Getting To The Bottom Of The Bottle: 25 Best Bottle Episodes

Photo: HBO

The Sopranos – “Pine Barrens”

This episode doesn’t strictly adhere to the rules of bottle episodes. However, it thrusts two of its featured characters into a remote location in order to hash out a beef, and that’s close enough. “Pine Barrens” debuted close to the end of the third season, and was the perfect vehicle for some resolution to the strained relationship between Paulie and Christopher.

By this time in the series, Christopher, Tony Soprano’s nephew, was climbing the ranks in the organization, almost solely based on nepotism and family favors. Understandingly, this causes problems and feelings of resentment with long-time organization member, Paulie, who is in constant confrontation with Chris. When Tony sends them on a simple collection errand, it goes violently awry and they wind up stranded in the woods, freezing and lost. Over the course of the night, through one heavy conversation and a couple of shared relish packets, the two resolve their issues (for the moment) and emerge from the woods back on track.

The bottle nature of the episode is meant to loosen the tautness between Paulie and Chris, even though it’s only temporary. Directed by Steve Buscemi, it’s often considered one of the series’ most famous episodes. It’s so tightly knit and neatly accomplished, it’s become one of the finest illustrations of The Sopranos‘  economical storytelling.