The Sopranos is one of the crime dramas that you can stream right now. With six seasons, there’s a total of 86 episodes chock-full of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, and his family. The series revolves around Soprano who struggles to balance his family life with his role as the leader of a crime organization, which he reluctantly explores during therapy sessions with a psychiatrist.
So what are the best Sopranos episodes that fans still can’t stop talking about even after so many years after ending in 2007? The series is filled with great moments full of black comedy with aggression, adult drama, and violence. Here are the best Sopranos episodes if you want to reminisce about the crime drama.
5. “The Knight in White Satin Armor” Season 2, Episode 12
First on the list of the best Sopranos episodes of all time is the twelfth episode of the second season, The Knight in White Satin Armor. In this episode, Richie and Janice get engaged, but due to Richie’s violent temper reaching a limit, the tension between the couple escalates. In the background, Tony decides to break up with Irina.
This episode is filled with drama and heartbreak, emotional distress and tension. Not only is this one of the best Sopranos episodes but is one of the best episodes in television due to it being where Janice shoots Richie.
The timing of it shocked fans everywhere, as many expected Tony to be the reason for Richie’s death, or even just have Janice go through with the marriage. But with Janice shooting him herself, it shook the viewers. And of course, this helped make the season finale just as jaw-dropping.
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4. “Whoever Did This” Season 4, Episode 9
Another one of the best Sopranos episodes is from the fourth season, episode nine, Whoever Did This. The episode follows Ralph and his callous behavior as he finally steps over the line. Along with Chris going deeper into his addiction, and Uncle Junior’s mental capacity coming into question. But what makes it one of the best?
It finally meets the end of one of the most loathed characters in the series. The Sopranos are full of criminals who are despised and petty, but Ralph, it exceeds expectations with his actions. In this episode, one of Ralph’s kids is violently injured, showing the viewers a new side of Ralph, and is surprisingly emotional, but just as viewers start to feel an inkling of emotion, Ralph is killed.
It gives viewers a unique emotion of starting to like someone, but not fast enough. You don’t feel happy that he’s gone anymore, but you don’t miss them either. This also sees Tony and Chris having a funny misadventure as they work on disposing of the body, making it a unique episode full of comedy yet resentment.
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3. “Whitecaps” Season 4, Episode 13
The thirteenth episode in the fourth season is raved by many fans and is still one of the best Sopranos episodes to watch. The episode copies on Junior’s trial coming to an end, but Tony’s trials are just getting started. All in the midst of the Soprano family purchasing a house.
What makes this episode one of the best is the drama. Several confrontations between characters are raw and emotional, and Whitecaps has yet another one. When Carmela finds out about another one of Tony’s many affairs, she throws him out of the house, setting the foundation for extensive conversations filled with heartbreak and drama.
The chemistry between the two characters is intense here, showing the abilities of the two actors. Even the subplots that go on throughout the episode are intense, making it a strong contender for the best Sopranos episode.
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2. “Pine Barrens” Season 3, Episode 10
Pine Barrens is another one of the best Sopranos episodes around, and focuses on Silvio who has the flu, so Chris and Paulie run his collections for him, which results in the pair getting lost in the woods and nearly freezing to death while Tony’s affair with Gloria goes sour as does Meadow’s relationship with Jackie Jr.
While there are a lot of declines in relationships in this one, the main focus is the two who are lost in the woods, which is seemingly a comedic relief within the violent-ridden show filled with crime.
Two of the most engaging mobsters in Tony’s crew are completely out of their element and are seen bickering back and forth with one another as they try to find their way back home, only surviving on Tic-Tacs in subfreezing temperatures. It’s hilarious to see two terrifying individuals huddling in blankets and grumbling. To this day, so many fans enjoy Pine Barrens and reminisce about the dialogue.
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1. “College” Season 1, Episode 5
The fifth episode in the first season is by far one of the best Sopranos episodes around. The characters are seen visiting colleges with Meadow to figure out which one she would want to attend.
While doing so, Tony happens upon a snitch, his ex-associate who went into hiding. This episode is one of the most surprising episodes as it broke ground by showing its protagonist kill a man in cold blood, which wasn’t a common scene for many shows, especially for those that are considered the main characters.
Most of the time, the protagonist walked the line of being inherently good or doing their best to avoid bloodshed, but with Tony, he never hesitated in killing. But since the mafia has a no-tolerance policy for snitches, Tony had to do his job in a tense and brutal scene, making it an excellent episode that fans still talk about today.