About Me

I’m not a professional critic or academic, which should be obvious. “Sopranos Autopsy” is my attempt to produce an analysis that is readable, original, easily accessible and—I hope—worthy of the series. (It is not, however, very objective—I’m just too big a fan of the show to be impartial.) Much of the professional scholarship of The Sopranos is, well, too scholarly to be palatable for most fans, while many of the blogs and fan sites out there do not give the show’s artistry its proper due. I’ve tried to split the difference here.

Follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook for new posts, site updates and Sopranos-related news. (Following me on WordPress won’t get you anywhere because technically I’m publishing “pages” and not “posts.” Another note: I know most people visit this site on their cell phones, but the site really is optimized for laptop or desktop or tablet viewing—WordPress doesn’t even show all the pics when viewed by phone…) You can contact me at Ron@sopranosautopsy.com with questions or comments.

Thanks for visiting,
Ron

[Many Saints of Newark write-up coming soon…]

“Writing is 1% inspiration, 99% not getting distracted by the internet.”

» If you would like to help support this site, please visit my PayPal or Venmo. Molte grazie! 
♠ instagram: @sopranos.autopsy
♣ twitter: @SopranoAutopsy
♥ facebook: Ron Bernard
♦ email: Ron@SopranosAutopsy.com
© 2021 Ron Bernard

c august-89

70 responses to “About Me”

  1. Steph | April 15, 2017 at 5:33 am | Reply

    Hi Ron
    What a fantastic site! I am currently rewatching the Sopranos and stumbled upon your site. A question: I believe I saw that you were going to be finishing season 6 last year, but have yet to actually post it. I’m just wondering if it’s still coming or should I not get my hopes up? I certainly hope you do add whatever you have because your deconstruction is something I (and obviously a lot of other readers and fans) seem to truly appreciate and enjoy.
    Thanks again and hope to see the end soon!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. alex | May 1, 2017 at 3:55 pm | Reply

    Ron, I’ve seen the sopranos so many times over the years, yet with the addition of your analysis and that of Todd Van Der Werff at the a.v. club i feel like I’ve never seen it more clearly; which is why I am honestly begging you to finish this website. I’m particularly interested to see what you make of the episode ‘Unidentified black males’ and if you see anything of significance in uncle Pats farmhouse in ‘Cold cuts’. please hasten to complete sir!!

    Liked by 2 people

  3. 9Nf5zMtYPuUcPfyBrXNJAynaZFFXRwHhaCB2BKoNHlI= | May 16, 2017 at 10:44 am | Reply

    Ron – just wanted to send a word of encouragement. LOVE your posts. Please keep going!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. alex | May 19, 2017 at 5:39 pm | Reply

    hey Ron really enjoyed your write up of Marco Polo; with great observations of the pool party, and Tony and Carmela s brief reunion. You consistently demonstrate deep affection for the characters and their arc whilst observing the subtleties of the plot which Todd Van Der Werff, being a broad t.v. critic, i believe is slightly too merciless to do to the same standard as you. I have been meaning to pick your brain about something though: what do you make of the story line surrounding Harpo, Janice’s son? i have my own theories but it would be interesting to hear your observations.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Keith | June 12, 2017 at 4:58 am | Reply

    Hey Ron.
    Excellent work! Very insightful and well-written, much like The Sopranos itself. Cheers!

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Garret | June 30, 2017 at 4:46 pm | Reply

    Hi Ron, I really enjoy your website. Do you have plans on doing this type of analysis for any other shows?

    Liked by 1 person

  7. saltymargaritas | September 6, 2017 at 7:41 am | Reply

    I didn’t watch the show until it went off the air. No cable at the time. But now I’m a zombie watching each season over and over. I love your site so much. You are the BEST. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Caroline | February 2, 2018 at 8:51 pm | Reply

    Looking forward to your final analysis! I really enjoy reviews, thank you for your work.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Nick | February 22, 2018 at 12:43 am | Reply

    Ron thanks very much for creating this website. Your analysis, I have to say, is very intriguing and I find myself reading it at random times of the day without realizing it. It’s fun to see another person who shares a very healthy awareness of the brilliance contained in the show, and you articulate many of the themes and subtle meanings that were intricately woven into the script. Very fun to take part in this and read your entries, and I’m glad I found this before you were done, because it’s the closest thing to waiting to a new Sopranos episode that any of us have had in a while! Thanks very much for your efforts- it obviously takes a lot of thought and analysis, all of us appreciate it!

