Amazon.co.uk Review
Settling right into its classic silly stride after the
opening four episodes of Season Six, the hit US show has never looked better than in this foursome, episodes five to eight. Everyone's mad with Ross for keeping his marriage with Rachel going, and so "The One With Joey's Porsche" finally sees that storyline wound-up to concentrate on simple nonsense: Joey using a parked Porsche for a babe-magnet, babysitting Frank and Alice's triplets almost going horribly wrong for Phoebe, and Chandler getting a toy stuck in his throat. Joey can't deal with maybe having to live alone, and Rachel can't deal with the practicalities of moving at all. Both come to a head in the excellent "The One On The Last Night", directed by David Schwimmer. Chandler invents the catchy card game "Cups" as a subtle way of giving Joey money toward the apartment, but tragically this leads to the death of their beloved Foosball Table! Meanwhile, Monica and Rachel are all-but fighting as Phoebe "helps" in packing boxes. Then in a double-act of sight gags, the last two episodes on this tape are actually quite piquant explorations of self-consciousness (the secondary level at which the show's audience identifies). In "The One Where Phoebe Runs" the title refers to her four-year-old flapping arms method which embarrasses Rachel. Chandler runs up against Monica's obsessive-compulsive cleanliness, and there's a potential loss of the "Joey Love" when his hot new roomie Janine (Elle Macpherson) isn't interested. Lastly in "The One With Ross's Teeth", Joey gets girly at home, Rachel tries to win favour with her boss saying she's slept with Ralph Lauren (a near-silent cameo), while Ross bleaches his teeth until they glow in the dark. --
Paul Tonks
Amazon.co.uk Review
Season 6: Between seasons, Cox and David Arquette were married, leading to "T.O.W. After Vegas" adding "Arquette" after everyone's title credits. Unfortunately, on-screen it's divorce time again despite "T.O.W. Ross Hugs Rachel", since he secretly tries avoiding an annulment of their accidental marriage. Far more out in the open is Chandler and Monica's relationship. Moving in together creates lots of fun as the others move back and forth into each other's apartments. It also leads to Joey finally showing a tender side toward temporary roommate Janine (Elle Macpherson). By now his chat-up catchphrase: "How you doin'?" had caught on, but he needed to fall for someone. He kept the fun alive all year pretending to have a Porsche, starting work on the show
Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. and by falling for Chandler's card game Cups in the excellent "T.O.W. On the Last Night" (one of many directed by Schwimmer). More fun came from Ross trying to teach everyone the mental discipline Unagi, popping ridiculous moves with Monica for their childhood dance routine and having a fluorescently dazzling smile in "T.O.W. Ross' Teeth" (also featuring a near-silent cameo from Ralph Lauren). Far more talkative was Reese Witherspoon as Rachel's sister--another temptation for Ross. What they briefly had wasn't as complicated as later in "T.O.W. Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad", who turns out to be an Emmy-winning Bruce Willis (thanks to becoming friends with Perry during
The Whole Nine Yards). The fans' need for love interest and continuity had established the seasons' format now. Another two-part finale offers jeopardy--then resolution--from Tom Selleck's Richard in "T.O.W. The Proposal" between Chandler and Monica. --
Paul Tonks
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