Summary: Chandler and Monica eventually make up and start enjoying themselves. They decide to get married. Ross and Rachel continue to embarrass each other and get drunk when they arrive in Vegas. Phoebe gets in a tense battle with a casino lurker. Joey gets obsessed with his hand twin and tries to convince him that they found something incredibly rare.
The Good: There was a lot to like here. A lot of the situations were very funny or great to watch. Chandler and Monica were terrific and I enjoyed their conflict coming to a close. It was well-written and nicely set up their ultimate decision to get married. The scene carried weight and the writers were smart enough to inject humour into the story with some fun scenes. Ross and Rachel were really fun as they humiliated each other and watching them drunk at the end of the episode is hilarious, regardless of how over-the-top it is. The ending reveal that they married each other was terrific and one of the funniest and most unexpected moments on the show. The side plots didn't serve much purpose, but they were funny. Phoebe once more developed a feud with an old woman and it was pretty funny this time with some fun moments. Joey badgering the hand twin was hilarious and their funny interactions overcame the ridiculous nature of the plot. The Bad: The side plots didn't get any resolution which was disappointing. It made them feel like pointless filler instead of important storylines. Furthermore, the entire episode was pretty over-the-top without any of the relatable humour that the show had made its own in the early seasons. While this was a great episode, it was as far from season 1 humour as it could possibly get. Best Moment: Ross and Rachel's surprise marriage. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This was a very funny episode that made the most of its over-the-top nature. As ridiculous as this finale was, I had a blast watching it and laughed so many times. I thought this season was a return to the extremely high quality that "Friends" had set as its standard for the most part. The first half of the season saw several creative episodes and was anchored by the fun of Chandler and Monica hiding their relationship. While the back half of the season did border on too ridiculous at some times, it was still funny and it was good enough for me to consider this the best season since season 2. Score: 78
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Summary: Monica and Chandler go to Vegas for their anniversary to see Joey. Phoebe invites everyone else along and joins them. Joey has to explain what happened to his big break. Ross humiliates himself with Rachel and they both enter a battle to out-embarrass each other on the plane to Vegas.
The Good: This was a really fun episode. There were consistent laughs, and the Vegas setting allowed for some uniquely fun humour. Monica and Chandler's storyline is really strong and relatable here, and I particularly liked the way that their conflict evolved. Phoebe's involvement was really funny, as was her unintentionally crashing Monica and Chandler's anniversary in an attempt to have a great vacation with her friends. Joey was responsible for some great moments and the whole hand twin concept is dumb, yet somehow hilarious. Ross and Rachel's story was the best though. The show is fantastic every time it enters the minds of the characters, and this story led to some fantastic jokes. Ross humiliating himself was hilarious and the jokes on the plane were really funny. The Bad: There were some annoying moments that are more-or-less nitpicks. Phoebe was a bit selfish and rude throughout the episode as she has been throughout the season, but it was toned down massively compared to other episodes. Joey's story is stupid and hard-to-believe but it's funny which helps it out. Being a set-up episode, this one never had the chance to tell a complete story which prevents it from scoring too high. Best Moment: Ross' thoughts as he sees Rachel naked had me laughing out loud. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This was a really fun episode with an interesting story that served as an adequate part 1. Thankfully the show's amazing ability to make me laugh made this episode stand out even with its story being bisected. Score: 71 Summary: Joey gets hired as a lead in a movie that's shooting in Vegas and he takes Chandler with him on the drive. Rachel has an eye infection but she gets really weird about things touching her eye so Monica has to force her to take care of it. Phoebe is mad at Ross but can't remember why.
The Good: There were several funny parts of this episode. Joey's story is strong and is one of the better character-based story ideas we have gotten in a little while. His conflict with Chandler feels real and it led to some really funny moments. The other two stories are harmless fun. Rachel and Monica are pretty funny and the final scene with everyone attacking Rachel was a lovely bit of pay-off. Phoebe and Ross get a few odd lines that were funny, like the fat ass bit. I really liked the answering questions game throughout the episode and it was applied in numerous funny ways as it was continually brought up. The Bad: Phoebe comes off poorly in her story as she judges Ross so harshly over nothing. The show has been sabotaging her character for a while now. Rachel's eye infection is nothing more than filler. The show has stopped using realistic stories as side-plots and instead chooses to develop random (and sometimes stupid) quirks for its characters instead. This was another episode which made me smile a number of times, but never made me outright laugh hard, making it somewhat forgettable. Best Moment: Joey asking Ross if he would rather sleep with Monica or Rachel led to some terrific lines. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was a solid episode, but it was lacking in a few departments. Score: 62 Summary: Gary wants to ask Phoebe to move in with him. Ross and Joey start passing a ball around and they try to see how long they can go without dropping it. Rachel buys a new cat for $1000 but it hates her.
