"I'll put down 'pappardelle' [pasta] and he'll change it to 'orcchiette,'" Kessler said.

According to Kessler, Chase envisions the series as "the third segment of a trilogy that began with 'The Godfather' and continued with 'Goodfellas.'"

"The Sopranos" has been acclaimed for its humorous, unconventional depiction of life in the Mob. The main character, Tony Soprano, kills informers and enjoys long dinners in Italian restaurants. He also visits a psychiatrist who exhorts him to "go beyond anger to the sorrow underneath."

The episode screened yesterday demonstrated some of that psychological complexity, involving the conflict between the main character's conscious and unconscious minds.

Nicole C. Devincenzo '04, a first-time viewer, said she was impressed by the show's complexity. Themes like difficult parent-child relationships and the coming-of-age process make the series resonate with viewers' own experiences in a way that previous depictions of the Mafia do not, she said.

Kessler said this unusual appeal is a crucial aim of the series, which will begin its third season March 4.

"We're showing that they're not just stone killers out there," he said. "They're more like us than we want to believe."