The third season of the American crime drama series ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'' began airing on HBO with a two-hour premiere on March 4, 2001 before concluding on May 20, 2001, and consisted of thirteen episodes. The third season was released on DVD in region 1 on August 27, 2002. The story of season three focuses on the relationship between Tony and his children — Meadow, as she begins her first year at Columbia University, and Anthony Jr., who is having behavioral troubles in high school. Tony's relationship with his aging mother, Livia, is brought to a head. Uncle Junior, released from prison, now deals with health issues. Dr. Melfi experiences a horrifying personal trauma, but begins to make real progress in discovering the root causes of Tony's panic attacks. Also featured heavily are Christopher's rise in the mob when he becomes a made man, Jackie Aprile, Jr. joining the crime family and Tony's extramarital affair with another one of Dr. Melfi's patients, Gloria.

Cast

James Gandolfini James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (; September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013) was an American actor. For his role as Tony Soprano, the Italian-American Mafia crime boss in HBO's television series ''The Sopranos'', he won three Emmy Awards, five Screen ...

Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano is a fictional character and the antihero protagonist in the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Soprano is a member of the Italian-American Mafia and, especially late ...

(13 episodes) *

Lorraine Bracco Lorraine Bracco (born October 2, 1954) is an American actress. Known for her distinct husky voice and Brooklyn accent, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards ...

as Jennifer Melfi (12 episodes) *

Edie Falco Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Carmela Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2015). She also ...

Carmela Soprano Carmela Soprano (''née'' DeAngelis), played by Edie Falco, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She is married to Mafia boss Tony Soprano. A young Carmela, portrayed by Lauren DiMario, appears in the 2021 prequel fi ...

(13 episodes) *

Michael Imperioli Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Ou ...

Christopher Moltisanti Christopher Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. He is Tony Soprano's protégé and a member of the DiMeo crime family, rising from associate to captain over the course of th ...

(13 episodes) *

Dominic Chianese Dominic Chianese (; born February 24, 1931) is an American actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Corrado "Junior" Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), Johnny Ola in '' The Godfather Part II'' (1 ...

as Corrado "Junior" Soprano, Jr. (8 episodes) *

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandoli ...

Silvio Dante Silvio Manfred Dante is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos'', played by Steven Van Zandt. He is the consigliere and right-hand man to Tony Soprano in the DiMeo crime family. John Magaro portrays a young Silvio Dante in ...

(12 episodes) *

Tony Sirico Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. (; July 29, 1942 – July 8, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri in ''The Sopranos''. He also made numerous appearances in the films of Woody Allen. Early life S ...

as Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri (12 episodes) *

Robert Iler Robert Michael Iler (; born March 2, 1985) is an American former actor. He is best known for his portrayal of A.J. Soprano on ''The Sopranos''. His film roles include ''Tadpole'' (2002), and ''Daredevil'' (2003). Career Iler appeared in the vi ...

as Anthony Soprano, Jr. (11 episodes) *

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Jamie-Lynn Sigler (born May 15, 1981) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''. Early life Jamie-Lynn Sigler was born in Jericho, New York, on May 15, 1981, the daughter of S ...

Meadow Soprano Meadow Mariangela Soprano, played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She was born in 1982. In the early seasons, Meadow is introduced as a smart but spoiled party-goer, whose over-dramatic pers ...

(13 episodes) *

Nancy Marchand Nancy Lou Marchand (June 19, 1928 – June 18, 2000) was an American actress. She began her career in theatre in 1951. She was most famous for her television portrayals of Margaret Pynchon on ''Lou Grant'' and Livia Soprano on ''The Sopranos''. ...

Livia Soprano Livia Soprano (née Pollio), played by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams, is sometimes seen i ...

(1 episode; archive footage through digital effects) * Drea de Matteo as

Adriana La Cerva Adriana La Cerva is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos'', portrayed by Drea de Matteo. She is the long-time girlfriend and, later, fiancée of Tony Soprano's protégé, Christopher Moltisanti. For her performance, de Mat ...

(9 episodes) *

Aida Turturro Aida Turturro ( ; born September 25, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Janice Soprano on the HBO drama series ''The Sopranos''. Early life and education Aida Turturro was born in Buffalo, New York, daughter of ...

Janice Soprano Janice Soprano Baccalieri is a fictional character on the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' and in the film '' The Many Saints of Newark''. In ''The Sopranos'', Janice is portrayed by Aida Turturro who’s the eldest sibling of the ...

(8 episodes) *

John Ventimiglia John Ventimiglia (, ) is an American actor. He portrayed Artie Bucco in the HBO television series ''The Sopranos'' and had a recurring role as Dino Arbogast, an Organized Crime Control Bureau Chief for the NYPD, on the American police procedu ...

Artie Bucco This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Sopran ...