The Good: There were a few nice jokes throughout the episode. Rachel was pretty good and got the most consistent laughs. Ross and Joey had the odd few jokes. The Bad: For the most part this was pretty atrocious and is easily the worst episode of the show so far. The biggest problem is the general lack of laughs. There is nothing particular funny about any of the stories and the most they ever did was make me smile. Each story has tons of individual problems. The ball story just isn't very funny and it completely overdoes the competitive side of Monica. She is utterly dislikable here and it's played up even more than it usually is. After seeing the joke for the past 4 seasons, it just isn't as funny anymore. Rachel's story suffers from problematic reactions from others. Nobody seems to want to help her out as they selfishly choose to play with the ball instead of helping her out with her problems. Everyone comes off as terrible friends, ironic considering the show's title. Furthermore, the joke that Rachel's cat is not a cat is way too overplayed. It was never funny yet they do the joke like 5 or 6 times. Phoebe's story was quite terrible. The way that characters flip flop between emotions is ridiculous. Phoebe goes from not wanting to live with him to wanting to live with him too quickly. Chandler gets convinced by Gary ridiculously quickly as well. It feels horribly unrealistic. Two things stand out as exceptionally poor. Phoebe verbally abuses Chandler which is horribly out of character and one of the cruelest things she has ever done. Then we have Gary killing a bird which is absurd and unrealistic, especially since Gary would be aware of Phoebe's love for wildlife after dating her for so long. Furthermore, who the hell just kills birds with a gun like that? Ridiculous. Best Moment: Ross going off about dinosaurs and Joey suggesting that the game be a silent one was the episode's best joke. Character of the Episode: Rachel. Conclusion: This was a bad episode. After such a consistently good season, I wasn't expecting such a sharp drop off in quality. There has been more silliness than usual this season but usually it has been funny and not that excessive. This was way, way, way too excessive and wasn't even funny. The first total dud that "Friends" has produced. Score: 39 Summary: Ross gets mad at Chandler for flirting with the pizza delivery girl. Joey invites his grandma over to watch his part in Law & Order. Monica wants her earrings back from Phoebe. Phoebe had lent them to Rachel who lost them so now they have to find them.
The Good: This was a funny episode. Episodes where all six of the friends are together tend to be better than episodes where storylines are split. This was no exception. There are great jokes throughout, the characters are fun and there are a few fantastic lines. Ross and Chandler have amazingly funny lines and the flirting story is pretty great. Ross' interactions with Caitlin are amazingly fun and I enjoyed them. Joey's grandma provided some great moments too, and Joey's fake scene leading into Chandler singing "Space Oddity" was amazing. The Rachel storyline had great moments too. Rachel was fun as she looked for the earring, and I especially loved Monica being understanding with Phoebe and harsh with Rachel. Realistic comedy like that is why I love the show to begin with. The Bad: Ross thinking he's a flirting machine didn't feel like Ross. The show has really been stretching his character to get more comedy from the show. Phoebe understanding Italian was dumb, as was Joey's grandma speaking English at will somehow. Best Moment: Ross flirting with Caitlin by talking about gasoline was really funny. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This was a really fun episode with lots of humour. While it doesn't reach upper tier "Friends", it's still a great episode. Score: 71 Summary: Rachel realizes her coworkers are making all of their decisions without her because she doesn't smoke so she starts smoking to get involved. Phoebe wants to throw a surprise party for Rachel but Monica takes full control of setting up the party. Ben gets an audition for a commercial and Joey tags along hoping to get an audition for himself.
