Favorite Episodes of "FRIENDS" Season Three (1996-1997)

 

Below is a list of my favorite episodes from Season Three of the NBC series, "FRIENDS". The series was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman:




FAVORITE EPISODES OF "FRIENDS" SEASON THREE (1996-1997)



1. (3.16) "The One with the Morning After" - Ross Geller and Rachel Green's romance falls apart even further following a major quarrel and his one-night stand with a Xerox employee named Chloe.






2. (3.06) "The One with the Flashback" - The gang recounts to Chandler Bing's girlfriend Janice Litman the events from three years previously, when several of them almost slept together.






3. (3.15) "The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break" - Ross seeks solace in Chloe's arms after a bitter fight with Rachel. Phoebe Buffay's date, an Eastern European diplomat, needs an interpreter to communicate with her.






4. (3.09) "The One with the Football" - Old sibling rivalry between Ross and sister Monica Geller resurfaces, leading to a game of "touch" football with the gang and a postponed Thanksgiving dinner.






5. (3.02) "The One Where No One's Ready" - A stressed Ross desperately and insistently tries to get the rest of the gang ready for a black tie event at the museum. Meanwhile, Monica freaks out after hearing a voice mail from her ex-boyfriend Dr. Richard Burke, unsure if it is an old message or a new one. Roommates Joey Tribianni and Chandler Bing clash over personal belongings and personal space in their apartment.






Honorable Mention: (3.23) "The One with Ross's Thing" - Ross seeks medical help when he finds a mysterious skin condition on his backside. Phoebe struggles to choose between two guys she is romancing. And Monica cannot decide what to do about her new boyfriend Pete Becker, when she thinks he is going to propose.

Favorite Episodes of "FRIENDS" Season Two (1995-1996)

 

Below is a list of my favorite episodes from Season Two of the NBC series, "FRIENDS". The series was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman:




FAVORITE EPISODES OF "FRIENDS" SEASON TWO (1995-1996)



1. (2.24) "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding" - Rachel Green reluctantly agrees to be maid of honor at the wedding of her ex-fiancé, Dr. Barry Farber. Monica Geller ponders her future with her older boyfriend, Dr. Richard Burke. And Chandler Bing falls for a mystery woman on the Internet.





2. (2.19) "The One Where Eddie Won't Go" - Creeped out by his bizarre new roommate, Eddie, Chandler demands he move out. Meanwhile, old roommate Joey Tribbiani struggles dealing with losing his job on "Days of Our Lives".
A new book on female empowerment inspires the girls to have a "goddess meeting", unleashing buried truths.





3. (2.07) "The One Where Ross Finds Out" - A drunken Rachel calls Ross Geller and reveals her true feelings for him on his answering machine. Meanwhile, an unemployed Monica keeps busy by being Chandler's personal trainer.





4. (2.05) "The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant" - During a dinner party at a local restaurant, the gang become divided by income issues. Chandler also uses a case of mistaken identity to his advantage when a sexy-sounding woman calls the wrong number.





5. (2.15) "The One Where Ross and Rachel . . . You Know" - Monica meets Richard, her parents' old friend, for the first time when she caters a party for him and becomes immediately infatuated. Ross and Rachel go on their first date. Joey and Chandler refuse to move when they get a new television and two armchairs.

Favorite Episodes of "FRIENDS" Season One (1994-1995)

 

Below is a list of my favorite episodes from Season One of the NBC series, "FRIENDS". The series was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman:



FAVORITE EPISODES OF "FRIENDS" SEASON ONE (1994-1995)



1. (1.24) "The One Where Rachel Finds Out" - After Ross Gellar leaves for China on behalf of the museum he works at, Chandler Bing accidentally reveals Ross's unrequited love for Rachel Green. Joey Tribbiani takes part in a fertility study and is unable to sleep with his new girlfriend. Lauren Tom guest-starred.





