HBO James Gandolfini, Steven Van Zandt, and Vincent Pastore in 'The Sopranos' season 2, episode 13, 'Funhouse' "Lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over." So says New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) in the first episode of The Sopranos, setting the stage for HBO's exploration of American decline and the creeping question of how we're contributing to it.