The Sopranos 3x11 Reaction

LMFAOAO the steak hitting the back of tonys head is the funniest moment of this ep and maybe the whole show so far

Every time I rewatch this series, I reflect more and more that AJ never had a chance. The Pine Barrens is a large swathe of southern New Jersey that is largely undeveloped, with much of its territory preserved as state parks and federal reserves. Despite the perception of NJ as a dense urban/suburban conglomeration, the state has many vast areas where you're completely isolated from anything else. Paulie and Chris both try to dismiss this as not being REAL NJ, specifying that it's "South Jersey". The rivalry between North and South Jersey is a semi-serious feud between the two areas as to which counts as "really" being NJ.

When Tony did a little hop when he said "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about", I literally had to pause the episode because I was laughing so much. From his point of view, he sent them to do a very routine task, and they end up calling him about being stranded in a truck in the middle of the woods. Comedy gold!

I don’t think ever seen Lola laugh this much in any reaction ever lol

While this is an obviously great episode on the surface level, it's actually loaded with religious hints and imagery which give it a deeper layer. I read it as an allegory focusing on Paulie having abandoned morality, and serves as a follow up to s2e9 "From Where To Eternity" which has Chris seeing a vision of hell/purgatory while Paulie sees the psychic about his ghosts. That episode ends with Paulie rejecting the Church, staring down the statue of Jesus and turning to walk away after berating the priest. Pine Barrens continues this theme, and the whole "wandering aimlessly through the forest" section is a metaphor for how Paulie is wandering aimlessly through life, while thinking that he knows everything and that he knows how to get to salvation, but obviously doesn't. In this little play, Valery is a stand-in for Jesus: an innocent, "killed" by Roman soldiers, put into the tomb (trunk of the car), before being discovered "resurrected", before inexplicably vanishing (up to heaven). Even the method of the initial "killing" is engineered to visually resemble a crucifixion: while both Chris and Paulie have guns which they frequently whip out when needed, Paulie chooses not to pull out his gun in the fight but rather to get a six foot tall standing lamp to choke Valery. When Valery is laying on the ground and the six foot long stick is laying across his neck it's like the cross-beam of a crucifix. There are loads of little hints: at the beginning, Irina phones looking for her "religious medal". It would have been so natural to just write it as she has lost an earring or sunglasses as the excuse for the call, but the thing that's gone missing is a symbol for Jesus. Directly after Valery disappears into thin air, AJ is shown watching a music video in which at the end the milk carton flies up to heaven with angel wings. Slava says Valery saved his life in war and is closer than a brother: so Valery is his *personal saviour*, and people often describe a relationship with Jesus as closer than family. Even the universal remote fits in as the holy trinity (yeah I know that sounds silly, bear with me). Paulie explicitly lists three items on the entertainment center — TV, DVD, stereo — and he doesn't understand what the remote is, this thing that is three things in one, it is a mystery to him. Valery wants it put in its proper place (high on the shelf, placed centrally), but Paulie in his pride, anger, and ignorance desecrates it, and the desecration of the sacred leads directly into Paulie wandering around in hell/purgatory, having a taste of what is to come. Throughout the episode, the dialogue directly deals with the subject of Paulie taking responsibility for what he does. He laments that he wasn't meant to be picking up Sil's money, treating this situation as though fate did it to him for no reason, rather than being the result of his actions. He repeatedly makes excuses, saying that Valery sucker punched him, or that Chris was impulsive, shifting the blame away from himself. It ends with Tony directly telling him that he must deal with the consequences. The takeaway is that ultimately, Paulie will have to pay the price for his sins, and will go to Hell. Or as AJ says in this episode: "chili today, hot tamale" — cold today, "hot" tomorrow. If that all sounds a bit wild and like I'm reading too much into things, consider that David Chase has explicitly confirmed in interview that the many satanic hints surrounding Ralph are intentionally written in (I won't list them here, there are lots, and some might be slightly spoilerish), not to mention season three being jam-packed with religious motifs on the surface, such as episode titles referring to Jesus, and Janice's conversion. And that Chase when interviewed also referred to Valery as like "something out of a fairy tale — but more like a spirit". And no, I'm not religious. TLDR; Sopranos uses a lot of symbolism.