    Like

  10. PaxSoprana | May 20, 2018 at 4:21 pm | Reply

    Ron, thanks again for thinking up this topic and continuing to expand on the subject!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Anonymous | July 1, 2018 at 10:33 am | Reply

    I marked my calendar for mid-2018, patiently waiting for your Season 6 (Part II) synopsis. I hope your analysis is coming along well. I’m excited to read your work.

    Like

  12. Nancy | July 5, 2018 at 6:17 pm | Reply

    Dear Ron,

    Thank you so much for this website. I have a Sopranos addiction problem and am going through the canon again for probably the fifth time. Your analysis helps me understand my addiction a bit better. I greedily await your offerings for Part 2 of Season 6.

    A Salud.
    Nancy

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Steve | July 18, 2018 at 3:32 pm | Reply

    It’s a fantastic resource, a huge undertaking and probably a thankless task, so: thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Tamara | August 2, 2018 at 9:18 pm | Reply

    I am rewatching The Sopranos for the second time. As I am not watching it with my husband, I have more time to appreciate the overarching themes and the symbolism of, what seemed with the first watching, random minutia. Your insightful essays have greatly enriched my enjoyment and knowledge of the series. However, I am now watching season 6, episode 9, and feel adrift without your guidance. I eagerly await your autopsy reports on season 6B. I know they must take a great deal of time to write and I so appreciate them.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ron | August 2, 2018 at 10:48 pm | Reply

      Thanks Tamara. S6 is such a complex season, it’s taking me more time than usual to do these write-ups (but 6.09 should be out in about a week)…

      Like

  15. RDRseven | August 19, 2018 at 3:25 pm | Reply

    Hey, I’m enjoying your analysis so far, I just read the one for the College episode in season 1, made me want to watch it again! I’ve also noticed you have some near spoilers in the texts, is it safe if I continue reading? I have to mention I’m only at season 5 so I wouldn’t like to spoil it. Again, great analysis!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. James Norton | September 5, 2018 at 4:44 pm | Reply

    I just wanted to offer my thanks and congratulations to you on a project well-done (well, 95% done, at any rate.) I’ve been a professional writer and editor for about 20 years, and I had been mulling the idea of putting together a deeply researched, thoughtful, blow-by-blow, episode-by-episode recap site for The Sopranos because there’s such a density of text and subtext in the show… discovering this site has made me (happily!) abandon the quest, now that I see the vision so skillfully executed. Have you considered jumping on Kickstarter and raising money for a book version of this material? Sign me up for $25 copy of the book, I’d be pleased to have this sort of an episode guide in my library…

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Peeps | March 24, 2019 at 9:07 am | Reply

    Ron.. this site is awesome. Keep going man your work is brilliant!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Allok Jha | January 6, 2020 at 10:29 am | Reply

    Hi Ron,

    I stumbled onto your website when I was deciphering the significance of ducks in Tony’s life. I have to say, just like the series, your analysis is mind blowing. Detailed, well written and nuanced. Cheers man. Eagerly waiting for “The Blue Comet” and “Made in America”.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Jibek Valevka | April 21, 2020 at 9:48 pm | Reply

    Love your work Ron. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you

    Liked by 1 person

  20. aimee | May 19, 2020 at 9:22 am | Reply

    HI Ron, I too am eagerly awaiting your analysis of Blue Comet. Hope you are well, thanks for the site!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Alan | May 26, 2020 at 8:55 pm | Reply

    Hi Ron – I just discovered your site last week when looking for episode synopses to read while re-watching the entire series. Great stuff – well done! Looking forward to reading posts for the remaining episodes! (Although “posts” doesn’t do your work justice!)

