The Sopranos: Why Tony’s Mother Is CGI In Season 3

One of the most memorable — and odd — moments in The Sopranos was the bizarre CGI Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand) who appeared in season 3, which led many viewers to question why showrunner David Chase included the scene. Tragically, Marchand died during the show’s run, which lead to The Sopranos killing off her character offscreen, leaving Tony (James Gandolfini) distraught. Many major cast members meet their end in The Sopranos, but the death of Tony Soprano’s mother undoubtedly affected him the most. Notably, their relationship is further explored in the Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, which reveals much about the origins of the Tony Soprano mom issues that defined the series.