The Office (Season 2)

Season 2 of The Office is the season where the series became what it is today. The quality jump from the first season is absolutely astonishing right from the very first episode, and leads to one of the most consistently strong seasons I've ever seen from a comedic series.

This season continues where the first one left off. Michael is still trying to make his workers like him, while also having an odd on-and-off-relationship with his boss, Jan. Jim has a girlfriend, but he still has feelings for Pam, who's finally starting to go forward with her wedding, and Dwight is starting a secret relationship with his colleague Angela. There's also the threat of downsizing, but that's resolved super early on in the season. Like Season 1, most of these plot threads are in the background of most of the episodes, but there's a stronger continuity and a season finale where everything manages to tie together fairly well. Outside of this, however, the majority of the season is still focusing on silly office hijinks.

Most, if not all, of this season's storylines are pretty much entirely original from the UK version, which helps give it a much stronger sense of identity. It's much more earnest than the UK series, with Michael Scott being a more sympathetic character, in particular. His attempts at trying to be a well-liked boss make him more endearing than David Brent, and Steve Carrell plays him nearly perfectly. This season also introduces a fairly tragic aspect to his character, seen most clearly when he has to fire someone in his office. He spends the whole episode devastated about the prospect and it shows that even though he's not a great boss, you can't deny that he cares about his work. This combination of tragedy and comedy works wonders for the show's staple cringe comedy.

The other characters also get a lot more to do. Jim and Pam's will-they-won't-they relationship is more gripping than ever, and it's devastating to see Jim slowly lose faith as the wedding approaches. The minor office workers get a lot more focus and characterization as well, especially the accountants, Oscar, Angela, and Kevin. The episode quality is far more consistent as well, with my least favorite episode (The Carpet) still being really good. At its best, we get the season finale Casino Night, which is still one of my favorite episodes ever made. The camerawork is also a lot better in this season. Every shift and pan feels deliberate to make the documentary nature of the show feel more credible, and the camerawork even gets more shaky whenever the show gets dramatic. The whole production feels like the show at the peak of its craft.

Being one of the series' best seasons, there are a lot of notable episodes:

The Dundies: A strong season premiere that hits the ground running right off the bat. The whole premise of an office awards ceremony is excellent, and was hilariously executed. We also get the first Jim and Pam kiss to end the episode off on a big note.

The Client: This was the episode with Threat Level Midnight, which is just a hilarious subplot in its own right. This is also the start of Michael and Jan, easily one of the strangest romantic subplots in the series.

Christmas Party: The Office's Christmas episodes were always outstanding and this is one of the best. Michael's gift swap game is an absolute masterclass in hilarious cringe comedy, and the subplot with Jim's present for Pam did a great job added some heart to the proceedings.

Booze Cruise: Serving as the midpoint of the season, this episode could have been a season finale on its own. The hijinks on the cruise were amazing on their own, but what really made this episode was Roy re-proposing to Pam, Jim breaking up with his girlfriend, and Michael learning about Jim's feelings.

The Injury: This episode was just plain bonkers. Michael burning his foot on a George-Foreman grill is the type of thing you just don't make up, and Dwight's concussion/accidental friendship with Pam is so bizarre you can't help but love it. Even with how crazy the series gets, this was still one of its strangest episodes.

Casino Night: What an amazing finale. The titular casino night was a lot of fun, and it gave the whole ensemble something to do. Michael's love triangle was great, but the real highlight was Jim's painfully realistic and phenomenally acted confession of love to Pam, along with that excellent cliffhanger. This is still one of my favorite episodes ever made for bringing every storyline together and for balancing comedy and drama incredibly well.

Overall, Season 2 of The Office is a massive improvement over the first as the show finally starts to carve out its own identity. The writing, characterization, and production are all improved drastically to create one of the strongest seasons of the whole series.

5/5 Stars 

The Office (Season 1)

The first season of The Office is infamously different than all of the other seasons of the show, as it's far more based off of its UK counterpart. It's darker, more satirical, and the characters are far less sympathetic. Sadly, I don't think it pulls it off all that well most of the time.

There isn't much of a story to the first season of The Office. It's just an episodic series about a bunch of normal people working in a normal office. There's the boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell), the "assistant" Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), there's Jim Halpert (John Krakinski), and the secretary Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer). Jim hates his job and spends most of his time pranking Dwight, when he's not fawning over Pam in spite of the fact that she's engaged. For most of the show, Michael Scott is the main focus as the boss, and while he's an endearing and fleshed-out character in the later seasons, in Season 1, he's just kind of annoying. They tried to make Michael Scott more like David Brent, but it doesn't really play to Steve Carrell's strengths.

There are only six episodes in this season and most of them are fairly average. The mockumentary style is well-executed, the acting is good, and the show gets laughs out of me fairly frequently, but it's rarely anything spectacular. This is probably because for most of this season, it really does feel like the show runners are trying to emulate the UK version of the show, to the point where the pilot episode is a beat-for-beat recreation of the UK pilot. The UK version of the pilot is great and all, but they copy it so blatantly to the point where it feels like an inferior version. The season finale also retreads the same "Hot Girl" storyline that the UK series had as well. It's a big shame, because this season is at its best when it's allowed to try something new, which isn't more evident outside of the second episode of the season:

Diversity Day: This is easily the strongest episode of the season, mostly because it tries to do something new. Michael Scott is way more endearing here because it's made clear that his intentions are just even if he ends up accidentally offending everyone. The jokes are sharp and the entire cast is utilized incredibly well. There's a reason this is cited as one of the show's finest moments.

Overall, Season 1 could be a great first season if they just stopped copying the UK series. Instead, it feels like a poor-man's version of the show, with not enough strong episodes to make it stand out as a good season, even with the great cast and production values.

2/5 Stars

Toradora

Toradora is probably one of the best romantic comedies I have ever seen and definitely one of the best anime I've seen to date. It has strong characters, tons of emotional moments, and it leaves you thinking by the end of it all.

The story of Toradora is simple but effective. Taiga and Ryuuji are two high school students who learn they have crushes on each other's friends, Minori and Kitamura. They spend the bulk of the series trying to help each other ask their crushes out, only to slowly develop feelings for each other. There's also a model named Ami who slowly develops a friendship with the rest of the main cast and even tries to help Taiga and Ryuuji realize their feelings for each other. I think it's a really charming story executed incredibly well, particularly because of how slow and gradually the development between Taiga and Ryuuji is. Their feelings for each other never feel rushed or forced, rather it's easily one of the most natural love stories I've ever seen. By the second episode, I was absolutely sold on the couple and was rooting for them to get together.

Probably the strongest aspect of Toradora are the characters. The whole cast is incredibly multi-faceted and go through a lot of development throughout the course of the show. Taiga and Ryuuji are particularly strong characters, and I loved seeing Taiga slowly become more emotionally mature as the show goes on. I also think their dynamic with each other is great and really sells their romance. Minori is another highlight, a character who's far more tragic than she initially lets on. There are also a lot of great side characters, helping Class 2C feel like a fully-fledged homeroom. One of my favorite characters was Ryuuji's mom Yasuko, who seems like the comic relief for most of the show until the last few episodes when you realize there's a lot more to her than it initially seems. Despite her ditzy exterior, she has a lot of regrets and is really doing her best to support Ryuugi and prevent him from making the same mistakes.