2. (1.11) "The One with Mrs. Bing" - Chandler's flamboyant romance-novelist mother comes to visit, and Joey catches her kissing Ross. Meanwhile, Ross' sister Monica Gellar and Phoebe Buffay fight over a guy lying in a coma at a hospital. Morgan Fairchild guest-starred.





3. (1.22) "The One with the Ick Factor" - Monica gets a shock when she finds out her current boyfriend is a high school student. Chandler finds out his office colleagues do not like him when Phoebe becomes his temporary secretary. Stan Kirch guest-starred.





4. (1.20) "The One with the Evil Orthodontist" - Rachel and her former fiance, Dr. Barry Farber, start dating again; despite his current engagement to her friend Mindy. Chandler goes nuts when a woman he is attracted to will not return his phone calls. Mitchell Whitfield and Jennifer Grey co-starred.





5. (1.13) "The One with the Boobies" - Joey finds out his dad has a mistress. Rachel tries to even the score after Chandler inadvertently catches a glimpse of her breasts. Phoebe dates a shrink who analyzes the other friends. Robert Costanzo, Brenda Vaccaro and Fisher Stevens guest-starred.

"JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN" (1989) Review

"JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN" (1989) Review

One of the most popular romance novelists to emerge during the 1970s and 1980s was Judith Krantz, whose series of novels seemed to be part romance/part family saga. At least six (or seven) of her novels were adapted as television miniseries. One of them was the 1988 novel, "Till We Meet Again", which became the 1989 CBS miniseries, "JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN".

Set between 1913 and 1952, the early 1950s, "JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN" (aka "TILL WE MEET AGAIN") focused on the lives of Eve, the daughter of a French provincial middle-class doctor and her two daughters, Delphine and Marie-Frederique 'Freddy' de Lancel. The story began in 1913 when Eve met a traveling music hall performer named Alain Marais. When she learned that her parents planned to agree to an arranged marriage for her, Eve joined Alain on a train to Paris and the pair became lovers and roommates. Within a year, Alain became seriously ill and Eve was forced to find work to maintain their finances. With the help of a neighbor and new friend, Vivianne de Biron, Eve became a music hall performer herself and Paris' newest sensation. Out of jealousy, anger and embarrassment, Alain ended their romance.

During World War I, Eve met Paul de Lancel, the heir to an upper-class family that produces champagne who had been recently widowed by a suicidal wife. Following Eve's marriage to Paul, the couple conceived Delphine and Freddy and Paul became a diplomat. The latter also became estranged from his son Bruno, who was eventually raised by his maternal aristocratic grandparents, who blamed Paul for their daughter's suicide. By 1930, Eve and Paul found themselves in Los Angeles, where he served as that city's French consul. And over the next two decades, the de Lancel family dealt with new careers, love, the rise of fascism, the movie industries, World War II, post-war economics, romantic betrayals and Bruno's villainous and malicious antics.

"JUDITH KRANZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN" is not what I would call a television masterpiece. Or even among the best television productions I have ever seen. Considering its source, a period piece romance novel - something most literary critics would dismiss as melodramatic trash - it is not surprising that I would regard the 1989 this way. Then again, the 1972 Academy Award Best Picture winner, "THE GODFATHER", was based on what many (including myself) believe was pulp fiction trash. However, "TILL WE MEET AGAIN" did not have Francis Ford Coppola to transform trash into Hollywood gold. I am not dismissing the 1989 miniseries as trash. But I would never regard it as a fine work of art.

