|
|
Friends:
(The Top Ten Best Episodes)
Volumes 1 & 2
Click
picture to order both DVDs in a boxed set.
See below
the review, for individual links (including VHS)
Though just a fledgling show at first --brand
new, totally unproven-- Friends got a powerful Generation-X fan base the moment the pilot aired, and has
been the opening of NBC's "must see Thursdays" ever since. Though some might say that the show has lost some
steam by season 7, only Survivor2
has come close to ever toppling the sitcom giant. The show was so powerful
at its peak, NBC could release even lackluster product at 8:30 (Jesse, The Weber Show, and so
on), yet would still be watched, thanks to Friends at 8:00.
That was how powerful this sitcom was.
This is more than enough reason to release episodes of the series on
DVD, though what episodes? WB is not the sort of company to offer
whole seasons on DVD, like Fox does for The
X-Files. What would be the next best thing, for the
show's many fans? The answer is in this collection: 2 DVDs, of the "top ten"
best episodes, as rated by online fans. What follows is a listing (in
order of appearance on each DVD) of what episodes made the list, and my
take on each :
Note: these episodes are also supposed to have never-before seen
"deleted scenes." I'm not sure where most of them are, though
when I can hazard a guess, I'll mention it in that episode's summary...
Volume 1 :
---The Pilot
(Original Air Date 9/22/94) Story: The pilot episode. Rachel moves in with Monica, Ross deals with his initial pining for Rachel. Deleted Scenes?:
If memory serves, the opening coffee shop scene began with Ross entering
and talking about ex-wife Susan; now, there are two added conversations,
of a dream of Chandler's, and Monica's latest date. Conversations:
Classic
quote from Chandler : "Sometimes I wish I were a lesbian...did I
just say that out loud???" Rare Moment: Monica's date
needs to be "buzzed in", via an apartment building security system that was never
seen (or "buzzed") again! Poignant Moment?:
Sympathetic character moments galore, especially Ross' first
conversation alone with Rachel. My Rating:  ,
more than worth a top ten list.
---The One
With All The Poker (3/2/95) Story: Though the cast carries it well, this is more of a mere "girls
don't know poker like guys know poker" shtick. Deleted
Scenes?: I can barely remember the episode, so I'm not sure! Conversations:
Rachel is shocked one of her Xeroxed résumés has a misprint: "Oh no! Do you think the mistake is on all
of them...?" Rare Moment?: The
ladies get poker lessons from an "Aunt" that to the best of my
knowledge was never seen again. Poignant Moment?: Ross throws the poker game just to cheer up
Rachel, who lost the job she was hoping for. My Rating:
Probably the
only episode in the collection that I couldn't remember off the top of
my head, though once I saw it again, I laughed several times.
---The One
With The Two Parts (2/23/95) Story: A February sweeps episode from season 1, with guests from Mad About You,
E.R., and elsewhere, including Helen
Hunt, Leila Kenzle, Jennifer
Grant
(as Chandler's cute co-worker), George Clooney and Noah Wyle. Deleted Scenes?:
I can't be sure, though if there
are any, they are very brief. Conversations: Rachel and Monica's dates, Dr. Mitchel and Dr. Rosen, think Monica is
Rachel and vice versa. The girls then show no
care as to what secrets they reveal about the other. "I use my
breasts to get men's attention."..."Hey! We both do
that!" Rare Moment?: You get to see Chandler at his
workplace; something only seen --what?...twice?-- in 7 years of
the series. Poignant Moment?: Ross' pet monkey got hurt.
Awww! Plus: When
twin-sister Ursula coldly dumps Joey, Phoebe acts like her twin when kissing Joey "goodbye," so he won't feel as bad.
Awwww!!! My Rating:
Again, not on my top ten (okay, I'm a bit fussy). Though still, it's one of
the funnier episodes ever...
---The One
Where Ross Finds Out (11/9/95) Story:
By
season 2, Rachel had a thing for Ross, while Ross had given up and moved
on to another girlfriend, oblivious that Rachel was finally pining for him.
He finds out...accidentally. Deleted
Scenes?: Ross and Julie are shown about to buy a cat together; I think this was edited out of the original telecast, with the
story jumping right up to when he confronts Rachel at the coffee shop. Conversations:
Rachel gets drunk and places a hilarious message on his answering
machine that she's "over him," only to jump on his back the
next morning, to keep him from hearing it. Replies Ross: "You're 'over' me?...Wh...When were you 'under' me?"
