What Happens to Janice in The Sopranos?
The iconic gangster melodrama The Sopranos changed TV forever for many different reasons. Whether through the exploration of Tony Soprano’s psyche, detailing mafia conflicts or embodying familial drama, the series never ceased to engage audiences. From 1999-2007, The Sopranos posed interesting questions about the human condition, family, morality and criminality. However, none of this would have been possible without distinctly crafted characters and an incredible cast portraying them. Each character brings something different and important to the series and each character’s arc was equally integral to The Sopranos’ success.
Some characters had long and essential roles to play in the greater plot of the series. Characters alongside the main cast, including Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri, Christopher Moltisanti and Silvio Dante. Other characters had small roles that were no less important to telling the story or addressing interesting themes. Perhaps the most interesting element of The Sopranos is the approach to portraying the nuclear family. The Sopranos could often be at its best when it was just spending time with Tony and his immediate family. It always made characters like Carmela, A.J, Meadow, Livia and Uncle Junior much more interesting at times because of their greater effect on Tony Soprano. One character that debuted in the series in season 2 was Tony’s sister Janice. Very quickly, fans got to see the arc of her character, and her relationship with her brother grew exponentially.
Janice Struggles to Find Her Place Upon Returning to New Jersey
She Manipulates Every Situation to Her Advantage
Fans will remember that Janice Soprano wasn’t around during the initial run of the series. It is famously known that creator David Chase wasn’t convinced that the series would even continue past the first season. When the second season was greenlit, there was room for the inclusion of Tony’s aloof sister Janice, who has been living all over the West Coast. A shock to other characters that she’s back in town, Janice makes her intentions known. In town to look after her ailing mother (especially after the falling out her mother had with Tony), Janice seems genuine at first. However, Tony makes it clear that Janice is always looking out for herself and that becomes the case again when it’s further revealed that Janice is looking to exploit her mother’s hidden savings. Janice and Tony do not get along and are often at odds with one another over various conflicts both small and large. First encroaching into family affairs, Janice also sinks her claws into the organized crime world of her community when she begins dating an old boyfriend named Richie Aprile.
Throughout the second season, Janice and Tony fight about various things, but perhaps nothing irritates Tony more than when Janice and Richie get engaged. At this point, Richie is becoming an increasing problem for Tony and even conspiring with Uncle Junior to potentially try and take Tony out again. Janice, being as manipulative as she is, supports Richie’s intentions to take over the organization from her brother. Everything changes for Janice when her temper (that famous “Soprano temper”) causes her to kill her own fiancé, Richie. Going to Tony for help, he cleans up the mess but also advises Janice to leave town once again. David Chase has also admitted that Janice was not actually going to return to the series, but the death of Nancy Marchand and, subsequently, Livia Soprano, opened the door for her character to return. Janice returns when her mother dies, but not necessarily to grieve her. Once again, Janice sets her sights on whatever hidden fortune might have been left behind by Livia.
Struggling to find her place in the world of her brother, Janice gets into multiple situations that her brother is forced to clean up. Between getting into a feud with a Russian gangster, a feud with a one-legged Russian caregiver and various feuds with her brother, Janice is certainly a presence in the series. Her various relationships never seem to disappoint from an entertainment standpoint. She dates a few odd outsiders that she flaunts around the family for a time, but always ultimately has her sights on a man from within the mafia community she was raised in. Her next gangster boyfriend is none other than Ralph Cifaretto, who happens to be another internal rival of her brother. Only this time the relationship doesn’t last as long as previous relationships due to Janice’s own personal reasons. By the time the fourth season comes around, Janice is forced to re-evaluate her approach to having a true position in her commu
