Detectives Nick O'Malley and Kate Benson work in Special Unit 2, a secret precinct of the Chicago Police Department whose sole charge is to protect the city's citizens from Links, a malicious paranormal species that is the missing link between man and beast.

After his precocious behavior has gotten him bounced out of one more in a string of exclusive private schools, 16-year old Sebastian Valmont has arrived in New York City to live with his father and stepmother. The cunning and handsome Sebastian may have met his match, however in his equally manipulative and beautiful stepsister Kathryn Merteuil.

The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.