Warner Home Video presents

The Best of Friends: Season Two (1995)

"It's always been you, Rache."- Ross (David Schwimmer)

Stars: Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt Leblanc, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox
Other Stars: Steve Zahn, Michael McKean, Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Jean Claude Van Damme, Chris Isaak, Fred Willard, Dan Castellaneta
Director: Michael Lembeck, Kevin S. Bright, Gail Mancuso, Mary Kay Place, Michael Lembeck

Manufacturer: WAMO
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nothing offensive)
Run Time: 02h:21m:12s
Release Date: 2003-04-01
Genre: television

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B-	B+	A-	B+	C+

 

DVD Review

The second season of Friends saw a tremendous growth in the popularity of the hit series and propelled its group of six winsome New Yorkers instantly into pop culture icons. While the show would improve in its later years, the second season saw the producers and writers proceed to new boundaries including new relationships and the ever important Rachel and Ross angle, and in doing so, gave the series tremendous life in its sophomore season.

Picking up from the first season cliffhanger, the second season of Friends begins at the airport where Rachel (Aniston) intends to surprise Ross (Schwimmer) after she has learned of his true feelings. The series has long benefited from the chemistry of its stars and in Aniston and Schwimmer, it shines brighter than ever. While the pair have settled into more of a friendship-based pairing in the latter seasons, the chemistry is still strong; in the second season, though, it was most intense.

While the episodes chosen for The Best of Friends: Season Two deal with only the first half of the season, they wisely focus on key elements of each of the six individuals. From Ross and Rachel to Chandler (Perry) worrying that he will die alone, as well as the revelation that Joey (LeBlanc) was once in a porno, there is little in the second season that fails to offer up a loads of laughs.

The One With Ross' New Girlfriend

Rachel waits for Ross at the airport and is shocked to see he has returned from China with a new girlfriend in tow. At the same time, Phoebe (Kudrow) has turned into a terrific hair stylist after giving new cuts to Joey and Chandler. When Monica (Cox) wants a new style, Phoebe is reluctant, given Monica’s perfectionism. A very funny episode that benefits from a subplot involving a very naughty tailor. This episode rates a full five Marcels.





The One Where Heckles Dies

When the eccentric downstairs neighbor of Monica and Rachel passes away during an argument with the gang over the noise that they create through the floor, the group is shocked to hear that he left all of his earthly possessions to them. At the same time, Ross and Phoebe have a heated argument on the idea of evolution. Funny at times, but not consistently enough, this episode rates four Marcels.



The One With Phoebe’s Husband

The group is shocked to learn that Phoebe once married a gay Canadian ice dancer to help him get his green card. Chandler is upset when Monica reveals that he has a third nipple after the group takes turns revealing secrets, including Joey's role in a porno. Funny stuff that rates five Marcels.





The One With the List

When Ross makes a list of pros and cons to help him decide which woman he wants to be with, it naturally draws the ire of Rachel. Monica gets a job as a test chef for a chocolate substitute known as "Mockolate" while Chandler gets a new computer and has no idea what to use it for. The jokes in this episode are funny, but too many subplots drag the episode down. Four out of five Marcels.





The One After the Super Bowl

Originally airing after the Super Bowl, this hour long episode features a host of guest star appearances, most notably by Julia Roberts, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Brooke Shields. When Ross discovers Marcel in a beer commercial he tracks him to San Diego, where he learns that his beloved monkey has been earning good money in Hollywood. When Ross learns that Marcel is in town shooting "Outbreak 2: The Virus Takes Manhattan," he seeks out Marcel in an effort to reunite with him.

At the same time, Monica harbors a school girl crush for Van Damme, while Chandler meets Susie (Julia Roberts), an old schoolmate whom Chandler embarrassed during a school assembly. Joey is stalked by an attractive woman who can't tell the difference between the real world and the soap opera world. A very funny episode that gets bogged down by the numerous guest stars. This episode rates four out of five Marcels.



Rating for Style: B-
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Presented in a full-frame aspect ratio that is the same as the episodes were seen in their original broadcasts. Each episode benefits from the digital makeovers, offering improved sharpness and detail. Colors look great with terrific vibrancy and no bleeding evident. No edge enhancement is noticeable throughout.

Image Transfer Grade: A-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: The Best of Friends: Season Two is presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 and while each episode sounds better than it would on broadcast television, obviously, this is still far from being a reference quality mix. What is heard is adequate though, as dialogue is firmly anchored to the center channel speaker and sounds fairly great. The surround speakers do a nice job of reinforcing the laugh track used for the episodes, but at times it becomes intrusive when compared to the levels of the other speakers.

Audio Transfer Grade: B+ 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 5 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, Spanish with remote access
Packaging: Snapper
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: RSDL

Extra Extras:

1. Episode previews

Extras Review: Previews for each episode are available by clicking on the coffee cup icons.

Extras Grade: C+
 

Final Comments

With the second season available in its entirety fairly inexpensively, it is questionable as to whether or not anyone would purchase a set of only five episodes. The quality of those included is first rate, though, with some truly classic moments sprinkled throughout. Recommended for a rental.

Kevin Clemons 2003-06-10