Sopranos was the GOAT on symbolism. Some I didn’t really understand….the bird at Chrissie’s ceremony, the bear, etc. But the ones I did understand were so brilliant I can literally claim I learned more about literature from Sopranos than I did in 12 years of grade school.

My favourite was Tony’s weigh-in during 6x01.

Season 6 was a 20 episode commentary on the decline of Italian-Americanism, but the very first episode really set the stage. Right off the bat, we see the regulars dissing the Italian food at Vesuvio, then it’s revealed that Carmela and Tony have been enjoying a new sushi restaurant. Not for nothin, it’s then shown Tony eats at the restaurant by himself as well, because it’s not some romantic-social activity he enjoys with his wife, he actually can’t get enough Japanese food.

But Tony weighing himself in at 280 after gorging on sushi for half the episode, was one of the best very allegorical moments in the series. When I saw this episode in my 20s, that scene seemed like a random remark on Tony’s weight. Now that I’m old enough to remember when Moses wore short pants and have witnessed world wonders like Versales, I learn more and more from the show on each rewatch, which itself is a testament to how timeless this series is.