The plot: The second season is a stressful one for Tony Soprano. Not only is he dealing with family troubles (mainly with his sister), but he has to worry about his scheming Uncle and a possible rat in his group.

The second season is the best season in my book. To me, this is where the series really hit its stride. Not only are we introduced to fascinating characters like Tony’s sister Janice and Furio, but we also are treated to arguably three of the best episodes of the show’s run (“Commendatori,” “D-Girl,” and “Funhouse”). “Commendatori” is a nice departure from most “Sopranos” episodes as we see Tony traveling out of the states to Naples. “D-Girl” spotlights one of my personal favorite ongoing subplots, which is Christopher wanting to break into Hollywood. Finally, “Funhouse” is a poignant, surrealistic, tragic, and utterly fascinating season finale which sees the unfortunate departure of one of the show’s best characters.

The acting here is, of course, top notch. It’s not hard to see why James Gandolfini wanted to stop doing the character of Tony Soprano, because his transformation into the character seems so real. Taking on the persona of such a screwed up mob man would no doubt mess with anyone’s head after awhile. The rest of the cast also shines here, but then again, you already knew that.

The 16:9 widescreen picture quality is sort of a mess. I noticed grain, ghosting, blurry images, etc. I think it’s time for a Blu-ray release of all of “The Sopranos” seasons.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is clear, but lacks a certain something.

Extras:

* DVD-Rom web links, Award bio, cast/filmmaker bios.

* “The Real Deal” (5:00)- A fun featurette in which fans, critics, experts talk about the show’s authenticity and popularity.

* “A Sit Down With The Sopranos” is a 13 ½ minute interview with various cast and crew members.

* Commentary on “Commendatori” with Tim Van Patten. Tim mainly talks about his career and thoroughly analyzes the characters.

* Commentary on “From Where To Eternity” with Henry J. Bronchtein and Ilene Landress. This is a dry, but informative commentary with lots of technical speak.

* Commentary on “The Knight In White Satin Armor” with Allen Coulter and Ilene Landress. The two give an intelligent break down of scenes.

* Commentary on “Funhouse” with John Patterson. John chats about his experience in television, his direction, and the story.