The Sopranos creator acknowledges a significant error regarding the mob drama.
That’s saying a lot because The Sopranos is among the most influential television series of the last 20 years. And David Chase’s critically renowned mob drama, which makes its 25th anniversary this year, continues to enthrall viewers with its exploration of mafia life in the 20th and 21st centuries. Tony Soprano was a mobster and family guy who endeured himself to audiences through his interactions with those in his immediate vicinity and his dubious behavior. Despite the show’s widespread accolades, Chase exposed a significant inconsistency in the series, suggesting that the portrayal of the mafia is not totally accurate.
Ever since the show’s six-season run ended in 2007, David Chase has talked about it now and then, giving fans a glimpse into the creative decisions made by his crew behind the scenes. During a roundtable discussion celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary with Empire (via Screen Rant), Chase disclosed a significant distinction between the show and real-world mob activity, which has to do with the violence on the show:
Here’s the thing about all the murders on the program, though. If you look at the real Mob, I believe there were nine Mob killings in the New York metropolitan region between 1999 and 2007. A season, we were working on nine. [Giggles] Hence, it is true that not everyone survived.
Considering how many killings occur in mob movies that last two hours or longer, nine deaths out of thirteen hour-long episodes isn’t that awful. The sheer number of character fatalities on the show is one of the things that has made it so fantastic and helped it endure over time.
(And some fans aren’t over some of them yet.) The creator of Many Saints of Newark does raise a worthwhile issue. However, since viewers have been amused and are unlikely to consider how realistic the amount of killing is, it probably doesn’t really matter if the carnage was true to reality.
Naturally, David Chase was correct when he said that not all characters survived, as several of the main protagonists suffered horrifying ends. The murder of adored character Adriana La Cerva was the subject of one of the most famous Sopranos episodes. I won’t go into details about any more significant deaths in case any readers haven’t watched the show yet. However, I will say that if you pay attention,
It’s normal to have certain memories of the killing stick with you for a while.
Even though they weren’t related to Tony’s crew, close calls that were nevertheless significant to the episodes are nevertheless significant. A notable instance of this is the Russian commando case that Paulie and Christopher may or may not have eliminated in the well-known episode “Pine Barrens.” Not to mention the destiny of James Gandolfini’s Tony, which has been hotly contested ever since the series finale aired all those years ago, is an unsettling one. However, the show’s overall unpredictable nature is part of what makes it so captivating; therefore, if this necessitates David Chase and company exaggerating the body count, then this fan is okay with that error.
The Sopranos cast can be seen through streaming with a Max membership, whether you’ve watched the full series or want to take a drive with Tony along the New Jersey highway for the first time. If you want to learn about new drama shows, you can also look at the 2024 TV schedule.