The Good: The storylines were pretty fun all around and they led to a few great laughs. While inconsistent, there were good laughs throughout the episode and every character gets a chance to shine. Phoebe is fun as she gets back at Monica, Monica and Chandler are fun again as a couple, Rachel is good as she desperately tries to get involved, and both Ross and Joey get some great jokes. The Bad: The problem is the consistency. While there are good jokes, there are a few that just aren't very funny or memorable at all. Also, the storylines aren't the best. Joey comes off poorly at times in his story with Ross. The noodle soup joke is extremely unrealistic and not really funny at all. Outside of Rachel being full of energy, there isn't much humour to her story. The cups and ice story doesn't really have a great pay-off joke so it doesn't work as well as it could have. Best Moment: Chandler excusing himself from Joey and Ross' argument was great. Character of the Episode: Phoebe. Conclusion: This was a decent episode, but there really isn't much special here, and there are a few dull stretches with little humour. Score: 58 Summary: Rachel gets an interview at Ralph Lauren and nails it, but is unnerved when she accidentally kisses the interviewer. Joey sees a hot girl living in Ross' apartment but he keeps finding Ross when he goes to find her. Phoebe and Gary are the new hot couple so Monica tries to reignite the fire in her relationship with Chandler to outdo them.
The Good: This is another extremely fun episode. This whole episode is mostly based on misconceptions and all of them are very funny. Rachel's titular storyline is damn good. It's exceedingly funny to see her dig a hole for herself in her interviews and her realizations at what she has done are all very entertaining. Joey's story is another highlight. It starts with us seeing some hilarious miming from Ross, and then we lead into a fantastic storyline as Joey hits on a girl in another apartment. His frivolous attempts to find her are fantastic with a number of excellent jokes, and the constant punchline of him always ending up at Ross' place is one of the show's funniest jokes. It's a near perfect story that's packed with laughs. Monica remains nicely in character as she competes to outdo Phoebe's relationship. Her scenes with Chandler are very fun and I continue to buy into them as a couple whenever there isn't an overblown storyline about them fighting. There was great comedy and the final conversation between Monica and Chandler in the bathroom is a perfect blend of serious storytelling and comedy. Nicely done. The Bad: I don't think there's anything particularly bad about this one. Just a funny episode all around. Best Moment: It's so hard to pick. I'll go with the double-layered joke of Joey seemingly stupidly pointing out Ross' watching TV bit, only for the reveal that Ross is actually doing a watching TV bit. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was a load of fun and it's another damn strong episode in season 5. Score: 78 Summary: Phoebe finds a cop badge and impersonates a cop to do good things. Joey has a dream about Monica and is worried that he is now in love with her. Ross buys a new couch and struggles to move it into his apartment.
The Good: This was a really funny episode. The stories were so shallow, but that allowed the episode to focus everything on the humour which carried the episode. Ross' story was the perfect example of this. The story has nothing to it, yet it had me laughing out loud so many times with all of the jokes. Ross giving the couch guy flak for thinking Rachel is too good for him (298 times!), the failed attempts to take the couch up and the ending scene were all fantastic and had me laughing out loud. Joey was just as funny here. His fear that he loves Monica is funny and it's consistent with his character that he can't quite understand what he wants. There were tons of laughs too. Joey's dream was great and I loved seeing him hit on Rachel. Phoebe had some good moments in the episode. Having Gary find her only to ask her on a date was pretty great and it was a fun conclusion to her story. The Bad: Phoebe using the cop badge wasn't very funny until Gary showed up. As I mentioned above, the stories were shallow in this episode and there wasn't any depth to them. Thankfully I watch comedies to laugh as my main priority, since this is really weak as a story. Best Moment: Ross enlists Chandler and Rachel to help him move the couch and annoyingly shouts "PIVOT" over and over again. It's such a ridiculous moment and Schwimmer's line delivery is superb. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This was high quality comedy and I was consistently laughing the entire time. If only there was some solid story and this could have been an absolute classic. Score: 76 Summary: Ross accepts Monica and Chandler. After a conversation with Rachel, Chandler gets afraid of marriage with Monica. Joey doesn't know what to do about his new girlfriend who keeps hitting him. Ross refuses to donate $100 for a man who works at his new apartment building and everyone ends up hating him.
The Good: There are some good jokes throughout the episode and the stories are all good fun. I got good laughs out of Ross unintentionally getting everyone at his new apartment to hate him and I thought his attempts to get them back on his good side were great. Joey's storyline is harmless fluff and it is pretty funny with some funny lines from the other friends. I did like the Chandler/Monica story since it had some good development for their relationship and the climactic proposal was pretty funny. Joey and Ross were excellent in their roles too. The Bad: The episode feels too cheesy. It's fun to watch and I'm never bored, but the acting, characters and storylines really stretch credibility. It's fine for now because it is funny, but it's a far cry from the best we have got from the show. While I still get laughs from goofy episodes like these, they never end up being memorable and it's always difficult to recollect the best jokes, unlike the memorability of the best episodes of the show. Best Moment: Chandler's proposal is really funny. Character of the Episode: Chandler. Conclusion: This episode was funny and entertaining but it gets hurt by choosing to lean more towards goofiness rather than the more realistic comedy that the show has thrived on in the past. Score: 65 Summary: Phoebe learns about Chandler and Monica when she sees them having sex. She enlists Rachel and Joey and decides to mess with both of them. Ugly naked guy is moving out so Ross tries to get his apartment.