The story also does a great job of never outright telling you how the characters feel or why they do what they do, allowing for a lot of subtext. Taiga, in particular, makes a lot of impulsive decisions and looking into the reasoning why she makes them is fascinating. Add in a somewhat ambiguous ending and you get a show that people are still talking about years after it's ended. However, I also think the show goes a bit too far with this sometimes, as it took me a while to understand why the events of the finale ended up happening. The animation is also strong with striking character designs, and the background music is downright beautiful at times. My biggest gripe is the fact that some of the episodes gets a bit too melodramatic at points, particularly the one where the characters get lost in a cave. I also think the usage of a post-credits scene to resolve the story in the final episode is a bit of a jerk move for those who aren't aware of it. I feel for everyone who thought Ryuuji and Taiga didn't end up together.

Here are a bunch of Toradora episodes that I thought was notable:

Osashi High School Culture Festival: A strong three-parter that focused on Taiga's issues surrounding her family. The reveal that Ryuuji was wrong about her father is a serious gut punch and does a lot to make you feel more sympathetic of her. Thankfully, the ending is really sweet and memorable.

One Step Forward: I thought Sumire was an excellent and multi-faceted side character, who got a great focus in this episode, which feels like the culmination of Taiga's feelings for Kitamura. The classroom fight is devastating to watch, but it's also one of the most beautifully animated scenes in the whole show.

Christmas Eve Party: Easily the best episode in the show, Taiga's moment of realizing that she loves Ryuuji is heart-breaking and is also beautifully done. Minori's decision to reject Ryuuji so he ends up with Taiga is also incredibly memorable. Despite the sad ending, there are also a lot of really fun Christmas shenanigans to light the mood throughout the episode.

Confession: A close second to my favorite episode of the show, Ryuuji and Taiga finally getting together was an incredibly satisfying moment and it was done really well. I thought their decision to run away from home together was incredibly intriguing too. This was also the episode that made me love Yasuko's character.

Toradora!: A strong and emotional ending that took me a while to truly understand, but now I think I get it. Taiga saw how quickly Ryuuji mended things with his family and realized that she's not mature enough yet to date him, so she leaves to do the same thing. Once she returns in the post-credits scene, they're both ready to truly begin their relationship. Aside from the buttload of subtext, there are tons of emotional and memorable moments, and that final post-credits scene really is amazing.

Toradora is an excellent rom com anime with great characters, strong animation, and a lot of subtext that leaves you thinking about it long after it's done. While some plot decisions feel a bit odd at times, the whole series feels really well-thought out and purposeful.

4/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Christmas Eve Party

The Mandalorian (Season 1)

The first season of The Mandalorian was a strong first outing for the series. It proved to people that a live-action Star Wars TV series could work, packing in creative visuals, thrilling action, and pure Star Wars cheese.

The Mandalorian has a very simplistic story, but it's also very effective. On one of his missions, the Mandalorian (who we'll just call Mando) learns he has to give a child of Yoda's species (who we'll call The Child) to the empire. Most of the season sees Mando flying around the galaxy to evade bounty hunters and empire soldiers who want the child back. It's a simple premise, but it's incredibly well-executed.

In some of my earlier reviews, I mentioned how TV shows nowadays can visually resemble movies, but The Mandalorian takes that to another level. The production values are astonishing, utilizing amazing practical and visual effects to create a world that fits in perfectly well with all of the other Star Wars movies. Given how shoddy the CGI can look in sci-fi shows, what The Mandalorian is able to pull off is genuinely impressive. There are tons of really sweet action scenes from Mando chasing down a Sandcrawler in Episode 2. to a thrilling prison escape in Episode 6. The backing score is also amazing, helping to give a tone that feels incredibly un-Star Wars.

And that's probably the strongest aspect of The Mandalorian. It does a great job at letting you look at the Star Wars universe through a different lens. Iconic Star Wars aliens like Jawas and Pit Droids return, but are utilized in a way that makes them feel fresh. There's a lot of world-building that helps the Star Wars universe feel lived in. The cast is also really strong, all of the characters are unique and have a good dynamic with each other, made even stronger when they unite in the last two episodes. Pedro Pascal is great as Mando, managing to convey lots of emotion without even taking off his helmet. 

My biggest gripe for the season is in terms of its pacing, as it doesn't really seem to know whether or not it wants to be a more serial or episodic show. The first three episodes seem to hint at some greater plot, but then the pacing slows to a crawl as we get three planet-of-the-week episodes in a row. The last two episodes return to the overall story, but it feels like they're almost overstuffed. Maybe this wouldn't be as concerning if the season wasn't eight episodes, but for a while, it felt like they weren't going to be able to get to everything by the end of the season.

Regardless, there are still a bunch of really notable episodes:

The Child: The experimental first half of this episode is probably some of the best Star Wars ever produced, completely lacking in dialogue and stuffed to the brim with beautiful cinematography, creative cinematography, and a creative use of the Sandcrawler. If any episode warmed me up on the series, it's definitely this one. 

The Sin: Despite how much I liked The Child, I think this is the episode that warmed most people onto the series, being a character-driven outing that focuses on Mando deciding what he wants to do with The Child. I think Pedro Pascal really proves his acting chops here, as you can always tell what Mando is thinking even with his helmet on. The final chase scene at the end is also great and feels like season finale material.

The Reckoning: This was a pretty fantastic set-up for the season finale, a fun "getting the band together" sort of episode that brings together a lot of disparate plot points from previous episodes, sets up force healing in a neat tie-in to Rise Of Skywalker, and ends on a gutwrenching cliffhanger.

Redemption: I'm still stunned at how much ground this finale managed to cover without feeling too overly packed. We get tons of great character moments, some of the best action in the season, a lot of huge revelations about Mando and the rest of his clan, and an incredibly intriguing cliffhanger. Moff Gideon is a great and terrifying villain, and Taika Watiti did a great job at keeping this more intense episode light and humorous. Easily one of the best Star Wars films Disney put out to date.

Overall, The Mandalorian had a really strong start, with amazing production values and tons of great Star Wars goodness. Even if the pacing was a bit off, the story has a solid base and the finale was awesome. I think this show has a lot of room to grow into one of the best sci-fi TV series of all time.

4/5 Stars

The Queen's Gambit

The Queen's Gambit is a seven-episode-long Netflix miniseries that garnered a lot of buzz. I don't watch many miniseries, but I decided to check this one out, and it's really good.

The story of The Queen's Gambit is about Beth (Anya Taylor-Joy) who, upon being sent to an orphanage at age 9, gains a knack for chess. The series chronicles her rise from unknown to one of the best chess players in the world. Along the way, she makes friends with a lot of fellow chess players like Townes (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), Harry (Harry Beltik), and Benny (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), all of which are super likeable side characters who play off of each other really well.

The Queen's Gambit does a great job of telling a solid story really well. There's hardly a low point in the series, with every episode being consistently well-made and fun to watch. The acting is strong across the board, especially Taylor-Joy in the lead, and the cast has a great chemistry with each other. The depiction of chess is shockingly accurate and the series does a great job of making chess fun to watch. The dialogue is strong, the set design evokes the 60s era without being cartoonishly 60s, the cinematography is well-done, and the score is very pleasing to listen to. The production values across the board are just astounding, and make The Queen's Gambit feel more like a full-on movie than a TV show.

However, that's probably my only main gripe with the miniseries, the fact that it feels more like an elongated movie. It even follows a fairly predictable third-act structure with a backstory pilot episode, the protagonist losing against the antagonist halfway through the show, the darkest hour penultimate episode, and the triumphant third act in the finale. I think the characters are likable enough to justify a seven-episode-long miniseries, but I also think it could have worked just as well as a movie.

Despite the fairly consistent quality of the show, there are a bunch of particularly strong episodes:

Exchanges: This 68-minute-long beast could have been a movie on its own. Seeing Beth adjust to her new home and slowly start to get into chess is fun to watch, and her adoptive mother has a strong character arc where she learns to accept her role as a mother. It's a heartwarming episode that was a joy to sit through.