Rare Moment?:
Ross having the upper hand in the Rachel-Ross relationship; a rarity for
anyone who's been watching the series. Poignant Moment?:
Rachel and Ross' First kiss...awwww! My Rating:
One of the best Ross/Rachel episodes, for people who like that
sort of thing.
---The One
With The Prom Video (2/1/96) Story:
Monica and Rachel are seen as "teenagers," complete with
Rachel's original nose (!) and Monica's weight problem (!!!). Meanwhile, Joey gives Chandler a "best
buds" gold bracelet that is a little too..."Mr. T." Deleted Scenes?:
I'm guessing the deleted scene here is the one where Chandler asks Joey
to not focus on his dislike for the bracelet gift, leading to an
argument which ends with Joey holding his crotch and saying, "Oh
yeah? Well focus on this!" Can't say I remember that one, on
an 8:00 TV show! Conversations: When shown fat as a
teenager on the video, Monica retorts, "The camera adds ten
pounds!" Chandler quips, "So, how many cameras are on
you?" Rare Moment?: Ross' personal checks have little dinosaurs on them. When seeing
the value of the check, Monica jests, "Hey, you're a cheapasurus!"
Poignant Moment?: Rachel, touched by the "prom
video," passionately kisses Ross, with loud cheers from the audience. My Rating:
They
finally get together! Too bad the writers didn't let it last...
Volume 2 :
---The One
Where No One's Ready (9/26/96) Story:
Ross has a formal museum banquet, and none of his friends are ready to
go! Deleted Scenes?: Several snippets, including an additional answering machine message
where Rachel's sister calls her about dating her ex-boyfriend. Conversations:
Hilarious
quips throughout the episode, particularly when Joey comments on needing
underwear before he puts on his tux, "It's a rental...I'm not going
commando in another man's fatigues!" Rare Moment?:
FYI, if you think about it, we'd later find out that Rachel's sister was
Reese Witherspoon. They apparently originally expected a
different-sounding actress to play the part, given the phone voice. Poignant
Moment?: Ross and Rachel's banter is believable boyfriend-girlfriend discussions.
My Rating:
Probably one of the top two episodes ever, in my book.
---The One With
The Embryos (1/15/98) Story:
Rachel and Monica bet their apartment in a contest with Chandler and
Joey. They lost!!! Also, Lisa Kudrow's real-life pregnancy is
"explained," in one of the more amusing sitcom plotlines
ever... Deleted
Scenes?: I think there are a few snippets, though none I can recall as not being
in the show to begin with. Conversations: Joey and
Chandler's "chicken"/rooster wakes Rachel in the morning. She
then bangs over and over on their door, only to have her yell at them,
"What is that noise?" Retorts Chandler: "You!"
Rare Moment?: In the contest, several never-heard-again
trivia bits are told of the 4 Friend contestants. Poignant Moment?:
In one
of the more intriguing pregnancy-hiding sitcom plotlines, Phoebe is now
the surrogate to an embryo conceived by her brother and his wife. My Rating:
Hilarious
episode.
---The One With
Ross' Wedding (5/7/98) Story:
In a moment when the series seems to have reached its peak, Ross and the
gang go to London for his wedding with Emily. Cameos by many British
celebs, including Sarah Ferguson, add to the fun. Deleted
Scenes?: The squabble between the parents, over wedding expenses, seems to have
been extended, though I'm not sure. The credits also now show bloopers,
some of which actually came from the folllowing season's premiere! Conversations:
Rachel's bickering with a ticket agent at the airport was hilarious. Rare Moment?:
I think everyone was shocked, when Monica pops out of Chandler's bed! Poignant Moment?:
Ross says Rachel's name when saying his vows to bride Emily! OUCH. My Rating:
Even if it wasn't, admittedly, as funny as it could
have been in some parts, this two-parter succeeds.
