25 Best Sopranos Episodes Ranked

In the early Season 6 episode, "Mayham," Tony is hospitalized following his gunshot wound. Unconscious and teetering between life and death, he finds himself trapped in a fever dream where he doesn't quite know who he is or where he should be. As he lies in a coma with an uncertain fate, tensions brew within his families. Silvio's new role as interim acting boss exacerbates his asthma, A.J. plots murderous revenge against Junior (and attempts to buy a gun), and an emotionally exhausted Carmela confides in Dr. Melfi. Meanwhile, Christopher uses intimidation and mob strategy to break into the film industry. That is, he decides to enter into a business partnership with Little Carmine to produce a horror movie. 

Finally, Vito, intent on proving that he could be a potential new leader, tries to sow good relations between himself and the Lupertazzi family ... while also finding time to make threatening, sexually-charged passes at Meadow's boyfriend, Finn. The episode includes a well-constructed and meaningful dream sequence and various film references, like "The Godfather," "The Ring," and "Ghostbusters." With these elements plus Reddit fans praising Edie Falco's incredible performance in particular, "Mayham" certainly earns its place as one of the show's best episodes.

"Stage 5" sees Johnny Sack dying of lung cancer in a prison hospital with his wife and daughters by his side. The episode also traces the shattered bond between Tony and Christopher. When Chrissy's slasher film premieres, it only serves to further that growing divide. Though Tony is oblivious to the ways in which "art imitates life" in Christopher's mafia-themed movie, "Cleaver," an irritable Carmela is all too determined to point out the similarities. Most notably, the movie's featured love triangle alludes to the once-rumored triangle between Christopher, Tony, and Adriana, and the plot reads like a hateful "revenge fantasy." 

Horrified by this newfound revelation that Christopher might actually despise him, a pained and conflicted Tony laments over his and his nephew's broken relationship in his next therapy session with Dr. Melfi. Meanwhile, Faustino "Doc" Santoro puts Silvio in danger with an ill-timed hit as New York mob members squabble over the role of new boss. Little Carmine declines the open position, and an embittered Phil vows "no more compromises" with the New Jersey family. Rated solidly on IMDb, and with Reddit users like u/slov90 calling the ending of "Stage 5" both "brilliant and chilling," it's easy to see why this one's considered one of the best.

"Army of One" closes out the show's 3rd Season. After one too many missteps, A.J. gets expelled from high school, which prompts an argument between Carmela and Tony over how to punish him for such an egregious infraction. A livid Tony wants to ship his kid off to military school, where he'll hopefully learn some discipline and respect, but Carmela fears her son will be shaped into a killer. A dread-filled A.J. begs his parents to let him stay while they force him to try on his new school uniform, and his panicked pleas are answered by both a blessing and a curse when he collapses. 

Meanwhile, FBI Agent Deborah Ciccerone poses as "Danielle" to infiltrate Adriana's life and extract information about the DiMeo crime family. Jackie Jr. holes up in a housing project as he finally starts to understand that the New Jersey mob is all out of good will. Tony puts Jackie Jr.'s ultimate fate in the hands of new captain, Ralphie.

It's worth noting that in this richly layered narrative, the song Junior sings near the end of this Season 3 finale is meant to comment on how the world uses music as a tool for manipulation. According to David Chase in "Dying to Belong: Gangster Movies in Hollywood and Hong Kong," "Junior, who is the most selfish character in the cast, is pouring his heart out ... to give the audience a laugh about how they are being manipulated everyday."

In the wake of a violent tragedy, Dr. Jennifer Melfi struggles with her moral compass, anger, lingering pain, and desire for justice. She confronts the fact that she's "been charmed by a sociopath" as she contemplates revealing her truth to Tony Soprano — and letting him handle the rest. Ralph Cifaretto — against Tony's very explicit direction — decides to start bringing Jackie Jr., the eager son of his lover, Rosalie Aprile, into the mob fold. And finally, Janice faces the brutal consequences of stealing Svetlana's prosthetic leg.

The episode has a strong rating on IMDb and Reddit users like u/Bufudyne43 consider this one "emotional ... intense and shocking." Film School Rejects' Valerie Ettenhofer declares "Employee of the Month" the show's "toughest" episode, but also praises the "masterful" storytelling, claiming that this entry "gains much of its impact from exploring the unjust and retraumatizing bureaucratic aftermath of sexual assault." With its Melfi-focused dream sequence and its raw and unflinching examination of the therapist's sexual trauma, this hard-hitting Season 3 episode earns its status as one of the show's best.

In "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano," the 1st Season's finale, Uncle Junior plots his nephew's murder with the blessing and encouragement of Tony's oppressive and manipulative mother, Livia. Tony learns of this heinous betrayal when the FBI moves him to a safe house. Our anxiety-ridden mobster believes that Dr. Melfi's life could also be in danger. Meanwhile, the mafia family takes out presumed rat, Jimmy Altieri. During a conversation with Artie, the ever-antagonistic Livia reveals Tony's role in the destruction of the other man's restaurant, and the authorities attempt to convince an incarcerated Junior to admit Tony Soprano is the boss of the New Jersey crime family in exchange for a lesser sentence.