The Good: What an incredibly creative episode. This episode perfectly encompasses everything I love about this show. The rich characters, funny interactions, realistic plots and hilarious moments all add up to make some outstanding comedy. The titular scenes that bookend this episode are awesome and manage to feel different from each other despite the same thing happening, more or less, in each scene. Phoebe and Ross' reactions to seeing Chandler and Monica are hilarious and are written perfectly to get the most humour out of the scenes. I also love the moment with Ross joining the girly celebrations early in the episode. The main plot is excellent. Watching Chandler/Monica go up against Phoebe/Rachel is very entertaining and is a funny set of mindgames that builds to an exciting conclusion. And then there is poor Joey who is caught in the middle and manages to get a lot of amazing jokes out of his role. The character work in this episode is the best it has been in a long time. Phoebe is back to her original self, Monica's character is wonderfully consistent without being over-the-top like she usually is, Chandler is awkward, but in a charming a way and Joey's simplified thinking makes him look less childish than he has become. The usual overacting isn't even a problem because it is acknowledged by the show and we are never supposed to believe that Chandler or Phoebe actually believe that the other is genuinely interested. The central date scene is a terrific climax. Chandler and Phoebe play their roles perfectly, the dialogue and execution is hilarious, and the climax is a really sweet scene. Ross' B-story is better than what we usually get and it has a few great jokes and an unexpectedly great payoff joke with ugly naked Ross. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. Best Moment: The date scene. It's so awkward in the best way and that leads to so many terrific laughs. The break scenes with Phoebe in the hallway and Chandler in the bathroom are so well written too and only add to the atmosphere of a terrific scene. Character of the Episode: Phoebe. Conclusion: Spectacular. This episode is a near perfect piece of comedy. It's fresh, different, impeccably written, and a consistent source for laughs. This is as good as comedy gets. Score: 92 Summary: Joey wants to look sophisticated for an audition so Rachel helps him by giving him a bag. However, Joey becomes attached to the bag and wants to keep it. Monica gives bad massages and Chandler lies to her, telling her that they are good. Phoebe's grandmother dies and at the funeral she meets her father.
The Good: Phoebe's story is really good here. Having her finally meet her father is a big moment and their final scene together is really strong, both from a comedic perspective and an emotional one. The rest of the episode has some good moments too. While the stories leave a lot to be desired (see: The Bad), the episode is saved by a number of clever jokes (goodbye muscles, unisex, it looks like it's coming right at me). In general, thank god for Joey, as this episode would not have worked at all without him. His presence allowed the writers to cram in all of these strong jokes. The Bad: Phoebe's story should have been the main storyline, yet it comes off as a side story which is disappointing. I feel like it could have used more time and focus to be better. Joey's bag is a pretty dumb story and his unnatural attachment to it is exactly that: unnatural. It never feels real and doesn't lead to any good jokes regarding the bag. Monica's storyline is really stupid. The idea of her being so terrible at massages is pretty ridiculous and the scene with Chandler at the end feels extremely forced. While the jokes are funny, the scene feels overly dramatic for a nothing of a storyline. Surely the writers could have come up with something better to set up that ending scene. Best Moment: The unisex joke with Joey and Rachel was fantastic. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was a disappointing episode. Phoebe's story was good but the other two stories were a big step down from what we usually get from "Friends". Thankfully, the character interactions are still amazing because without them, this episode would fall flat. Score: 56 Summary: Rachel tries to get Monica to confess her relationship with Chandler. Monica gets frustrated with Chandler who sucks up to his boss at work. Ross learns that Emily is getting married and has a one night stand with Janice.
