We could have had a bit more of them, but they were doomed.
The Sopranos is probably one of the greatest ensemble cast shows you have ever seen. The characters of the dark drama are so well written that you immediately fall for them, because the details of their lives make you actually understand them, and it doesn’t matter if they are good or bad.
Well, there aren’t as many 100% good characters in the show, they all are complex and have multiple layers to explore. However, several important characters weren’t given a chance to be on screen for as long as the fans wanted. Nevertheless, the impact they had on the show was still huge.
Here are six characters from The Sopranos who we think were killed off too soon and might have had a bigger deal if they were left alive.
6. Jimmy Altieri (Season 1, Episode 13)
Jimmy Altieri’s death is tragic, even though he wasn’t on screen for very long. The decision to end his life came to Tony because another mobster had hinted that Jimmy might have been wired by the FBI. The rest of the people just assumed it was true and started to pressure Tony into making the decision. The sad thing about his death is that it was never actually revealed that he was a rat. Instead, the story exposed that Pussy was an actual informant, but Tony chose to believe that he wasn’t.
The storyline once again makes it clear that the system is twisted and unfair.
5. Bobby Baccalieri Sr. (Season 3, Episode 5)
This character spent even less time on the show, but still managed to become a fan favorite. He stood out for many reasons, including his age. He was much older than the other mobsters. Actually, he was a retired gangster who was dying of lung cancer. Tony used him to kill Mustang Sally. The idea was perfect because Sally never thought his own godfather would kill him.
The murder scene says so much about Bobby Sr. We saw how much he missed the gangster life and how he killed not because he was ordered to, but for his own pleasure. That’s why he killed not only Sally, but also his roommate.
After the job was done, the man decided to smoke a cigarette while driving, but choked on the blood and crashed his car. Fans feel that more of this extraordinary character and his interactions with Bobby Jr. would have been great for the show.
4. Vin Makazian (Season 1, Episode 11)
Vin Makazian is another example of a character on The Sopranos who is downright evil, but we still like him. As dirty a cop as he was, he still had a lot of genuine redeeming qualities. He wanted to help Tony and be his friend. He was loyal and never hid anything from the number one mobster. However, he was a deeply troubled man who suffered from loneliness and depression. That’s why he wanted so much to be in Tony’s inner circle.
Frankly, it would have been cool to see a cop and a mobster working together, and we think Vin would have helped Tony with his many illegal shenanigans. But Vin was a weak man, and when he was arrested in a brothel, he decided he did not have the strength to face what was coming to him, and committed suicide.
3. Gloria Trillo (Season 3, Episode 12)
When Gloria first appeared on the show, it was clear that she was going to be Tony’s goomar. She was likable at first because she was extremely beautiful and smart, and also seemed to be a strong and even powerful woman. However, we soon realized that she was the most insane character on the show, and we are talking about the show where almost every character is a cold-blooded killer.
Gloria had some real psychological problems, she was obsessed with Tony and even tried to sabotage his relationship with Carmela. She caused drama every time Tony tried to end things with her, and when he actually did, she killed herself. Her short arc is very sad, and we believe she could have stayed in the shoe longer before her mental health problems were revealed.
2. Jackie Aprile Sr. (Season 1, Episode 4)
We know that Jackie Aprile was the boss before Tony took over, but it was also established that they were two of the closest friends on the show. After he died of cancer and Tony stepped in, it was mentioned several times in the show how great of a boss he really was and that made Tony look like some kind of bad substitute.
Fans feel that it would have been good for the show and for Tony’s time as boss to see Jackie in some kind of trouble. That way, instead of just being accepted as a god-like boss, Aprile’s character would have been more relatable.
1. Livia Soprano (Season 3, Episode 2)
The death that changed the course of the show. Livia Soprano was by far the worst villain on the show. She had no heart, she was manipulative, she used her position to get everything she was, and she always blamed others for everything bad she did. At one point she even went so far as to order the murder of her own son Tony.
The very thought of how Tony’s life and the lives of others would have turned out if Livushka had lived longer is frightening. But there’s a sad story behind her death. The thing is, the writers didn’t intend to kill Livia, but the actress, Nancy Marchand, died at the time the show was being filmed, so her character was killed off. However, the ghost of Livia’s actions lived on in the show forever.
