Trivia / The Sopranos S 3 E 11 Pine Barrens

• Based on a Dream: Director Tim Van Patten had dreamed about the idea of Paulie and Christopher getting lost in the woods during the production of season two, and after discussing it with writer Terence Winter, presented the concept to David Chase who worked it into season three.
• California Doubling: The forest scenes for the episode were filmed at Harriman State Park in New York, after the production team was denied a permit to film in New Jersey at the South Mountain Reservation. Essex County executive James Treffinger said that the series "depicts an ethnic group in stereotypical fashion". Treffinger was later convicted and imprisoned for corruption.
• Enforced Method Acting: The HBO documentary James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend includes an anecdote by Steve Schirripa about the shooting of the scene where Tony picks Bobby up at Junior's house. When they were shooting Tony's reaction to Bobby's hunting outfit, Schirripa surprised James Gandolfini by entering the kitchen wearing a huge strap-on dildo. Tony's response and laughter, pointing at Bobby and then doubling over the sink, is the take of Gandolfini seeing the strap-on.
• Serendipity Writes the Plot: There was an unexpected snowfall just before the shoot. Both the cast and the crew agreed that the snow added to the emotional effect of the episode.
• Shrug of God: Regarding Valery's fate:
  • Terence Winter said:
    That's the question I get asked more than any other. It drives people crazy: "Where's the Russian? What happened to the Russian?" We could say, "Well, he got out and there's a big mob war with the Russians," or "He crawled off and died." But we wanted to keep it ambiguous. You know, not everything gets answered in life.
  • David Chase said:
    They shot a guy. Who knows where he went? Who cares about some Russian? This is what Hollywood has done to America. Do you have to have closure on every little thing? Isn't there any mystery in the world? It's a murky world out there. It's a murky life these guys lead. And by the way, I do know where the Russian is. But I'll never say because so many people got so pissy about it.
  • In 2008 Chase said in an interview at the Actors Guild:
    OK, this is what happened. Some Boy Scouts found the Russian, who had the telephone number to his boss, Slava, in his pocket. They called Slava, who took him to the hospital where he had brain surgery. Then Slava sent him back to Russia.
  • In an interview with Sam Roberts, Chase said:
    You mean the Russian? People came to me...He never went up a tree...He collapsed and he was found by some boy scouts. And they got in touch with his...somehow he was carrying a piece of I.D., which led them back to his boss. Slava the Russian guy. He was put in a hospital, and, ummm...you know, like he was completely, is, massive brain trauma. And he was sent back to Russia.
• What Could Have Been: Sopranos writer Terrence Winter wanted to have a scene in a later episode where it would be revealed that Valery was brain-damaged from his head wound and had no memory of Christopher and Paulie attacking him. David Chase vetoed the idea.

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