10 Greatest TV Bottle Episodes

The Sopranos is one of the greatest examples of a single story told over a long time, but it was capable of brilliant one-off episodes, too. “Pine Barrens”, one of the best loved episodes in the show’s run, is built around characters we’ve known for years, but its plot is so tight and fun that it could work as the basis for a standalone movie.

The plot is a simple one: gangsters Chris and Paulie botch a money collection job and end up marching a Russian acquaintance to his death in the deep New Jersey woods. The Russian gives the pair the slip, and they wind up stranded in the wilderness.

The Sopranos always had a knack for comedy, but rarely did they go so full throttle with the laughs as they do here. Paulie and Chris in turn bicker, threaten, and comfort one another, two tough wiseguys completely out of their elements and frightened for their lives.

While “Pine Barrens” isn’t a traditional bottle episode in that it takes place in the vast expanses of nature, its focus on just two characters out of a sprawling cast allows for greater exploration of creations with real depth. It’s one of the best and most fun hours of TV ever made.