These two volumes present "The Best of 'Friends'" as "chosen by fans." Volume 1 centers on the stormy relationship between Ross and Rachel:(1) "Pilot" (September 22, 1994), a.k.a. "The One Where Rachel Does Not Get Married." For the first time we meet the gang at Central Perk, where runaway bride Rachel suddenly drops into their lives. Selected as #47 by TV Guide in their list of "The 50 Best 'Friends' Moments."
(2) "The One With two Parts, Part 1 & Part 2" (February 23, 1995), is simply an episode where the deuces are wild. First of all we have Phoebe and her twin Urusla. Then we have those two hunky doctors Rachel and Monica run into at the hospital. Add to that Marcel choking on a scrabble tile, and you can see why this story was too big for one episode.
(3) "The One with All the Poker" (March 2, 1995), finds the girls joining the boys for poker. The tension for the episode comes from the fact that Rachel wants a new job and Ross wants Rachel. Can a hand of poker constitute a first date?
(4) "The One Where Ross Finds Out" (November 9, 1995), reminds us that if you drink, then do not leave phone messages. What Ross finds out is that Rachel is over him (all together now: "When were you under me?"). #9 on TV Guide's list, this is the episode that shows that two ships cannot just keep passing in the night for all eternity.
(5) "The One With the Prom Video" (February 1, 1966), provides not only our first flashback trip down memory lane to what Ross, Monica and Rachel were like way back when, it also has the best kiss in the show's history. The mix of comedy and pathos makes this a perfect episode for a steak & lobster dinner. This episode is #2 on the TV Guide list, although it was the only "Friends" episode to make the magazines list of Top Television Moments of all time.
However, by the time we get to Volume 2 Ross and Rachel will be suffering through the consequences of what happened when they were (or were not) on a "break":
(1) "The One Where No One's Ready" (September 26, 1996) proves something we should have all known from the start. You can do an entire episode of "Friends" watching Rachel get dressed (this is foreshadowed by the photo on the cover of Volume 1 where Jennifer Aniston is only wearing a sheet). The only problem is that this is Ross's big night and he is not making it any easier on her or anybody else. The only episode on this DVD that is not on TV Guide's list of "The Top 50 'Friends' Moments.'"
(2) "The One with the Embryos" (January 15, 1998), but Phoebe's womb is not as interesting in this episode as the trivia game going on in Monica and Rachel's apartment. At stake: Monica and Rachel's apartment. Fess up: you didn't know the answer to the big stumper question either. Ranks #18 on TV Guide's list.
(3) "The One with Ross's Wedding, Parts 1 & 2 (May 7, 1998) provides the best "Friends" cliffhanger (yes, even better than this year's "Ok"). Rachel goes over to England to stop Ross's wedding, but he manages to do just fine without her help. Loose lips can sink more things than ships. This one ranked #39 on the TV Guide list.
(4) "The One with All the Thanksgivings" (November 19, 1998) is a flashback trip down memory lane where we find out ever reason Chandler has to hate Thanksgiving, from his Flock of Seagulls haircut to the amputation of a toe. TV Guide ranked this moment #29.
(5) "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" (February 11, 1999) is quite simple to explain. Joey and Rachel know about Monica and Chandler, but then Phoebe finds out, but Monica and Chandler do not know that Phoebe knows, but then Phoebe hits on Chandler so they know but she does not know that they know. And then... This episode ranks #5 on TV Guide's list, although I think it is probably the funniest "Friends" episode ever. Well, okay, so far.
This volume includes ADDED FOOTAGE and the Rembrandt's "Ill Be There For You" music video. The next pair of volumes in this DVD series claim to present "fan favorites." Again, there is plenty of room for fans of the show to quibble about what has been included and what has not. Still, having these around beats the hit and miss proposition of catching your favorites in syndication.
1. "The Pilot"- Monica's best friend from high school, Rachel Green moves in with her after Rachel leaves her fiance (Barry) at the altar.2. "The One With the Two Parts"- Joey falls for Phoebe's identical twin sister, Ursula. Ross goes to lamaze class with his ex-wife Carol and her partner Susan. He begins to worry that he may not make a good father.
3. "The One With All the Poker"- The girls are sick of being left out of Chandler, Ross and Joey's poker games, so they decide to join them. Rachel tries to find a job, so she doesn't have to work at Central Perk anymore.
4. "The One Where Ross Finds Out"- A drunk Rachel leaves Ross a message on his answering machine saying that she's totally over him, but he doesn't know that she had feelings for him, too. Chandler and Monica work out together.
5. "The One With the Prom Video"- Joey gets a big paycheck from his role on Days of Our Lives, so he buys Chandler a huge, gold "best bud" bracelet. The gang watches a video of Monica and Rachel preparing for the prom years earlier.
6. "The One Where No One's Ready"- Ross is agitated that nobody else (besides Phoebe) is dressed 30 minutes before a fund-raiser at the museum where he works. Chandler and Joey fight over a chair.
7. "The One With the Embryos"- Phoebe becomes a surrogate mother for her half-brother and his wife. It's Rachel and Monica vs. Chandler and Joey in a trivia contest to see how much they know about each other.
8. "The One With Ross's Wedding"- Chandler, Monica and Joey (Pheebs stayed behind because she's pregnant and Rachel, because she's upset that Ross is getting married) head to London for Ross's wedding. Monica and Chandler hook up!
9. "The One With All the Thanksgivings"- The gang reminisces about past Thanksgivings.
10. "The One Where Everybody Finds Out"- After months of sneaking around, Monica and Chandler's relationship comes out into the open.
This is a must have for any Friends fanatic!