---The One With
All The Thanksgivings (11/19/98) Story:
In one of the lesser November sweeps plots, flashbacks are shown of
Thanksgivings when Monica and Rachel were teenagers, where you get to
see Rachel with her original big nose (again) and Monica as the
"big fat goalie" (again). Deleted Scenes?: I
think the flashbacks have been extended, though not enough to recognize
any "deleted scenes" per se. Conversations:
Chandler says those three little words to Monica, though with her having
a turkey on her head (don't ask), and him saying it by
"accident," it doesn't count, supposedly. Rare Moment?:
Chandler is revealed to have only 9 toes, with this episode explaining
why. Poignant
Moment?: Chandler called Monica "fat" within earshot when they were
teenagers. Ouch. My Rating: 
One of the top ten best episodes? To whom?
---The One
Where Everybody Finds Out (2/11/99) Story:
Ever since Ross' London "wedding," Monica and Chandler have
been seeing each other, though only secretly. Joey knows by now, and Rachel knows
yet isn't supposed to know. By this episode's final credits, everyone
knows. Deleted Scenes?: I can't be totally sure of any. Conversations:
Phoebe plays
a practical joke on Chandler, acting like she doesn't know about Monica,
then tries to hit on Chandler in front of her! This leads to a
tour-de-force faked "romantic moment" between the two, seeing
who will cave-in and confess the truth first; a scene so funny,
even the actors seem strained to keep from laughing. Rare Moment?:
Ross moves into "ugly naked guy's" apartment across the
street, now that the guy's moving out. Poignant
Moment?: Chandler says "I love Monica" for real this time.
Awwww!
My Rating:
Cute moments of the series.
---Added bonus! Ten minutes worth of
behind-the-scenes footage is available on DVD Volume 2, of snippets
when they filmed the show in London.
FYI: both volumes also contain the music video based on the
Rembrants'
theme song, "I'll Be There For You." A nice addition, when you
think of it. No matter how sick you may be of this song by now,
you'll most likely find yourself re-playing this music video 7 times
in a row, just because you can.
What I like the best about these 10
"best" episodes, is that they showcase the series' finest
moments, when the cast was at their best. This is long before season 6,
when the cast was too busy with salary disputes to act too well in their
roles, or season 7 (airing as I type this), when the whole cast seems stuck in million-dollars
auto-pilot. This, by contrast, is when the cast was at their best.
For the people shocked at the low grades I
gave, to some episodes in this "top ten" collection, you may ask
me what are my choices for the top ten, that are absent? Well, off the top
of my head, what about the (in)famous "The One After the Super
Bowl," the episode that really did air after the annual football
event, and guest starred Brooke Shields, Julia Roberts, Jean-Claude Van
Damme and others? Of course, the
tour-de-grace of Ross and Rachel's relationship doesn't hurt to be put on
DVD, simply titled, "The One Where Ross and Rachel...You Know."
One scene that keeps me laughing every time I think of it, is the scene in
"The One With The Dirty Girl," when a gorgeous co-worker
(Rebecca Romjin-Stamos) agrees to date Ross, yet has an apartment so
filthy, it can only lead to slapstick hilarity galore. This is just off
the top of my head, from just the first two seasons; other top notch
episodes might deserve the "top ten" status even more. As for
the ones chosen for the current DVD collections as the "top
ten"...well, at least they're 70% right.
However, what these collections still do
showcase,
is a classic sitcom in its best years. I envision many people
laughing at this series for many years to come, not unlike other classic
sitcom series now shown on "Nick At Nite" or "TV
Land." Many years from now, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer
Anniston, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Matt Leblanc, Matthew Perry, and David
Schwimmer will all be remembered in the same light as the likes of Bob
Newhart, John Ritter, Valerie Bertinelli, and Barbara Eden. I can't think
of any way to compliment them more than that...and they deserve it. I
don't know if I could've possibly laughed as much for the past 7 years,
without their help!
Click
picture to order the 2- DVD boxed set
Also available individually :
The Best of Friends Volume One,
The Best Of Friends Volume 2
 Boxed
VHS set also available : The Best of Friends, Vol. 1-2
| All text, Title
graphics, and pix not of reviewed product, are created by Techtite,
copyright 2001; all rights reserved. Pictures of DVD box covers are
used only for the purpose of review (and to make shopping for the
DVD easier); they by no means represent any affiliation with Techtite
and the distributors of that DVD. For further
"legalese" & disclaimers, click
here... |
|
Burnout
Near
Miss
