Once Upon a Time Dating

Being that The Sopranos is my favorite television show of all time, I was so sad to learn yesterday that James Gandolfini had died of a heart attack at only 51. He was, in my opinion, the greatest television actor of all time.

When you’re watching The Sopranos, you don’t feel like you are watching people acting. You aren’t watching James Gandolfini portray a character- you really feel like you are getting a glimpse into the public and private life of a mob boss: Tony Soprano. While I love many other shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, there is always a part of me that knows I am watching people acting, and reading lines from a script. That is not to say that Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm aren’t outstanding actors, but they, and no other actor on television, can do what James Gandolfini did. He became Tony Soprano- he made you forget you were watching a fictional show. My favorite moments in particular were between him and Carmela (Edie Falco). I have yet to see a couple portrayed so realistically on screen.

If you haven’t seen The Sopranos, or just haven’t seen the show in a while, here are my top ten favorite episodes (in order) that deserve a re-watch.

1. “University” (Season 3, Episode 6)
2. “Long Term Parking” (Season 5, Episode 12)
3. “Employee of the Month” (Season 3, Episode 4)
4. “College” (Season 1, Episode 5)
5. “The Second Coming” (Season 6, Episode 19)
6. “Soprano Home Movies” (Season 6, Episode 13)
7. “Funhouse” (Season 2, Episode 13)
8. “Pine Barrens” (Season 3, Episode 11)
9. “Kennedy and Heidi” (Season 6, Episode 18)
10. “Mr. Ruggerio’s Neighborhood” (Season 3, Episode 1)

So as this season of Mad Men comes to a close, there are many theories as to what could happen in the final two episodes airing this Sunday and next Sunday. Here are a couple of my theories… what are yours?

• Megan is going to be killed by Arnold Rosen on the balcony of their apartment. She was wearing the infamous white t-shirt with the red star that Sharon Tate wore, who was brutally stabbed to death. I think Arnold is going to find out about the affair and go to their apartment with the intention of killing Don, but will kill Megan by accident.
• Bob Benson is a sociopath, but a harmless sociopath. He is just messing around with everyone in the office to feel important. I think he is not as mysterious as people think he is.
• I don’t think Pete is gay as many people are suggesting. He probably just didn’t make a huge deal about Bob’s “knee jerk” because he just wanted the entire incident to go away. The poor guy has enough on his mind.
• I don’t think Sally is going to tell anyone about Don and Sylvia. After all, she saw Marie giving Sterling a BJ and never said anything about that. As much as it hurt her to see what she saw, she was probably more disappointed than angry. She has always idolized Don and villainized Betty, so it was probably just heartbreaking for her to see that he is just as corrupt as her mom.