It's not a controversial statement to say that The Sopranos is one of the greatest TV shows of all time, and has some of the best and most memorable characters of all time. Through excellent writing and equally great acting, the show created countless characters who were fleshed out, interesting, and human in their flaws, both in its main cast of stars and regular supporting characters.
But what about the minor characters? They might not instantly jump out like the regular or recurring ones, but The Sopranos also did a fantastic job of peppering its six seasons with memorable minor characters, even when they might only get to appear in an episode or two. The following 10 characters all get exactly one episode to shine, yet stand out and remain in viewers' memories for a whole host of unique reasons.
Tracee in "University" (Season 3, Episode 6, 2001)
Probably the most well-remembered of the one-off characters in The Sopranos, Tracee's story is central to University, an episode that occurs roughly halfway through the show's third season. She's just about the only dancer at The Bada Bing - the nightclub Tony Soprano's gang use as a hangout/HQ - that gets properly developed as a character, and her time on the show is short, sad, and brutal.
She's horrifically abused by the psychopathic Ralph Cifaretto, with the episode culminating in him murdering her - while he knows she's pregnant with (probably) his child - in a fit of rage. It's one of the most horrific scenes in all six seasons, and the episode makes sure to compare Tracee to Meadow, Tony's daughter who is the same age and enjoying a privileged life off at college in New York City. Tracee's character shows how casually the men in the show often treat violence, the way they look down on and mistreat women, and the thankless at best, dangerous at worst life of a dancer in a club frequented by criminals. Ariel Kiley's gutsy performance goes a long way too in making Tracee's cruel fate all the more stomach-churning and sickeningly sad.
Dominic Palladino in "The Strong, Silent Type" (Season 4, Episode 10, 2002)
Dominic Palladrino is a character who might stand out more for the scene he appears in, but what a scene it is. He's brought in by Tony to give his nephew, Christopher, an intervention, after his drug habit spirals well out of control, and he becomes harmful to those around him.
Of course, given how hot-headed the characters are, the intervention goes south very quickly, and as a mediator, Dominic tries but fails to stop things from getting physical, and Christopher is later checked into a rehab center. It's a funny scene to watch as a viewer, even if the verbal (and physical) sparring would be far from funny for the characters themselves.
Robert "Bobby" Baccalieri, Sr. in "Another Toothpick" (Season 3, Episode 5, 2001)
The father of Bobby Baccalieri Jr. - who started as a great supporting character before becoming a main character in the later seasons - Robert "Bobby" Baccalieri, Sr. is an associate of Tony Soprano's crime family whose glory days are far behind him... yet he wants to ignore his declining health and carry out a revenge killing, out of principle.
Ultimately, he pulls off the hit (just), but crashes his car as he's making his getaway and dies. He's a stark reminder of how even in old age, the criminal lifestyle the characters are wrapped in is hard to shake, and drives home the dangers of trying too hard to recapture one's youth. He's portrayed excellently by Burt Young, who's best known for playing Rocky's brother-in-law, Paulie, in the Rocky series.
Dr. Krakower in "Second Opinion" (Season 3, Episode 7, 2001)
The Sopranos is famous for its lengthy therapy scenes between Tony and his shrink, Dr. Melfi. In Second Opinion, Tony's wife, Carmela, tries going to therapy by herself (she'd previously attended a couple of Tony's sessions), and gets some harsh truths from her one-off therapist, the no-nonsense Dr. Krakower.
Carmela discusses feeling conflicted about benefiting from her husband's crimes, but Krakower suggests that if she truly felt that, she would leave Tony. He tells Carmela that most patients just want to be excused by their therapists, but that's not what he's about, and drops devastating truth bombs like, "You'll never be able to quell the feelings of guilt and shame...so long as you're his accomplice," and refuses to charge her because then he'd be taking "blood money." His scene deepens and complicates the character of Carmela, who doesn't commit the crimes in the show but benefits from them. Going forward, viewers may shift their own beliefs about the true extent of the guilt she claims to feel.
Valery in "Pine Barrens" (Season 3, Episode 11, 2001)
Valery is also nicknamed "The Russian" by some Sopranos fans, and is a big part of one of the show's most iconic episodes, Pine Barrens. While he makes a brief appearance in an earlier episode, it's his kidnapping by - and escape from - Paulie and Christopher that's made him legendary, as their unsuccessful quest to find him gets the pair hilariously lost in the frozen woods near New Jersey.
His fate is also undetermined, meaning that he's the source of one of The Sopranos' biggest mysteries (maybe second only to its most infamous one). He's also just really cool, and his imperviousness to bullets and the fact he may have survived the whole ordeal make him one of the toughest and most resilient characters in all six seasons.
Ben Kingsley & Lauren Bacall in "Luxury Lounge" (Season 6, Episode 7, 2006)
There were a few memorable instances of people playing themselves on The Sopranos, but the seventh episode of season 6 gave viewers two of the best in one episode. Legendary actors Ben Kingsley and Lauren Bacall both play fictional versions of themselves in a subplot where Christopher travels to Hollywood in search of stars for his upcoming crime/horror film, "Cleaver."
Kingsley and Bacall are both used well to satirize the privilege and excess of the Hollywood lifestyle. They're also shown to be unafraid to take on unglamorous roles as themselves (Bacall is even mugged by Christopher, who wants her gift bag with the luxury goods hinted at in the title).
Patrick Whalen in "Everybody Hurts" (Season 4, Episode 6, 2002) & Girl at Swimming Pool #2 in "The Telltale Moozadell" (Season 3, Episode 9, 2001)
Admittedly, these characters might not have been memorable for those watching The Sopranos as it was airing, but they're memorable now, and will stand out to modern viewers for similar reasons. Both characters are shown to be friends with A.J., Tony's son, in two separate episodes, with Patrick Whalen being played by Golden Globe-nominated Paul Dano, while an almost unrecognizable teenage Lady Gaga plays the role of Girl at Swimming Pool #2.
Dano at least gets a few scenes and lines, but Lady Gaga's presence isn't much more than a background role, admittedly. Still, it's cool that they're in the show, both before becoming well-known in the entertainment world in their own ways, and they stick out as memorable minor characters now for that reason.
The "Oh S**t" Guy in "Made in America" (Season 6, Episode 21, 2007)
This character doesn't even have a name. He appears for about one second as an extra, and says "oh s**t" as he witnesses a particularly grisly murder in the show's final and unfairly controversial episode.
But his shocked reaction, the way he says his one line, the fact the scene even cuts to him for just a second, the way an American flag is seen to his left... he leaves an impact for such a tiny role. It's also a hugely memorable and horrific scene, with what he's reacting to, but the "Oh S**t" Guy gives it a brief moment of dark comedy, whilst said reaction also feels very genuine, in its own way. It's a fantastic, tiny, weirdly memorable moment in an iconic series jam-packed full of fantastic, tiny, weirdly memorable moments.