And I did have a few problems with the production. I found the pacing, thanks to director Charles Jarrott, along with screenwriters Andrew Peter Marin and (yes) Judith Krantz; rather uneven. I think the use of montages could have helped because there were times when the miniseries rushed through some of its sequences . . . to the point that I found myself wondering what had earlier occurred in the story. This seemed to be the case with Eve's backstory. Her rise from the daughter of a provincial doctor to Parisian music hall sensation to a diplomat's wife struck as a bit too fast. It seemed as if Jarrott, Marin and Krantz were in a hurry to commence on Freddy and Delphine's story arcs. Another problem I had was the heavy emphasis on Freddy's post war story arc. Both Delphine and Eve were nearly pushed to the background, following the end of World War II. It is fortunate that the miniseries' focus on the post-war years played out in its last 20 to 30 minutes.

I also had a problem with how Marin and Krantz ended Delphine's relationship with her older half-brother Bruno. In the novel, Delphine ended her friendship with Bruno after his attempt to pimp her out to some German Army official during the Nazi's occupation of France. This also happened in the miniseries, but Marin and Krantz took it too far by taking a page from Krantz's 1980 novel, "Princess Daisy" . . . by having Bruno rape Delphine after her refusal to sleep with the German officer. I found this unnecessary, considering that the two screenwriters never really followed up on the consequences of the rape. If this was an attempt to portray Bruno a monster, it was unnecessary. His collaboration of the Nazis, his attempt to pimp out Delphine, his sale of the de Lancels' precious stock of champagne and his participation in the murders of three locals who knew about the sale struck me as enough to regard him as a monster.

My remaining problems with "TILL WE MEET AGAIN" proved to minor. Many of Krantz's novels tend to begin as period dramas and end in the present time. I cannot say the same about her 1988 novel. The entire story is set entirely in the past - a forty-year period between pre-World War I and the early 1950s. Yet, I managed to spot several anachronisms in the production. Minor ones, perhaps, but anachronisms nevertheless. One of the most obvious anachronisms proved to be the hairstyles for many of the female characters - especially the de Lancel sisters, Delphine and Freddy. This anachronism was especially apparent in the hairstyles they wore in the 1930s sequences - long and straight. Most young girls and women wore soft shoulder bobs that were slightly above the shoulders during that decade. Speaking of anachronism, the actor who portrayed Armand Sadowski, a Polish-born director in the French film industry, wore a mullet. A 1980s-style mullet during those same 1930s sequences. Sigh! The make-up worn by many of the female characters struck me as oddly modern. Another anachronistic popped up in the production's music. I am not claiming that late 1980s songs were featured in the miniseries. The songs selected were appropriate to the period. However, I noticed that those songs were performed and arranged in a more modern style. It was like watching television characters performing old songs at a retro music show. It simply felt . . . no, it sound wrong to me.

Despite my complaints, I did enjoy "TILL WE MEET AGAIN". In fact, I believe that its virtues were strong enough to overshadow its flaws. One, Judith Krantz had created a first-rate family saga . . . one that both she and screenwriter Andrew Peter Marin did justice to in this adaptation. Two, this is the only Krantz family saga that I can remember that is set completely in the past. Most of her family sagas start in the past and spend at least two-thirds of the narrative in the present. Not "TILL WE MEET AGAIN". More importantly, this family saga is more or less told through the eyes of three women. I have noticed how rare it is for family sagas in which the narratives are dominated by women, unless it only featured one woman as the main protagonist. And neither Eve, Delphine or Freddy are portrayed as instantaneous ideal women. Yes, they are beautiful and talented in different ways. But all three women were forced to grow or develop in the story.

Being the oldest and the mother of the other two, Eve was forced to grow up during the first third of the saga. However, she spent a great deal of emotional angst over her daughters' lives and the fear that her past as a music hall entertainer may have had a negative impact on her husband's diplomatic career. Eve and Freddy had to deal with a disappointing love (or two) before finding the right man in their lives. Delphine managed to find the right man at a young age after becoming an actress with the film industry in France. But World War II, and the Nazi regime's anti-Semitic policies managed to endanger and interrupt her romance. Freddy's love life involved a bittersweet romance with an older man - the very man who taught her to become a pilot; a quick romance and failed marriage to a British aristocrat; and the latter's closest friend, an American pilot who had harbored years of unrequited love for Freddy until she finally managed to to notice him.