End Game: This was a super heartwarming and satisfying finale that manages to tie up the story completely. Even if it was predictable, the way in which Beth defeated Borgov was triumphant and just plain awesome, and I loved seeing all of the cast return to be by her side when all's said and done. The return of Jolene also did a great job of bringing the series full circle to Beth's humble orphanage beginnings (or should I say openings?).

Overall, The Queen's Gambit is a strong miniseries with great performances, writing, and production values. While it can be a bit predictable at times, the great characters and engrossing depiction of chess makes it an enjoyable watch from start to finish.

4.5/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: End Game

Mr Robot (Season 4)

I'm going to be honest. I didn't really like Season 4 of Mr Robot. It's still as well-filmed and acted as the show has always been, but the pacing is really wonky and the season contains a lot of plot directions that didn't sit all that well for me. 

Frankly, the first two thirds of Season 4 were really good. I like the Christmas vibe it had going for it and the story of the final confrontation with the Dark Army was compelling. There were tons of experimental episodes that stood out with some of the best in the series, and I also really liked seeing Mr Robot as the narrator this time. Angela and Tyrell's deaths, while frustrating, were really well-executed, and the middle of the season was top-notch. I feel like having most of the season take place on the same day led to some odd pacing, but it was overall a novel idea.

It's not until the episode "410 Gone" where the cracks started to show. While it was a great episode, it felt odd having to say goodbye to the side characters when there were three episodes left. I thought Dom or Leon would return for the finale, but the finale was entirely focused on Elliot. Then I arrived at "eXit" and it introduces a "parallel universe". I didn't like this plot point because I didn't want Mr Robot to go hard sci-fi. I thought it was too grounded to do that. Still, I saw the last two episodes, and while it was revealed that there were no parallel universes, what I got was even worse.

"Hello, Elliot" was one of the most underwhelming finales I have ever seen and it felt like a low point for not just the season but Mr Robot as a whole. I like the idea of an ambiguous and psychological finale but it didn't feel like they went all the way, settling for some pretty rote "parallel universe" shenanigans. And then there's the plot twist, the reveal that Elliot was also a split personality called 'The Mastermind" and he locked his real self away in the "parallel universe utopia", so the show ends with Elliot stepping back and letting his real self take the wheel. Sure it makes sense, but it's ridiculously convoluted, and the more I think about it, the worse it ends up being.

This finale just felt like an insult to the audience. The character we've been following the whole time, a character who's one of the best depictions of mental illness out there, a character who breaks the fourth wall and talks to the viewer, isn't even real in his own universe. If that's really so, then why am I supposed to care about anything that happened in the last four seasons? On top of that, most of the other cast members are shafted, and the lingering questions still aren't answered. I understand why people would like the finale as it definitely has a degree of emotional punch, but for me, this was a massive disappointment.

Thankfully, there are still a bunch of really good episodes that helped the first two thirds of the season remain strong:

402 Payment Required: I like the low-key nature of this episode. The focus on Elliot and Darlene each dealing with their mother's death in their own ways is great. We also get the first mention of the Deus Group, along with the twist that Elliot has another split personality. 

405 Method Not Allowed: Believe it or not, I didn't realize this episode was entirely silent until almost halfway in, and it made the whole thing so much more enjoyable. The heist was a lot of fun, culminating in the show's greatest action scene; A chase through the streets of New York City that's both intense and a hell of a fun time.

407 Proxy Authentication Required: Damn it, Vera! I'm supposed to hate you but all of your episodes are so good! This episode feels more like a play than an episode of a TV show, with five acts and everything. It has a bit of a slow build, but it remains tense throughout, culminating in a genuinely devastating final third.

409 Conflict: This episode is just satisfying. Seeing the Deus Group fall apart, Price outwit Whiterose, and the Dark Army nearly being slaughtered is amazing. Price was especially brutal during this episode, definitely his best moment in the show.

Overall, there are a lot of good episodes and the production is as top-notch as usual, but the ending just completely drops the ball for me, dragging down not just this season but the entire show. Maybe if they stuck the landing, this would be one of my favorite shows of all time, but now it's just a mess.

3/5 Stars

My ranking of Mr Robot's seasons would be:

1. Season 3: Easily the peak of the series. Meant to payoff everything Season 2 set up, Season 3 starts at 11 and continuously gets better from there. Nearly every episode is fantastic.
2. Season 1: What a great starter season. Season 1 of Mr Robot tells a great self-contained story with confident pacing and direction and a phenomenal triple-whammy at the very ending.
3. Season 2: While slow and aimless at times, Season 2 has a lot of great episodes especially around the middle, and most of it is made better by the payoffs in Season 3. 
4. Season 4: There's a lot of great episodes and moments in Season 4, but the bizarre pacing and the ending that just didn't work for me at all really dragged it down.

And my ranking of Mr Robot's finales would be:

1. shutdown -r (Season 3): I love this episode so much. It's so small-scale in premise, cramming the cast together into a farm for most of its runtime, but Shutdown manages to resolve all of the show's major storylines in dramatic and satisfying fashion.
2. eps1.9_zer0-day.avi (Season 1): While more of a denouement coming off of the last two episodes, Zero Day still manages to surprise by completely subverting everything the season was building towards.
3. eps2.9_pyth0n.p7z (Season 2): Python is a bit of a messy finale that tosses a ridiculous amount of plot twists and cliffhangers at you as possible. It's not super satisfying, but it is very surprising.
4. Hello, Elliot (Season 4): Yeah, I've ranted enough about the series finale. I didn't like it.

Favorite Episode: eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00

Mr Robot (Season 3)

Season 3 feels like Season 2: Part 2. It starts right in the heat of the conflict and doesn't let up one bit, resolving all of the show's lingering mysteries and packing in tons of big plot twists and creative episodes.

Season 3 comes right after Season 2 as Elliot tries to fight against pretty much everyone to stop Stage 2 from going on. Angela, Tyrell, and Mr Robot have all been recruited by the Dark Army, while Darlene deals with being an FBI informant. This season introduces the Dark Army's middle man Irving, who's a hilarious addition to the show and is a joy to watch throughout.

Right from the first episode, you can tell that Season 3 is trying to simplify things. Everyone's allegiances are made much more clear, and some of the extraneous plot threads and characters are chopped off. This makes Season 3 a much more enjoyable outing than the second, allowing it to not only reach but surpass the quality of Season 1. Season 3 also manages to pack in some great plot twists, from the riot at E-Corp, to Elliot's failure to stop Stage 2, to pretty much everything that happened in the finale. Add in the show's usually great acting and cinematography, and you get a nearly perfect season. My only issue is the fact that Season 3 doesn't stand on its own like the first does, as it really does feel like a direct followup to Season 2.

As for the most notable episodes, there are once again a lot of them:

eps3.1_undo.gz: Joanna's death was a bit disappointing given how she had much more to offer, but it was still a shocking and well-executed twist. We also get a ton of other great moments like the conflict between Elliot and Darlene, along with Krista meeting Mr Robot.

eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00: Easily my favorite episode of the whole show, this 45-minute long take that follows multiple characters up and down a building is a technical marvel. But what's even more impressive is the sheer amount of storylines that get some really big moments in a single take.

eps3.5_kill-pr0cess.inc: Coming right after the long take episode is an episode that rapidly cuts between four different storylines, and it's just as stressful. The final reveal of the true extent of Stage 2 is easily the best twist in the whole season.

eps3.6_fredrick+tanya.chk: And the show is still firing on all cylinders! This dark and emotional episode does a great job of dealing with the fallout of the last two episodes, along with its devastating goodbye to Mobley and Trenton.

shutdown -r: Easily the best finale the show ever done, Shutdown mostly comprises a tense confrontation at a barn that feels climactic. You get the vibe that anyone can die at any time. Everyone gets a moment to shine, and the episode is chock-full of big twists, shocking moments, and probably the best stinger yet.

