Editing The Sopranos (section)

===Critical response===
{{Television critical response
| link1             = The Sopranos (season 1)
| rotten_tomatoes1  = 98% (50 reviews)<ref name="RottenTomatoesS1">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s01 |title=The Sopranos: Season 1 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529193908/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s01 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| metacritic1       = 88 (20 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS1">{{cite web|title=The Sopranos: Season 1|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-1|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722131716/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-1|url-status=live}}</ref>

| link2             = The Sopranos (season 2)
| rotten_tomatoes2  = 94% (18 reviews)<ref name="RottenTomatoesS2">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s02 |title=The Sopranos: Season 2 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029090844/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s02 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| metacritic2       = 97 (24 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS2">{{cite web|title=The Sopranos: Season 2|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-2|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117061247/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-2|url-status=live}}</ref>

| link3             = The Sopranos (season 3)
| rotten_tomatoes3  = 100% (13 reviews)<ref name="RottenTomatoesS3">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s03 |title=The Sopranos: Season 3 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=September 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919032902/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s03 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| metacritic3       = 97 (25 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS3">{{cite web|title=The Sopranos: Season 3|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-3|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117221750/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-3|url-status=live}}</ref>

| link4             = The Sopranos (season 4)
| rotten_tomatoes4  = 92% (12 reviews)<ref name="RottenTomatoesS4">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s04 |title=The Sopranos: Season 4 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=November 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130231451/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s04/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| metacritic4       = N/A (3 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS4">{{cite web|title=The Sopranos: Season 4|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-4|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=July 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722131742/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-4|url-status=live}}</ref>

| link5             = The Sopranos (season 5)
| rotten_tomatoes5  = 93% (14 reviews)<ref name="RottenTomatoesS5">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s05 |title=The Sopranos: Season 5 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=December 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203155849/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s05/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| metacritic5       = N/A (3 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS5">{{cite web|title=The Sopranos: Season 5|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-5|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=September 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926055020/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-5|url-status=live}}</ref>

| link6             = The Sopranos (season 6)
| rotten_tomatoes6  = Part I: 89% (37 reviews)<ref name="RottenTomatoesS6a!">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s06.1 |title=The Sopranos: Season 6, Part I |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=March 9, 2021 |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523153714/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s06/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<br />Part II: 84% (31 reviews)<ref name="RottenTomatoesS6b!">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/s06.2 |title=The Sopranos: Season 6, Part II |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=March 9, 2021 |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523153714/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos/11983 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| metacritic6       = 96 (18 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS6">{{cite web|title=The Sopranos: Season 6|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-6|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125191006/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos/season-6|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

''The Sopranos'' has been hailed by many critics as the greatest and most groundbreaking television series of all time.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="top50"/><ref name="huffington"/><ref name="hollywoodreporter"/><ref name="top50alotv">{{cite web |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2009/03/11/50-best-tv-dramas-ever |title=50 Best TV Dramas Ever |publisher=[[AOL TV]] |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=August 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803100232/http://www.aoltv.com/2009/03/11/50-best-tv-dramas-ever |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="greatest">{{cite news |url=http://www.salon.com/2007/09/15/best_show/ |title=The best TV show of all time |date=September 15, 2007 |last=Traister |first=Rebecca |work=[[Salon.com]] |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=September 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906020105/http://www.salon.com/2007/09/15/best_show/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Time"/><ref name="decadecritic"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 10 Greatest TV Dramas Of The Century |url=http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/film-tv/4978/the-10-greatest-tv-dramas-of-this-century/ |website=Esquire|access-date = February 23, 2016 |date=December 14, 2015 |first=Sam |last=Parker |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209194008/http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/film-tv/4978/the-10-greatest-tv-dramas-of-this-century/ |archive-date=February 9, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="gilbert20240710">{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=Matthew |title=Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert says goodbye to his job of 27 years, and to you, his readers |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/07/10/arts/globe-tv-critic-matthew-gilbert-says-goodbye/ |date=July 10, 2024 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=Boston Globe |language=en-US}}</ref>}} The writing, acting, and directing have often been singled out for praise. The show has also received considerable attention from critics and journalists for its technical merit, music selections, cinematography, and willingness to deal with difficult and controversial subjects including crime, family, gender roles, mental illness, and American and [[Italian Americans|Italian-American]] culture.<ref name="badabye"/><ref name="Time"/><ref name="decadecritic"/>