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Matt Tipton | May 29, 2020 at 12:05 am | Reply

    Good writing Ron. Good stuff. Good job man.This show is almost like soothing music. Late at night before sleep or when washing dishes I’ll watch/listen to it. Wonderfully entertaining on so many levels. And people like you with your work kind of provide a shrine where many people from all over the globe, even if we’ll never see or know each other can kind of share a bit of our existence in this vast universe over a shared love of something that is itself the creativity of Chase and his team. Thanks for the effort you’ve put it in. It touches people out here in the world, so thank you. “Where do you get your balls?!”

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Alex | October 21, 2020 at 8:20 pm | Reply

    Hey Ron it’s been a while since I’ve read one of your reviews; I hope you haven’t been affected by what’s going on in the rest of the world. Are you going to be giving an analysis for the last two episodes any time soon? I’m very much looking forward to seeing your opinion on how the series ends. I hope all is well with you.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. josephpusztai | December 23, 2020 at 1:40 pm | Reply

    Ron, love your work! I noticed that “The Sopranos Sessions” by Seitz & Sepinwall is conspicuously missing from your Reading List, but it has been my go-to companion for episode-by-episode analysis. An excellent book, to be sure, but in many ways I find your insights deeper and your writing style more enjoyable. The fact that you made this great, professional-grade work available for free is even more remarkable. Thanks for your significant and enduring contribution to The Sopranos canon!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ron | December 23, 2020 at 4:09 pm | Reply

      Thanks. I actually have two copies of Sessions, one that I had pre-ordered and another I purchased at SopranosCon for Seitz and Sepinwall to sign. I need to update that Reading list..

      Like

  25. Pedro Castaneda | January 21, 2021 at 6:41 pm | Reply

    Hello Ron! amazing website and content. I rewatch the whole series and complementing by reading your analysis of each episode. But today im about to watch the last episode “Made in America” and i cannot find you comments on that episode! Are you planning on posting that any time soon?

    Liked by 1 person

  26. josephpusztai | February 9, 2021 at 7:52 am | Reply

    Hi, Ron – me again 🙂 I hope 2021 is shaping up nicely for you, and I hope “The Many Saints of Newark” (due out soon, from what I gather) doesn’t tarnish “The Sopranos” legacy, but trust you will be adding your analysis of it to the “Extras” section. Before that, though, you have some unfinished business / loose ends to tie up… like Tony crossing items off his Christmas to-do list. Of course, I am referring to your analysis of “Made in America”. If it will help motivate you, I am about to watch “The Blue Comet”, in the COVID-era rendition of my sequential rewatch that happens every two years or so, except this time it was (a) partially accompanied by your excellent blog, and (b) the first of my many watch-throughs with my 15-year-old son at my side. We are not binge-watching – at most we are watching two episodes per week, but usually just one, which mimics the pace one would have experienced on HBO (frankly, I find binge-watching “The Sopranos” unpleasantly intense). Despite our leisurely pace, the final episode is looming on the horizon, and he is sure to ask me what the cut to black signifies, so I would love to have your interpretation on hand before then 🙂 Alternately, maybe you should elect to never write an analysis of “Made in America”, in which case the mystery of why you never finished this epic work when you were so close will rival the one about what happened to Tony Soprano. If you do go down that path, though, you might have to become a recluse like J.D. Salinger to keep your followers at bay 🙂 In either case, thanks again for this wonderful (and almost-complete… 🙂 contribution to SopranoWorld!

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Robert Tracey | February 9, 2021 at 1:33 pm | Reply

    Hi, I love your site, I read it while I rewatch the series for the 50th time.
    The 1st season ( like every TV show) had to find it bearings and figure out stuff like characters, etc,… Do you think the writing in season 1,and even 2 holds up with the rest of the series? Very curious to know your opinion.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ron | February 9, 2021 at 4:13 pm | Reply

      Thanks Robert. I think season 1 is the weakest of the series (for the reasons you mention) but 2 is stronger, mainly because of Big Pussy’s storyline. Season 1 is still better than the first season of virtually every other show though.