Overall, Season 3 was a massive improvement on the season and easily the highest point of the show. The fast-pace and simpler plot make it much more palatable, and the crazy plot twists and satisfying resolutions help it stand out. Add in some of the show's best episodes and the same strengths Mr Robot always had and you get an absolute gem.

5/5 Stars

Mr Robot (Season 2)

Coming after one of the best debut seasons ever, there was a lot for Season 2 to live up to, and it didn't really succeed. The pacing is wonky and weird, but the hypnotizing imagery, intriguing mysteries, and strong character focus still leaves it enjoyable.

To explain the plot of Season 2 would take way too long, as it kind of feels like a lot is and isn't happening both at the same time. Elliot spends most of the season in prison, but he refuses to tell us he's in prison out of spite. The Dark Army is planning its Stage 2, while fsociety falls apart after the hack. The season introduces Dom, an FBI agent who struggles to investigate the Dark Army. I like Dom, and think she's a great addition to the cast. There's also Angela adjusting to her job, and Joanna Wellick trying to find her husband.

Season 2 can be frustrating with its slow pace and lack of answering some of the most burning questions. We don't find Tyrell or learn what Stage 2 is until the end of the season, and even that doesn't answer everything. The entire first half is spent in prison, but since we don't know that, the season just feels off while you're watching it. The prison twist itself is actually really cool, but I think it was dragged out way too long. That's probably my biggest problem with the season, the events of the season would be great if it was five or six episodes, but at twelve episodes, it all just feels too long and drawn out. And by the end of the season, the story gets way too convoluted.

Despite my complaints, Season 2 is as well-written, acted, and filmed as the first, and there are still tons of strong and memorable episodes:

eps2.3_logic-b0mb.hc: The final shootout at the end of the episode was amazing. It's a terrifying one-shot that completely blew me away upon seeing it for the first time, and it's probably the scene that really made me warm up to Dom.

eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes: That sitcom sequence was so good that it single-handedly elevated an otherwise uneventful episode. It was a unique gimmick that focused on the Elliot's dysfunctional family dynamics while making it entertaining and unique. I don't think I've seen anything quite like this on TV.

eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme: As mentioned before, the reveal that Elliot has been in prison the whole time is really cool and it makes a lot of sense. While it doesn't save the relatively boring first third, the moment of realization is still mind-blowing.

eps2.9_pyth0n.p7z: This finale was a bit odd, as it feels like for every question it answered, an entirely new mystery was introduced. While taken in a vacuum, the plot directions were great, between Elliot getting shot, Tyrell's return, Angela's interrogation, the FBI's Dark Army board, the reveal of Stage 2, and the stinger. However, I think the length of this episode made it drag a bit, and the way in which these plot decisions were executed made the episode feel even more convoluted in the end.

Overall, Season 2 is a beautifully filmed, well-acted mess. Its refusal to resolve mysteries makes the storyline convoluted as more and more questions are asked, yet it also feels like nothing has happened. It's still enjoyable to watch, but it can feel really frustrating when you don't know how everything is going to be resolved in Season 3.

3.5/5 Stars

Mr Robot (Season 1)

Mr Robot had one of the best debut seasons I've ever seen come from a TV show. Even my favorite shows of all time take a while to reach their peak, but Mr Robot comes out of the door guns blazing. Season 1 of Mr Robot is tight, well-crafted, and a lot of fun to watch.

The main storyline of Season 1 is about Elliot (Rami Malek) being recruited by a mysterious figure named Mr Robot (Christian Slater) to hack E-Corp, a company that essentially has a monopoly on the entire country. He joins a hacking team named fsociety where he meets Darlene (Carly Chaikin), a very important character later on. Also on the cast is Angela (Portia Doubleday), Elliot's childhood friend who deals with her own vendetta towards E-Corp, Shayla (Frankie Shaw), Elliot's neighbor and love interest, and Tyrell (Martin Wallstrom), an up and coming employee who takes a fascination to Elliot.

Season 1 does a great job of telling a strong self-contained story where every character matters. Elliot's therapist Krista plays an important role in the finale, Shayla's drug dealer Vera ends up killing her a few episodes into the season, and the looming mystery of the hacking team Dark Army reaches it culmination when we meet who runs it. The acting and cinematography is also top-notch across the board, resulting in a TV season that looks far more like a movie than a television show. I love the off-kilter framing and acclimation towards symmetry, giving Mr Robot a unique look.

But you can't talk about Season 1 of Mr Robot without talking about its big twist: Mr Robot isn't real, Darlene is Elliot's sister, Elliot has a split personality and amnesia, and you can't trust his narration at all. It's a brilliant plot twist pulled off with an amount of sheer confidence that you rarely see anywhere else. It's well foreshadowed, and the ramifications are nearly endless. What was just as shocking is the finale where Elliot manages to pull off the hack, causing a worldwide economic crisis that isn't even reversed, solidifying Mr Robot as one of the boldest shows ever.

In terms of notable episodes, it's hard not to list the whole season:

eps1.0_hellofriend.mov: This was an excellent first impression for the show, introducing the series's staple cinematography right from the get go. It's a well-paced pilot that confidently introduces the show and its characters leaving you intrigued to learn more.

eps1.5_br4ve-trave1er.asf: I don't like Vera at all, but there's no denying the fact that he headed some of the show's best episodes. Brave Traveler is a tense standalone with a compelling conflict between Elliot and Vera. Just when you think Elliot got the upper hand as always, the ending punches you in the gut and leaves a serious impact.

eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v: I already said why this episode is great, the twist of Elliot's split personality was brilliantly done and begins Mr Robot's shift from a cyber drama to a psychological thriller about mental illness. We also get to meet Whiterose herself, which was a very fun moment.

eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt: Coming after the previous episode, this one did a good job of explaining what the hell is going on with Elliot without making things too expository. Darlene and Angela's dynamic is fun to watch, and the ending with Tyrell joining fsociety is super excited.

eps1.9_zer0-day.avi: An unconventional finale for sure, but a fun one too. The first few minutes were stunning as we learn just how screwed up the world has gotten since fsociety's hack. While it doesn't answer any of the questions it introduces, Zero Day packs in tons of iconic and memorable moments to end the season on a strong note.

Overall, this was a phenomenal first season that should prove to be a really tough act to follow for Mr Robot. The acting, cinematography, and writing are all top-notch, and the last three episodes are chock full of amazing and mind-blowing twists.

5/5 Stars

Friends (Season 10)

Season 10 is often clumped in with Season 9 as one of the worst seasons of Friends, but I don't really think it's that fair. There's a much better energy to the season, and I think it does a really good job of establishing a sense of finality and ending the show on a strong note.

Season 10 focuses on wrapping up storylines for all of the characters. Monica and Chandler try to adopt a kid and move out, Rachel achieves success in her job and almost moves to Paris, Ross finally comes to terms with his feelings for Rachel, Joey struggles to deal with the fact that everything is changing, and Phoebe and Mike get married. All of these plotlines feel final and serve as satisfying conclusions to the characters and their arcs.

