Even with great dramas like Succession and The Wire, The Sopranos still remains one of the best TV drama shows of all time. From its iconic opening credits song to its deep examination of masculinity, culture and mental health (rarely discussed openly on TV in 1999), The Sopranos redefined TV storytelling and character studies while inspiring later greats like Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

At the heart of The Sopranos is the concept of family, relationships and its dynamic and deep characters that are put into extraordinary situations. Whether it be mob boss family man Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) or Tony's erratic nephew Christoper Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), The Sopranos has had some incredible episodes exploring its well-developed characters over its six-season run.

12 "Funhouse" Took a Deep Dive Into Tony Soprano's Subconscious

Season 2, Episode 13

"Funhouse" is The Soprano's first jump into the surreal as Tony battles food poisoning and his suspicious thoughts about his close associate Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) being an FBI informant. "Funhouse" is also the first time audiences were able to peel back the curtain of Tony's psyche, which is later iterated on in episodes like "Join the Club" and "Test Dream."

From a talking bass representing Sal's eventual sleep with the fishes to Tony, Paulie (Tony Sirico), and Silvio (Steven Van Zandt) dumping Sal's body in the ocean, there are a lot of iconic moments from "Funhouse." Not only does "Funhouse" feature the series' first betrayal, but it also sets the tone for more heartbreak as the show goes on. Even as it ranks among the best of the best Sopranos episodes, it lands at the bottom of the list because things only got better as the show went on.

11 "Sopranos Home Movies" Showed Fans Just How Vindictive Tony Soprano Could Be

Season 6, Episode 13

"Sopranos Home Movies" is probably the ultimate episode in exploring The Sopranos family dynamics. Janice (Aida Turturro) tells a story about their father shooting a hole through their mother's beehive hairdo, and despite Tony's parental issues, he got upset enough about it to start harassing his sister about her teenage sexuality. After Bobby (Steve Schirripa) punches out Tony for insulting his wife, and stands as the victor in their fight, Tony forces Bobby to kill the brother-in-law of a Canadian associate looking to run a prescription drug scheme.

As Bobby had previously confessed to Tony that he had never had to kill someone, Tony vindictively used this confession to send Bobby down the dark path that he had so carefully avoided. As the show has almost always portrayed a rule book where blood runs thicker than water when it comes to understanding The Sopranos characters and their motivations, "Sopranos Home Movies" fully brings this concept to light.

10 "The Strong Silent Type" Showed an Emotional Tony After the Death of His Horse

Season 4, Episode 10

For much of the series, Tony Soprano seems to display very little emotion. He certainly loves and cares for his children and his wife, but for the most part he is consumed by rage, which often leads to violence. With the death of his horse, Pie Oh My, bringing him to tears, Dr. Melfi can't help but ask him why it's easy for him to feel emotions for an animal, but so difficult when it comes to other people. It's not the first time she's put his behaviors into perspective, but it definitely resonates as the viewer can't help but scan back through watched episodes and realize he really hasn't show much in the way of emotion when it comes to his fellow human beings.

Beyond that revelation, this episode shined on the growing flirtation between Carmela and Furio, which finally came to a head. Tony's obliviousness to his wife's feelings for Furio at first only reinforces how little he actually thinks about anyone but himself. Even more shocking was the fact that he couldn't see that his own nephew Christopher's heroin addiction had gotten so out of control, he actually sat on Adriana's little dog and killed her. For someone who claimed to love Christopher like a son, his ignorance to Christopher's addiction says a lot.

9 "Join the Club" Featured a Subconscious Exploration of Tony Living a Different Life

Season 6, Episode 2

Like Twin Peaks years before, "Join the Club" (along with "Mayhem" and "Test Dream") takes a page out of the book of David Lynch. As Tony struggles to stay alive after being shot by Junior (Dominic Chianese), he starts hallucinating while he is in a coma. In his dreams, Tony becomes Kevin Finnerty, a sales manager visiting a defense contractor convention. Unlike Tony, Finnerty resembles everything related to a stereotypical average family man (Gandolfini even uses his natural speaking voice when playing Finnerty).

The episode brings the audience into Tony's psyche. Exploring what his life might have been like if he'd chosen a more conventional path, he struggles to find proof of who he really is, instead stealing the identity of the man he accidentally swapped briefcases with. Though fans of non-ambiguous storylines may blow past "Join the Club," the episode provides an interesting look into Tony's thoughts about his demise and outlook on life. Even on the straight and narrow, Kevin Finnerty's actions are questionable,

8 "College" Offered Fans a Glimpse at the Gap Between Tony Soprano's Family and 'The Family'

Season 1, Episode 5