HBO’s The Sopranos defied the basic formula of a drama and forever changed the television landscape. Even decades later, the series remains a beloved favorite among many and has inspired countless other significant dramas, such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad. The show features some of the most memorable characters and performances from an epic cast, including James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, and Lorraine Bracco. Still, the show’s exceptional writing is considered to be some of the finest works in television history.
The Sopranos has a unique blend of violence and drama that cultivated some incredible storylines, but it also featured an array of unexpected and jaw-dropping plot twists, like Tony’s mother being the mastermind behind his assassination attempt and the show’s controversial cut-to-black finale. Out of the substantial number of surprises, such as Paulie learning who his biological mother is, and shocking deaths, including Christopher Moltisanti and Richie Aprile, these are the ten best plot twists in The Sopranos.
10 Isabella
“Isabella” (Season 1, Episode 12)
In Season 1, episode 12, “Isabella,” Tony meets a foreign exchange student, Isabella (Maria Grazia Cucinotta), who is staying at the Cusamano’s home while they are away on vacation. Tony is immediately drawn to her, but not in a sexual way, and after running into each other, they decide to have lunch together. When Tony sees that the Cusamanos have returned home, he asks about Isabella and is met with a confused look from Dr. Cusamano (Robert LuPone). Tony soon realizes that Isabella was a figment of his imagination and a side effect of the lithium Dr. Melfi (Lorrain Bracco) had prescribed him.
The unexpected surprise of Isabella being a hallucination is one of the series’ first and deepest plot twists, as it speaks to Tony’s subconscious desire for an ideal maternal figure. Tony’s mother is a constant topic in the series, especially the first season, and despite Melfi’s best efforts, Tony has been in denial about his mother’s true nature, but his experience with Isabella was vital in his ongoing process of admitting that his mother is not like other mothers.
9 Furio Leaving
“Eloise” (Season 4, Episode 12)
For some time, Carmela (Edie Falco) and Furio (Federico Castelluccio) have developed an unspoken affection for one another that eventually reaches a point of romance. Considering the circumstances, it’s dangerous territory for both of them to venture further into, but as Furio finds himself falling in love with Carmela, his emotions begin to get the best of him. In Season 4, episode 12, “Eloise,” Furio reaches his breaking point when he’s out with Tony, who is, as usual, arm-in-arm with a beautiful young woman. At one point, they’re about to get into a helicopter and Furio almost shoves Tony into the active blades above them.
The intense moment has a severe impact on Furio, who abruptly leaves the next day and returns to Italy without saying goodbye to anyone. While audiences knew the romance between Furio and Carmela could never go significantly anywhere, the character’s sudden departure was highly unexpected and had a major impact on Falco’s character, who slips into a deep, inconsolable depression. Some felt that the storyline between Furio and Carmela was out of left field or unnecessary, but it spoke to Carmela’s genuine unhappiness in her marriage and was a vital factor in the tipping point of her marriage.
8 Paulie Learning His Aunt is His Biological Mother
“The Fleshy Part of the Thigh” (Season 6, Episode 4)
One of The Sopranos‘ best characters, Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) typically only looks out for himself, but when it comes to his mother, nothing is too good for her. Throughout the show, it is clear that Paulie considers his mother, Maria, or “Nucci” (Frances Esemplare), to be a top priority and bends over backward to ensure that she is happy and well taken of. Paulie’s unwavering adoration for his mother comes crashing down in Season 6, episode 4, “The Fleshy Part of the Thigh,” when he goes to see his Aunt Dottie (Judith Malina), who is dying and confesses that she is his biological mother.
Dottie goes on to tell Paulie that he was born out of wedlock and the reason why she chose to become a nun. Nucci had agreed to take Paulie and raise him as his own with no intention of ever revealing the truth to him. The shocking confession inevitably takes an emotional toll on Paulie and his relationship with Nucci. The plot twist is one of the show’s best because it adds a bit of chaos to Paulie’s storyline and also reveals an unusual vulnerable side of Paulie that audiences have never seen before, adding a bit of complexity and depth to the character.
7 Vin Makazian’s Suicide
“Nobody Knows Anything” (Season 1, Episode 11)
In the show’s first season, Home Alone star John Heard appeared in several episodes as Detective Vin Makazian, who provided Tony with inside information in exchange for paying off his gambling debts. Heard’s character dropped the show’s first major bombshell when he informed Tony that his best friend, Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) had flipped and was wearing a wire. As Tony demands that Makazian show him actual proof of this, Tony’s wishes are shattered when Makazian is pushed over the edge and decides to take his own life.
John Heard‘s recurring guest appearance as Detective Vin Makazian is easily one of The Sopranos‘ best guest star performances and even earned Heard an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 1999. Makazian’s shocking choice to jump off the bridge in broad daylight is a plot twist no one saw coming, but the decision played a vital part in the circumstances surrounding Big Pussy being a potential rat, adding a sense of obsessive uncertainty for Tony as well as viewers.
6 Tony’s First Kill
“College” (Season 1, Episode 5)
In Season 1, episode 5, “College,” Tony Soprano gets his hands dirty for the first time when he and Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) travel to look at several potential schools for college. When Tony thinks he sees a former DiMeo associate, Febby Petrulio (Tony Ray Rossi) who flipped, he becomes distracted from the purpose of the trip with his daughter and spends the majority of the time trying to confirm the man’s identity. Once he knows for sure that it’s Petrulio, he decides to pay him a visit, resulting in Tony’s first on-screen kill.