I think Season 10 excels the most when it comes to these emotional moments of finality. Chandler's pleas to a potential birth mother, the group learning that Chandler and Monica are moving out, Joey's agent dying, Phoebe's wedding, and pretty much every aspect of the last two episodes work really well. 

The humor is a bit more hit-and-miss, with some moments being genuinely hilarious (Joey plays pyramid, Ross dealing with Joey and Rachel dating, the tan, Ichiban, Princess Consuela) and others feeling way too cartoonish (Joey speaking French, Monica's barbados hair, Danny DeVito stripping, another incest joke). The characterization is also a bit iffy at times, at its worst during Phoebe's wedding, where Phoebe and Monica are nearly unbearable to watch. Thankfully, the season nails its most important job, which is to say an affecting goodbye to the cast as the show comes to an end.

Notable episodes this season include:

The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits: I already stated just how funny Amy's character can be in my Season 9 review, and she's just as good here if not better. I also adore Joey's thesaurus subplot where he tries to make himself sound smarter.

The One With The Late Thanksgiving: The last Thanksgiving episode of the show, and they manage to end it on a high note. The second half is particularly funny as Monica and Chandler locking the door on the rest of the group leads to some funny antics. It all culminates in a heartwarming ending where Monica and Chandler finally get a potential birth mother.

The One With Rachel's Going-Away Party: An incredibly devastating penultimate episode that shows Rachel saying her goodbyes to every single member of the group. It's funny, sweet, and genuine, but it also manages to end on a killer cliffhanger to set up the finale.

The Last One: Still one of the most emotional and satisfying TV finales out there, The Last One packs in so many iconic moments: Monica and Chandler's twins, the new baby chicks, the foosball table getting destroyed, the group leaving their keys on the table, Rachel getting off the plane. It's all so good! While Rachel probably should have stayed on the plane to Paris, I'm so swept up in the emotional impact that I couldn't care less. It's a powerful ending that does a great job at saying goodbye to the whole ensemble.

Overall, I really like this season. The humor and characterization is a bit iffy at times, but it has a strong sense of finality and an amazing last few episodes that do a great job at saying goodbye to the cast. It's emotional, heartfelt, and just plain beautiful.

4/5 Stars

If I were to rank the seasons, it would probably be:

1. Season 5: Easily the most consistently strong Friends season. Almost every episode is hysterical, and the main storyline of Monica and Chandler keeping their relationship a secret is very fun.
2. Season 4: While not as consistent as Season 5, the heights are incredibly high and the Emily storyline is my favorite in the show, thanks mostly to the fantastic finale.
3. Season 2: The peak of Ross and Rachel's "will-they-won't-they". The pace moves along briskly, many of the episodes are super iconic, and it feels like Friends is at its most confident.
4. Season 3: While Ross and Rachel's breakup is messy, there's still a lot to love in Season 3 from the entire first third to the enjoyable final few episodes to the actual breakup episode itself.
5. Season 6: While the Ross dates a student storyline ends the season on a bit of a dud, most of Season 6 is still really good and funny, and there are plenty of iconic episodes scattered throughout.
6. Season 10: While a bit short and not the funniest, Season 10 does a great job at bringing the show to a satisfying, heartwarming, and melancholic close.
7. Season 1: While a bit aimless plotwise and not super consistent, Season 1 easily does the best job at capturing the feeling of being an aimless young adult, and probably has some of the most timeless and relatable moments in the series.
8. Season 7: Season 7 is a slow burn, focusing solely on the big wedding, and thankfully all that build-up pays off excellently. However, it's also probably the most outdated of all the seasons.
9. Season 8: Similarly Season 7, this season also had a pretty big build-up and a lot of great episodes scattered throughout. Unlike Season 7, however, the final payoff was so bad that it pretty much ruined the season for me.
10. Season 9: I don't hate Season 9 like others do, but it's easily the most tired and least remarkable season of the lot. There's plenty of episodes I can defend here, but even out of those, there's nothing that really stands out as amazing.

And if I were to rank the finales, it would be:

1. The One With Ross's Wedding: The mother of all cliffhangers and the reason I'm so obsessed with the concept of a season finale. Brilliantly shameless in its willingness to blow everything up.
2. The Last One: Really just the perfectly satisfying finale. It does a great job at pulling at your emotional cords every time you watch it.
3. The One With Monica And Chandler's Wedding: Friends has a lot of weddings but this is still the most fun. Lots of hijinks issue within the cast and the great cliffhanger helps it earn its finale status.
4. The One With The Beach: A complete and utter cliffhanger-palooza. TOW The Beach leaves pretty much everyone hanging in the best way possible. Also, Rachel is especially fun in this one.
5. The One In Vegas: Some of the subplots are a bit superfluous but the new setting is fun and the double-cliffhanger at the end is still the show's most bonkers.
6. The One With The Proposal: This didn't need to be a two-part episode but the fantastic proposal scene at the end is still worth all the buildup.
7. The One With Barry And Mindy's Wedding: Though small-scale, this finale is densely packed and gives pretty much every character something to do.
8. The One Where Rachel Finds Out: Most of the cast doesn't really have much to do, but the Ross and Rachel stuff is fantastic and the cliffhanger is a solid start for one of Friends' most infamous trends. 
9. The One In Barbados: The first half is genuinely pretty great. All the Mike/Phoebe stuff was great, and even the Joey/Rachel stuff doesn't anger me. It's that godawful table tennis subplot that really brings this finale down.
10. The One Where Rachel Has A Baby: The point where Friends' usual formula for a finale completely backfires. A two-part event that's way too overlong and dull. A shocking cliffhanger that erases a season's worth of build-up and an entire character arc for Joey. One of my least favorite Friends episodes ever.

Favorite Episode: The One Where Everybody Finds Out

Friends (Season 9)

Season 9 is the season that most people point to when it comes to Friends at its worst, and I think that's somewhat fair. This is definitely the show's weakest season, but I still think there's a lot to like here.

This season focuses around babies, maybe even moreso than Season 8 did. Ross and Rachel are both trying to take care of their new child Emma at the cost of their job and their relationship, while Monica and Chandler are trying to have a kid themselves. These storylines aren't awful, but they're not super compelling. We also have Phoebe's blossoming relationship with Mike, who I really like. Paul Rudd is a funny guy and it was great to see him in these last two seasons. Not every storyline was great, though. Chandler's Tulsa job was just plain stupid, and Joey and Rachel's relationship should have ended with Season 8. 

I'm not gonna lie, Season 9 has a rough start. Aside from dealing with the fallout of that awful Season 8 finale, we have the infamous sharks episode, the iffy male nanny storyline, the contrived falling out of Ross and Rachel, and the Tulsa plot, ending with easily the worst and laziest clip show episode in the whole show. However, the second half of the season actually wasn't bad. We got a great stretch of episodes for most of it, and the resolution of Monica and Chandler's fertility storyline was the most affecting the show has been in quite a while. Joey and Rachel weren't great, but it was never as offensive or contrived as that accidental proposal.

Despite the many weak points, Season 9 does have a ton of notable individual episodes:

The One With Rachel's Other Sister: Amy is one of my favorite side characters in the whole show, there's just something about her character that is absolutely hysterical to me. The way she manages to cause chaos within the group by complete accident is amazing, and she makes an otherwise unremarkable Thanksgiving episode into a true classic.

The One With The Blind Dates: Joey and Phoebe's plot to bring Ross and Rachel back together was so much fun to watch and I love seeing them be evil masterminds together. The return of Jon Lovitz was very welcome, and the whole episode was just pure unadulterated fun. An underrated gem.