''The Sopranos'' is credited for creating a new era in the mafia genre deviating from the traditional dramatized image of the gangster in favor of a simpler, more accurate reflection of ordinary day-to-day mob life in a suburb.<ref>{{cite book |title=Made Men: The True Rise-and-Fall-Story of a New Jersey Mob Family |url=https://archive.org/details/madementruerisea0000smit |url-access=registration |first=Greg B. |last=Smith |publisher=Berkley |date=February 4, 2003 |isbn=0425185516}}</ref> The series sheds light on Italian family dynamics through the depiction of Tony's tumultuous relationship with his mother.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Counselling the Mafia: The Sopranos |journal=Journal of American Studies |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=127–132 |first=Neil A. |last=Wynn |year=2004 |jstor=27557467 |doi=10.1017/S0021875804007947 | issn=0021-8758 }}</ref> Edie Falco's character Carmela Soprano is praised in Kristyn Gorton's essay "Why I Love Carmela Soprano" for challenging Italian-American gender roles.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Why I Love Carmela Soprano: Ambivalence, the Domestic and Televisual Therapy |journal=Feminism & Psychology |volume=19 |pages=128–131 |first=Kristyn |last=Gorton |year=2009 |doi=10.1177/0959353508098626 |s2cid=144501177 }}</ref> ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' editor [[David Remnick]] described ''The Sopranos'' as mirroring the "mindless commerce and consumption" of modern America.<ref name="family guy"/> The series has an overall rating of 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes,<ref name="overalltom">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos |title=The Sopranos (1999-2007) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113065901/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos |url-status=live }}</ref> and 94 out of 100 on Metacritic.<ref name="overallmeta">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos |title=The Sopranos |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116204321/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-sopranos |url-status=live }}</ref>

''The Sopranos'' has been called "perhaps the greatest [[pop-culture]] masterpiece of its day" by ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' contributor [[Peter Biskind]].<ref name="vanity">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/04/sopranos200704?currentPage=1 |title=An American Family |last=Biskind |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Biskind |date=April 2007 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717063911/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/04/sopranos200704?currentPage=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Remnick called the show "the richest achievement in the history of television."<ref name="family guy">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/06/04/070604taco_talk_remnick |title=Family Guy |last=Remnick |first=David |author-link=David Remnick |date=June 4, 2007 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016202447/http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/06/04/070604taco_talk_remnick |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2002, ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked ''The Sopranos'' fifth on their list of the "Top 50 TV Shows of All Time",<ref name="TVguide">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/ |title=TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows |date=April 26, 2002 |publisher=[[CBS News]] |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=February 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207123427/https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/26/entertainment/main507388.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> while the series was only in its fourth season. In 2007, [[Channel 4]] (UK) named ''The Sopranos'' the greatest television series of all time.<ref name="c4">{{cite web |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/tvtoday/2007/03/the_50_greatest_tv_dramas.php |title=The 50 greatest TV dramas |last=Matthewman |first=Scott |date=March 6, 2007 |work=[[The Stage]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930182838/http://www.thestage.co.uk/tvtoday/2007/03/the_50_greatest_tv_dramas.php |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 19, 2012}}</ref>

The first season of the series received overwhelmingly positive reviews.<ref name="RottenTomatoesS1"/> Following its initial airing in 1999, ''The New York Times'' stated, "[''The Sopranos''] just may be the greatest work of [[American popular culture]] of the last quarter century."<ref name="familyman"/> In 2007, Roger Holland of [[PopMatters]] wrote, "the debut season of ''The Sopranos'' remains the crowning achievement of American television."<ref name="popmattersdvd">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.popmatters.com/feature/part-4-feasts-from-the-fringe/ |title=Part 4 – Feasts from the Fringe |author=PopMatters Staff |magazine=[[PopMatters]] |date=October 11, 2007 |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213091444/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/part-4-feasts-from-the-fringe/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Time Out New York]]''{{'}}s [[Andrew Johnston (critic)|Andrew Johnston]] had high praise for the series, stating: "Together, Chase and his fellow writers (including Terence Winter and ''Mad Men'' creator Matthew Weiner) produced the legendary Great American Novel, and it's 86 episodes long."<ref>{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Andrew |url=https://www.timeout.com/us/film/the-sopranos-season-six-part-ii |title=The Sopranos: Season Six, Part II |work=Time Out New York |date=October 25, 2007 |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211014544/http://www.timeout.com/us/film/the-sopranos-season-six-part-ii |url-status=dead }}</ref> Johnston asserted the preeminence of ''The Sopranos'' as opposed to ''[[The Wire]]'' and ''[[Deadwood (TV series)|Deadwood]]'' in a debate with television critics [[Alan Sepinwall]] and [[Matt Zoller Seitz]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Andrew |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/own-this-city-blog/best-drama-ever-the-wire-versus-the-sopranos-versus-deadwood |title=Best. Drama. Ever.: The Wire versus The Sopranos versus Deadwood |work=Time Out New York |date=March 6, 2008 |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=May 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517132933/http://www.timeout.com/newyork/own-this-city-blog/best-drama-ever-the-wire-versus-the-sopranos-versus-deadwood |url-status=dead }}</ref> both of whom would later include ''The Sopranos'' in their 2016 book titled ''[[TV (The Book)]]'' as the 2nd greatest American television series of all time, behind only ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ahead of ''The Wire'', with Seitz considering the show's ending to be the greatest ending for any television show.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sepinwall |first1=Alan |last2=Seitz |first2=Matt Zoller |title=TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time |date=September 6, 2016 |publisher=[[Grand Central Publishing]] |isbn=978-1455588190|title-link=TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time }}</ref>

