sopranos family dynamics. Janice (Aida Turturro) tells a story about their father shooting a hole through their mother's beehive hairdo, and despite Tony's parental issues, he got upset enough about it to start harassing his sister about her teenage sexuality. After Bobby (Steve Schirripa) punches out Tony for insulting his wife, and stands as the victor in their fight, Tony forces Bobby to kill the brother-in-law of a Canadian associate looking to run a prescription drug scheme.

As Bobby had previously confessed to Tony that he had never had to kill someone, Tony vindictively used this confession to send Bobby down the dark path that he had so carefully avoided. As the show has almost always portrayed a rule book where blood runs thicker than water when it comes to understanding The Sopranos characters and their motivations, "Sopranos Home Movies" fully brings this concept to light.

10 "The Strong Silent Type" Showed an Emotional Tony After the Death of His Horse

Season 4, Episode 10

For much of the series, Tony Soprano seems to display very little emotion. He certainly loves and cares for his children and his wife, but for the most part he is consumed by rage, which often leads to violence. With the death of his horse, Pie Oh My, bringing him to tears, Dr. Melfi can't help but ask him why it's easy for him to feel emotions for an animal, but so difficult when it comes to other people. It's not the first time she's put his behaviors into perspective, but it definitely resonates as the viewer can't help but scan back through watched episodes and realize he really hasn't show much in the way of emotion when it comes to his fellow human beings.

Beyond that revelation, this episode shined on the growing flirtation between Carmela and Furio, which finally came to a head. Tony's obliviousness to his wife's feelings for Furio at first only reinforces how little he actually thinks about anyone but himself. Even more shocking was the fact that he couldn't see that his own nephew Christopher's heroin addiction had gotten so out of control, he actually sat on Adriana's little dog and killed her. For someone who claimed to love Christopher like a son, his ignorance to Christopher's addiction says a lot.

9 "Join the Club" Featured a Subconscious Exploration of Tony Living a Different Life

Season 6, Episode 2

Like Twin Peaks years before, "Join the Club" (along with "Mayhem" and "Test Dream") takes a page out of the book of David Lynch. As Tony struggles to stay alive after being shot by Junior (Dominic Chianese), he starts hallucinating while he is in a coma. In his dreams, Tony becomes Kevin Finnerty, a sales manager visiting a defense contractor convention. Unlike Tony, Finnerty resembles everything related to a stereotypical average family man (Gandolfini even uses his natural speaking voice when playing Finnerty).

The episode brings the audience into Tony's psyche. Exploring what his life might have been like if he'd chosen a more conventional path, he struggles to find proof of who he really is, instead stealing the identity of the man he accidentally swapped briefcases with. Though fans of non-ambiguous storylines may blow past "Join the Club," the episode provides an interesting look into Tony's thoughts about his demise and outlook on life. Even on the straight and narrow, Kevin Finnerty's actions are questionable,

8 "College" Offered Fans a Glimpse at the Gap Between Tony Soprano's Family and 'The Family'

Season 1, Episode 5

"College" is one of the more classic Sopranos episodes, despite airing early in the show's first season. Before "College," viewers only knew of Tony's reputation through word of mouth--usually his. The audience knows he is a family man and a high-ranking member of the New Jersey DiMeo crime family; however, Tony had never been seen getting his hands dirty by the fifth episode. It was the perfect time to shine some light through the cracks in the facade he kept up for his kids, while also exploring just how poorly the secret is actually being kept.

In "College," not only do viewers first see Tony brutally kill someone, but they also see the progenitor of deception between Tony and his family when his daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) asks about his involvement in the mafia. Furthermore, the side storyline between Carmela and Father Intintola (Paul Schulze) is equally strong as she tries to denounce Tony's misdeeds while involving herself in her own. "College" provides an essential thematic backbone to the series that would later be extrapolated on in future seasons.

7 "The Blue Comet" Set Fans Up for a Smash Bang Finish

Season 6, Episode 20

Though The Sopranos has not been shy in directly referencing iconic mob movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas, cinematically speaking, "The Blue Comet" is easily one of the most Godfather-esque episodes in the whole series. "The Blue Comet" does not hold back in its all-out war between the New York and New Jersey crime family, and many fan favorite characters were caught in the crossfire.

With Francis Ford Coppola-esque editing that harkens back to the baptism scene in The Godfather, "The Blue Comet" is nothing but chaos and bloodshed without giving the audience a second to breathe. From the heartbreaking death of Bobby Baccalieri in the hobby shop, to Silvio being pumped full of bullets and placed in a coma, "The Blue Comet" is precisely the episode fans wanted before the series finale. As Tony talks to Janice about her future without Bobby there to provide for and take care of her, there's a very real moment when the danger of their lifestyle sinks in for the viewer. Of course, it was always there, but moments like those seen in "The Blue Comet" really drive the point home just before the big bang that ended it all.

6 Series' Finale "Made in America" Left a Lot of Intentionally Unanswered Questions

Season 6, Episode 21

Love it or hate it, "Made in America" is still one of the most iconic TV finales ever. Even the finale's last few moments have reached a cultural touchstone as audiences everywhere thought their cable went out as the prolonged black screen appropriately ended the series.

Fans of The Sopranos will likely be unable to unpair Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" with the show's final moments due to the speculation of whether Tony got whacked. Though creator David Chase has openly said years later that Tony met his demise, questions remain about the "members-only" jacket guy and who ultimately had Tony killed. "Made in America" is bold, ambitious, and a fitting end to the iconic series. As far as series finales go, it definitely has its high points, but when it comes to the best episodes of The Sopranos, this one lands mid-list.

