Character
Jennifer Melfi
Arts, Music & Media
Psychology & Mind
Writing & NarrativeWho is Jennifer Melfi in the Agency editorial?
Dr. Jennifer Melfi is a character of the television series The Sopranos, the psychiatrist who treats the mob boss Tony Soprano, played by Lorraine Bracco. Issue.16 of the Agency editorial names her twice: in the credit of the actress's tribute to James Gandolfini and as the doctor who helps Tony in the therapy sessions around which, the edition says, his character develops.
In short
Dr. Jennifer Melfi is the psychiatrist of Tony Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos, played by Lorraine Bracco. Issue.16 of the Agency editorial names her in two places. First, in the credit of a quotation by Lorraine Bracco about James Gandolfini: "He was a genius. Anyone who knew him or worked with him, on screen or off, knew this to be true." Then, in the section about Tony Soprano, the edition says that the character of Tony develops around the therapy sessions he goes to, where, with the help of Dr. Jennifer Melfi, he tries to understand the root cause of his anger issues so that he can be a better loving father and husband. The edition adds that there was a lot of taboo around men and psychological care back in 1999.
Key facts
- Which work does Jennifer Melfi belong to?
- She belongs to The Sopranos, the HBO series created by David Chase. She is the doctor with whom the protagonist, Tony Soprano, does therapy.
- What does Issue.16 say about her role?
- That the character of Tony develops around his therapy sessions, where, with the help of Dr. Jennifer Melfi, he tries to understand the root cause of his anger issues.
- Why does the edition give weight to the therapy?
- Because, it says, there was a lot of taboo around men and psychological care in 1999, and the series showed a feared mob boss sharing his fears and secrets with a doctor.
Who is Jennifer Melfi?
Dr. Jennifer Melfi is a character of The Sopranos, the series created by David Chase and shown by HBO from 1999 to 2007. She is the psychiatrist who treats Tony Soprano, and the sessions between the two run through the series. She was played by Lorraine Bracco.
How does Jennifer Melfi appear in Issue.16?
The first mention is a credit. Among the quotations from the cast that the edition gathers to introduce James Gandolfini, one is from Lorraine Bracco, identified as the actress who portrayed Dr. Jennifer Melfi. She calls him a genius.
The second mention is the one that gives the character a role in the argument. In the section about Tony Soprano, the edition says that, amidst all the crime and violence themes, the character of Tony develops around the therapy sessions he goes to. With the help of Dr. Jennifer Melfi, he tries to better understand the root cause of his anger issues, so that, regardless of the lifestyle he inherited from his ancestors, he can be a better loving father and husband.
The edition then refers to her without the name, as the doctor with whom a feared mob boss shares his fears and secrets, with the goal of becoming a better person while his work strips him of his humanity. From there it draws its point about cultural works like The Sopranos: besides entertaining, they can help us deconstruct aspects of our personality that are no longer aligned with the times we live in.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.