In November and December 2009, many television critics named ''The Sopranos'' the best series of the decade and all time in articles summarizing the decade in television. In numbered lists over the best television programs, ''The Sopranos'' frequently ranked first or second, almost always competing with ''The Wire''.<ref name="decadecritic">{{cite web |url=http://features.metacritic.com/features/2010/best-tv-of-2009-and-the-decade/ |title=The Best TV Shows of 2009 ... and the Decade |last=Dietz |first=Jason |website=[[Metacritic]] |date=January 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208232027/http://features.metacritic.com/features/2010/best-tv-of-2009-and-the-decade/ |archive-date=February 8, 2010 |access-date=August 19, 2012}}</ref> In 2013, ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked ''The Sopranos'' No. 2 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time,<ref>Roush, Matt (February 25, 2013). "Showstoppers: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time". ''[[TV Guide]]''. pp. 16–17.</ref> In the same year, the [[Writers Guild of America, West|Writers Guild of America]] named it the best-written television series of all time<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sopranos is the best show of all time, WGA says |url=http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/06/03/The-Sopranos-is-the-best-show-of-all-time-WGA-says/4441370266104/ |publisher=UPI |access-date=June 3, 2013 |archive-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604163524/http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/06/03/The-Sopranos-is-the-best-show-of-all-time-WGA-says/4441370266104/ |url-status=live |author-first1=Gabrielle|author-last1=Levy|date=2013-06-03}}</ref> and ''TV Guide'' ranked it as the greatest show of all time.<ref name="2013 TV Guide Great">{{cite magazine |last1=Fretts |first1=Bruce |last2=Roush |first2=Matt |url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/TV-Guide-Magazine-60-Best-Series-1074962.aspx |date=December 23, 2013 |title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time |magazine=TV Guide |access-date=December 23, 2013 |archive-date=December 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224111355/http://www.tvguide.com/News/TV-Guide-Magazine-60-Best-Series-1074962.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

