Actually a good representation of the best of Season 3
The choices for all of the "Best of 'Friends'" DVDs have to be taken with a grain of salt because a lot of the best episodes already made their way into the four volumes of the original "Best of Friends" set. However, only a pair of episodes, "The One Where No One's Ready" and "The One with the Football," were pulled from the show's third season. That was the year when the show's producers decided that Ross and Rachel apart was funnier than Ross and Rachel together, which gets us to their infamous "break." The problem with the third season was that the Ross and Rachel relationship was dominating things to the point that everybody else was shoved into the background (e.g., "The One Without the Ski Trip"). Nobody else has a decent story arc in Season 3, which is amply illustrated by the whole bit between Monica and Pete the millionaire, but there are a few moments worth savoring:
"The One with Frank, Jr." is worth it just for the "freebie list," where you come up with the five stars you are allowed to sleep with and not jeopardize your relationship. If you have not yet made your own list seeing this again should remind you to do it before it is too late, and if you think that is an idle threat then all I have to say to you is "Isabella Rossellini." Yes, Pheobe reunited with her brother, but that relationship does not get seriously crazy until Season Four.
"The One with the Flashback" is a slightly better episode where Janice ask if the gang had ever almost hooked up with each other. The fun hear is to see what the Friends were like right before the series began, without going all the way back to their high school days (where Joey and Phoebe are never involved). You know this one works when you cannot predict who ends up kissing who on top of the pool table.
"The One With Monica & Richard Are Just Friends" is not really talking about being just friends, but rather just friends "with benefits." This is the least deserving choice of the five and the sub-plot has to do with Phoebe's new boyfriend, Robert, who is the only one who does not know he is an exhibitionist. However, the sub-sub plot, where Joey agrees to read "Little Women" and Rachel tackles "The Shining" has one of my favorite epilogues of all-time.
"The One Where Ross & Rachel Take a Break" is the pivotal third season episode. Rachel tells Ross they need to "take a break," so he sleeps with Chloe from the copy store. If you have not yet been convinced that Ross is under a curse, then this should be the episode that finally convinces you. But the key thing is that even when Rachel announces the "break," the relationship has enough resonance that you know that this is one that will never be over until one of these two is dead and in their grave (or in an urn on the other one's mantle).
"The One With the Morning After" is the next episode. After the "break" comes the breakup. Ross is desperately trying to keep Rachel from finding out that he spent the night with Chloe and it is just a question of how long he will be able to keep the truth from her before the world comes crashing down on his head. Funny and yet heartbreaking, since we want these two to be happy (and because Ross becomes unbearable when he is not with her). Of course, all the other four can do is try to listen through the wall to the big fight.
Of course, part of the fun with watching these DVDs is to complain about what episodes should have been included. You have to have the last two and you cannot get rid of an episode with Isabella Rossalini in it. The flashback episode is pretty good, and that means the only one I would jettison is "The One With Monica & Richard Are Just Friends," as long as I can keep the final scene ("Joey...do you want to put the book in the freezer?"). As far as replacing it, I would probably pick "The One at the Beach" over "The One with the Hypnosis Tape" and Ben Stiller's episode "The One with the Screamer." Overall, they did a good job of selecting the best episodes from Season 3, I just think of Season 3 as being one of the weaker seasons, even though the two episodes they originally pulled for the original "Best of 'Friends'" DVDs were not the season's two best.
Season 3
This is a great DVD for anyone who doesn't want to own the complete season. So far I believe only the first 4 seasons are out and I do hope that they release the other 6 in this format. Featuring the top 5 episodes from season 3 (this goes really well when followed up by the "Best of Season 4" DVD), this DVD will delight all fans of the TV show Friends.