The One With The Mugging: Stunt casting or not, Jeff Goldblum was hilarious in this episode. I also really like the reveal that Phoebe mugged Ross, as it allows the episode to shine a light on one of the most underrated pairings. I think Schwimmer and Kudrow play off each other really well. And while the Tulsa arc sucks, the result of Chandler getting an advertising job leads to pure gold for the second half of this season.

The One With The Lottery: This was a cute bottle episode with a simple but enjoyable premise. The friends pool all their money into a lottery and hope to win. The fighting over who gets how much money is fun, and the payoff of Phoebe dropping the tickets off the balcony is just perfect. I also love Rachel trying to get Emma to say her first word.

The One In Barbados: Not the best finale, but nowhere near as bad as Season 8's. As someone who prefers Mike to David, I love Phoebe's storyline throughout the episode. As for Joey and Rachel, it's not great, but I don't hate it as much as some of the other fans do. At least they break up soon into Season 10.

Season 9 is definitely the worst season, with a pretty awful start and some weak storylines, but it doesn't deserve being written off completely. There are some great individual episodes in the second half, and the group chemistry is still there.

2/5 Stars

Friends (Season 8)

Season 8 of Friends was a season that I don't really know how to think about. It starts off so well and reaches such high heights, but it manages to end on one of the worst notes of any season in the show. It's not the worst season, but it makes me sad more than anything else.

The main storyline of the season is, of course, Ross and Rachel having a baby together. I'm not a big fan of pregnancy plotlines but this actually works for me since it lets the season spend a lot of time examining why Ross and Rachel aren't together yet along with building up to a reunion between them. There's also a subplot about Joey having a crush on Rachel, which isn't great, but it's mostly harmless and even kind of adorable at times. 

The high point of the season is at the very start, with the first four episodes being one of the best streaks of episodes in the whole show. There's a mystery vibe to it, as the group learns Rachel is pregnant, tries to figure out who the father is, struggles with telling Ross, and ultimately learns who was the one who initiated it. In general, the rest of the season is really solid throughout, but nothing matches those first few episodes in quality.

Now if they managed to end the season on a high point like Seasons 4 & 7, this could have been the best season since the fifth. However, the final episode is so bad, it ruins all of the build up and character development and drags the whole season down with it. It's not even all bad, as I like Chandler finally deciding he wants to have kids. But at the very last minute, they back out of bringing Ross and Rachel back together and instead have a dumb cliffhanger about Joey accidentally proposing to Rachel. I hate this plot point so much. All of this season's build up was squandered and Joey's character arc where he overcame his feelings for Rachel was reverted. It ends up making the whole season uncomfortable to watch in retrospective.

But still, before that godawful finale, there are still a lot of strong and notable episodes this season:

The One With The Red Sweater: This is the best example of that aforementioned "mystery vibe" I was talking about. It was a lot of fun to watch the group run around and try and sleuth out who was the father. While we all knew it was going to be Ross, it didn't make that final reveal any less special.

The One With The Videotape: This episode is so incredibly well-crafted. The set-up of Joey's backpacking story and the punchline of the titular videotape was phenomenal, and I love how it allowed Ross to finally get a win about something. It's a great concept executed even better.

The One With The Rumor: More like "The One With Brad Pitt", am I right? Aside from the blatant guest star gimmick, I think this was a really funny and well-written episode. The "I Hate Rachel" club is a funny concept, and all of the other characters get their own fun Thanksgiving subplots to round out the episode.

The One In Massapequa: A fairly above-average episode made even better with the hilarious Alec Baldwin's amazing guest appearance. Monica's sob speech subplot was also really funny, and Ross and Rachel got some really sweet moments that were made all the more bitter by that finale.

The One With The Baby Shower: Friends has always been great at quiz show episodes, and the sheer bizarreness of Joey's new game show Bamboozled is a joy to watch. I also love the gradual development of Ross and Chandler from being baffled by the game to going full competitive.

This season just makes me sad. At its best, it was some of the best Friends we've had in a while and felt as thoughtfully-plotted as the seventh, packed with tons of great episodes. But alas, this is a case study of how a bad finale can almost ruin an entire season's worth of development.

4/5 Stars for Episodes 1-22

1/5 Stars for the finale

2.5/5 Stars Average?

Friends (Season 7)

Season 7 of Friends is fine. Just fine. I honestly don't know how else I could sum it up outside of "fine". The writing is solid, the episodes are solid, the humor is solid. There aren't many high points or low points, making for what's probably the most consistently solid season of the bunch.

Season 7 is almost entirely about Monica and Chandler's wedding, and I think this works in the season's favor. There's a strong build-up throughout the season that ends on the wedding itself, and similarly to Season 4, I think the payoff makes all of this build up worth it. There are some other storylines like Rachel dating her assistant and Joey returning to Days Of Our Lives, but they're all (once again) just fine. I think the wedding preparations are the most exciting part because the show goes into every single detail, whether it's the engagement pictures, picking wedding dresses, or arranging tables. The first half of the season in particular was really good at making these wedding preparations enjoyable.

However, similarly to Season 6, I think the second half of the season has a lot of really iffy episodes and plot decisions. There's the reveal that Monica settled for Chandler over Joey (not even the showrunners liked this twist), there's the infamous incest episode, there's the episode where they had Winona Ryder appear only so she could kiss Rachel, there's one of the show's laziest clip shows in TOW The Vows, and there's Chandler's crossdressing dad whose first appearance wasn't super well-executed. It's a shame because some of these episodes are actually really funny, but these moments drag them down.

Despite this, there are still a lot of really good episodes, especially in the middle of the season:

The One With The Holiday Armadillo: How do you even come up with this kind of stuff? A holiday armadillo?! That's just comedy gold. Another strong Ross episode made even better once Chandler and Joey join in with their own costumes.

The One Where They're Up All Night: This season has some underrated episodes and this is one of the biggest examples of that. I love the concept of the whole episode taking place at night, and the situations that all of the friends get themselves into are hilarious. Phoebe's fire alarm subplot in particular is painfully relatable.

The One Where They All Turn Thirty: For a show about settling into adulthood, I'm glad they made an episode about turning 30. Despite the fairly dour concept, this episode was a really funny flashback episode, especially once they started frantically switching between flashbacks. Nothing can beat the pivot scene, but that car moving one was pretty close.

The One With Monica And Chandler's Wedding: This finale is the reason why Season 7 isn't one of the worst seasons for me. It all builds up to one of the best episodes in the whole show. Unlike Season 4, this wedding is a lot more frantic, and it's a lot of fun to try and see everyone try to get everything to go well. All of the characters and storylines from the last season are all brought together into this finale, between Chandler's parents, Joey officiating the wedding, and Rachel and Ross almost getting back together in the premiere. It's also great to see Joey finally get a big movie, and the cliffhanger of Rachel being pregnant is exciting.

Overall, Season 7 is a bit of a mixed bag. It has some really iffy plot decisions and lacks the standouts of other seasons, but it has a very solid and consistent base that builds towards one of the show's best finales. There is a lot to like here, but it's more obvious than ever that the show is starting to decline a bit.

3/5 Stars

Friends (Season 6)

Season 6 of Friends came right after the best two seasons that Friends has ever had, and you can tell that the cracks are starting to show. However, there's still a lot of love throughout this season, with tons of funny episodes and strong moments.

This season didn't really have a particular focus for most of it. The first few episodes dealt with Chandler moving in with Monica and Ross and Rachel having to divorce. Joey spends a lot of the season trying to get a new roommate to replace Chandler, ultimately taking in Phoebe and Rachel when their house is set on fire. The season also ends with Chandler and Monica finally getting engaged. All of these storylines were strong and utilized all of the characters well, however...

