WAYWARD SONS (THE SOPRANOS, SEASON THREE)

When you think of Season Three of 'The Sopranos,' one episode comes to mind - The Pine Barrens.

Has there ever been an episode of any TV drama that has matched the brilliance of its writing, acting and direction?

Some would argue that possibly the episode of Season Two in 'Breaking Bad' where Walt and Jesse get stuck in the middle of the desert in their RV after cooking crystal meth is that show's equivalent of 'The Pine Barrens'.

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'Succession' also had some terrific episodes - particularly the ones in Season Three where Logan had a medical emergency at a shareholder meeting and the Tuscan wedding and of course in Season Four episodes featuring a surprise death and the subsequent funeral.

'The Wire's best moments include one episode where Stringer Bell meets his demise and another that revolves around the downfall of Frank Sobotka.

Yet even measured against those impressive yardsticks, 'The Pine Barrens' still holds up 23 years after it first aired.

The episode is a wonderfully executed piece of black comedy, brilliantly acted by Michael Imperioli and Tony Sirico - unfolding like a Mafia anecdote.

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For those who haven't seen it, Imperioli and Sirico's New Jersey Mafia henchmen Christopher Moltisanti and Paulie Walnuts are dispatched by their boss, James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano to collect money from Vitali Baganov's drunken and very mouthy ex Russian Special Forces commando Valery.

When Valery gets too cheeky for his own good, the trio end up in a brawl during which he gets overpowered by Paulie and Christopher who think they have choked him to death.

Wrapping his body in a rug, they take it out to some woods covered in snow, believing all they have to do is bury the Russian's corpse.

However they are stunned to open their trunk and find he's still alive.

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When he escapes, they end up pursuing him through the woods, inflicting a gunshot wound to his head.

The blood trail, however, stops and he disappears.

Unable to find their way back to their car, Christopher and Paulie have to relay the news to Tony that they think they've killed Valery but are not sure.

They also need someone to track them down in the woods.

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The problem is it's winter, the phone signal is poor and they have to spend the night in The Pine Barrens with no food and no clue as to where the car is.

If 'The Pine Barrens' is the standout episode of Season Three, that's still saying something.

(SPOILERS ALERT!!)

Season Three sees Tony trying to regroup after two seismic events in the previous season - Janice's stabbing of Richie Aprile in self-defence during a domestic violence incident and the unmasking as an FBI informant and subsequent execution of Tony's friend and trusted lieutenant Big Pussy Bonpensiero.

The FBI are intent on gathering incriminating evidence against Tony and secure permission to bug the basement of his house.

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Sneaking in, they listen in on the comings and goings in his house.

But while all this is going on, Gandolfini's mob boss suffers another major life changing event when his manipulative mother Nancy Marchand's Livia dies suddenly.

In therapy with Lorraine Bracco's Dr Jennifer Melfi his ambivalence about Livia is on full display, with him declaring he is glad she is dead before beating himself up for being a bad son.

Livia's death also provides an excuse for Aida Turturro's Janice to return from exile in California to join Tony, their other sister, Nicole Burdette's Barbara and their families for the funeral.

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At the graveside she gets into a dispute with Livia's caregiver, Alla Kliouka's Svletlana Kirilenko over her mum's record collection which the Russian claims was gifted to her.

A gathering of family and friends at Tony's home sees Jon Ventimiglia's Artie Bucco drink too much and angrily confront Tony about the torching of his restaurant in Season One which Livia had told him about.

Before he can tell everyone what Tony did, Edie Falco's Carmela steps in and says Livia was a joyless and divisive figure who even now was spreading no cheer from beyond the grave.

Season Three sees Christopher also step up to the role of a made man and he is gifted Paulie's sports betting rackets.

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This means, however, having to pay Paulie each week, matching his expectations of lucrative takings and becomes a source of tension.

Tony and Carmela's daughter Jamie-Lynn Sigler's Meadow is studying in Columbia University but has a roommate, Ari Graynor's Caitlin Rucker who is really struggling settling in and very needy.

Meadow has a smart boyfriend, Patrick Tully's half Jewish, half African American Noah Tannenbaum which shockingly brings out Tony's inner racist.

Telling Noah to stay away from his daughter, Tony falls foul of Meadow who is appalled by her father's derogatory racial jabs.

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Jason Cerbone's Jackie Aprile Jr, the son of Tony's friend, the New Jersey Mob boss Jackie Sr who died from cancer in Season One, is also on the scene.

Instead of shining as a university student as his father desired, he seems more interested in making his name in organised crime.

This really irritates Tony who promised his friend that he would look after Jackie Jr and steer him away from a life of crime.

Jackie Jr's mum, Sharon Angela's Rosalie Aprile is also dating a member of her husband's crew, Joe Pantoliano's Ralphie Cifaretto who is a good earner but also has a big mouth.

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Ralphie encourages Jackie's forays into Mob life which irritates Tony in particular.

Jackie also starts dating Meadow but his lack of interest in academia and his fixation with being a bad boy threatens to send everything south.

While Artie develops a crush on Christopher's girlfriend, Drea de Matteo's Adriana, Dominic Cianese's Junior Soprano not only has to battle a Federal case against him for his Mob boss activities but stomach cancer.

Tony also brings Federico Castelluccio's Furio Giunta from Naples into his crew, while Junior's aide Steve Schirripa's Bobby Baccalieri has to contend with his own loss.

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Tony's son, Robert Iler's AJ falls foul of his parents because of his disrespect for school and delinquent tendencies that 

Judged against the previous two seasons, Season Three of 'The Sopranos' doesn't quite hit their heights.

However that's not to say it isn't head and shoulders above scores of other TV dramas.

There's very much a sense of shifting sands in this season in the wake of Richie Aprile and Big Pussy Bonpensiero's deaths.

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That is further reinforced by Livia's passing and the emergence of Ralphie Cifaretto and also New York Lupertazzi underboss, Vincent Curatola's Johnny Sack.

In addition to the Pine Barrens, there are some other outstandingly written episodes - often featuring harrowing events.

Early on, Dr Melfi is raped in q devastating episode that portrays the impact on victims of sexual crime and of an indequate justice system.

Another notable episode features a stripper at the Bada Bing, Ariel Kiely's Tracee who is involved with Ralphie who is too keen to impress Tony.

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Tony's crash and burn affair with one of Dr Melfi's patients, Anabella Sciorra's volatile car salesperson Gloria Trillo raises intriguing questions about the type of woman he is attracted to and his callousness.

As ever, James Gandolfini does a superb job as Tony who is a true bundle of contradictions.

Edie Falco shines as Carmela.

Series regulars Bracco, Sigler, Iler, Imperioli, Di Matteo, Turturro, Ciannese, Ventimiglia, Schirripa and Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante exploit every opportunity they get to make their mark.

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Castelluccio, Pantoliano, Curatola and Cerbone are wonderfully unsettling.

Marchand's last outings as Livia cement her place as the show's most influential figure, while Anabella Sciorra is also a wild card presence as Gloria.

Her volatility and vulnerability threatens to expose Tony's taste for adultery and deception.

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Ultimately, though, it is 'The Pine Barrens' that Season Three is remembered for and understandably so.

It raised the bar for TV drama 23 years ago - a bar that few shows have cleared.

And it will continue to be the bar by which great individual episodes of great TV dramas are measured.

That is no mean feat - especially in 2024.

(Season Three of 'The Sopranos' was broadcast in the US and Canada on HBO from March 4-May 20, 2001)