Great commentary on Chris and Gloria, really nailed it. Chris must be loyle to his capo. Also watch how Gloria reacts after she hits Tony with the steak and he's staring at her. Tells you all you need to know. Annabella Sciorra is so good in that role.

Probably the most famous episodes of The Sopranos. I even knew about Paulie and Christopher being lost in the woods before I even watched the show. I do like this episode (and understand why it's universally liked), but I wouldn't put it in my top 3, mostly because I spent the whole episode getting pissed off (but also laughing) at Paulie fucking up an incredibly simple job. Should have put the universal remote on docking station... Moreover, we can also see Paulie and Tony's relationship deteriorating in this episode. He called Christopher a baby in a past episode for telling Tony about Paulie being a pervert, but now he's saying "I lost my shoe" like a helpless child. And, as alluded in the review, getting berated by Tony like one as well. Paulie resented Tony before, but now the feeling is mutual. A great and memorable ending to the episode as well, showing us the ghost of Livia will still haunt Tony even after she's gone. It's interesting to see the Robert Frost poem being alluded to again here, first time in the episode about Livia's death and now in the episode where Melfi helps Tony realize that he hasn't escape Livia just yet. "Does that remind you of any other woman?"

Been waiting for this one!

This has got one of my favorite lines of the whole show... "you've got mayonnaise on your chin.....mayonnaise!"

This is a funny episode -- god, it's a funny episode -- but I think it also comes at a perfect time in the series. Chase spent the first half of the season reminding viewers that these guys are monsters. Now "Pine Barrens" comes along (a) to underline how *pathetic* they can also be and (b) to take some steps to rehabilitate the characters for the audience. How can you watch that interior decorator conversation and not enjoy Chris & Paulie just a little bit? Not that we shouldn't think they're monsters, but the tension between being fascinated and being horrified by Tony's crew is an important part of the show. Even if they are terrible people, they are complex, fully-formed characters.

Classic episode

One of the most memorable episodes in the series. As for the general direction of the season, I believe the show was originally only planned for 1 season then it got a renewal for season 2. I'm pretty sure the show was such a hit that they were basically renewed for season 3 and 4 together which is why the pacing is different this season. They had more time to let arcs develop over 2 seasons. It's why the episodes feel a little different now.

This episode really illustrates what's so great about the SOPRANOS in my opinion. It's a top drama show, but it also has some of the best comedy in a drama series. It can be unbelievably dark at times, but it will also make you laugh your ass off. The characters just feel so real.

one of my favourite Sopranos facts is that Bobby's actor, Steve Schirripa, to make sure James Gandolfini would laugh hard enough in the scene where he enters in hunting gear, walked in wearing both the gear and a giant strap-on dildo. the take of Tony laughing is his authentic reaction to seeing the giant dildo lmao

Notice the music linking Paulie looking out at the endless trees in the car ride and the end of the episode where Tony can't see the connection Melfi is trying to hint for him. Despite the difference in story-lines there is an overarching idea in the episode. Great excerpt from the AV Club: "The characters have all metaphorically been lost in the woods this season, trapped in situations where everything looks the same, and there’s no real sense of where to turn at any given moment." The forest being a symbol for existential disorientation has popped up in a number of other readings as well. Some connections: - Tony and Meadow are linked through their dissonance in regards to their relationships in their final scenes of the episode, unable or unwilling to see the truth. - Meadow dates another terrible boyfriend. The echo of dating your parent is obvious with Jackie Jr. but it was present in Noah as well. She even described Noah at one point as "nice in one moment and a different person in another". Basically a Tony that is from a different ethnic/social eco background and more educated. He even mentions wanting to hit Tony (lol) and breaks up callously with Meadow the way Tony callously breaks up with Irina. - AJ is lost throughout the season too. He gets in trouble and can only shrug when asked why he does things that get him in trouble. One of the most striking is also his reaction (in that cheesy slow-mo edit) when Tony is cheering for his football save in the third episode of the season. - The cellphone causing mayhem in communication is a hilarious reflection of interpersonal communication in this show often being oblique. Rarely does clear communication and honest discussion of feelings take place. Therapy is the exception (and even then not always), and that's because it involves...therapists. Going to further note that characters being the same but not exactly the same isn't trivial in the show. You DO have to remember the differences and it's not just window dressing. Adriana is also markedly different than both Carmela and Meadow. They both have challenged Tony on his hypocrisy and have pondered their own complicity. Adriana saw shoes and didn't question anything. Also great observation about the Twin Peaks feeling of the episode. David Chase was a huge fan of that show and it has influenced this show as well.

