This ‘Sopranos’ Deleted Scene Answers a Decades-Long Question

The big picture

• “Pine Barrens” is a featured episode of
  The Sopranos
  focusing on the misadventures of Christopher and Paulie.
• The episode's ambiguous ending contrasts with traditional narratives, showing the character's flaws.
• The episode's influence is seen in the show's finale, which features open-ended storytelling for strong impact.

The Sopranos is so full of classic episodes that choosing one as the best is no easy task. Between the surprisingly dark twist of “Long Term Parking,” the experimental surrealism of “The Test Dream,” and the controversial ending of “Made in America,” fans are often forced to debate which installment best represents the series. Despite this, “Pine Barrens” is one of them The Sopranos' more fun and surprising episodesas it is one of the few that does not focus solely on Tony (James Gandolfini).

Basically a comedy of errors, “Pine Barrens” follows Christopher Moltisanti (Miquel Imperioli) and Paulie Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) while trying to make a collection of the Russian criminal Valery (Vitaly Baganov). After Valery determines that the two mob men are there to kill him, he escapes into the Pine Barrens desert of New Jersey, forcing Christopher and Paulie to chase after him. While the ambiguous ending is one of the great charms of the episode, David Chase revealed an alternate ending that could have changed the legacy of “Pine Barrens.”

What happens in “Pine Barrens”?

Although the episode features Tony's anxiety over his unstable relationship with his girlfriend Gloria Trillo (Annabella Sciorra), “Pine Barrens” serves as a critical moment in the relationship between Christopher and Paulie. The two characters have often clashed with each other as they compete for Tony's favor. Paulie is a former soldier who does not believe that Christopher has the responsibility that would make him capable of running Tony's empire; in comparison, Christopher resents Paulie's constant insults and feels that he is unnecessarily sowing rivalries within the family. The rivalry between them becomes more hostile when Valery proves difficult to learn; As much as it pains them to admit it, Paulie and Christopher are forced to trust each other.

The brilliance of “Pine Barrens” is this Valery's fate is unimportant to the narrative arc of The Sopranos. It makes sense that Tony's schemes earn him a few enemies he'll never face, and the Russian characters don't play a big part in the rest of the series. However, “Pine Barrens” shows how incompetent both Christopher and Paulie are without Tony's leadership as they don't plan enough for Valery's potential escape. Although both characters grudgingly respect each other as the episode concludes, their failure foreshadows their tragic fate. In the final season, Christopher dies as a result of his constant drug use, and Paulie stays by Tony's side until the bitter end.

“Pine Barrens” ends with Paulie and Christopher giving Tony a false story about Valery's escape, as neither is brave enough to admit the truth. Valery's fate is never revealed, and the ambiguous ending of “Pine Barrens” makes it a stronger episode. Christopher and Paulie are forced to live with the consequences of their lie for the rest of the series; presenting a scenario with no easy solution seemed like a more realistic moment for the show. This refusal to conform to traditionally gratifying narrative structures does The Sopranos one of the best drama shows of all time.

David Chase filmed alternate ending for 'Pine Barrens'

Although its open conclusion caused a strong debate among fans of The Sopranos, Sirico revealed it a more conclusive ending had been filmed for “Pine Barrens.”. Instead of being rescued by Bobby Baccalieri (Steve Schirripa) after nearly freezing to death in the woods, Paulie and Christopher allegedly found Valery hiding outside a bar and shot him dead. A moment of such brutality would not have been unusual The Sopranos, but Chase didn't think it would have fit within the realistic tone of the episode. Chase “wanted the audience to just suffer” so that they would feel the same despair as Christopher and Paulie.

Despite filming an alternate ending, Chase revealed that Valery survived after the events of “Pine Barrens”. According to his capocanon, Valery was discovered by a group of Boy Scouts, who called their leader Slava Malevsky (Frank Ciornei), which in turn ensured his safe return to Russia to receive brain surgery. Valery's survival may have become one of them The Sopranos' more shocking moments, but the information is insignificant because the information is limited to what the identifiable characters know. The Sopranos it succeeded because it put its anti-hero characters in vulnerable positions; despite their violent behavior, it's hard not to become emotionally invested in both Paulie and Christopher after seeing the difficult situation they endured.

'Pine Barrens' is the most influential episode of 'The Sopranos'

Although generally considered one of the more humorous installments, “Pine Barrens” established the ambiguity that The Sopranos would use in its series finale. The episode confirmed to fans that it would not be ending, although some of the show's storylines would be left up to interpretation. The final episode, “Made in America,” became one of the most divisive television finales of all time because it did not confirm whether Tony and his family had survived. Some of the show's harshest critics may have argued that the inconclusive ending was a gimmick, but the fact that “Made in America” ​​continues to provoke such debate is a testament to its lasting influence.

“Pine Barrens” was also directed by Steve Buscemi, who would later become one of the show's biggest guest stars. Buscemi appears in the fifth season as Tony B., a former criminal trying to turn his life around after his release. His eventual return to the mafia world fits within the tragic The Sopranos issue that the criminal lifestyle is inescapable.

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