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Friends The Complete Third Season
Warner Bros. // Unrated // April 1, 2003
List Price: $44.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Ask any fan of the show "Friends", and they should agree with the following statement: (To paraphrase a comedian whose name I can't remember -- my apologies) "'Friends' is like pizza -- when it's good, it's very good, and when it's bad, it's still pretty good". As with any long-running program, "Friends" has had its ups-and-downs, but even those downs were better than most of the other shows on TV. For me, the third season of "Friends" falls squarely into that "pretty good" category, as the season offers some classic episodes, but the big story arcs are disappointing.
By its third season, "Friends" had firmly cemented the personalities of its six main characters. In season two, Ross (David Schwimmer) had finally gotten his life-long wish, as he was now dating Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). And it is their relationship which comes to dominate this season. Over the course of the shows, Rachel leaves her job at the Central Perk coffe house and gets a job at Bloomingdale's, but Ross is very jealous of her co-worker Mark. This will eventually lead to the famous "break", which becomes a break-up.
At the time, this plotline was compelling, but now, seven years later, it doesn't come across as fresh, and it becomes quite clear that many of the other stories in season three were just as, if not more, interesting. Season three saw Chandler (Matthew Perry), once again wrestling with his relationship with the incredibly annoying Janice (Maggie Wheeler). Having been dropped from "Days of Our Lives", Joey (Matt LeBlanc) continues to struggle as an actor. Monica is attempting to move on from ex-boyfriend Richard (Tom Selleck), and becomes involved with an insane millionaire (John Favreau). And Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is introduced to her brother Frank (Giovanni Ribisi), who will have a profound effect on her life.
I don't have a great deal of statistical analysis to prove this, but I believe that you can judge a season of "Friends" by its Thanksgiving episode, and the one in season three, in which the group plays football, just isn't that good. However, this season does contain some classic moments, such as; the one where Chandler hooks up with one of Joey's sisters, but can't remember which one; the one with the "Smelly Cat" commercial; the one in which Chandler stops smoking, but starts acting like a girl; Ben Stiller's guest-starring role; and the one where Phoebe's dollhouse is haunted.
Season three may not represent the best of "Friends", but then again, nothing is perfect.
Video
For this DVD release, the episodes of "Friends" are presented in a 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio, just as they were broadcast in 1996-97. The images are sharp and clear for the most part, but there is some grain present in some shots. Actually, the digital transfer has revealed some defects, such as grain resulting from a digital zoom, which weren't evident when the shows originally aired. The colors are good, but there is some slight artifacting at times. Overall, this transfer rivals digital broadcast quality.
Audio
The four DVDs in this set feature a Dolby Digital 5.0 audio track. (What? I don't get bass for the explosions? Just kidding!) The audio is clear and audible, rendering the dialogue and each joke perfectly clear. Other than that, the audio here is quite unremarkable. The only evidence of surround sound comes from musical cues and the audience's laugh-track. There is the occasional stereo effect, but these are scarce. Still, the dialogue sounds great and that's what drives the show.
Extras
Aside from the commentaries, the extras in this set are disappointing, and even worse, pointless. Executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane provide commentary for three episodes; "The One Where No One's Ready", "The One with the Football" (where they are joined by art director John Shaffner),and "The One with the Morning After". These talks are interesting and quite informative, as they not only discuss the episode at hand, but also give further background information about the show.
That's much more than can be said about the other extras, all of which are found on Disc 4. "Tour of Chandler and Joey's Bachelor Pad" is a point-and-click adventure in which the viewer can choose from 8 icons to get trivia tidbits and soundbytes from various crew members about the set. "Friends of 'Friends'" is simply 10 clips from the show which feature celebrity guests. "What's Up with Your 'Friends'?" has an intro by Gunther (James Michael Tyler) and then offers one minute clip montages for the six main characters. Huh? What is this? Finally, there is a set-top trivia game called "Ross and Rachel: On a Break". Fans of the show will enjoy the commentaries, but these other extras are simply filler.
Today, "Friends" remains one of the best shows on TV. For fans of the show, picking up this set is a no-brainer. But, for those who are interested in delving into "Friends" for the first time, I can't recommend beginning with season three. Start at the beginning with the season one set if you want to become friends with these "Friends".
