The Sopranos: a worthy competitor of Breaking Bad?

If you ask any person walking down the street, “Hey, which show do you think is the greatest of all time?” then chances are an overwhelming number of people would probably say ‘Breaking Bad’. Some who managed to overlook the obvious blunders in a final couple of seasons would say ‘Game of Thrones’. However, there is one gem in American Television History that deserves unquestionable praise. That show is ‘The Sopranos’.

The popularity of ‘The Sopranos’

Having aired its pilot back in 1999, The Sopranos reached unimaginable heights of success for any TV show back in its day. The lead characters, such as Tony Soprano, Christopher Moltisanti, and Paulie Walnuts all became household names as the seasons progressed. The actors did such a great job, that most of them were type-casted to their roles. The actors are not as popular as the characters they played for 7 years. But who can blame them for doing such a great job? For example, the lead character Tony Soprano, played by the late and great James Gandolfini admitted in one of his rare interviews on 60 minutes that he was always greeted on the streets with ‘Hey Tony’ instead of ‘Hey Mr. Gandolfini’.

A fair comparison between Breaking bad and The Sopranos

Those who watched both, The Sopranos and Breaking Bad in-depth say that The Sopranos surpasses it in almost every aspect. They debate that The Sopranos has a much more diverse and real-to-life storyline, with a much better sense of humor and a greater focus on individual characters and the richness of the world they live in. It encapsulates the real world, with its tragedies often tinted with slightly dark humor, much like in our everyday lives. This post on Reddit has many fans of The Sopranos speak in favor of the show over Breaking Bad.

Plus, the fact that The Sopranos maintains a consistent momentum across 6 seasons gives it an edge over Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad gives the experience of two separate shows from season 1-2 and 3-5. Many fans of the show admit that the first two seasons are quite slow, with only a few plot events moving forward. These arguments make for an interesting case in favor of The Sopranos as the Greatest show of all time.

Regardless of which side one takes, there is no doubt that The Sopranos deserves greater recognition in the age of social media. It is one of the most meme-able shows of the past two decades, which is perfect for social media consumption. Breaking Bad has dominated that arena with its memes and incredible plot and rightfully so. However, The Sopranos at least deserves to be up there alongside it.