Friends From A to Z

As with any good discussion, this one has Adele and Zoe rethinking one storyline and changing their opinion of it. In addition, they discover there's a side shown to one friend we've never seen before or since and suggest that this episode is a re-birth of sorts for another who emerges here as the fully rounded friend we love so much. 

There's agreement that the storylines here are quite different: one is basically filler ahead of the next episode, one is strangely unsatisfying and Zoe helps Adele pinpoint why that is and the third one is helped by Friends Thru A Lens to highlight that just one word makes the difference between it being culturally appropriate and culturally questionable twenty years on. The Race Car Bed mig...

It's no secret that this is a beloved episode of Season Three with so much to enjoy with such fondness. Friends Thru A Lens sparks a debate that calls into question the response to one of the most iconic moments of all ten seasons and who'd have thought that dropping things and hitting things would be the source of two favourite jokes?

Phoebe's weekend with Frank Jr raises a question about something pretty fundamental she hasn't told him and there's much discussion of the freebie list choices and how they stack up twenty years on. There's a debate about why there are more matched favourite jokes in this season than ever before - can you figure it out? Answers on a postcard/tweet please! There's a fashion...

Adele is fond of how one of the characters is in training here for a future storyline and there's a food-related Friends Thru A Lens that is remarkably ahead of its time. There's a LOT of gender-related discussion, some of which made Adele delete and re-write her notes twice, but Zoe helps bring some clarity to the debate. There's a question raised that will be examined in every epi...

There are differing views on where this episode ranks in Season Three. There’s a lot of love for Monica and the life questions she faces here, but at the same time a lot of discussion about how the friends respond to her ideas. Zoe has spotted several iconic lines in this one, but you might join Adele in challenging the iconic claim for one of them! Also find out if this episode’s celebrity cameo...

Ross may wait a total of 22 minutes to get everyone out of the door, but we've been waiting forty nine episodes to be able to talk about this one! Spoiler alert: it's an all round zinger with so much to love and lots to talk about. Zoe reveals where the idea for the episode came from and Adele explains why it resonates so personally for her. It might just hold the record for the largest...

We open Season Three with lots of things anew - not just the storylines but also the hair, clothing and even the curious responses of the audience. There’s even the appearance (temporary thankfully) of a seventh friend: Spider Fringe and there’s the first cyclical Friends Thru A Lens which has gone from relevant, to irrelevant right back to very relevant again. Adele has to awkwardly explain why h...

It's a big day! Not only is it the second of Barry's weddings but it's also the end of Season Two! Very different opinions of this episode - it's in the top ten of the season for one and almost the worst of the season for the other. Adele has tears of sadness when talking about a Rank Bank moment and tears of joy when there's a rare occurrence of recognising an actor from...

We have a big celebrity guest star here - will he make a Rank Bank of best celebrity appearances of all ten seasons? Either way, the response to him causes some debate all these years on. There are two small Paul Rudd diversions, even though we're a few years from his debut on the show(!) and do you know who the mystery actor was who offended Lisa Kudrow so much?

Adele and Zoe appreciate the unusual structure of this episode and how the ensemble cast are free to be their best selves selves and find that super endearing. There are a couple more jokes from the past that needed Google's help to explain them and a secret hidden in the costume choices that Zoe is able to reveal. 

The bullies take us to Friends Thru A Lens-ville and we follow the meandering route to two really significant events that go on to be springboards to big storylines. Each of Adele and Zoe notice things the other one didn't and there's nothing short of wonderment at what on earth is going on with Monica's fringe.

There's a lot going on and a lot of people in this episode but one storyline stands out clearly above the others, ticking the boxes on Zoe's episode criteria list - which she reveals here. Adele thinks she's spotted dark psychological clues to Ross' future self and Zoe spots a solution to Monica's money troubles that they can't believe no one else thought of at the ti...

It’s worth listening just to hear Zoe’s childhood interpretation of a famous double entendre from this episode - and bear witness as her eyes are opened to its real meaning. The exquisite resolution to the Eddie Trilogy not only pushes this into a high-ranking spot for Season Two, but contains a moment which, some years ago, secretly revealed Adele and Zoe’s shared love for this TV show.

A varied mix of opinions as to where this episode sits in the Season Two rankings. It's a Friends Thru a Lens Fest with so many things that were pioneering for a prime time TV show in the mid 90s and there's fascination at someone's underpants. 

There's a clear preference for two of the three storylines in this episode. Adele confesses to not getting a ridiculously obvious joke and there is a major difference of opinion about how Rachel delivers just one line and what she's trying to imply. Listener intervention is requested to break the deadlock!

It’s getting emotional with tears of both laughter and sadness when discussing this episode. There’s an environmental Friends Thru A Lens when Joey raises a topic that the world is still wrestling with twenty years on and there is a first when, despite there being a huge amount of jokes to choose from, both Adele and Zoe's favourite jokes are different, but oddly neither one uses words.

Love is all around in the discussion of another cracking episode. All (L)obstacles (geddit?!) are out of the way so there’s much to say about Ross and Rachel’s first date. It’s not just Monica who’s a smitten kitten when it comes to Richard, there are Friends Thru A Lens theories about how Chandler and Joey invented modern day binge watching and Zoe recognises where one of her and Adele’s frequent...

It's Prom Night (thirty years ago!) and we are in iconic episode territory. To accompany that we have a high pressure epidimerick that's good enough to eat and (spoiler alert) the love in the room for every minute of this episode is palpable. That Best Buds bracelet might be a woman-repeller but it's a laugh magnet and as for our first ever Friends flashback, well, it might just riv...

**BUMPER LENGTH EPISODE** Two for the price of one here with Parts One and Two of The One After The Superbowl. There are major differences of opinion over which of the two episodes is the best, the acting talents of the many celebrity guest stars and whether Phoebe's truth songs are a Friends Thru a Lens in a good way or a bad way. Zoe invents a new film genre and Adele finally admits to an o...

This episode's epidimerick makes Zoe wonder whether they should pack up and go home (in a good way). It's Friends Through an extra large Lens here with such a landmark TV moment - art pioneering ahead of reality by some 15 years. The wedding brings our podcast debate lots of gifts: Classic Monica comes to the fore, Ross is a heart-melting stand up guy and Rachel's mum delivers a sur...

Rachel isn't the only one who keeps getting confused between Ross and Russ when we discuss this episode. There's a debate about whether the gang are fair in their treatment of Fun Bobby and why Joey suddenly has a moral conscience in his storyline. The first meeting of a classic character makes a strong impression on Adele, and Zoe really wants a scotch on the rocks with a twist... until...

After a short planned (and unplanned) absence over Xmas we are back on track! There are some question marks over the structure of storylines in this one, but despite that there's a lot of love for the sweetness of the friends' support for Phoebe, some fierce defence of Monica's homemade tips and strong admiration for Joey's radiator skills, as well as some trivia about one (or...

Some unfinished business from the previous episode kicks off this one and extra audio effects are courtesy of Adele's Christmas Cold. In this one: Are Rachel's pros and cons fair? Should Ross be forgiven? Does the right person even take the fall for this mess? There might be an upsetting blockage for Ross and Rachel but there's a Rank Bank moment for Adele and a favourite joke for Z...

So much to discuss when Ross finds out! One of the simplest storylines creates a surprising amount of debate, there's appreciation that a future plan for two of the characters was conceived at the time and there's a sudden lightbulb moment about cats. It's an all-round favourite where we have six characters being their best selves, three iconic scenes and one Rank Bank worthy kiss.