A 2015 ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' survey of 2,800 actors, producers, directors, and other industry people named ''The Sopranos'' as their #6 favorite show.<ref name="thr20150916">{{Cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499/item/friends-hollywoods-100-favorite-tv-821361 |title=Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows |date=September 16, 2015 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=July 17, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=July 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717030112/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499/item/friends-hollywoods-100-favorite-tv-821361 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016 and 2022, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked it first on the magazine's list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.<ref name="rollingstone"/><ref name="2022Greatest">{{Cite magazine |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |date=September 26, 2022 |title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-tv-shows-of-all-time-1234598313/ |access-date=September 28, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=August 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809210615/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-tv-shows-of-all-time-1234598313/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2019, ''[[The Guardian]]'' ranked the show first on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, stating that it "hastened TV's transformation into a medium where intelligence, experimentation and depth were treasured" and describing it as "something to aspire to" for anyone currently making TV.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/sep/16/100-best-tv-shows-of-the-21st-century |work=The Guardian |date=September 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101054025/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/sep/16/100-best-tv-shows-of-the-21st-century |access-date=November 3, 2019 |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' ranked ''The Sopranos'' at number one on their list of The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|url=https://www.empireonline.com/tv/features/best-tv-shows-ever-2/|website=Empire|date=March 24, 2021|access-date=April 15, 2021|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415180903/https://www.empireonline.com/tv/features/best-tv-shows-ever-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, ''Variety'' ranked ''The Sopranos'' #3 on its own list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.<ref name="Variety100">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/the-sopranos-5/|title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|website=Variety|date=December 20, 2023|access-date=December 20, 2023|archive-date=December 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220184352/https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/the-sopranos-5/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Certain episodes have frequently been singled out by critics as the show's best. These include the pilot, titled "[[The Sopranos (episode)|The Sopranos]]", "[[College (The Sopranos)|College]]" and "[[I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano]]" of the first season; "[[The Knight in White Satin Armor]]" and "[[Funhouse (The Sopranos)|Funhouse]]" of the second; "[[Employee of the Month (The Sopranos)|Employee of the Month]]", "[[Pine Barrens (The Sopranos)|Pine Barrens]]" and "[[Amour Fou (The Sopranos)|Amour Fou]]" of the third; "[[Whoever Did This]]" and "[[Whitecaps (The Sopranos)|Whitecaps]]" of the fourth; "[[Irregular Around the Margins]]" and "[[Long Term Parking]]" of the fifth and "[[Members Only (The Sopranos)|Members Only]]", "[[Join the Club]]", "[[Kennedy and Heidi]]", "[[The Second Coming (The Sopranos)|The Second Coming]]", "[[The Blue Comet]]" and "[[Made in America (The Sopranos)|Made in America]]" of the sixth season.<ref name="TIMEbest">{{cite news |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1602923,00.html |title=Top 10 ''Sopranos'' Episodes |last=Poniewozik |first=James |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |date=April 4, 2007 |access-date=August 19, 2012 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921052143/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1602923,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="EWbest">{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/gallery/sopranos-10-best-episodes/ |title=The Sopranos' 10 best episodes |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=January 8, 2019 |access-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216163621/https://ew.com/gallery/sopranos-10-best-episodes/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Houstonbest">{{cite news |url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/11/10_best_sopranos_episodes.php/ |title=Game Time: The 10 Greatest Sopranos Episodes Of All Time |last=Pendergast |first=Sean |work=[[Houston Press|The Houston Press]] |date=November 19, 2009 |access-date=September 10, 2010 |archive-date=June 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608092752/http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/11/10_best_sopranos_episodes.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="starledger3">{{cite web |url=http://blog.nj.com/sopranosarchive/2007/06/the_sopranos_top_10_hits.html |title=The Sopranos' Top 10 hits |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |date=June 6, 2007 |access-date=September 10, 2010 |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111125808/http://blog.nj.com/sopranosarchive/2007/06/the_sopranos_top_10_hits.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="empiremovies">
{{cite web |url=http://www.empiremovies.com/dvd/reviews.php?id=25158&thesopranosthecompleteseries.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720001201/http://www.empiremovies.com/dvd/reviews.php?id=25158&thesopranosthecompleteseries.htm |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |title=The Sopranos (The Complete Series) DVD / Blu-ray Disc Review |last=Cullin |first=Liam |publisher=Empire Movies |access-date=September 10, 2010}}</ref><ref name="blogcritics">
{{cite magazine |url=http://blogcritics.org/the-sopranos-the-top-ten-episodes/ |title=''The Sopranos:'' The Top Ten Episodes |last=Meaney |first=Patrick |magazine=[[Blogcritics]] |date=June 7, 2007 |access-date=September 10, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618064643/http://blogcritics.org/the-sopranos-the-top-ten-episodes/ |archive-date=June 18, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/the-sopranos-10-best-episodes.html |title=The 10 Greatest Episodes of The Sopranos |work=Vulture |first=Matt Zoller |last=Seitz |date=January 10, 2019 |access-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216163937/https://www.vulture.com/article/the-sopranos-10-best-episodes.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Chase's decision to end the last episode abruptly with just a black screen was controversial. While Chase has insisted that it was not his intention to stir controversy, the ambiguity over the ending and question of whether Tony was murdered has continued for years after the finale's original broadcast and has spawned numerous websites devoted to finding out his true intention.<ref name="EWchase">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20152845,00.html |title='Sopranos' Creator Takes on Angry Fans |last=Martin |first=Brett |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 18, 2007 |access-date=May 14, 2011 |ref=none |archive-date=May 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501124609/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20152845,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2008/06/onion-rings-and-other-things-one-year.html |title=Onion rings and other things, one year later |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |work=[[The Star Ledger]] |date=June 9, 2008 |access-date=May 14, 2011 |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208152209/http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2008/06/onion-rings-and-other-things-one-year.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=http://gawker.com/5016985/how-and-why-tony-soprano-died |title=How and Why Tony Soprano Died |last=Weiss |first=Michael |publisher=[[Gawker]] |date=June 16, 2008 |access-date=May 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726085435/http://gawker.com/5016985/how-and-why-tony-soprano-died |archive-date=July 26, 2011}}</ref>