All of us at J. Stark have been cooped up at home, spending a lot of time diving into older tv shows for a sense of familiarity, levity and distraction. Some are using this time to check out "required viewing" shows for the first time, exploring the deeper offerings of prestige television, a slim minority of us are watching reality competitions we'd rather not admit to being obsessed with, while others are revisiting old favorites.
No matter what we've been watching we've been left with the burning question of "which J. Stark bag would these characters carry?"
After some debate here are my best guesses for the show that forever changed the course of prestige television and helped lay the groundwork for "The Golden Age of TV", The Sopranos.
Meadow:
No debate here, she's carrying a Bristol. She bought it on her college freshman Christmas break back home and after a little back and forth deciding between the Nasa and the Latte, she went with Latte. Take coffee away from any Soprano and you're taking your life out of your hands and putting it in theirs.
Anthony Jr.:
He tried to use his old backpack for football practice, but after Anthony Sr. saw him trying to shove his shoulder pads into it, Tony insisted on getting him a new Bryant duffle in Fire Orange. After all, he's a star player and a star player needs the proper equipment in order to excel. Now he's wearing it with the strap extended to its limit, the bag hitting his knees, bumping into people near him as he refuses to leave it in the gym locker room. Tony may or may not have gotten this from the bust out of Ramsey Outdoors but that's not a question we're willing to ask.
Carmela:
She's got two; a Catawba she bought as a part of a set of matching bags for her and Tony, and a Tremont she was given as a party favor from a large house warming party for the Sacramoni's. She and Tony were using their Catawbas when they traveled the world, before the kids and things got too busy in the NJ waste management world, but she was able to bring it to Italy on her short vacation.
She's also considering a new Bristol to match Meadow, but she wants hers made with tabasco waxed canvas instead. That way, it will be as spicy as her new Cayanne.
Christopher Moltisanti:
He's keeping his screenplay in an olive twill Prospect, which also may or may not have come from Ramsey Outdoors. He says he's given it up, but the bag always seems to be around him, even after he got the new Hummer.
Dr. Melfi:
With all her paperwork and without consistent time between patients to put everything into it's perfect place, Melfi grabs her sleek black University Tote and just transfers her folders directly into it. One day it went missing and when it showed back up it was shinier and it's loose threads from carrying too many files had been tightened back up. The good doctor thinks Tony had it replaced with a brand new one, but he actually shined it up himself with a little mink oil and had us re-do the saddle stitching, which of course we were happy to do.
Tony Soprano:
This is probably the hardest one to figure out, but I think I've come to the correct, but maybe controversial opinion. The big man himself isn't really a bag person, he can't be seen carrying too much on the day to day, but he's got the Catawba that Carm' got him packed as his bug out bag. Just the necessities, ready to go if he gets word that someone, either the FBI or the New York crew is making a move.
He also carried a Prospect in to see Dr. Melfi a few times to help give the illusion that he was a regular working man, but she saw through that very quickly as now it's sitting at the Bing. Paulie has got his eyes on it, but after fiasco with the painting, he's thinking twice about taking Tony's stuff as his own.
Pictured: Tony and his duck canvas bags before they learn to fly and head south
-Caleb