5 "Knight In White Satin Armor" Showed Fans What Janice Sopranos Was Really Made Of

Season 2, Episode 12

When The Sopranos introduced Tony's older sister Janice, it was clear she was after something more than a family reunion. When she got involved with her dangerous old flame, Richie Aprile, after he got out of prison, things escalated pretty quickly, and the couple were soon engaged to be married. Tony tried to warn Richie off his sister, but that only seemed to push the pair even closer together. Scheming together, Janice began pushing Richie to take what was rightfully his, but when he struck her for mouthing off to him, Janice quickly put him in his place: the ground. Pulling a gun on him, he laughed at her, not thinking she'd really do it, but as viewers had already come to understand by that point in the show, Janice wasn't one to be trifled with.

Despite her attempts to overthrow her younger brother from behind the scenes, he was the first person she called to come help her dispose of the body. And of course Tony answered because they're family. To make matters worse, the strain on Tony's relationship with Carmela only seemed to grow in this episode after his goomah, Irina, called the house, prompting Carmela to call and see if he was really where he said he was going. While it would be quite a few more episodes before things between Tony and Carmela came to a head, this early demonstration of distrust was just the tip of the iceberg.

4 "Pine Barrens" Perfectly Captured the Dynamic Between Fan Favorite Characters Chris and Paulie

Season 3, Episode 11

Probably one of the most well-known Sopranos episodes, "Pine Barrens" is essentially the closest thing Sopranos has come to iterating a buddy-cop movie. Inspiring other great TV episodes like Better Call Saul's "Bagman," "Pine Barrens" is easily one of the best and funniest episodes of the series, regardless of its more random plotline. Given the seriousness of the life they live, the constant bickering between Christopher and Paulie provided some great comic relief at times, but "Pine Barrens" took their squabbling to a whole new level.

The episode finds Christopher and Paulie stranded in the New Jersey Pine Barrens after a collection with a Russian gangster goes awry. After chasing down their supposed-to-be dead contact, Paulie and Christopher must survive the wilderness with only the clothes on their backs, a few Tic Tacs and some packets of frozen ketchup. To make matters even more ridiculous, Paulie lost a show somewhere in the snow. While The Sopranos is rarely known for its upfront comedy, "Pine Barrens" displayed that the show can still have fun despite its dark, disturbing, and complex nature.

3 "University" Saw Tony Recognize for the First Time That His Daughter Was No Different From the Girls at Bada Bing

Season 3, Episode 6

Deemed as the sister episode to "College," "University" is one of the darkest Sopranos episodes that tackles the bleak underbelly of crime and its irrefutable consequences at the hands of the marginalized and vulnerable. "University" shows firsthand that The Sopranos isn't a show where the especially heinous characters (i.e., Joe Pantoliano's Ralph Cifaretto, David Proval's Richie Aprile, or even Tony) deserve to be idolized due to their blatant sexism, misogyny and violence towards women. When Ralph beats his pregnant girlfriend, Tracee, to death for talking back to him, it has a huge impact on Tony psychologically.

That isn't to say Tony treats women with respect, but Tracee reminded him of Meadow. She was only a couple of years older than Tracee, and under different circ*mstances, she could have been Tracee. Unlike "College," "University" isn't concerned with justifying the actions of the show's characters or lying about the truth to continue moving forward. Instead, "University" explores what lives lie in the wake of inaction and lack of moral choice. "University" is tough to watch but masterful in its delivery and commentary.

2 "Whitecaps" Is the Most Powerful Episode of The Sopranos

Season 4, Episode 13

"Whitecaps" is one of the most heartbreaking and explosive episodes of The Sopranos from a relationship level. As The Sopranos, at its heart, is a show about family and legacy, "Whitecaps" brings these more dominant themes and most heartbreaking betrayal to the forefront. The episode begins with Tony looking to purchase a summer house to live out his later years with Carmela (Edie Falco) and the future generations of Sopranos. Though the light at the end of the crime-filled tunnel looks bright, Tony's inflated ego and misogyny finally come to a turn.

"Whitecaps" resembled the episode where the other, yet foreshadowed, shoe fell for Tony as all of his secrets are unraveled in front of Carmela about his unfaithful nature with Svetlana (Alla Kliouka). The show's masterful shift of Tony thinking about cementing the future for generations of Sopranos to have it come crashing down is nothing short of gut-wrenching as Gandolfini and Falco give their best performances of the series.

1 "Long Term Parking" Drove Home the Point of Never Betraying 'The Family'

Season 5, Episode 12

Building on the themes from "University" and "Whitecaps," "Long Term Parking" sees the finale of a storyline building on the cusp of season two with Tony being targeted by the FBI. "Long Term Parking" also features the most shocking death on The Sopranos when Silvio guns down Adriana (Drea de Matteo) after she confesses to Christopher about being an FBI informant for the last year.

The extra gut punch the episode serves up is the logical possibility that Christopher might flip and choose Adriana over Tony. When Christopher steps out for gas and cigarettes, the plan changes, and the dream fades with Adriana sitting shotgun in Silvio's car. "Long Term Parking" is as heartbreaking as it gets on The Sopranos and a masterful episode from start to finish, landing it at the top of the list of best Sopranos episodes of all time.

The Sopranos

TV-MA

Drama

Crime

Where to Watch

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New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.

Release Date

January 10, 1999

Cast

James Gandolfini , Lorraine Bracco , Edie Falco , Jamie-Lynn Sigler , Robert Iler , Drea De Matteo

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

6

Creator

David Chase

Number of Episodes

86

Network

HBO Max

Streaming Service(s)

Max