Columnist Names Four Overrated TV Episodes Including Sopranos' Pine Barrens

The Sopranos episode Pine Barrens turns 25 on May 6, 2001, when Chrissy and Paulie became just two guys lost in the woods.

Many fans call the season three entry their favorite, but the writer finds it overrated. To mark the occasion, he lists four overrated TV episodes from shows he enjoys.

Overrated is subjective, he notes, and all are enjoyable. Most are self-contained bottle episodes, which he dislikes.

Number four is Dinner Party from The Office. This episode shifts from plot-driven stories in earlier seasons to focus on characters. It delivers laughs and spawned memes like snip snap and the tiny TV. Fans often name it their top episode, but the quotes outshine the full half-hour.

Number three is The Rains of Castamere from Game of Thrones season three. Earlier seasons built to shocks like Ned Stark's death in Baelor and the Blackwater battle. Hype warned this would change everything. It kills Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, Robb's wife and unborn child. Yet after Ned's bold exit, the impact feels secondary.

Number two is The Contest from Seinfeld season four. The friends bet on who lasts longest without sex, using euphemisms like treating their body like an amusement park. It features sight gags, lines and Elaine meeting JFK Jr. The episode won awards and tops lists, but the writer prefers The Outing and The Junior Mint from the same season.

Number one is Pine Barrens from The Sopranos. Fans rank it highest, praising unique humor. The writer calls The Sopranos a black comedy overall. This bottle episode advances little plot beyond Tony's issues with Gloria. Chrissy and Paulie wander South Jersey woods awaiting rescue. Lines like he was an interior decorator get overused.