The Sopranos Season 3
Overview
Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) is the new problem in Tony Soprano's life: charismatic, cruel, sociopathic, a rising star in the DiMeo family and a complete loose cannon. Around him, the season also watches Tony's daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) head off to college, and Tony himself drift into the show's famous surreal, dreamlike sequences — including the 'test dream' that still gets talked about. The season's dreamlike sequences aren't decoration — they show a man whose subconscious is catching up with his conscience, one surreal image at a time. The season plays like a slow tightening: Ralph's cruelty, Tony's unraveling, and a family business that rewards the worst instincts. It ends with Tony killing Ralph, convinced he murdered a beloved racehorse.