The episode has an impressive rating on IMDb, and Uproxx's Alan Sepinwall considers "I Dream of Jeannie" a "spectacular" Season 1 conclusion. Other fans like Reddit user u/JOMO_Kenyatta mark the season's ending as one of their favorites. This one also offers a fascinating (and complicated) exploration of how Livia's emotional abuse, lack of compassion, and venomous words helped shape Tony into the man he is. Of particular note here is the fact that, as Chase explained to 60 Minutes, Livia Soprano is modeled after his own (apparently) horrible mother.

In the mid-Season 5 episode, "Irregular Around the Margins," a growing bond between Adriana La Cerva and Tony Soprano sparks suspicions while Christopher is out of town. The two play darts and decide to take a midnight drive to Dover to score cocaine, but their festivities come to an abrupt halt when the car crashes. After a series of misinterpreted telephone calls, everyone is convinced that the two were taking advantage of Chrissy's absence and engaging in an affair.

Redditor u/aviramj has an intriguing interpretation regarding the richly layered and character-focused storyline here. They claim "Irregular Around the Margins" is "a love story in disguise" in which "Chris and Ade represent pure love, unconditional and raw, manifesting itself through the prism of the mob world." While others may not agree with that particular take, they still agree with this episode's status as one of the series' best. Reddit user u/cmaya11day cites the incredible amount of "turmoil" and the "great one liners" for its success, while the episode currently holds an impressive IMDb rating.

Even more significant, though, is that this storyline reminds us that as charming as our lead protagonist can be, he's still a womanizing, self-serving gangster. And as much as we might sympathize with his nephew, Christopher — sometimes we even want Christopher and Adriana's relationship to succeed — the younger man is an abusive partner, who's still struggling with addiction.

In a thread discussing the first episode of Season 6, Redditor u/somerton describes it as a "dense, masterful gut-punch of an episode" that's "expertly crafted" and that starts in a "unique, mysterious, and darkly funny way."

"Members Only" picks "The Sopranos" saga up after a two-year time skip. Meadow's still dating Finn, Bobby and Janice are still together (and now have a baby girl), and Phil Leotardo is enjoying his role as acting boss for the New York crime family while Johnny Sack spends his days behind bars. Now, though, A.J. has enrolled in junior college, and Vito has become a top earner. Add in Uncle Junior's rapidly declining mental stability, and it's fair to say the show's final season starts off with quite a bang.

Here, Phil briefly strains New York-New Jersey relations when some of his men assault Hesh Rabkin and Eli Kaplan. Carmela annoys Tony by pushing him to get the suspension on her spec house lifted and by expressing deep concern over Adriana's continued disappearance. Finally, mobster Eugene Pontecorvo — FBI informant and recent recipient of a $2 million inheritance — attempts to get Tony's permission (as well as the FBI's) to retire and move his family to Florida. Featuring several deaths, as well as a grim reminder of the kind of commitment mob life demands, this episode marks one of the show's best because it paints a vivid portrait of how this violent, mafia-centered world is starting to collapse in on itself.

"Made in America" marks the ambiguous series finale of "The Sopranos." At the start, things are quite bleak. Bobby is dead, Silvio is comatose, and though Tony is miraculously alive, his attempts to locate the New York leader who ordered his execution initially fall flat. A grief-stricken Janice is determined to raise Bobby's kids despite the fact that they really don't care for her, and Phil, using payphones to communicate with his crew, is furious that Tony Soprano is not dead yet. He reams out Butchie for failing to complete the task. Unfortunately for Phil, Butchie would rather campaign for peace, and the man meets with Tony to negotiate a truce, which includes letting the New Jersey leader put a hit out on his own boss.

"The Sopranos" closes out its groundbreaking six-year run with an abrupt cut-to-black that's been the subject of many discussions since. Fans have pondered Tony's fate for a long time, and after years of silence on the matter, showrunner David Chase responded to the speculation around the series finale, saying it was "annoying" that so many wanted to witness Tony's death. The real beauty of this finale — and what makes it worthy of this list — is that regardless of our anxiety-ridden mob boss's fate, the narrative still brings us to a satisfying series conclusion. It vividly highlights the now-striking parallels between Meadow and Carmela, A.J. and Tony, and Janice and Livia, making it clear that this family's mafia-themed cycle of life will perpetuate.

In the 2nd Season's penultimate episode, Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero has finally turned on Tony. Consumed with delusions of grandeur — and romanticizing the far-fetched idea of becoming a full-fledged FBI agent — Sal throws himself into his role as an FBI informant and takes some pretty ill-advised initiative. Meanwhile, Tony and Richie Aprile continue to butt heads, even though the other man is engaged to be married to Tony's sister, Janice. Riding the highs of soon becoming a mafia wife, Janice uses her new influence to manipulate Richie into climbing up the crime family ladder. In response, Richie attempts to partner up with Uncle Junior to plot Tony's murder. In the end, one small argument regarding Richie's homosexuality and disgust over his son's profession as a dancer evolves into a violent confrontation between bride-and-groom-to-be that changes everything.