(7 episodes) * Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri (8 episodes) *

Federico Castelluccio Federico Castelluccio (; ; born April 29, 1964) is an American actor and painter. He is best known for his role as Furio Giunta on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''. Early life Born in Naples, Italy, Castelluccio moved with his family to Paterso ...

Furio Giunta This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Sopran ...

(10 episodes) *

Robert Funaro Robert Funaro (born January 23, 1959) is an American film and television actor. Funaro is best known for the role of Eugene Pontecorvo in the Emmy Award-winning television series ''The Sopranos''. Funaro appeared in the 2007 film '' American Ga ...

Eugene Pontecorvo This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Sopran ...

(7 episodes) *

Kathrine Narducci Kathrine Narducci (; born November 22, 1965) is an American actress, known for her role as Charmaine Bucco, Artie Bucco's wife, on the HBO crime drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007). Her film credits include ''A Bronx Tale'' (1993), ' ...

Charmaine Bucco This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Sopran ...

(4 episodes) *

Joe Pantoliano Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American character actor who has appeared in over 150 films, television and stage productions. After his early roles in the television series '' M*A*S*H'' and the 1983 comedy '' Risky Bu ...

as Ralph Cifaretto (9 episodes)

Episodes

;Notes

Reception

Reviews

The third season of ''The Sopranos'' received widespread critical acclaim, garnering a score of 97 out of 100 on

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

. Caryn James of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' cited the show as a pop-culture phenomenon and stated, "Even measured against insanely high expectations, the series is as good as it has ever been." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' lauded the series as the "elitist of the elite," adding: "...The Sopranos resurfaces once more as a superbly written and executed hybrid of popular entertainment and high art, offering up its own Golden Age of TV." ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'' commended the series creator, David Chase, and singled out the show's writing and acting for praise: "The Sopranos, even as series creator David Chase changes pace this season from power struggles to family matters, is still as good as television gets: wonderfully written, superbly acted, always unpredictable."

Awards and nominations

53rd Primetime Emmy Awards The 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, November 4, 2001, seven weeks later than originally scheduled. The ceremony was rescheduled twice from its original date of September 16 at the Shrine Auditorium because of the September 11, 20 ...

'' *Nomination for Outstanding Drama Series *Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini) (Episode: "Amour Fou") *Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco) (Episode: "Employee of the Month") *Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco) (Episode: "Second Opinion") *Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dominic Chianese) (Episodes: "Another Toothpick" + "Second Opinion") *Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Michael Imperioli) (Episodes: "Fortunate Son" + "Pine Barrens") *Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Aida Turturro) (Episodes: "Proshai, Livushka" + "Employee of the Month") *Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Annabella Sciorra) (Episode: "Amour Fou") *Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Steve Buscemi) (Episode: "Pine Barrens") *Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Allen Coulter) (Episode: "University") *Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Timothy Van Patten) (Episode: "Amour Fou") *Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess) (Episode: "Employee of the Month") *Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Lawrence Konner) (Episode: "Second Opinion") *Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Frank Renzulli, David Chase) (Episode: "Amour Fou") *Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Terrence Winter, Timothy Van Patten) (Episode: "Pine Barrens") ''

8th Screen Actors Guild Awards The 8th Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2001, took place on March 10, 2002. The ceremony was held at the Shrine Auditorium, Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles, Calif ...

'' *Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (Entire Cast) *Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini) *Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco) *Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Edie Falco) ''

59th Golden Globe Awards The 59th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 2001, were held on January 20, 2002. The nominations were announced on December 20, 2001. Winners and nominees Film The following films received multiple ...

'' *Nomination for Best Drama Series *Nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini) *Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Lorraine Bracco) *Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco) ''

6th Golden Satellite Awards The 6th Golden Satellite Awards were given on January 19, 2002, at the St. Regis Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Special achievement awards Mary Pickford Award (for outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry) – Karl Malden Spec ...

'' *Nomination for Best Drama Series *Nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series (James Gandolfini) *Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Edie Falco) '' Writers Guild of America Awards 2001'' *Nomination for Best Drama Episode (David Chase) (Episode: "Proshai, Livushka") *Nomination for Best Drama Episode (Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green) (Episode: "Employee of the Month") *Award for Best Drama Episode (Timothy Van Patten, Terrence Winter) (Episode: "Pine Barrens") '' Directors Guild of America Awards'' *Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Steve Buscemi) (Episode: "Pine Barrens") ''

17th TCA Awards The 17th TCA Awards were presented by the Television Critics Association. Christopher Titus Christopher Todd Titus (born 1964) is an American comedian, podcaster and actor. He grew up in Newark, California. Titus came to network audiences with ...

'' *Award for Program of the Year *Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama (Tied with ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White Hous ...

'') *Nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama (Edie Falco) *Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama (James Gandolfini)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sopranos (season 3)

Season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...

2001 American television seasons