| Season Number: | 3 |
| Bgcolour: |
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| Image Upright: | 1.15 |
| Num Episodes: | 13 |
| Network: | HBO |
| Episode List: | List of The Sopranos episodes |
The third season of the American crime drama series The Sopranos began airing on HBO with a two-hour premiere on March 4, 2001, before concluding on May 20, 2001, and consisted of thirteen episodes. The third season was released on DVD in region 1 on August 27, 2002.[1]
The story of season three focuses on the relationship between Tony and his children — Meadow, as she begins her first year at Columbia University, and Anthony Jr., who is having behavioral troubles in high school. Tony's relationship with his aging mother, Livia, is brought to a head. Uncle Junior, released from prison, now deals with health issues. Dr. Melfi experiences a horrifying personal trauma, but begins to make real progress in discovering the root causes of Tony's panic attacks. Also featured heavily are Christopher's rise in the mob when he becomes a made man, Jackie Aprile Jr. joining the crime family and Tony's extramarital affair with another one of Dr. Melfi's patients, Gloria.
The third season of The Sopranos received widespread critical acclaim, garnering a score of 97 out of 100 on Metacritic[2] and a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 9.5/10. Caryn James of The New York Times cited the show as a pop-culture phenomenon and stated, "Even measured against insanely high expectations, the series is as good as it has ever been."[3] The Los Angeles Times lauded the series as the "elitist of the elite," adding: "...The Sopranos resurfaces once more as a superbly written and executed hybrid of popular entertainment and high art, offering up its own Golden Age of TV."[4] Detroit Free Press commended the series creator, David Chase, and singled out the show's writing and acting for praise: "The Sopranos, even as series creator David Chase changes pace this season from power struggles to family matters, is still as good as television gets: wonderfully written, superbly acted, always unpredictable."[2]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | class=unsortable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [5] | ||||||
| James Gandolfini (episode: "Amour Fou") | ||||||
| Edie Falco (Episode: "Second Opnion") | ||||||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Lorraine Bracco (episode: "Employee of the Month") | |||||
| Dominic Chianese (episodes: "Another Toothpick" + "Second Opinion") | ||||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Michael Imperioli (episodes: "Fortunate Son" + "Pine Barrens") | |||||
| Aida Turturro (episodes: "Proshai, Livushka" + "Employee of the Month" | ||||||
| Annabella Sciorra (episode: "Amour Fou") | ||||||
| Steve Buscemi (episode: "Pine Barrens") | ||||||
| Allen Coulter (episode: "University") | ||||||
| Timothy Van Patten (episode: "Amour Fou") | ||||||
| Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess (episode: "Employee of the Month") | ||||||
| Lawrence Konner (episode: "Second Opinion") | ||||||
| Frank Renzulli, David Chase (episode: "Amour Fou") | ||||||
| Terrence Winter, Timothy Van Patten (episode: "Pine Barrens") | ||||||
| [6] | ||||||
| Best Actress in a Drama Series | ||||||
| Entire Cast | [7] | |||||
| James Gandolfini | ||||||
| Edie Falco | ||||||
| Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Lorraine Bracco | |||||
| Steve Buscemi (episode: "Pine Barrens") | ||||||
| Timothy Van Patten, Terrence Winter (episode: "Pine Barrens") | ||||||
| David Chase (episode: "Proshai, Livushka") | ||||||
| Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green (episode: "Employee of the Month") | ||||||
| Program of the Year | ||||||
| Outstanding Achievement in Drama | ||||||
| Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama | James Gandolfini | |||||
| Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama | Edie Falco | |||||
| Best Drama Series | ||||||
| Best Actor in a Drama Series | James Gandolfini | |||||
| Best Actress in a Drama Series | Edie Falco | |||||