Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1064 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-11-24
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Number of discs: 4
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Dutch, Romanian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech, Icelandic, Hebrew, Polish
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 754 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The second series of The Sopranos, David Chase's ultra-cool and ultra-modern take on New Jersey gangster life, matches the brilliance of the first, although it's marginally less violent, with more emphasis given to the stories and obsessions of supporting characters. Sadly, the programme-makers were forced to throttle back on the appalling struggle between gang boss Tony Soprano and his Gorgon-like Mother Livia, the very stuff of Greek theatre, following actress Nancy Marchand's unsuccessful battle against cancer. Taking up her slack, however, is Tony's big sister Janice, a New Age victim and arrant schemer and sponger, who takes up with the twitchy, Scarface-wannabe Richie Aprile, brother of former boss Jackie, out of prison and a minor pain in Tony's ass.

Other running sub-plots include the hapless efforts by Chris (Michael Imperioli) to sell his real-life Mafia story to Hollywood, the return and treachery of Big Pussy and Tony's wife Carmela's ruthlessness in placing daughter Meadow in the right college. Even with the action so dispersed, however, James Gandofini is still toweringly dominant as Tony. The genius of his performance, and of the programme-makers, is that, despite Tony being a whoring, unscrupulous, sexist boor, a crime boss and a murderer, we somehow end up feeling and rooting for him, because he's also a family man with a bratty brood to feed, who's getting his balls busted on all sides, to say nothing of keeping the government off his back. He's the kind of crime boss we'd like to feel we would be. Tony's decent Italian-American therapist Dr Melfi's (Loraine Bracco) perverse attraction with her gangster-patient reflects our own and, in her case, causes her to lose her first series cool and turn to drink this time around.

Effortlessly multi-dimensional, funny and frightening, and devoid of the sentimentality that afflicts even great American TV like The West Wing, The Sopranos is boss of bosses in its televisual era. --David Stubbs

Special Features

• Sound Track Language: English
  
• Subtitles: None
  
• Total Running Time: 754 minutes
  
• Aspect Ratio: 16x9
  
• Sound Quality: Dolby Surround – English

Synopsis
Tony Soprano resumes his therapy, while dealing with his new role as head of the family. Meanwhile, Christopher begins a career as a screenwriter, there may an informant in their midst, Carmela attempts to get Meadow into a good university, Tony feuds with his sister and a power struggle begins with Ritchie Aprile.

Customer Reviews

It's a Family Thing...
The Sopranos is one of HBO's greatest achievements (although I admit that I think it lost some of its momentum and spark with seasons three and four). When I first saw the show, I was hooked. I'd watch anywhere from three to four episodes a day. One of the great things about first watching this show on DVD was that I could watch any number of episodes instead of just watching one per week.

"The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season" has to be my favourite season. As much as I love the first one, this was when things were really funny, intense, dramatic and involving. The season doesn't let us down when it comes to Tony having more problems than ever before. Both in his Mafia Family and his immediate family, Tony can never get a break. His wife gives him grief while his kids keep doing things that upset him. And don't get me started on his ill mother and self-centered sister. Life isn't much better in his Mafia Family when the brother of Jackie is released from prison and is giving Tony a hard time both personally and professionally. Not to mention that his long time friend, Big P. comes back from a long hiatus when he was first suspected of turning rat to the Feds. All of this leads to one incredible and unpredictable season that showcases the show like none other.

For me, this was the most entertaining season of them all. I loved the characters, the constantly changing storylines, and the personal and business life of Tony Soprano, which is superbly balanced in this season. There's still the much appreciated humor in these episodes that were found lacking in the next two seasons. It doesn't feel like a soap opera, but a more enhanced look into the Mafia world. There's plenty of action as well as dramatic storylines that will make everybody happy for the most part.

This season comes in a set of four discs, totaling at 13 episodes. The great thing about the show is that it is presented to us in a widescreen format that is enhanced for widescreen TVs. This really makes the show that more effective because you feel like you're actually watching a movie rather than a show on cable. The picture and sound quality is great and really shows. There are some nice little extras, such as featurettes, brief previews and recaps of episodes, web-links and more.

"The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season" is a bundle of laughs, suspense, drama, action and surprises. You're always on your toes and you never know what's coming next. One thing's for sure; this is the most unpredictable season out of the four seasons (the fifth one looks pretty promising thus far). While you'll want to start with the first season if you've never seen the show before, you'll know that you will have something special to look forward to once you get to the second season. In my opinion, this is where Sopranos is flawlessly at its best. -Michael Crane

Does it get any better??????????
When I bought the first series of the Sopranos I watched it with an eagle eye as I thought it couldn't be as good as everyone had told me. It was better and so it was with this new found confidence that my girlfriend Bex bought me Season 2. I thought that nothing could match the brilliance of the first season but this just makes the first season seem average if thats possible? The storylines are better and the characters have more depth. We realise that Tony cannot live without Dr Melfi and that he has a new found enemy who wants his old patch back. This feud is the series high point as Tony struggles with his life and his profession.I was disappointed in the fact that Tony's truggle with his mother was toned down as he hardly speaks to her during the whole series.Apart from that though the series is stellar and I can't wait to get my hands on season 3. I was just wondering ..... does anybody else realise that Paulie Walnuts a.k.a Tony Sirico is the best character bar Tony on the show. If you don't realise yet then you sure will when you watch this series as he is involved in the funniest scene on tv in a long time. Happy viewing to all you wannabe Don's out there. Grazi

Even better than series 1
If you are looking at this review, you probably already have the first season. All I can tell you is that the second season is as good, if not better, than the first.

There are some major plot developments. Livia and Tonys uncle hatch a plan that can have murderous consequences for Tony. Carmela is doing all in her power, and I mean all, to help Meadow get into a good college. In her own sweet way, Carmela can be just as scary as Tony. Janice (Aida Tuturro), Tonys sister, comes back home, wreaks havoc, marries the former mob boss' jailbird brother, and then leaves town with a bang. One of Tonys best friends becomes a snitch for the Feds. No wonder Tony continues to have anxiety attacks and still needs to see his psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi.

The writing continues to be intelligent, and the story lines are as well thought out and engrossing as ever. I have watched the entire first, second, and third seasons and am eagerly awaiting the fourth season. I absolutely love this series!