| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Friends: The Complete Eighth Season
Warner Bros. // Unrated // November 9, 2004
List Price: $44.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Show
How do you tell a loved one that they are no longer as beautiful and special as they once were? That's the feeling I have as I write this review for Friends: The Complete Eighth Season. As the show entered its eighth season, it had many reasons to be proud of itself, not the least of which was that it had retained its Top 10 spot in the rating and there had been no major changes in the crew either in front of or behind the cameras in its seven season run. But, the show, once one of the freshest on television, had lost some of its pizazz and as the storylines for Season 8 were revealed, it was clear that the show was certainly in its twilight years.
(SPOILER WARNING!: In order to describe Friends Season 8, I must divulge some of the plot-lines for the shows, as well as discuss events from Season 7. So, if you haven't seen Season 7 and want to be surprised by Season 8, read with caution.) The seventh season of Friends ended with the wedding of long-time friends-turned-lovers Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox). However, the shocking ending came when it was learned that someone, either Monica, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), or Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) was pregnant. Season 8 opens with the events immediately following the ceremony, as we see Monica and Chandler off on their honeymoon. But, more importantly, we learn that it's Rachel who's pregnant, and a few episodes later, we'll see that Ross (David Schwimmer) is the father, following a wedding-invitation envelope stuffing tryst. And thus we have one of the focuses of Season 8. The other focus falls on Joey (Matt LeBlanc). After Monica and Chandler moved in together, Rachel was left with nowhere to live, and eventually moved in with Joey, the confirmed bachelor who loathes commitment. But, after spending so much time with Rachel, Joey begins to develop genuine feelings towards her, but has no idea to express them, especially since she's pregnant with Ross' baby. (How soap opera can you get?)
Season 8 of Friends is a truly tough call. Casual fans of the show would probably say that it "jumped the shark" several seasons ago, and it's easy to admit that the quality of the show has suffered over the yeas. And yet, any Friends is good Friends, and Season 8 certainly contains some classic episodes. My theory that one can judge the quality of a Friends season by the Thanksgiving episode, as the one featured in Season 8 is a doozy. "The One with the Rumor" features guest star Brad Pitt (who was nominated for an Emmy for the episode) as an old friend of Monica who hates Rachel. (Of course, the irony is that Pitt and Aniston are married in real life.) This is one of those great Friends episodes which starts out very innocuously and the laughs just keep building and building. Another great guest star turns up in "The One with the Halloween Party", as Sean Penn plays the fiancé of Phoebe's twin sister. While it's a bit creepy seeing Penn trying to play a genuinely nice guy, the fight between Ross and Chandler is classic. I'm not sure why, but I'm also partial to "The One Where Chanlder Takes a Bath". It's always funny to see Matthew Perry play Chandler with his defenses down.
But, despite the quality of some of the individual episodes, Season 8 still rings very hollow. This is because the idea of a relationship between Joey and Rachel seems very, very artificial after we had to witness the romance between Monica and Chandler. It's almost as if the writers said, "OK, the fans like to see the Friends hook up. Who's next?" Joey's realization that he could want a true relationship is sweet, but it ultimately goes nowhere. While we're trying to deal with the frivolity of this plot, the rest of the characters aren't given much to work with. Monica and Chandler deal with married life and a change in Chandler's job, but that's not very exciting. Ross has to juggle a new girlfriend and his feelings for Rachel, but you'd have to be blind to not know where that's going. And Phoebe...well Phoebe doesn't really do much in Season 8. I can't really say that Season 8 is the low-point for Friends (that would probably be the collection of shows known as Season 10), but it's a step-down for the show.
Video
The Friends: The Complete Eighth Season boxed set arrives on DVD courtesy of Warner Home Video. The four-disc set contains all 23 episodes from Season 8. The shows are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The images are sharp and clear, bordering on digital broadcast quality. However, the image is somewhat soft at times and the reds often bleed into other colors. Also, there is a marginal amount of artifacting on the image.
Audio
The shows carry a Dolby Digital 5.0 audio track. This provides clear dialogue and sound effects with no overt hissing or distortion. The bulk of the audio comes from the center and front channels and the occasional stereo effects is well done. The only action from the rear speakers is the live studio audience sounds and musical cues. The audio may not match that of an action film, but for a sit-com, it's quite acceptable.
Extras
As with the past few Friends boxed sets, the extras on the Friends: The Complete Eighth Season set are fairly lackluster. Executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane provide audio commentary on the episodes, "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" (Disc 1), "The One with the Videotape" (Disc 1), and "The One Where Rachel has a Baby" (Disc 4). As usual, these commentaries are fun and informative, as the trio talks about the cast, the production of the show, and the storyline. But, why these three episodes? (Especially "The One with the Videotape"?) I would have much rather heard commentary for the episodes with Brad Pitt or Sean Penn to learn more about what it was like to work with these movie stars. "Friends of Friends, Part III" (20 minutes) continues the tradition of sharing brief interviews with actors who have had small, but important roles on the series. This installment brings us June Gable ("Estelle Leonard"), Lauren Tom ("Julie"), David Arquette ("Malcolm"), Debra Jo Rupp ("Alice Knight"), Teri Garr ("Phoebe, Sr."), and Bonnie Somerville ("Mona"). These very brief interviews contain some nice quotes, but it's odd that only two of these characters actually appear in Season 8. The DVD includes a 9-minute "Gag Reel" that provides some amusing moments. "Gunther Spills the Beans" is a 2-minute segment in which actor James Michael Tyler gives us a preview of Season 9. And finally we have "Joey's Game Show Challenge" which is a needlessly involved set-top game.
They say that you can't pick your friends, but you can pick your favorite season of Friends, and Season 8 certainly isn't mine. Granted, the episodes contained here show that the series is one of the best ever, but even the best have their off days.