Episode Guide
TOW Frank Jr. 10/10: (I love this episode! Its hilarious.) Summary: Pheobe's half brother comes for a very strange buisness. Roos makes a list of women Rachel will let him sleep with. TOW with the flash back 8/10: (Pretty good episode. Funny.)Summary: Janice asks if they have ever almost slept with each other. A flahback of three years ago evoloves. TOW Monica and Richard are just frieds 6/10 : (Pretty good episode.) After six months of getting over RIchard, Monica celebrates by...going on a date with him!?! Summary: Pretty good...mostly centerd around sex though. TOW Rachel and Ross take a break 4/10: (Dont really like this one) Summary: Rachel calls it a break...Ross calls it a break up. TOW the morning afer 2/10: (Its way to sad!!) Rachel finds out about the one mighter with the Xerox girl. Total: 7/10 (A good buy. Multiple Languages)
The producers of "Friends" do a lot better for this "The Best of Friends: Season 4" collection of episodes from the year that Phoebe got pregnant and Ross proposed to Emily:
"The One With the Jellyfish" is certainly the most educational episode of "Friends" ever, because if Joey knows what to do when somebody is stung by a jellyfish, then that pretty much means the entire nation now knows. However, even that exciting event becomes secondary in this episode since Ross fell asleep reading Rachel's 18-page letter and find that replying affirmatively to her question, "Does it"? was not something with which he can live. One of the better of the many non-ending endings for the Ross & Rachel traveling circus. Does anyone in this country dare take a break on their relationships?
This is my first of the Friends DVD which I ordered from Amazon and I'm really pleased to own this. Even though it has only the best 5 episodes, it is really a worth for any Friends Fan. I also ordered Best of Friends Seson 3 and Best of Friends Season 4. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): David Schwimmer Director(s): Pamela Fryman - Sam Simon - Mary Kay Place - Michael Lembeck - Joe Regalbuto DVD Release Date: Released the 06 April 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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"Closure. That's what it is, that's what I need." So determined a drunken Rachel in the season 2 episode "The One Where Ross Finds Out." And closure is what this mega-hyped series finale gives loyal and faithful viewers who have been there for Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey, even when Friends seemed stuck in second gear. Television's most popular and comforting comedy did go gently into that good night, packing off new parents Monica and Chandler to the suburbs to start a family; domesticating the once free-spirited Phoebe, and, yes, finally bringing star-crossed, on-again-off-again Ross and Rachel together ("I got off the plane" will take its place in series lore alongside, "We were on a break").
This collection contains two great Thanksgiving episodes, "The One with Chandler in a Box" and "The One Where Ross Got High." Relive other series milestones, including "The Hundredth Episode," in which Phoebe (Emmy winner Lisa Kudrow) gives birth to triplets, and "The One with All the Resolutions," in which Rachel finds out about secret couple Monica and Chandler; and "The One with the Proposal," in which Chandler's plans to propose to Monica are complicated by the reappearance of her lost love Richard (Tom Selleck). "He's not supposed to ask my girlfriend to marry him," Chandler complains. "I'm supposed to do that!" And he does just that in this in this get-out-your-handkerchiefs sixth-season gem. --Donald LiebensonMore Info about this DVD Director(s): Gary Halvorson - Todd Holland - Ellen Gittelsohn - Pamela Fryman - Sam Simon DVD Release Date: Released the 20 November 2001 Usually ships within 24 hours
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Stunt casting stumbles (Jean-Claude Van Damme, Charlie Sheen) aside, it was a very good year for this beloved series, ranked by TV Guide as among the top 25 of all time. With the bar set so high from the first season, a sophomore slump could be expected, but, apart from a game Julia Roberts, only the hour-long episode raised the question whether success would spoil Friends. (This episode, "The One After the Super Bowl," convinced some misguided NBC executive that guest star Brooke Shields could carry her own series!) Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (an Emmy-worthy Jennifer Aniston) were the engine that drove the season and produced some of the series' most monumental episodes, including "The One with Ross' New Girlfriend," "The One Where Ross Finds Out" (with R & R's... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 03 September 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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