"The Sopranos" is possibly the best television drama series of all time, and the 13 hour-long shows that were shown on HBO during the program’s second season are available on DVD as a four-disc set called "The Sopranos - The Complete Second Season." I think the show’s writing, acting, directing, and editing are at a higher level than that of most movies, and I’m very impressed with the use of music and humor in the series. I was absolutely enthralled as I watched "The Sopranos - The Complete Second Season" over a period of five days recently, and I got a lot of big laughs, too.

"The Sopranos" centers around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey mobster who lives in a nice suburban house next door to a medical doctor. But between the pressures he faces in the world of organized crime and the demands of his strong-willed wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and their two sullen teenage kids, Tony becomes emotionally troubled and has regular sessions with a shrink named Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco).

When Tony’s Uncle Junior came under federal indictment near the end of the first season, Tony became the mob boss for northern New Jersey, and during the second season, Tony struggles to adjust to his new position. Tony’s biggest fear is that someone in his trusted inner circle is an FBI informant, and he suspects longtime friend Big Pussy Bompensiero. But Tony and the other mobsters always find time to share some great Italian food, and they enjoy many light moments together, like when they kid around with impressions of Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.

Tony’s womanizing strains his relationship with his wife Carmela, and she insists he get a vasectomy to avoid bringing a bastard child into the family. Also, Tony’s kids continually push for greater independence. When Tony’s 18-year-old daughter Meadow hosts a wild party that trashes her grandmother’s house, he and Carmela agonize over how to punish her and settle for taking away her Discover card for three weeks.

Tony’s troubles deepen when his free-spirited sister Janice suddenly reappears after being away for 20 years. Then violent mobster Richie Aprile returns from 10 years in prison, and he and Janice become romantically involved. Richie enjoys making love to Janice while holding a gun to her head, usually with the clip removed.

Tony’s issues with Big Pussy, Richie, and Janice all get resolved over the course of the second season, and there’s plenty of violence and profanity and a little simulated sex along the way. But there are also lots of great conversations between Tony and Carmela, and Tony has some marvelous therapy sessions with Dr. Melfi that yield deep insights into the characters.

The first DVD in the four-disc set contains four episodes, and the remaining three discs contain three episodes each. In addition to the 13 episodes comprising the second season of "The Sopranos," the DVDs contain a few special features, which I have listed below.

Selected Special Features on the DVDs: