Friends From A to Z

You may not expect a storyline with Chandler in a box to connect to mythology and ancient religious rituals but it does in Adele’s head. There might be only one hole in Chandler’s box but, one of the storylines has so many holes in its credibility that it’s blowing our tiny minds (even though we can forgive it because it’s very funny) and Friends Thru A Lens has a gender reference that, sadly, may...

A classic episode here, which means it’s fun to talk about and there’s loads to get your teeth into. Not only is this one choc full of great story and some iconic moments, but the discussion around Chandler, Joey and Kathy unearths a whole load of interesting debate about the deeper psychology of this storyline. Ross’ ‘sound’ is one of the most memorable moments of all ten seasons for Adele and th...

There’s no debate over whether this is a favourite or not, but there is significant debate over both Chandler’s endgame here and (not for the first time) some of the choices made around how Kathy’s character behaves. Zoe has some interesting trivia about the Dirty Girl herself (as well as her real life husband), the favourite joke snaps reach unprecedented levels and Zoe admits that she *just* got...

This is one of those episodes that’s scoring quite high but not from how many laughs it contains, more for the depth of character and narrative importance. There’s a lot of debate over exactly what Kathy is thinking and a lot of love for the ridiculous dating circumstances Rachel and Ross find themselves in. Phoebe’s storyline clocks up a possible record and she writes a song that is remarkably ev...

**APOLOGIES** There was a sound error with the first upload of this so it is being posted again!! I'm "sorry" (as Joey would say!) We need the extra large machine for Friends Thru a Lens this episode as there are things in every storyline that don't quite feel right 23 years later, but there is one thing that was very insightful at the time and remains just as relatable today....

Cuffs, cleverness and quiches collide, Adele has a theory about strengths and flaws in all three. Zoe has her assumptions about who or what Milton Berle is thoroughly challenged and there are no fewer than three candidates for Friends Thru A Lens that show how much the world has changed since this episode first aired in the late 90s. Also, can we be heading for a record three in a row of favourite...

This is a tough one to rate because of brilliant highs and not so brilliant lows, but there’s plenty of interesting discussion about it all. Chandler and Joey being robbed provides a Favourite Joke snap and Monica dating Chip provokes a debate about how much this storyline reflects today’s views on weight and self-worth. The storyline about the cat may not be full of laughs, but there’s some good...

We were on a break! No, we really were… that break was officially for Zoe to have her baby, but little did we know a global pandemic would arrive shortly after, meaning that the sound will be a *bit* affected as we’re recording remotely. We’re off with a bang though with a universally loved episode that's got strong Rank Bank potential. Popularity doesn’t stop us from digging deep, asking whe...

We made it! We’re at the Beach (house?) which means it’s the end of Season Three! This episode contains the single biggest cliffhanger of Adele’s TV watching history and her second all time favourite Ross and Rachel kiss - but there’s a lot of discussion about what leads up to that moment. There’s a discovery of two words - critical to this episode - for some reason Zoe can’t say and there’s somet...

It’s time for the (pen)ultimate fighting champion episode, introduced with some trivia about the cold open that Adele gets particularly excited about. Despite having to search more than usual for the good jokes there’s lots to discuss: there’s something about the Chandler butt-slapping storyline that’s making it not quite sit right, there’s a happy goodbye wave for Pete when Monica makes it a trip...

Full agreement on the rankings of this one in Season Three and lots to discuss. There’s plenty of Friends Thru a Lensing with Pete’s tech-laden den and how it compares to the similar things we have today that are now commonplace. What can explain the uncomfortable reaction both Adele and Zoe have to Phoebe’s double-dating, and Zoe has a theory that there’s a real-life link with Pete’s choice of ho...

We may have a record gulf here between Adele and Zoe’s opinions of the screamer (both the man and the episode), we’ve got a rank bank feature for one and literally almost the worst episode of the season for the other - but that’s OK because it sparks a lot of debate! One thing that is agreed on, is the lovely real life link between this episode and the next one - do you know what that is? No amoun...

