Very little TV has captivated national audiences as much asThe Sopranosdid during its six seasons on HBO in the early 2000s. And this was even before streaming was even remotely an idea. The iconic series not only brought the Italian mafia to the small screen, but it told a modern story of the mob – a story that was typically told in the entertainment industry within the 1950s and 60s.
The show follows the lead Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he struggles his way to the top of the DiMeo family out of New Jersey after serving as captain, or “capo”, for some time. As he deals with the stress of violence and evading the law, he experiences the physical consequences that come with the hardships, such as panic attacks and fainting episodes. Thus, he begins going to therapy, which in his line of work, could be considered a betrayal to his colleagues. Season 2 ofThe Sopranos –widely regarded as one of, if not the best season of the series – sees Tony have the opportunity to serve as acting boss of the DiMeo family for the very first time.
What Happens in The Sopranos Season 2?
The second season kicks off with Junior, Tony’s uncle, being under house arrest awaiting his trial after beingarrested for a stock fraud scam. Junior tells the feds that he is the boss of the DiMeo family, taking the heat off of Tony so that he can continue to run their many business ventures. However, Junior still has animosity and jealousy towards his nephew, as he wants more than anything to be the actual boss.
As Tony is putting together his crew and giving his men official positions within the DiMeo family, his good friend Sal “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero returns from an alleged trip to Puerto Rico to help pay for his mistress’s (goomar) back surgery. Sal had left abruptly some time before, suspiciously after Tony was tipped off about a federal informant in the family and questioned him about it. Upon his sudden return, Tony still retains those same suspicions.
Around the same time, the former DiMeo family boss' brother, Richie Aprile, returns on the scene after finishing his prison sentence and wants back in the crew. Initially excited about his return, Tony soon recognizes that Richie is adamantly tryingto undermine his power, often calling out issues with certain business decisions. Richie also begins working with Junior in secret, as they both patiently wait for an opportunity to dethrone Tony as the DiMeo family boss. All the while, Tony’s sister Janice comes back into town and becomes engaged to Richie.
Tony’s family beings playing a bigger part in the show in season 2, as tensions grow at home between Tony and his wife and children. However, the more impactful family story is withTony’s nephew, Christopher Moltisanti, who is in the process of earning his stripes and becoming a made man in the DiMeo family. He recruits his own crew, Sean and Matthew, to help him out after gaining several responsibilities in the crime family. The duties soon burden Chris, and he turns to drugs to cope with the stress. But after Tony sets him straight, he gets clean and focuses more on his personal responsibilities, causing his crew to see weakness in him and realizing he isn’t capable of helping them work their way up.
And so, Matthew and Sean start working for Richie, who’s first assignment to them isto kill Chris. They attempt this in a drive by shooting, but fail to kill Chris as he sits up and kills Sean instead, with Matthew fleeing the scene. Tony soon tracks down Matthew and takes care of him, while Richie approaches Junior with a plot to kill Tony. Junior sees Richie as too reckless and decides to cut ties and informs Tony of his secret partner’s proposal.
How Does The Sopranos Season 2 End?
Before Tony has a chance to retaliate against the treacherous Richie, someone closer to him beats Tony to the punch – or perhaps shot. Janice and Richie’s relationship was far from healthy, as he continuously abused her, both physically and emotionally. One night at dinner, Richie hits Janice, and she decides this is the last straw, retrieving her handgun and shooting him point-blank in their own kitchen. Tony comes and helps Janice clean up and dispose of the body.
Some time after, Tony pays Sal a visit. But instead of just an innocent stop by his friend’s house, Tony decides to rummage through some of Sal’s stuff, to which his worst fears are confirmed. Tony finds a set of recorders and wires in a box at Sal’s home, confirming that he is in fact an informant for the FBI. Tony is forced to take action as he and the other mobsters invite Sal out on a boat and kill him before dumping his body into the ocean.
After not hearing from Sal and thinking the worst, the FBI arrest Tony on separate crimes in an attempt to find evidence of his involvement in Sal’s disappearance. They come up empty, eventually letting him go free, but keep a close eye on him as it becomes more and more evident that Tony Soprano is in fact thenew boss of the DiMeo crime family.
