Maggie's Farm

I can't lie: my son and I used to watch the show and found it absorbing.

That said, when my son once asked what I thought of Tony, I replied, "He's a thug."

He began to say, "But he's seeing an analyst, he's got family problems with his mother, his wife and kids..."

I responded, "Well, what did you expect? Even thugs have families and family problems. They're still thugs though."

I recall reading an anecdote from the very beginning of the series where Tony hosted a BBQ for his "business associates" and wore shorts. Apparently "someone in NJ" - an admirer of the show - is said to have contacted James Gandolfino and quietly noted to him, "We don't wear shorts."

I always thought the late Nancy Marchand, who played Tony's mother, did a superb job in her brief stint in that role. Quite a contrast from the patrician WASP "Katherine Graham" type character she played in Lou Grant!