Review: HBO’s “Horse Sopranos”

HBO’s newest series “Horse Sopranos” premiered last night at 9 P.M. Eastern. This is a review of the pilot.

I was absolutely blown away by the premiere of “Horse Sopranos”, another knockout from the network that brought us “Regular Sopranos” and “Actors Wearing 1920’s Clothes.” There’s nothing else quite like it on network television or cable. It’s visceral, engaging, and has a lot horses.

“Horse Sopranos” stars Tootsie from Tootsie as a crime guy who’s looking to break into the horse business. He invests money in horses that run laps around a track, and the horses make him more money. A lot of comparisons have been drawn between this character and Tony Soprano from “Regular Sopranos”, an anti-hero who also loved crime and money (but strangely enough, not horses).

The series was created by David Mulch, who’s best known as the creator/head writer of the much-beloved, short-lived HBO series “Deadwood” which, though taking place in the Wild West, didn’t feature as many horses as “Horse Sopranos” seems to. Fans of “Deadwood” should expect the same level of craft and ambition that made the series so transcendent, but with more horses.

However, I should note that this series isn’t for everyone. “Horse Sopranos” is very heady, slow-building, and features a lot of horses. If any of those qualities sound boring to you, then you might take a first-class trip to SnoozeTown when you watch “Horse Sopranos.” Personally, I love it when a series can stretch a story arc over the course of several episodes. If executed well, it can be all the more rewarding. I also like horses. A lot. I would say that I fit squarely in the demographic that HBO is looking for: “smart guys who appreciate horses and how fast they run, or how they stand up while they sleep.” And believe me, you’ll be getting a lot of that when you watch “Horse Sopranos.”

This review was written by freelancer, Poppa’s Got A New Bag. He is a horse.