This is genuinely one of the funniest episodes of The Sopranos for me. Christopher and Paulie are comedy gold together when they are allowed to be a little lighter with the situations the characters are in.

Hey, you had subtitles for the non-English speaking scenes this time! Nice. What did I miss? Did they change the platform or something?

A Twin Peaks shout out in the review, most excellent 😤

"His house looked like shit" always has me rolling

Tony: "He killed 16 Chechens! He was in the Interior Ministry!" Paulie: "He killed 16 Czechoslovakians! Guy was an interior decorator!" Chris: "His house looked like shit." Comedy gold.

I always remember this episode when i think of sopranos

Obviously this episode is amazing, but I do think it’s overrated in the sense it is constantly mentioned for best episode of the show. This season alone has 5 episodes that have way more emotional and thematic depth to them which is what makes the sopranos so good. Amazing episode but I really don’t think it even deserves top 10 of the show.

Been looking forward to watching your reactions to this episode all season

Hello Sopranos fans! Thanks to everyone who responded to the survey. There were a total of 113 responses before I closed the survey, which is an increase of 40 responses compared to last year! I've made extra categories based on the results that were not on the survey, such as Overall Channel Favourite Shows, Cult Following Shows etc. as I needed the survey results to make those categories. The Overall Channel Favourite Shows have been decided upon by considering which shows were watched the most, which reactions were watched the most, and which shows were rated highest by you guys. Notes on how I calculated this and anything else are at the bottom of this post. The full report can be seen here https://freeonlinesurveys.com/r/kercQLKX . If you want to download the raw data to see more correlative trends, it's on the Discord. I'll get into the show related results first before moving onto the channel and viewer related results. Two shows next to each other with a '~' symbol inbetween indicate an absolute tie based on percentage. Remember that you can read the full report to see the results for any show you rated. ----- SHOW RESULTS ----- Overall Channel Favourite: #1. Attack On Titan (#2 Most Watched Show, #1 Most Watched Reaction, #3 Highest Rated Show) ~ Breaking Bad (#1 Most Watched Show, #3 Most Watched Reaction, #2 Highest Rated Show) #2. Vinland Saga (#5 Most Watched Show, #3 Most Watched Reaction, #3 Highest Rated Show) #3. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (#5 Most Watched Reaction, #1 Highest Rated Show) Most Watched Shows: #1. Breaking Bad (83%)[87 Responses] #2. Attack On Titan (78%)[82 Respones] #3. Death Note (75%)[79 Responses] #4. Arcane (72%)[76 Responses] #5. Vinland Saga (70%)[74 Responses] Most Watched Reactions: #1. Attack On Titan (77%)[76 Responses] #2. Hunter x Hunter (71%)[70 Respones] #3. Vinland Saga (70%)[69 Responses] ~ Breaking Bad (70%)[69 Responses] #4. Arcane (65%)[64 Responses] #5. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (62%)[61 Responses] Highest Rated Shows: #1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (9.24)[62 Responses] #2. Breaking Bad (9.22)[72 Responses] #3. Attack On Titan (9.18)[72 Responses] ~ Vinland Saga (9.18)[67 Responses] #4. Better Call Saul (9.12)[58 Responses] #5. The Sopranos (9.08)[50 Responses] #6. Avatar: The Last Airbender (9.05)[60 Responses] #7. The Wire (8.98)[44 Responses] #8. Mr. Robot (8.68)[37 Responses] #9. Band Of Brothers (8.87)[31 Responses] ~ Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood (8.67)[60 Responses] #10. Mob Psycho 100 (8.66)[50 Responses] Highest Rated Shows Started In 2024: #1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (9.24)[62 Responses] #2. The Sopranos (9.08)[50 Responses] #3. Black Sails (8.53)[30 Responses] #4. Haikyuu!! (8.49)[55 Responses] #5. Severance (8.44)[48 Responses] Cult Following Shows (ie. Low Popularity vs. Highly Rated): #1. The Expanse (8.42)[26% Watched] #2. Black Sails (8.53)[30% Watched] #3. Band Of Brothers (8.87)[36% Watched] #4. Mr. Robot (8.68)[42% Watched] #5. The Wire (8.98)[44% Watched] Least Popular Show: - The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power (4.93 Rating)[23% Show Watched, 15% Reaction Watched] Average Show Medium Stats: - Anime: 60.8% Show Watched, 58.9% Reaction Watched, 8.40 Show Rating - Live Action/Animated: 45.1% Show Watched, 39.3% Reaction Watched, 7.77 Show Rating ----- CHANNEL/VIEWER RESULTS ----- Thanks to those of you who went the extra mile to tell us about yourself and how you engage with the channel. As such, the data shows that if you are a Patron of LM Reactions, you are: - 62% likely to have been watching since 2021 or earlier. - 73% likely to watch the girls' full reactions - 65% likely to be currently watching 2-3 of their shows' reactions - 33% likely to prefer the girls watch a completed series, and 65% likely to enjoy both completed series and on-going series equally - 58% likely to engage with others in the comments - 85% likely to identify as male - Most likely to be 28 years old or thereabouts (our youngest Patron is 19, our oldest is 61!) - 42% likely to be from North America, and 32% likely to be from Europe - 84% likely to identify as straight - 61% likely to enjoy Live Action/Western Animations and Anime equally - 69% likely to regularly play video games - 52% likely to be speaking English as your second language - 51% likely to speak two languages fluently, and 15% likely to speak three or more fluently - 48% likely to prefer Cats, and 30% likely to adore both Cats and Dogs equally - 78% likely to believe that a better tomorrow is, unfortunately, worth fighting for and, the one you've all been waiting for - 55% likely to believe that Milena would beat Lola in a fight, assuming that there are no weapons and height/weight do not factor in. Regarding the quality of the channel itself: - The technical quality of the videos (ie. sound quality, colour balance) has a weighted average of 8.09 from a total of 90 Responses. 62 of those responses gave it an 8 or a 8. Finally, we had a comments box open for people to make suggestions for the girls on what could be done to improve the channel. Out of 34 responses, the most frequent comments were: - Suggesting that the channel is fine the way it is, or that the possible improvements are negligible against the already high quality of the channel [12 responses] - Suggesting that the girls hire an editor and/or a channel moderator for communication/organisation [6 responses] - Suggest that the girls continue to react to movies [4 responses] [Regarding the list calculation, for Overall Channel Favourite Show I allocated points based on the rankings for which shows were watched the most, which reactions were watched the most, and which shows were rated highest by you guys. In other words, if a show was the #1 in a category it was awarded 5 points, if it was #2 it was awarded 4 points etc. As such, Attack On Titan and Breaking Bad were tied with each show holding 12 points. Cult Following Shows were determined by shows that had a Watched Percentage of <50%, and a Show Rating of 8.00+. I then divided the Show Rating by its respective Watched Percentage as a means of getting a balanced average] ----- Well, that's pretty much it for this year. I want to thank you all for participating in this survey, and of course the girls for this channel and all that they've done for me this year. I've unfortunately had to put my own channel on hold for the foreseeable future as I have not been doing well and need to put my health first, but nonetheless I want to once again thank the girls for being so kind as to support me with setting up my channel and allowing me to promote it here. Some of you might remember that I announced back in April how I met my partner through the channel's Discord; We got engaged last November, and could not have met were it not for this channel, so once more girls, thank you thank you thank you. Between helping me meet the love of my life, helping me start my own reaction channel, and most importantly watching The Sopranos, you really made this my year :)

“the guy was an interior decorator…his house looked like shit” line alone is enough to vault this episode into top 3 of the show for me. it cracks me up no matter how many times i hear it

my favorite episode

two idiots in a forest

Let’s be honest we were all rooting for the Russian

He killed 16 Czechoslovakians, guy was an interior decorator! …His house looked like shit.

“Dumb and Dumber” by Martin Scorsese

One of the best episodes of the series.

Oof madon'

!

Nooooo bring the decorations back :P