The Good: The continuation of Joey and Rachel's storyline was really good and their few scenes were the best part of the episode. Ross' storyline is good too. The Janice twist is fantastic and Joey's presence in their storyline was pretty hilarious. I also appreciated the continuity with Janice thinking Chandler is still in Yemen. Chandler's storyline is a very good concept since a fake "work laugh" is something that lots of people have experience with. The final scene with Chandler and Ross is overacted but its heart is in the right place and that makes it funny. The Bad: Unfortunately Chandler's story doesn't end up being particularly funny outside of the entertaining presence of Chandler's boss. Rachel attempting to get the truth out of Monica was really bad. It makes no sense that Monica and Chandler would keep the secret and it hurts their characters by having them behave so stupidly. Also, it's inconsistent since they immediately told Joey when he figured it out, so why not do the same with Rachel? Ross and Janice's story is too on-the-nose and due to that it isn't as funny as it should have been. Best Moment: The opening scene with Rachel and Joey. Joey's constant "I don't know"s were great and nicely got humour out of the dichotomy between Joey and Rachel. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was a fun episode, but it lacked in subtlety and a lot of the episode felt like it was trying too hard to get laughs. Score: 59 Summary: Ross makes a new year's resolution to try a new thing every day. He decides to wear leather pants for the new thing of the day and goes on a date that ends up disastrous. Chandler takes a bet with Ross where he can't make fun of anyone for a week. Phoebe tries to teach Joey how to play the guitar. Rachel learns about Monica and Chandler and struggles with what to do with the information.
The Good: Most of this was damn good. Rachel's story is a highlight here. The way she learns about Chandler and Monica is absolutely hilarious and Jennifer Anniston sold the moment really well. Her final conversation with Joey is fantastic and the humour in the scene is really clever. They both act really well to draw the most humour out of the scene. Chandler's story is really fun. I love the way the friends all torment him as he struggles to not make fun of everyone. The ending scene where Chandler insults everyone in rapid succession is great. Ross' storyline is extremely strong too. Watching him get stuck in the leather pants was terrific and David Schwimmer played Ross' desperation incredibly. The phone call with Joey was a really funny scene and was one of the season's finest moments. The Bad: Phoebe continues to be sabotaged by the writers. She is downright unlikable here and her teaching methods are really dumb and not funny. Best Moment: Rachel and Joey's awkward conversation about Monica and Chandler. Their awkward dialogue as they slowly realize they both know the same secret is terrific. I also love that both of them are genuinely excited just to talk about it. It's a really relatable emotion that adds to the comedy. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: This was 3/4 of a terrific episode. Rachel's story, Chandler's story and Ross' story were all great and were setting up another awesome episode. Unfortunately, the poor Phoebe story holds this back from being an outstanding episode. Score: 78 Summary: Monica sets up Rachel on a date with Danny but she is creeped out by his close relationship with his sister. Ross is bored so Joey enlists him to help him write his own script, though Joey's heart isn't into it. Phoebe is picked to get charity money outside Macy's.
The Good: Some aspects of this episode are pretty good. Joey's story is good fun and he does a terrific job of getting laughs throughout the episode. The funny apology scene is a highlight. Rachel continued to be fun in her relationship with Danny, short-lived as it was. I loved the small moment with Chandler stealthily escaping Monica's room. It was great unexpected comedy. Phoebe offers the odd funny line. The Bad: The episode isn't very memorable. Phoebe's character continues to be sabotaged. Street Phoebe has always been a remnant of the past for a kind-hearted and moral character, but now she seems to become rude and aggressive at will because the writers think it's funny. Sadly it isn't even that funny and is only moderately fresh to watch. Danny's relationship with his sister is pretty unrealistic and that takes away from his story. It's a forced way to end the Rachel/Danny story. Best Moment: Ross and Chandler reading Joey's script for their apology. I particularly liked the "could I be any more sorry" bit as well as the "a handsome man enters" bit. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: A forgettable episode. There wasn't anything that bad, but there was nothing particularly good either. This is weaker than what we usually get. Score: 57 Summary: Chandler and Monica are being sloppy in hiding their relationship and Joey has to be embarrassed to keep their relationship secret. Joey gets annoyed. Phoebe goes to a reading class and Rachel tags along but doesn't read any of the books. Ross starts to lose it after somebody at work eats his sandwich and gets a reputation for violence at the museum.
