Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos – Details, episodes & analysis

"I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano." The season finale! Jarod, Drew, and Josh dive into the last episode of the season that changed TV forever. They ponder if Tony's real family or mob family are more important to the story. Is this the best first season in TV history?

Links:

Occam's razor on Wikipedia

Drew Madden Art Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Questions or comments? Reach out on www.jarodbackens.com 

"Isabella." Do heroes always get the worst assassins? Jarod, Drew, and Josh reflect on Tony hitting rock bottom and the tendency of characters in the show and people in real life disguising their emotions. Drew thwarts a dream bear from entering his tent.

Links:

"40 Hours a Week" Dumb and Dumber Clip

The Rascals Hall of Fame Induction Speech by Steven Van Zandt YouTube Video

Drew Madden Art Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Questions or comments? Reach out on www.jarodbackens.com 

"Denial, Anger, Acceptance." Jarod, Drew, and Josh speculate about what a series needs in order to be in consideration for the "best of all time." Are the topics of depression and the meaning of life too heavy for mainstream audiences? Drew reveals an existential perspective of the universe.

Links:

Astrology and Astronomy on Wikipedia

Drew Madden Art Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Did we miss anything? Contact us at www.jarodbackens.com 

"46 Long." As the series struggles to escape the shadow of classic gangster movies (and '90s clichés), Jarod, Drew, and Josh discuss the mastery of not knowing when characters are lying or telling the truth. Drew has a happy childhood memory of playing baseball with his dad and Josh recounts a harrowing tale of a grease fire. Is playing on your phone while watching TV a millennial habit?

Links:

Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Notebook YouTube Video

LaserDisc (for millennials and centennials)

How to Put Out a Grease Fire

Drew Madden Art

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Did we miss anything? Reach out to us at www.jarodbackens.com

"The Sopranos Pilot." Jarod, Drew, and Josh begin their journey reflecting on the generational nostalgia pervasive to "The Sopranos," and how this compares to the generational differences prevalent among the characters in the show. Jarod is adamant about keeping spoilers hidden from Drew and Josh. Is this the best pilot of all time?

Links:

Competition to Avoid Learning Who Won the Super Bowl Article

Best Actor Nominees and Winners (The '50s belonged to Marlon Brando.)

NBA MVPs (The '10s belonged to Lebron James.)

12 Angry Men on IMDb (I guess #5 isn't good enough for Josh...)

Drew's Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Reach out to us on www.jarodbackens.com 

"Nobody Knows Anything." Is Livia Soprano the most powerful person in New Jersey? Jarod, Drew, and Josh rave about the show's ability to alter the audience's expectations on what's true and what's not. Josh believes Tony is a good leader as he navigates who the rat is in his crew.

Links:

Game theory on Wikipedia

Giancarlo Esposito Emmy Nomination Video on Twitter

Your Jordans Are F***ed Up! Video of Giancarlo Esposito in Do the Right Thing

Fear City (Netflix Documentary) on IMDb

Drew Madden Art Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Questions or comments? Reach out on www.jarodbackens.com 

"A Hit Is a Hit." As the show shifts from the main season arc, Jarod, Drew, and Josh reflect on the versatility and wide range of themes of The Sopranos. Like Christopher, none of them can explain what makes a "hit." Do the heavy themes of The Sopranos make the show less approachable than other series?

Links:

Rich vs. Wealthy Chris Rock Standup Clip

Spike Lee Breaks Down His Film Heroes YouTube Video

Buffett's Bet with the Hedge Funds Article on Investopedia

Don't Keep Your Day Job Podcast

The Peter Attia Drive Podcast

BiggerPockets Podcast

Drew Madden Art Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Questions or comments? Reach out on www.jarodbackens.com 

"Boca." Is The Sopranos a high quality soap opera? Jarod, Drew, and Josh attempt to define justice in terms of Tony and Artie's decisions in this episode. Josh thinks the series has reached the point of the entrée in a fine dining restaurant. Drew prefers his raft guiding blunders to the stresses Tony faces in his daily life.

Links:

Yes, Mad Men Is a Soap Opera The Atlantic Article

The Strange Brain of the World's Greatest Solo Climber Nautilus Article

Drew Madden Art Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

Questions or comments? Reach out on www.jarodbackens.com

"The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti." For this meta episode of The Sopranos, Jarod, Drew, and Josh reflect on the kinds of TV characters they like watching. They also have an unqualified discussion around the duty of a therapist when treating a mobster patient. Do contemporary audiences prefer characters with subtle arcs (like Don Draper) or more extreme arcs (like Walter White)?

Links:

The Oral History of Seinfeld's 'The Contest' Vulture Article

Antonio Meucci on Wikipedia

Uncover The History of Pasta PBS Article

Drew Madden Art Website

Josh Hasn't Seen The Sopranos on Twitter

"Down Neck." In the lone episode of the series directed by a female (Lorraine Senna Ferrara), Jarod, Drew, and Josh discuss whether shows like The Sopranos perpetuate toxic masculinity. As the episode explores Tony's past, our hosts realize his nostalgia for the time may be unfounded. Are current TV audiences dumber than they've ever been, or do they just have shorter attention spans?

Links:

Rotten Tomatoes "Greatest HBO Original Series" Bracket (our motivation to end recency bias)

Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist Article

Snatch directed by Guy Ritchie on IMDb

Peter Jackson on IMDb

The Seventh Seal directed by Ingmar Bergman on IMDb

Once Upon a Time in the West directed by Sergio Leone on IMDb

Seven Samurai directed by Akira Kurosawa on IMDb

The Hidden Fortress directed by Akira Kurosawa on IMDb (Jarod misspeaks and calls it "The Last Fortress")

Roma directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Certified Copy directed by Abbas Kiarostami