There’s a lot of debate about Monica’s behaviour towards Pete and whether one kiss could really take him from zero to hero. Chandler and Joey’s new roommates are a welcome addition and Ross’ decision to forego a TV appearance to care for Rachel is closely dissected, leading to several u-turns and the invention of a new word. Oh - and Adele promises to be more careful before getting over-excited ab...

Curiously there’s a misalignment between our rating of this episode and what the people (ie IMDB ratings) think. Three meaty storylines provoke lots of debate and questions: Why did Rachel voluntarily let her worlds collide? Why didn’t Ross knock on the bathroom door? How many nouns did the writers go through before they settled on ‘sweater’? Also there is moment that is fleeting but so totes emos...

There are strong feelings towards all the plus ones in this episode (and there are a lot of them - Pete, Mark and Kate) but which one of them is one of Zoe’s worst Friends characters of all time?! There’s a heated debate about Rachel’s life choices and can what we know about Monica’s psyche explain why she continues to date a man she’s not attracted to? And who knew a t-shirt that is so tiny could...

One of this episode's storylines needs Friends Thru A Lens due to it’s central joke and there’s an incredulous response to several of Monica’s date’s antics. There’s the usual good trivia from Zoe here on not one but two of the non-core-six actors and a lot of love for what they bring to this episode.

It’s the one without the ski trip... or is it? That’s not the only question this one raises: what do you think Phoebe and Ross would do on a weekend alone together? Did you get the ‘secret’ rude joke in this episode? What kind of anniversary are Carol and Susan celebrating? And have you spotted the (almost) unique thing about this episode?

So here we are: no spoiler to say this is an all time crying Rank Bank episode but we explore all the reasons why, despite that, it’s such a high-ranking episode all round. Many questions are raised: Why are Monica and Phoebe waxing hair-free legs? Who knew Gunther was such a passive aggressive psychopath? Will Adele even get through the epidimerick without bursting into tears? Relive with us an i...

It’s the biggest question in TV history - were they or weren’t they on a break? That question has its inception in this episode - perhaps Adele and Zoe will figure it out and come up with the definitive answer… or perhaps not, but there’s a concerted effort to explore through human psychology whether it’s possible to excuse Ross’ decisions here. Other questions are unearthed: Is Mark actually a sc...

Chandler’s moral quandary over one fewer than average legs and one more than average nipples creates some soul searching discussion. There’s a whole storyline that’s necessary for continuity, but creates some anger nonetheless - particularly so many years on.  There’s a lot of chat about the celeb cameo, a lot of wondering when Phoebe will finally get a meatier storyline and more leg puns than you...

One storyline dominates the discussion here - not only does it evoke lots of emotion and have a rank bank moment for Zoe, it perhaps even challenges long held beliefs about one of the favourite couplings of all ten seasons. There are technical questions about exactly how the mouse is out of the house and a revelation that could have created a very different life for Monica.

Very different rankings at the start of this one but by the end of the discussion there's been a shift, bringing opinions closer together. One storyline is effortlessly popular whilst the other two both have more questionable elements that cause lots of debate. This week we're also issuing a pre-apology for the total loss of sanity in the very final part where we figure out what the next...

We kick off with a double epidimerick (but only because Chandler’s not the only one who can’t remember which sister). There’s some Friends Thru A Lensing around how two of the storylines here use some pretty archaic techniques to resolve them and there’s the rarest of occurrences - Adele shares some trivia that Zoe didn’t know. In an important debate: can they agree on whether Rachel or Joey are r...

This might be the one where Rachel quits, but the discussion also wanders into insights about Ross that are more telling and prophetic than at first glance. There’s a Friends Thru A Lens about Monica’s addiction parody and how contemporary society has shaped the response to Ross’ attempts to do right his wrong towards the little girl whose leg he accidentally broke. There’s also a matching Favouri...

This is (no surprise) a zinger all round. It’s ticking so many boxes of the things we’ve learnt are criteria of the best loved episodes, including a distinct memory for Adele of this first airing in 1996.  The topic of the Dutch girl raises a few questions and there’s a big Friends Thru A Lens debate about whether or not the Lens is revealing a different take on some of the funniest moments.