Despite the saga being dominated by Eve, Delphine and Freddy; the two male members of the de Lancel family also had strong roles in this saga. I thought both Krantz and Marin did an excellent job in their portrayal of the complex relationship between Paul de Lancel and his only son and oldest child, Bruno de Lancel, who also happened to be Delphine and Freddy's half-brother. I also found it interesting how Bruno's unforgiving maternal grand-parents' over-privileged upbringing of him and their snobbish regard for Eve had tainted and in the end, torn apart the relationship between father and son. Mind you, Bruno's own ugly personality did not help. But he was, after all, a creation of the Marquis and Marquise de Saint-Fraycourt. Ironically, Paul also had his troubles with both Delphine and Freddy - especially during their late adolescence. Between Delphine's forays into Hollywood's nighttime society behind her parents' backs and Freddy's decision to skip college and become a stunt pilot, Paul's relationships with his daughters endured troubled waters. And I thought the screenwriters did an excellent job in conveying the diplomat's complex relationships with both of them.

And despite my low opinion of the hairstyles featured in "TILL WE MEET AGAIN", I cannot deny that the production values featured in the miniseries struck me as quite impressive. Roger Hall did an excellent job in his production designs that more or less re-created various locations on two continents between the years of 1913 and 1952. His work was ably supported by Rhiley Fuller and Mike Long's art direction, Donald Elmblad and Peter Walpole's set decorations, and Alan Hume's cinematography, which did such an exceptional job of capturing the beauty and color of its various locations. However, I must admit that I really enjoyed Jerry R. Allen and Robin Fraser-Paye's costume designs. I thought they did an excellent job of recapturing the fashions of the early-to-mid 20th century.

If I must be honest, I cannot think of any performance that blew my mind. I am not claiming that the acting featured in "TILL WE MEET AGAIN" were terrible, let alone mediocre. Frankly, I believe that all of the major actors and actresses did a great job. Courtney Cox gave a very energetic performance as the ambitious and aggressive Freddy de Lancel. Bruce Boxleitner also gave an energetic performance as Jock Hampton, the best friend of Freddy's husband . . . but with a touch of pathos, as he conveyed his character's decade long unrequited love for the red-headed Mademoiselle de Lancel. Mia Sara gave a spot-on portrayal of Delphine de Lancel from an ambitious, yet insecure adolescent to a sophisticated and more mature woman. And again, I can the same about Lucy Gutteridge's portrayal of Eve de Lancel, who developed the character from an impulsive adolescent to a mature woman who proved to be her family's backbone. Hugh Grant was sufficiently sophisticated and hissable as the villainous Bruno de Lancel without turning his performance into a cliche. Charles Shaughnessy skillfully managed to convey to portray the worthy man behind director Armand Sadowski's womanizing charm. John Vickery gave a interested and complex portrayal of Freddy's British aristocrat husband, Anthony "Tony" Longbridge. And Maxwell Caufield was excellent as the charming, yet ego-driven singer Alain Marais. I believe one of the best performances came from Michael York, who was excellent as the emotionally besieged Paul de Lancel, struggling to deal with a stalled diplomatic career, two strong-willed daughters and a treacherous son. I believe the other best performance came from Barry Bostwick, who was excellent as Freddy's first love Terrence 'Mac' McGuire. I thought he did a great job of portraying a man torn between his love for Freddy and his guilt over being in love with someone who was young enough to be his daughter.

Look, I realize that "JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN" is basically a glorified period piece melodrama disguised as a family saga. I realize that. And I realize that it is not perfect. Nor would I regard it as an example of the best American television can offer. But at its heart, I thought it was basically a well written family saga that centered around three remarkable women. Thanks to Judith Krantz and Andrew Peter Marin's screenplay; Charles Jarrott's direction and a first-rate cast, the 1989 miniseries proved to be first-rate piece of television drama.

"JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN" (1989) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN", the 1989 television adaptation of Judith Krantz's 1988 novel, "Till We Meet Again". Directed by Charles Jarrott, the miniseries starred Lucy Gutteridge, Michael York, Courtney Cox and Mia Sara:



"JUDITH KRANTZ'S TILL WE MEET AGAIN" (1989) Photo Gallery

Top Ten (10) Favorite "FRIENDS" Episodes

Below is a list of my top ten favorite episodes of "FRIENDS" (1994-2004):


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE "FRIENDS" EPISODES



1. (5.14) “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” - Phoebe finds out about Monica and Chandler, so she and Rachel play practical jokes on them. Monica and Chandler realize something's up so they play along.






2. (4.12) “The One With the Embryos” - Phoebe's uterus is examined for implantation of the embryos. And a seemingly harmless game between the guys and the girls escalates into a full-blown contest to see which pair knows more personal data about the other.






3. (7.19) "The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin" - Denise Richards guest-starred as Ross and Monica's gorgeous cousin, who comes to visit; and Phoebe, Ross, and Chandler become attracted to her. Rachel and Phoebe quickly throw together a shower for Monica. Joey auditions for a part and told a lie about his 'downstairs' area that he and Monica try to fix so he can still get the part.






4. (5.08) "The One with All the Thanksgivings" - On Thanksgiving, everybody has flashbacks of their worst Thanksgiving. Phoebe recalls her Thanksgiving in 1862, which happened in one of her "past lives". Rachel reveals Monica's worst Thanksgiving, at which Monica accidentally cut off Chandler's little toe.






5. (6.10) "The One With the Routine" - Joey's Australian roommate, Janine (Ellie MacPherson), gets a job dancing for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" and invites Joey, Ross and Monica to come with her. Meanwhile, Phoebe, Chandler and Rachel look for Monica's Christmas presents so that they could buy her something suitable in return.






6. (2.19) “The One Where Eddie Won’t Go” - Creeped out by his bizarre new roommate, Eddie (Adam Goldberg), Chandler demands that he move out. Eddie agrees, but doesn't move out — nor does he even remember the conversation. Joey has trouble coming to grips with the death of Dr. Ramoray and the accompanying change in his lifestyle. And a new book on empowerment for women inspires the female friends to have a "goddess meeting."





7. (6.09) “The One Where Ross Got High” - Before Monica's Thanksgiving dinner, Ross is forced to tell Chandler why Jack and Judy don't like him. It turns out that in college, Ross experimented with 'pot', and blamed the smell of the drugs on Chandler, who had supposedly jumped out of the window because he was 'stoned'. Rachel tries to make dessert, but because the recipe book's pages were glued together, she makes only half of the dessert, the other half being a Shepherd's Pie. Phoebe develops a crush on Jack Geller after a sensual dream. Joey and Ross try to get out of Thanksgiving when they are invited to hang out with Janine and her dancer friends.






8. (5.05) “The One with the Kips” - Chandler and Monica go away for the weekend but spend the entire time fighting. Ross tells Rachel about his agreement with Emily, and he and Rachel get into a fight. Joey finds out about Monica and Chandler's relationship after Monica tells Rachel that she's lost her eyelash curler, which was left in the hotel room.






9. (9.05) "The One with Phoebe's Birthday Dinner" - Phoebe plans a night out for her birthday, but she and Joey are the only ones on time. Moncia is angry when Chandler smokes at work in Tulsa. And Rachel becomes anxious over leaving baby Emma at home.





10. (3.16) "The One on the Morning After" - Ross tries to prevent Rachel from learning that he slept with Chloe, the copy store employee. When she finds out anyway and they go back to her apartment and have a fight, the other four friends are trapped in Monica's bedroom, forced to listen in as Rachel decides to break up with Ross.


What are your favorites?