Not many television shows can say that they changed television to the degree that The Sopranos did when it aired from 1999 to 2007, but even so, some of the show’s elements are a little problematic to watch now. The Sopranos was the first modern prestige show to make its main character, mafioso Tony Soprano, an antihero. While Tony was a hardened gangster for the Dimeo family, he struggled to balance his work life with his life as a family man. The show delved into how Tony’s hectic lifestyle, whether it be murdering an insubordinate, trying to avoid law enforcement, or cheating on his wife with a “goomar,” negatively affected his mental health to the point where he went to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Lorraine Melfi, to treat his problems.