The Good: Ross is fantastic here. His mannerisms as he continues to spiral downwards after everything that happened were very funny and I loved all of his scenes. The sandwich scenes in particular were fantastic and David Schwimmer gave a great performance to bring out the most from the comedy. The Joey story has some pretty funny moments as Joey continually takes the fall for Chandler and Monica's stupidity. The pay off at the end with Monica getting humiliated was pretty funny. The Bad: I see a lot of people rate this as one of the better episodes of the series but I honestly don't see it. A lot of the stories here were pretty dumb outside of Ross. While Joey's was funny, the acting was way over the top and the characters weren't as well defined as usual. I struggled to buy into the lengths Chandler and Monica went to keep their relationship secret. Surely Monica would rather reveal the truth instead of being viewed as a sex addict by everyone. Also, the Phoebe C-story is really bad. It's never funny and the final joke of Monica being a terrible student was very poor. This was never an aspect of Monica's character and it shows a fundamental disconnect between the characters and writers which has steadily been becoming worse as the seasons have gone on. It's never been a big problem until now. The lame way that this episode presented its characters made this feel like an episode from a completely different show. "Friends" has mostly been realistic comedy and it's always been at its worst when it gets cartoonish like this. Best Moment: Ross ranting about his sandwich was terrific. This episode was saved by David Schwimmer's performance. Character of the Episode: Ross. Conclusion: An episode that made me laugh a lot but had way too many glaring issues. It's a worrying sign to see the show fall to its biggest weaknesses like this. Hopefully this was just a one-off episode and the rest of this season feels more like the "Friends" that I have enjoyed so much in the past few seasons. Score: 62 Summary: The friends all decide to tell stories of their worst Thanksgivings after eating too much.
The Good: Episodes like these are why I fell in love with "Friends" in the first place. Nothing captures the humour in reality more than 6 friends reminiscing on "good times" on Thanksgiving. The concept behind the episode is terrific. Every time that flashbacks have been used in this show, they have resulted in an excellent episode ("TOW the Prom Video" and "TOW the Flashback"). This one works best because it focuses on some of the worst and most embarrassing moments in these characters' lives which is an easy setpiece for high level comedy. Ross and Chandler's evolving ridiculousness is fantastic, Monica's inability to work with men was amazing, Joey getting a turkey stuck on his head was the episode's highlight (see: Best Moment) and the Gellers once again provided comedy gold. I haven't laughed so hard at a "Friends" episode in quite a while. The stories in the present are really good too. The decision to continue Joey's speech about thongs after the cold-open was magnificent. The scene managed to be unexpected because we've never seen a continuation of a cold-open scene before so it ends up being a delightful, and funny, surprise. The ending of the episode is really strong too. It's a fantastic moment for Monica and Chandler as a couple and the pay-off with Joey getting terrified of the turkey was excellent. Lastly, the thing that makes this episode so good is how nearly every scene has a fantastically written joke, or several. The jokes in this show haven't been written this well and so consistently in a long time. The Bad: Some moments were a bit clunky. It's not quite clear why Chandler reacted so negatively to Monica's story since it was clearly an accident. Phoebe's flashbacks weren't that funny and felt a little out of place. Of course it feels like several of these things should have been brought up beforehand. We have seen Chandler barefoot before and his pinky toe isn't shortened. Best Moment: Joey having the turkey stuck on his head was hilarious and his distress was excellent. There was a great joke every 15 seconds and I couldn't stop laughing as the scene went on. Phoebe had some hilarious character moments when interacting with Joey, and both Chandler and Monica are terrific in their brief roles. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: The strongest episode of the season so far. In terms of pure comedy, this is as good as it gets and is one of the show's funniest ever episodes. If it weren't for the character consistency issues this may have been the very best episode of the show so far. Score: 87 Summary: Ross is kicked out of his apartment so Chandler and Joey let him stay with them. But Ross' annoying habits really grind on them and they try to get him to leave. Rachel tries to get the mental advantage against Danny. Phoebe gets in a relationship with a health inspector.
The Good: This episode was decently funny with some good stories. Ross is funny with his annoying habits and both Joey and Chandler are great as they react to him. They are both funny as they try to force him out before feeling sorry about what they did. The story is told well and has some really good moments. Rachel's story is really good too. Her overreactions and overanalysis of Danny's actions are hilarious and fit with what we know of her character. Phoebe's story is good for the odd laugh. The Bad: This episode lacked subtlety which prevented it from being amongst the show's best. A lot of scenes were funny, but they felt unrealistic because of how over-the-top they were. This was especially noticeable in the Ross story. Phoebe's story does feel like filler. I would have preferred a greater focus on the other two storylines instead. Best Moment: Rachel dismissing Tommy was awesome. Tommy's first line was superb and made me laugh ("Bloomies"), and Rachel's harsh dismissal of him felt both sad and hilarious. Character of the Episode: Rachel. Conclusion: There were two excellent stories here with tons of funny moments, but a lack of subtlety and a weak third story damage the episode. Score: 70 Summary: The friends grow upset when they discover how much Ross has to sacrifice to be with Emily. Rachel accidentally fogs a man named Danny who lives in their apartment block and tries to apologize. Phoebe receives a fur coat from her mother and is conflicted over what to do with it.
