The Sopranos

Before I watched THE SOPRANOS, I was one of these Letterboxd freaks that uncritically lauded every arthouse film I came across, no matter how poorly written. THE SOPRANOS, for me, marks the line between that infantile state and the coming realization that the stuff I liked failed on a fundamental level. Because not only does this series excel in formal craft & experimentation; it astounds in character depth and writing unlike any other television show I've ever seen. The series' high rewatch value comes from the fact that the audience, with a therapists' eye-view, can inhabit any of the perspectives and empathize with anyone - yes, even Ralph Cifaretto. Chase crafts a world that is so three-dimmensional and rich, I forget each of the episodes follow a plot structure. THE SOPRANOS will forever remain a muse for me as I write and develop my own work.