The second half of the season is a bit of a dip in quality, as we get one of the most questionable storylines in the whole show, in which Ross starts dating a student and Rachel start dating said student's father. I'm not a big fan of this storyline. I think it's not super funny and it definitely drags down what was otherwise a pretty solid season.

Despite this, there's still a lot of love in Season 6. There are a lot of really funny individual episodes, and the first half of the season is particularly strong. There were a lot of really big and permanent changes to the show that were dealt with beautifully, and thankfully, Friends managed to stay enjoyable despite Chandler and Joey not being neighbors anymore.

Notable episodes this season include:

The One Where Ross Got High: Another one of Friends's iconic bottle episodes, TOW Ross Got High does an amazing job of juggling half a dozen plot threads, all of which were hilarious in their own right. The highlight here is Ross and Monica's parents, who manage to single-handedly resolve every single storyline in one glorious rant at the end of the episode. 

The One With The Routine: The titular routine is so much fun to watch. The bizarre yet meticulously choreographed dance is one of the best showcases of Schwimmer and Cox's comedic chops, and the whole episode just screams New Years.

The One With Unagi: This entire episode is just hysterical. Ross's fake martial arts are iconic and serve as one of his best moments, but the subplots about Joey's body double and the Janice tape were both excellent as well. It's rare to get an episode where every single storyline is top-notch.

The One Where Paul's The Man: Bruce Willis wasn't super well utilized this season, but he had some really funny moments here, and this episode was definitely the highlight of an otherwise bad story arc. What really made this episode for me, however, was the big reveal that Chandler wants to propose to Monica.

The One With The Proposal: Coming after three of my favorite cliffhangers ever, this finale felt a bit underwhelming. However, I can't deny that the proposal itself was beautifully executed, and while I feel it shouldn't have been a two-parter, this finale did a great job at building suspense to Chandler's big proposal.

Overall, Season 6 was definitely a bit underwhelming coming after the show's two best seasons, tapering off at the end with one of the show's weaker story arcs. Despite this, it was still packed with a lot of really good moments and episodes that did a good job of dealing with the fallout of Season 6.

4/5 Stars

Friends (Season 5)

As mentioned in my review of Season 4, Season 5 is the funniest season of Friends and it's not even close. It may lack the excellent plotting of Seasons 2-4, but it makes up for it in pure hilarity and being stuffed to the brim with the funniest episodes of the show. Every time I watch it, I'm just in awe of how many amazing and iconic episodes they managed to squeeze into a single season.

Season 5's story is a bit less dramatic than the last few. Phoebe gives birth and Ross gets divorced pretty early on in the season, and most of it is spent with Monica and Chandler, who are trying to keep their new relationship a secret. There's also Phoebe briefly dating a cop, Ross struggling to keep his life in check after the divorce, and Rachel getting a job at Ralph Lauren, but otherwise there isn't too much to this one. I think Ross is the highlight of this season. They made him a lot more unhinged and gave him a lot of moments where he's embarrassing himself in some way, it's great.

Despite the simpler plot, Season 5 truly excels when it comes to the humor. I'm not over-exaggerating when I say that almost every episode of this season has a moment that is pure gold, whether it's Ross moving in with Joey and Chandler, Joey's reaction to learning Monica and Chandler are dating, the "near-death experience" with Phoebe's boyfriend, and Joey getting lost in Ross's apartment, along with all of the episodes I'm going to list below. 

Speaking of which, let's get to those notable episodes, because there are a lot of them:

The One With The Thanksgiving Flashbacks: This is the most iconic flashback episode of the show for a very good reason. The flashback of Joey getting a turkey stuck on his head is hilarious on its own, but we get to learn a lot more about Ross and Monica's past, as the second half of the episode actually plays Monica's fatness for drama for once. It's still a really funny episode, but the emotional impact of it elevates it to be one of the greatest in the show.

The One With Ross's Sandwich: I'm just listing this episode for the titular sandwich. David Schwimmer's acting this season is great and this episode is the moment I started to like Ross. It's hilarious to see him so unhinged, and his outburst about his sandwich is so goddamn funny.

The One With All The Resolutions: Every character has a resolution that they try to achieve in this episode, and it's fun to see them try to achieve said achievements, to various degrees of success. Ross is once again the highlight with his hysterical "leather pants" incident.

The One Where Everyone Finds Out: The best episode of the show, bar none. Seeing everyone react to the reveal that Monica and Chandler is great, along with the amazingly awkward third act where Phoebe and Chandler pretend to be in love with each other. Ross's attempts at getting Ugly Fat Guy's house is also really fun to watch.

The One With The Cop: "Pivot! Pivot! Pivot!". Do I really need to say more?

The One Where Ross Tries To Flirt: This has always been a super underrated and forgotten episode, and that's a real shame. It's one of Friends's better bottle episodes, between Ross's awkwardly flirting, and Joey's adorable relationship with his nonna. But the real highlight is Chandler recording himself singing Space Odyssey, and the whole group finding out. Simply glorious.

The One In Vegas: While not as strong of a finale as the last two seasons (Joey and Phoebe's subplots were kinda inconsequential), the last few minutes alone are notable. Monica and Chandler considering getting married is a great end to the season, and Ross and Rachel drunkenly eloping is yet another stunning cliffhanger.

Overall, Season 5 is top-notch Friends humor. Even though the plotting is light and simple, the comedy more than makes up for it, and the season packs in some of the funniest and most iconic episodes in the show.

5/5 Stars

Friends (Season 4)

Seasons 4 & 5 of Friends are what I like to call the peak of the series, and I think they both compliment each other really well. Season 5 is the funniest season of Friends, and it's not even close, but Season 4 is the most well-written of the bunch.

Unlike the last two seasons, Season 4 isn't really split into thirds, rather it feels more like one continuous story. Ross and Rachel are both trying to move on from each other, so Ross gets a girlfriend named Emily who eventually almost gets married to by the end of the season, while Rachel tries to date a coworker named Joshua. I like Emily and I think she fits the cast well, but I also think Joshua is a dull bore and is one of the season's lowest points. Meanwhile, Chandler and Joey have their own storyline about them both having a crush on the same person, while Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe all have big job changes. There are also great storylines about Phoebe trying out surrogacy and Monica and Chandler switching apartments. There's a lot to this season and most of it works really well.

The way in which all of these storylines intertwine and flow throughout the season is great, and the balance between humor and drama has never been better. Joey and Chandler's storyline about sharing feelings for the same person is especially well-paced and heartfelt. The apartment switching storyline is also a lot of fun and results in some of the funniest episodes of the season. Ross and Emily are the main focus of the season and while they're not the most fun to watch all the time, their wedding at the end of the season is one of the greatest moments in the whole show.

It's not all great, though. There are some weak episodes scattered throughout, and Season 4 is infamous for having the first clip show episode of Friends. From then on, every season had a clip show and none of them were enjoyable. As mentioned before, I also think Joshua was a dull character and dragged down most of Rachel's storyline.

As for the most notable episodes:

The One With The Jellyfish: Another excellent premiere for the season, resolving all of the cliffhangers from Season 3 and doing a great job at it too. The final scene was top-notch between the hilarious "jellyfish" incident and Ross and Rachel's amazing fight that feels like a comedically-driven reversal of the breakup from Season 3.

The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line/Chandler In A Box: The climax of Joey and Chandler's Kathy arc is one of the strongest pairings of episodes in the show. Seeing Joey so pissed at Chandler is genuinely sad to watch, but they manage to wring a lot of humor out it. The latter episode in particular is one of the finest of Friends's many great Thanksgiving episodes, between Joey's fake Italian, Monica snapping at all of the friends, Chandler being stuck in a box, and the heartwarming final scene. 

