The Sopranos gangster, but more so that Tony's mother, Livia, was vengeful and possibly psychopathicare revealed. His complicated relationship with his wife Carmela is also explored, as well as her feelings regarding her husband's "cosa nostra" ties. Meadow and Anthony Jr.—Tony's children—gain increasing knowledge of their father's mob dealings. Later, federal indictments are brought as a result of someone in his organization talking to the FBI. Tony's uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano orders the murder of Brendan Filone and the mock execution of Chris Moltisanti, associates of Tony, as reprisal for repeated hijackings of trucks under Corrado's protection. Tony defuses the situation by
The Sopranos popular culture of the last quarter century." In 2007, Roger Holland of PopMatters wrote, "the debut season of "The Sopranos" remains the crowning achievement of American television." "Time Out New York" 's Andrew Johnston had high praise for the series, stating: "Together, Chase and his fellow writers (including Terence Winter and "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner) produced the legendary Great American Novel, and its 86 episodes long." Johnston asserted the preeminence of "The Sopranos" as opposed to "The Wire" and "Deadwood" in a debate with television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz, both of whom would later include "The