The episode has a high IMDb rating and Reddit users like u/_Vaudeville_ have declared this one has the most powerful ending of any episode in the series. Additionally, with critics like Colin Hart (who rates the story a 9.5), claiming "The Knight in White Satin Armor" features "the only curveball that 'The Sopranos' will ever throw, and it's handled with deft and grace and stunned awe," we'd say that this storyline's more than worthy of being 9th on this list of best episodes.

"The Test Dream" offers viewers an incredible 20-minute dream sequence full of that Freudian psychoanalysis and thematically relevant surrealism for which the show is so well-known. After one of his lovers is injured in a freak kitchen accident, Tony attempts to get "a good night's sleep" in a luxurious hotel suite, where he plans to drink and make merry with an escort. But his night does not go as planned. The mob boss soon learns that Phil and Billy Leotardo murdered Tony Blundetto's good friend (and old cellmate). Even worse, no one seems to be able to locate his currently unstable cousin. So, instead of a self-indulgent night of sex, drugs, alcohol, and decent sleep, Tony gets a stressful evening of worry, followed by a long, vivid nightmare.

Initially, this episode divided fans. Many felt bitter over the dissection of Tony's psyche through hallucinatory dreams, even though the tactic is a staple feature of "The Sopranos." In an interview with The Star-Ledger, David Chase discussed how this "story of a therapy patient" requires the use of dream sequences, and feels "like there's a natural affinity between the way film unspools on a screen and the way a dream unspools." Over the years, this storyline has garnered more praise, which is why it is 7th on this list. Critics like Independent's Christopher Hooton believe "The Test Dream" is "one of the finest episodes of television full stop," and Reddit user u/ab317 is just one of many who consider it the most important episode of the series.

In "Funhouse," the final episode of the show's 2nd Season, Meadow graduates high school, and Tony endures a bout of food poisoning, which invokes vividly surreal fever dreams that help him come to terms with the cold, hard truth about "Big Pussy's" betrayal. As our protagonist struggles with the stunning revelation that his trusted friend has become a rat, the FBI takes advantage of fraudulent airline tickets that Tony gave his mother to close in on the mob boss.

In Redditor u/Guitaniel's post asking what everyone thinks of "Funhouse," many users confirm it's one of their favorites. Rated magnificently on IMDb, the narrative here provides a fascinatingly raw character study of Tony Soprano with its artful and well-executed representation of dream logic. This fever dream examines the war within Tony's psyche between his subconscious intuition and his internalized guilt over what he believes he must do in response to the newfound (but viciously unwelcome) knowledge regarding Sal's status as an FBI informant. And in this way, this "Sopranos" installment is more than worthy of the 5th spot on this ranked list of the show's best episodes.

"Long Term Parking" follows Adriana La Cerva as she struggles to keep her status as a reluctant FBI informant secret. Stuck between a rock and a hard place after the FBI catches her helping to cover up a murder, Adriana must choose between wearing a wire or getting Christopher to turn on his uncle and boss. When she breaks down and confesses all to her fiancé, she and an anguished Christopher struggle with the reality of the situation. 

Adriana fantasizes about them running away together, but Christopher made a blood oath when he joined the New Jersey crime family. As a result, his ultimate loyalty may not lie with her. Meanwhile, Johnny Sack steps into his new role as head of the Lupertazzi family. In a sit down with Tony, Johnny and Phil make their murderous intentions for Tony B. — who's still on the lam after slaughtering Phil's brother Billy — quite clear.

"Long Term Parking," the penultimate episode of the show's 5th season, is an intense, chilling, and heartbreaking hour of television that features one of the most devastating deaths in the entire history of the series and promises grim, drug-drenched times ahead for Christopher. CinemaBlend's Doug Norrie considers it the best "Sopranos" episode of all time, and it currently enjoys a very high spot on IMDb's ranked list. On our list — with Reddit opinions taken into account — this one has a firm hold as the show's 3rd best episode.

"Pine Barrens," directed by Steve Buscemi (who portrays Tony B.), traces the decline of Meadow's relationship with the dangerously naïve Jackie Jr. as well as the disintegrating bond between Tony and his progressively erratic "goomah," Gloria. But the real success here — and what makes this gem of an episode the fan-tested best of the entire series — is the plot that takes two of the funniest and most engaging mobsters in Tony's crew completely out of their element.

When things take a turn during a standard collection, Christopher Moltisanti and Paulie "Walnuts" decide to rid themselves of the Russian in the trunk of their car by driving to the snow-filled Pine Barrens in the South Jersey. There, they plan to kill the guy and dispose of the body. Instead, the bickering pair soon find themselves stranded in the woods with their crazed enemy at large, as they lament over having to survive on only Tic-Tacs in subfreezing temperatures.

Glancing at the subreddit dedicated to "The Sopranos," it's clear that there's still a lot of rich discussion regarding this self-contained storyline, and Redditors like u/Novasuper5 wholeheartedly believe that it's one of the best television episodes ever made. Quirky, offbeat, and darkly humorous, "Pine Barrens" enjoys the coveted No. 1 spot on our list and we clearly couldn't have it any other way.