      Like

  28. Om | April 28, 2021 at 2:43 pm | Reply

    Hey, just re-watched the entire series – only to come here after each and every episode and read your great commentary. But… what about the final chapter?! Is it ever coming? Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

  29. jodie | June 20, 2021 at 12:29 pm | Reply

    Here’s something I’ve been thinking about while watching this–how/why Italian Americans have captured the American imagination? German Americans, never did, even though the most common last names in America were German until recently. I am thinking of Moonstruck, the cute Cher movie, for example, too, not just mob inspired media. I am not feeling bad about this as someone with German heritage but just curious–was it because Germans assimilated sooner or immigrated at a different time or faced less discrimination? (Not saying they faced none-see the Bloody Monday events in Louisville.) I read that Germans really influenced American culture (esp. the pursuit of leisure activities like bowling, picnics, hiking, parks, etc.), but it’s not something that inspires people to make art! And which ethnic groups which have arrived more recently could also possibly capture America’s imagination in the same way? Love to hear others’ thoughts. Thanks for the great essays!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ron | June 21, 2021 at 7:52 pm | Reply

      Thanks Jodie. German-Americans have had quite an impact on American art, in architecture, film, photography, fashion, graphic design… But I know what you mean. I think it has something to do with Italian-Americans, generally speaking, being so expressive, generous, larger-than-life, that jibes well with the broader American culture..

      Like

  30. Alex | June 25, 2021 at 1:35 pm | Reply

    Hi ya Ron, it’s been a while since I read one of your Autopsies; I can’t wait to read what you make of the last episode. I wanted to ask you what you thought of whole “varsity athlete” tension between Tony and junior. Is the origin of the conflict because Tony wanted to play football and junior wanted Tony to play baseball? And if so how do you think it figures into the series generally?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ron | June 25, 2021 at 5:19 pm | Reply

      Hey Alex I think it’s one of those slice-of-life things the show did so well–those kinds of petty long term grudges/disappointments occur in real life all too often. But also, the fact that Junior kept bringing it up perhaps signalled his growing dementia…a symptom of dementia is constantly repeating yourself.

      Like

      • Alex | June 25, 2021 at 5:48 pm | Reply

        Heya Ron thanks for getting back to me; I was thinking that perhaps it was one of those motifs or symbols in the show about Tony’s lost potential. It just seemed strange to me that on the one hand junior constantly rabbited about Tony not having the makings of a varsity athlete and on the other in the earlier seasons junior seemed constantly proud of Tony’s athletic prowess and a little disappointed he hadn’t pursued it further, as if he was the father figure with his best interests at heart. It was only after thinking about it that I realised that junior was going on about Tony’s potential as a baseball player.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Ron | June 26, 2021 at 10:08 am | Reply

          I like that idea, that it was a motif of lost potential. That would connect with some of the things Coach Molinaro said to Tony in Test Dream.

          Like

  31. Alex | July 6, 2021 at 10:42 am | Reply

    Hi ya Ron, hope you’re ok; I’m sure you’re very busy with your write-up of the final episode. Do you have Instagram? The reason I ask is because there’s a Scottish comedian on there called Frankie Boyle and he has a really interesting interpretation of the final episode, I strongly recommend you watch it. It should be in the video section of his Instagram page.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. Kelly Schaefer | October 2, 2021 at 9:47 am | Reply

    Ron!
    I think some of us are waiting for a breakdown and analysis of “The Many Saints of Newark” from you as only you can do it … any plans for that in the near future??
    cent’anni,
    -KS

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Mohammed | October 19, 2021 at 10:07 am | Reply

    Well done for finishing by mid-2021 as promised. I’ve watched the show several times, but was watching again and then reading your brilliant analysis of each episode. I had to pause watching and wait for your updates…thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  34. Nadia | November 1, 2021 at 12:11 pm | Reply

    Hi just writing to say I am anxiously awaiting Made in America! Love your analysis bc of how in depth you are.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Tero Kalpio | August 3, 2022 at 2:01 pm | Reply

    I just have to say, that your page has been really enhancing the already great sopranos experience to me. 👌 Thank you for keeping up a website written so lovingly about our favorire series❤️

    Liked by 1 person

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