The Good: This was another strong and very funny episode. Ross' story with Emily comes to a sad conclusion, and while I think the emotion is underplayed (see: The Bad), the comedy surrounding it is all brilliant. Joey in particular does an excellent job. The Chandler/Monica story continues to be fresh and it is still one of the show's very best storylines. The opening scene with Joey was, yet again, terrific. Rachel and Danny's story was pretty good too and I got a laugh at how Danny turned things around on Rachel and they both ended up getting pizza. Phoebe's story is fine for the odd laugh and it was a decent idea for a C-story considering her character. The Bad: Ross' marriage ending should have been one of the sadder moments of the show, but it didn't feel like that. Part of this is because there were too many jokes, but also it's because it never seemed likely that Ross and Emily's marriage would be a success since Emily is only a guest star. Best Moment: Joey doing the smile-frown thing as Ross' marriage ends was a perfect example of lighthearted fun humour mixed in with dark, messed up humour. It was great. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This was a fun episode with a lot of laughs. Even with Ross and Emily's divorce failing to deliver, the comedy presented throughout the episode is enough to give it a good score. Score: 72 Summary: Ross is faced with telling Rachel that he can't see her anymore but struggles to get it out. Chandler and Monica take a weekend retreat to have some time alone but the weekend goes very badly.
The Good: This was a really strong episode with a number of really funny moments. It's helped by the fact that the episode focuses on just two major storylines which are given a chance to breathe and get the most jokes and emotion. Ross is fun as he is constantly foiled in telling Rachel about their situation. When he eventually does reveal the information, the scenes are solid. The emotion is appropriately conveyed by both of them and it's still kept nice and light. Monica and Chandler's story is pretty strong too. Their argument is pretty funny and both of them find logical things to get more interested in than each other. I liked them making up again as it once again highlighted the great chemistry that Matthew Perry and Courtney Cox have. The bookend scenes involving Joey were terrific and packed loads of laughs. The ending bit where Joey finds out was one of the show's best ever moments and it had me floored in laughter. Phoebe had some funny moments towards the end of the episode though I didn't like how she got there (see: The Bad). I really enjoyed Joey's secret box in Monica's bedroom as it led to several fantastic jokes. The Bad: Phoebe is a bad friend if she is so excited at the idea of leaving the others behind. Her character has lost her essence ever since she got pregnant and that's a shame. Monica and Chandler look bad since they are fighting in most episodes. While their storyline has been the best this season, I hope we get to see something new happen between them. Best Moment: Joey finding out was hysterical. A series highlight. Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: This episode had some of the best moments of the entire series and that helps it out a lot. Outside of some sloppy writing, this episode was consistently funny with several tremendous moments that made it even better. The strongest episode of the season. Score: 78 Summary: Ross gets in contact with Emily and attempts to get her to forgive him. She leaves him to make a tough decision. Chandler starts acting obnoxiously after Rachel mentions that Monica's mystery boyfriend is the "best sex she has ever had". Phoebe tries to prove to Joey that there is such a thing as a selfless good deed.
The Good: This was solid and fun with three storylines that I enjoyed. Phoebe and Joey have a nice story with a few fun moments in it. Phoebe trying to prove that there is such a thing as a selfless good deed is fun and I appreciated the way that she accidentally kept making herself feel happy. I thought Ross' story was strong too. He gets a ton of great lines and carries a lot of the comedy. The conflict of choosing between Emily and Rachel is a good story for Ross and you really feel for him. It's a testament to how good the humour in this show is that there are a lot of laughs resulting from Ross trying to reach a decision. Chandler and Monica continue to be a delight that makes for fresh new comedy. Monica and Chandler nearly getting caught at the beginning of the episode was hilarious. The Bad: The episode isn't particularly memorable, so it's not the show's very best. The selfless story makes little sense because Phoebe is doing the deeds to prove Joey wrong, meaning they are not selfless. I was surprised that the show didn't use this as the final joke because I was certain it was building up to this. Without addressing that, the plot becomes a bit awkward. Some jokes here didn't work very well like Phoebe thinking Santa Claus is real. Best Moment: The beginning scene where Monica tries to explain herself to Rachel. This Chandler/Monica storyline has been great so far. Character of the Episode: Ross Conclusion: This was another good episode, but it was also another episode that failed to be spectacular. The show hasn't gotten back to the consistency that it had in the first two seasons, but it still remains really fun. Score: 69 Summary: Phoebe is giving birth to the triplets but she decides that she wants to keep one. Monica and Chandler have issues when Rachel sets Monica up on a date. Joey finds out that he has kidney stones.