Audiences are obviously aware that Tony is going to whack this guy, but the shock and awe of this plot twist is the brutality and manner in which he does it. Rats are always going to suffer, but to witness Tony kill one for the first time in the show took audiences by surprise. According to Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, HBO initially had an issue with Tony killing someone, believing it would turn viewers against him, but as creator David Chase pointed out, he’s a gangster, and they would lose the audience if he never killed anyone. The move proved to be effective and is considered to be a key turning point for the character, unveiling the true sadistic nature Tony is capable of under the right circumstances.
5 Tony Killing Christopher
“Kennedy and Heidi” (Season 6, Episode 18)
For the last few seasons, Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) was a struggling addict who was also trying to find himself in the world. After the murder of his fiancée, Adriana Le Cerva (Drea de Matteo), Chrissy appears to have moved on by getting married and having a daughter, but behind closed doors, he is still struggling and eventually relapses. In Season 6, episode 18, “Kennedy and Heidi,” Tony realizes that his nephew is under the influence of drugs while the two are driving and when they get into an accident, Tony ensures that he doesn’t survive.
After giving Chrissy several chances to get his act straight, Tony realizes at that moment that Chrissy will never stay clean and could become a serious liability in the future. Through Tony’s own messed-up rationalization, he chooses to suffocate Chrissy, resulting in one of the most unforeseen plot twists in the entire series. Considering Chrissy was continuing on a path of destruction, it was inevitable that he would meet his demise one way or another, but no one could have predicted that Tony would be the one to kill him.
4 Janice Killing Richie Aprile
“The Knight in White Satin Armor” (Season 2, Episode 12)
The toxic romance between Tony’s sister, Janice (Aida Turturro), and her high school boyfriend, Richie Aprile (David Proval) was destined to go up in flames and when Tony learns that his future brother-in-law is planning to make a move against him, viewers expected Tony or one of the guys to take him out. Before anyone can get their hands on Richie, audiences are stunned in Season 2, episode 12, “The Knight in White Satin Armor,” when Janice is the one who beats her brother to the punch.
As the couple are arguing about the upcoming wedding and Richie’s son potentially being gay, Richie reacts by punching Janice in the mouth. While Richie sits down to enjoy his meal, Janice responds in a dramatic, highly unexpected way by shooting Richie twice in the chest without hesitation. Even though audiences knew Richie was on his way out, Janice being the one to pull the trigger is without a doubt one of the show’s best plot twists.
3 Valery the Russian
“Pine Barrens” (Season 3, Episode 11)
When Silvio is sick and sent home, Tony has Paulie and Chrissy go pick up his envelope from Valery (Vitali Baganov), a member of the Russian mob and close friend of the boss, Slava Malevsky (Frank Ciornei). When Paulie antagonizes Valery to the point of the three men getting into a physical altercation, Paulie and Chrissy think they’ve killed Valery and decide to bury him out in the Pine Barrens. Once they arrive, they are shocked to see that Valery is still alive, and eventually, he manages to get away, resulting in one of the show’s most talked about mysteries.
The unexpected escape from Valery is one of the funniest plot twists in the entire series and also ranks as one of the best. The idea that the “package” somehow survived leaves fans on pins and needles and wondering about the obvious question: if he did, would he seek revenge against Paulie and Chrissy? To this day, the fate of Valery remains unknown, but it has led to some interesting fan theories ranging from that he died from his injuries to he hid up in a tree and then made his getaway by stealing the guys’ car.
2 Livia Trying to Have Tony Killed
“Nobody Knows Anything” (Season 1, Episode 11)
Throughout the show’s first season, Livia (Nancy Marchand) expresses her anger and distaste for Tony but it worsens when he forces her to live in the retirement community, Green Grove. The level of her hatred reaches an all-time high when she discloses to Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) that Tony has been meeting with some of the capos behind his back, forcing Junior to take lethal action against his nephew.
It’s made clear that Livia is much smarter than she lets on and in Season 1, episode 11, “Nobody Knows Anything,” she proves how vengeful and tactful she truly is after she throws Tony under the bus to Junior. The idea that a mother would want her own son dead, let alone because he put her in a nice retirement home, is the ultimate plot twist that left many fans shocked. When Tony finally confronts her, she reveals her true heartless nature by confirming Tony’s accusations with a single, devilish grin that sends Tony into a rage. According to Chase, he originally had Tony suffocate Livia at the end of Season 1, but when Marchand was diagnosed with cancer, she asked him to let her keep working, which Chase generously agreed to do.
1 The Ending
“Made in America” (Season 6, Episode 21)
Years later, the series finale, Season 6, episode 21, “Made in America,” remains to be one of the most controversial finales in television history, which fans continue to discuss today. Whatever your opinion may be, the abrupt cut-to-black is undoubtedly the show’s best plot twist, leaving the ending up to the fans’ own imagination. Initially, most viewers were outraged and criticized Chase’s choice, but through the years, the reason behind Chase’s unexpected choice has become clearer to fans.
In Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, Chase specifically touches on the ending and describes how, in the final song, Don’t Stop Believing by Journey, there is a line that says “the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on.” This specific line kept playing in Chase’s head and ultimately had him decide that he wanted the show to also go on and, in some way, it has. It’s been over two decades and fans still talk about what exactly happened to Tony Soprano. Despite some fans’ feelings about the ending, it is the ultimate plot twist in the show and serves as the cornerstone of The Sopranos‘ timeless legacy.