How do you tell a loved one that they are no longer as beautiful and special as they once were? That's the feeling I have as I write this review for Friends: The Complete Eighth Season. As the show entered its eighth season, it had many reasons to be proud of itself, not the least of which was that it had retained its Top 10 spot in the rating and there had been no major changes in the crew either in front of or behind the cameras in its seven season run. But, the show, once one of the freshest on television, had lost some of its pizazz and as the storylines for Season 8 were revealed, it was clear that the show was certainly in its twilight years.
(SPOILER WARNING!: In order to describe Friends Season 8, I must divulge some of the plot-lines for the shows, as well as discuss events from Season 7. So, if you haven't seen Season 7 and want to be surprised by Season 8, read with caution.) The seventh season of Friends ended with the wedding of long-time friends-turned-lovers Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox). However, the shocking ending came when it was learned that someone, either Monica, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), or Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) was pregnant. Season 8 opens with the events immediately following the ceremony, as we see Monica and Chandler off on their honeymoon. But, more importantly, we learn that it's Rachel who's pregnant, and a few episodes later, we'll see that Ross (David Schwimmer) is the father, following a wedding-invitation envelope stuffing tryst. And thus we have one of the focuses of Season 8. The other focus falls on Joey (Matt LeBlanc). After Monica and Chandler moved in together, Rachel was left with nowhere to live, and eventually moved in with Joey, the confirmed bachelor who loathes commitment. But, after spending so much time with Rachel, Joey begins to develop genuine feelings towards her, but has no idea to express them, especially since she's pregnant with Ross' baby. (How soap opera can you get?)
Season 8 of Friends is a truly tough call. Casual fans of the show would probably say that it "jumped the shark" several seasons ago, and it's easy to admit that the quality of the show has suffered over the yeas. And yet, any Friends is good Friends, and Season 8 certainly contains some classic episodes. My theory that one can judge the quality of a Friends season by the Thanksgiving episode, as the one featured in Season 8 is a doozy. "The One with the Rumor" features guest star Brad Pitt (who was nominated for an Emmy for the episode) as an old friend of Monica who hates Rachel. (Of course, the irony is that Pitt and Aniston are married in real life.) This is one of those great Friends episodes which starts out very innocuously and the laughs just keep building and building. Another great guest star turns up in "The One with the Halloween Party", as Sean Penn plays the fiancé of Phoebe's twin sister. While it's a bit creepy seeing Penn trying to play a genuinely nice guy, the fight between Ross and Chandler is classic. I'm not sure why, but I'm also partial to "The One Where Chanlder Takes a Bath". It's always funny to see Matthew Perry play Chandler with his defenses down.
But, despite the quality of some of the individual episodes, Season 8 still rings very hollow. This is because the idea of a relationship between Joey and Rachel seems very, very artificial after we had to witness the romance between Monica and Chandler. It's almost as if the writers said, "OK, the fans like to see the Friends hook up. Who's next?" Joey's realization that he could want a true relationship is sweet, but it ultimately goes nowhere. While we're trying to deal with the frivolity of this plot, the rest of the characters aren't given much to work with. Monica and Chandler deal with married life and a change in Chandler's job, but that's not very exciting. Ross has to juggle a new girlfriend and his feelings for Rachel, but you'd have to be blind to not know where that's going. And Phoebe...well Phoebe doesn't really do much in Season 8. I can't really say that Season 8 is the low-point for Friends (that would probably be the collection of shows known as Season 10), but it's a step-down for the show.
Video
The Friends: The Complete Eighth Season boxed set arrives on DVD courtesy of Warner Home Video. The four-disc set contains all 23 episodes from Season 8. The shows are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The images are sharp and clear, bordering on digital broadcast quality. However, the image is somewhat soft at times and the reds often bleed into other colors. Also, there is a marginal amount of artifacting on the image.
Audio
The shows carry a Dolby Digital 5.0 audio track. This provides clear dialogue and sound effects with no overt hissing or distortion. The bulk of the audio comes from the center and front channels and the occasional stereo effects is well done. The only action from the rear speakers is the live studio audience sounds and musical cues. The audio may not match that of an action film, but for a sit-com, it's quite acceptable.
Extras
As with the past few Friends boxed sets, the extras on the Friends: The Complete Eighth Season set are fairly lackluster. Executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane provide audio commentary on the episodes, "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" (Disc 1), "The One with the Videotape" (Disc 1), and "The One Where Rachel has a Baby" (Disc 4). As usual, these commentaries are fun and informative, as the trio talks about the cast, the production of the show, and the storyline. But, why these three episodes? (Especially "The One with the Videotape"?) I would have much rather heard commentary for the episodes with Brad Pitt or Sean Penn to learn more about what it was like to work with these movie stars. "Friends of Friends, Part III" (20 minutes) continues the tradition of sharing brief interviews with actors who have had small, but important roles on the series. This installment brings us June Gable ("Estelle Leonard"), Lauren Tom ("Julie"), David Arquette ("Malcolm"), Debra Jo Rupp ("Alice Knight"), Teri Garr ("Phoebe, Sr."), and Bonnie Somerville ("Mona"). These very brief interviews contain some nice quotes, but it's odd that only two of these characters actually appear in Season 8. The DVD includes a 9-minute "Gag Reel" that provides some amusing moments. "Gunther Spills the Beans" is a 2-minute segment in which actor James Michael Tyler gives us a preview of Season 9. And finally we have "Joey's Game Show Challenge" which is a needlessly involved set-top game.
They say that you can't pick your friends, but you can pick your favorite season of Friends, and Season 8 certainly isn't mine. Granted, the episodes contained here show that the series is one of the best ever, but even the best have their off days.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||