Ask any fan of the show "Friends", and they should agree with the following statement: (To paraphrase a comedian whose name I can't remember -- my apologies) "'Friends' is like pizza -- when it's good, it's very good, and when it's bad, it's still pretty good". As with any long-running program, "Friends" has had its ups-and-downs, but even those downs were better than most of the other shows on TV. For me, the third season of "Friends" falls squarely into that "pretty good" category, as the season offers some classic episodes, but the big story arcs are disappointing.
By its third season, "Friends" had firmly cemented the personalities of its six main characters. In season two, Ross (David Schwimmer) had finally gotten his life-long wish, as he was now dating Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). And it is their relationship which comes to dominate this season. Over the course of the shows, Rachel leaves her job at the Central Perk coffe house and gets a job at Bloomingdale's, but Ross is very jealous of her co-worker Mark. This will eventually lead to the famous "break", which becomes a break-up.
At the time, this plotline was compelling, but now, seven years later, it doesn't come across as fresh, and it becomes quite clear that many of the other stories in season three were just as, if not more, interesting. Season three saw Chandler (Matthew Perry), once again wrestling with his relationship with the incredibly annoying Janice (Maggie Wheeler). Having been dropped from "Days of Our Lives", Joey (Matt LeBlanc) continues to struggle as an actor. Monica is attempting to move on from ex-boyfriend Richard (Tom Selleck), and becomes involved with an insane millionaire (John Favreau). And Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is introduced to her brother Frank (Giovanni Ribisi), who will have a profound effect on her life.
I don't have a great deal of statistical analysis to prove this, but I believe that you can judge a season of "Friends" by its Thanksgiving episode, and the one in season three, in which the group plays football, just isn't that good. However, this season does contain some classic moments, such as; the one where Chandler hooks up with one of Joey's sisters, but can't remember which one; the one with the "Smelly Cat" commercial; the one in which Chandler stops smoking, but starts acting like a girl; Ben Stiller's guest-starring role; and the one where Phoebe's dollhouse is haunted.
Season three may not represent the best of "Friends", but then again, nothing is perfect.
Video
For this DVD release, the episodes of "Friends" are presented in a 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio, just as they were broadcast in 1996-97. The images are sharp and clear for the most part, but there is some grain present in some shots. Actually, the digital transfer has revealed some defects, such as grain resulting from a digital zoom, which weren't evident when the shows originally aired. The colors are good, but there is some slight artifacting at times. Overall, this transfer rivals digital broadcast quality.
Audio
The four DVDs in this set feature a Dolby Digital 5.0 audio track. (What? I don't get bass for the explosions? Just kidding!) The audio is clear and audible, rendering the dialogue and each joke perfectly clear. Other than that, the audio here is quite unremarkable. The only evidence of surround sound comes from musical cues and the audience's laugh-track. There is the occasional stereo effect, but these are scarce. Still, the dialogue sounds great and that's what drives the show.
Extras
Aside from the commentaries, the extras in this set are disappointing, and even worse, pointless. Executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane provide commentary for three episodes; "The One Where No One's Ready", "The One with the Football" (where they are joined by art director John Shaffner),and "The One with the Morning After". These talks are interesting and quite informative, as they not only discuss the episode at hand, but also give further background information about the show.
That's much more than can be said about the other extras, all of which are found on Disc 4. "Tour of Chandler and Joey's Bachelor Pad" is a point-and-click adventure in which the viewer can choose from 8 icons to get trivia tidbits and soundbytes from various crew members about the set. "Friends of 'Friends'" is simply 10 clips from the show which feature celebrity guests. "What's Up with Your 'Friends'?" has an intro by Gunther (James Michael Tyler) and then offers one minute clip montages for the six main characters. Huh? What is this? Finally, there is a set-top trivia game called "Ross and Rachel: On a Break". Fans of the show will enjoy the commentaries, but these other extras are simply filler.
Today, "Friends" remains one of the best shows on TV. For fans of the show, picking up this set is a no-brainer. But, for those who are interested in delving into "Friends" for the first time, I can't recommend beginning with season three. Start at the beginning with the season one set if you want to become friends with these "Friends".
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