It's no secret that The Sopranos is one of the best HBO shows of all time, as it was wildly acclaimed during its run on the air. But it's also continually found new fans, including those who watched it for the first time streaming with a Max subscription. I binge watched it this year, and fell in love with the strange mixture of comedy and drama, especially as New Jersey native. After bingeing The Sopranos I watched The Many Saints Of Newark, and I think there's a perfect opportunity there for another in-universe show.
The Sopranos' ending is an infamous part of TV history, which is why fans were so excited when news of a prequel film was announced, especially with Michael Gandolfini playing his father's role Tony Soprano after Gandolfini's death in 2013. And while Many Saints of Newark failed to perform at the box office, it was steamed a ton on opening weekend. And after seeing the outstanding performance of the cast, I think that the network should move forward with a new series... even if it only lasts one season and is a limited event.
While being back in David Chase's mob world would have been fun no matter what, it's the cast's performances that really make The Many Saints of Newark such a killer viewing experience. Vera Farmiga might have been the biggest scene stealer for me, as she perfectly embodied Livia Soprano's bitterness, in a performance where she truly managed to channel the late Nancy Marchand.
The trailer for The Many Saints of Newark teased the return to the universe, but watching it was another experience entirely. We returned to certain locations like Satriale's Pork Store, albeit with the older generations of New Jersey mob figures. But we also see a ton of beloved figures, played to pitch perfection by a talented cat of actors.
Corey Stoll is another standout, absolutely crushing the role of Uncle Junior. He expertly adopted the same vocal and physical movements of his predecessor Dominic Chianese without it being over the top. And The Many Saints of Newark's ending showed how petty and ruthless Junior was while running North Jersey.
I've also got to tip my hat to Billy Magnussen's take on Paulie Walnuts, as well as John Magaro's Sil. The latter even got his wig taken off in one scene, which hilarious referenced the wig worn throughout the series by Steven Van Zandt. And of course, Michael Gandolfini is eerily similar to his father as Tony, and made the entire movie feel all the more real.
With all of these outstanding performances and a killer cast, it feels like a waste to not give them a limited series to fully portray their characters. The movie's ending felt like it could have simpy been one episode, as there are clearly years of twists and turns to be mined from before the story were to catch up with The Sopranos. But we'll see if HBO actually decides to move forward at any point.
Both The Sopranos and The Many Saints of Newark are streaming now on Max.