The Good: The doctor characters were really good here. The doctor obsessed with Fonzie was fantastic and ended up being much funnier than I expected. I also really liked the doctor who kept saying "kidney stones" with perfect comedic timing. This show has always been consistent when it comes to funny side characters. As for the main characters, most of them were great in this episode. Joey was very funny in his storyline and Frank Jr's enthusiasm at becoming a father was the funniest part of the entire episode. I did like Chandler and Monica's final conversation, not what built up to it. The Bad: Some of the storylines were pretty dull which took away from this. I didn't get many laughs from Joey passing the kidney stones being compared to Phoebe giving birth. I thought that Phoebe's idea to keep one child was silly and it takes away from Phoebe's character. It may have worked better if Phoebe said this while under some kind of sedative, but not as an idea that she simply came up with. Chandler and Monica's argument felt petty and I thought that the story was too predictable with how it ended. The male nurse thing wasn't that funny either. Best Moment: Frank Jr getting a kick out of Phoebe making the resident doctor cry was hilarious. Character of the Episode: Frank Jr. Conclusion: This was a fun episode and I really enjoyed it, but some flaws in how the stories were written took away from what could have been a great episode. This ended up being good but had potential to be much more. Score: 67 Summary: Chandler and Monica continue their relationship in secret, but when Chandler kisses Monica in front of the others, he has to kiss Rachel and Phoebe too to play it off. Phoebe is upset that she missed out on the London trip. Rachel gets Monica to make her decisions for her as she struggles with her feelings for Ross.
The Good: The Chandler and Monica story is the strongest here. Their efforts to keep their relationship secret provide very fresh humour and it delivered with great scenes. The opening sequence with Chandler and Monica in the bathtub was terrific and even better was the kissing joke. The Rachel story is good too and I really liked her interactions with Monica who immediately wants to take control of Rachel's life. I thought their argument in the hall was a great bit of humour. Joey is in the background for the episode, but he comes in at really good times to get some laughs. Ross is excellent once more as he gets more unstable due to his collapsing marriage. David Schwimmer does a great job playing this off and making it funny. The Teddy Bear joke in particular is fantastic. The Bad: The final scene with Ross and Rachel is weird. It's a serious scene but it gets played for laughs and I'm not sure that it succeeds. The idea of Rachel and Ross both laughing at the states of their love life is good but the way it got there was a little off. Phoebe comes off poorly as she ruins her friends' fun because she wasn't able to go to London with them. Best Moment: Chandler kissing Rachel and Phoebe after accidentally kissing Monica was terrific. Character of the Episode: Monica. Conclusion: This was a strong episode with a fresh sense of humour. The score is unfortunately brought down by the odd Ross/Rachel scene, but other than that, this was very good. Score: 69 Summary: Ross and Emily get married but Emily leaves immediately after and Ross tries to get in touch with her. Chandler and Monica look for a place to have sex again but they are continually cut off. Rachel tries to find out if Ross saying her name meant something.
The Good: This was consistently hilarious and was a strong way to kick off the season. I seem to say that every season now, as "Friends" has continually done a good job with season premieres. I liked the fallout from Ross saying Rachel as Emily is expectedly hurt by this and leaves her own wedding. Ross' reactions the entire time are funny and he plays the nervous desperation very well and there are several excellent jokes surrounding it. Emily's parents are spectacular once more and they make a number of memorable jokes whenever they are on screen. However, the highlight of this episode is definitely Chandler and Monica. They have surprisingly terrific chemistry in this episode and watching their attempts to have sex get unknowingly foiled was very funny and both characters played off of the moments extremely well. It's very fresh humour that hasn't been done before. The Bad: Ross continually talking while giving his vows was a bit much and took away from how significant of a moment it must have been for Emily. Best Moment: Chandler and Monica arrive in Chandler's room only to be interrupted by Joey who is bringing a girl himself. The ensuing conversation between Chandler and Joey is great. Character of the Episode: Chandler. Conclusion: This was an exciting season premiere with lots of laugh and fitting follow-up to the exciting events in last season's finale. Score: 77 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
February 2024
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