The One With The Embryos: Sure, Phoebe's surrogacy storyline is sweet, but we all know why I put this episode here. The apartment bet is one of the funniest moments in any sitcom ever, between the hilarious answer to Ross's quiz questions, Monica at her competitive best, and the genuinely surprising ending. There are so many iconic and quotable lines scattered throughout the episode and the group dynamic has never worked better.

The One With All The Haste: It always surprises me just how much happens in this episode. I always remember it for the Morning Guy, along with Rachel and Monica winning their apartment back, but I keep forgetting that Ross and Emily get engaged in this episode too! Definitely a high point in the season.

The One With Ross's Wedding: One of the greatest season finales of all time, and definitely not just for Friends. This wedding has been built up the whole season and it definitely impresses. We get Joey's hilarious tour of London, Rachel meeting Dr House (before House was a thing), Monica and Chandler getting together, and one of the most genuinely surprising cliffhangers of all time with Ross accidentally saying Rachel's name in the wedding. It's an oddly ambitious episode for the show, but man, does it pull it off and then some. I think I wouldn't love Season 4 nearly as much if it didn't end on such a high note.

Overall, Season 4 is Friends at its best. The writing, acting, comedy, drama, and storylines all come together to create a truly top-notch outing for the show. While not every episode is a standout, I think this season manages to be even greater than the sum of its parts, all building to a stunning finale.

5/5 Stars

Friends (Season 3)

The third season of Friends takes on a much darker tone as we see Ross and Rachel's relationship fall apart. Despite this, the humor still remains strong and the chemistry between the characters is as great as always. It may be a step down from Season 2, but it's still another strong outing for the show.

Once again, you can split Season 3 into three story arcs:

Episodes 1-9 are about Chandler's relationship with Janice while Monica is reeling from her breakup. I really like this stretch of episodes as Ross and Rachel get a chance to stay on the side for a bit, as one of the best side characters in the show gets her time to shine. Overall, the tone is light-hearted and the humor is strong. Janice is probably at her best here, showing that outside of her somewhat annoying exterior, she's a genuinely nice person who fits in with the rest of the group really well.

Episodes 10-16 are about Ross and Rachel's breakup, and I'm not a really big fan of this one. Ross is just awful to watch here! Rachel is finally starting to do something with her life, but Ross's jealousy isn't funny or anything, it's just frustrating and glad they broke up. Even more, Ross accidentally cheating on Rachel is uncomfortable to watch, and I feel this storyline goes on unbearably long. Thankfully, the breakup itself is excellent and devastating, but the road to that point definitely drags down the season. I don't blame anyone for not caring about the couple after this.

Episode 17-25 bring the whole cast into the spotlight and ends the season on a strong note, as pretty much everyone gets something to do. Phoebe finally meets her birth mother, Joey gets to star in a play, Chandler gets a chick and a duck for his place, Monica starts dating a rich dude named Pete (it doesn't end well), and Ross and Rachel spend the rest of the season dealing with the fallout of their breakup. It's a much lighter end to the season after the uncomfortable and dark second third, and I think it's fun to watch.

And as usual, here are some notable episodes:

The One Where No One's Ready: The first of many strong Friends bottle episodes, the entire premise is that the group has less than half an hour to prepare for Ross's event, but no one is even close to ready. The whole episode is in real time, and pretty much every character has their own little plot thread that they need to deal with. The highlight, however, is Joey and Chandler's iconic fight that keeps escalating to almost cartoonish proportions.

The One With The Football: This is the episode where Friends's Thanksgiving episodes started being great. Similarly to TOW All The Poker, this entire episode is about the group playing a game of football and it still manages to be a lot of fun. I think the writers get a kick out of these competition episodes, and the physical comedy is great throughout.

The One With The Morning After: While the buildup to the breakup is excruciating to watch, I think this episode is one of the finest in the series, especially once the breakup begins. Schwimmer and Aniston kill it here, and even if you hate Ross this season, you can't help but feel absolutely heartbroken through the whole thing. Having the other characters in the other room does add some levity, but it also adds to the sadness as they're forced to hear the whole breakup.

The One With The Beach: One of my favorite season finales of Friends turns into a cliffhanger-palooza and I love it. Salty Rachel is back and seeing her confess her feelings to Ross is really sweet, Chandler's attempts at getting Monica to go out with him is another great piece of foreshadowing, Phoebe meeting her birth mother is a shocking twist, and the cliffhanger is excellent. There are also a lot of fun interactions that utilize the beach location really well. Overall, a strong ending to the season.

Season 3 has a strong start and a strong end, and in general, the writing and humor is really good, packing in some of the funniest and most emotional episodes in the series. However, the tone is inconsistent and the middle of the season absolutely drags. Despite this, another enjoyable season for Friends.

4/5 Stars

Friends (Season 2)

Season 2 was a huge improvement on the first in pretty much every way. The writing was sharper, the characters had more to do, and the episode quality was much more consistently strong. While it doesn't have the grounded vibe of Season 1, this season makes up for it with tons of enjoyable storylines.

You can divide this season into three parts: Episodes 1-7 chronicle Rachel developing feelings for Ross, who currently has his own girlfriend. Episodes 8-14 are about Ross and Rachel reeling from a falling out and how they finally start their relationship. The rest of the season gives some of the other characters a focus now that Ross and Rachel are finally dating.

This season is probably the peak of Ross and Rachel's will-they-won't-they storyline. The push and pull of it all is genuinely compelling, and their first kiss is immensely rewarding. It's frankly really impressive just how engaging Ross and Rachel are as a couple (especially since they're not really the best for each other). Maybe it's the actor's chemistry or the endearing writing or both, but I can't help but be hooked whenever the two are on screen together. Joey has a storyline about getting a massive role in a soap opera only to be killed off soon after, resulting in some of the funniest episodes in the season. Chandler is dealing with his fear of being alone, which gets even worse when combined with Joey's storyline. Phoebe is trying to find the rest of her family, and Monica enters her closest relationship yet with a family friend named Richard. From this description alone, you can tell all of the other characters have a lot more to do, and all of their storylines are satisfying resolved by the end of the season.

The humor is also a lot more strong as well, especially the episodes that lean on Joey and Chandler's adorable yet hilarious dynamic. My favorite lineup of episodes this season is the arc where Joey moves out and Chandler gets a new, albeit insane, roommate named Eddie. It's absolutely hysterical to watch Chandler try to deal with Eddie's almost cartoonish antics, and perfectly exemplifies what it's like to have a roommate who just doesn't gel with you at all. This season is also notable for having one of the first gay weddings on television with TOW The Lesbian Wedding.

Here's some of the most notable episodes of the season:

The One With Ross's New Girlfriend: Season 2 hits the ground running with a hilarious premiere that sees Rachel go full-salt when dealing with Ross's new girlfriend Julie. Her bitterness is a joy to watch and Jennifer Aniston is hilarious in the role. Not to mention the subplot about Joey's tailor, resulting in one of Chandler's greatest rants.

The One Where Ross Finds Out: Ross and Rachel kiss! Seeing the chain of events that results in Ross learning about Rachel's feelings for him is a lot of fun, along with the climactic final scene that shows Ross and Rachel kissing at the entrance of Central Perk. It's romantic, beautiful, and most importantly, satisfying.

The One With The Prom Video: After six episodes of not being sure whether or not they actually want to start dating, Ross and Rachel are finally drawn together after seeing a prom video that shows just how much Ross cares about Rachel. Said video manages to be funny, heartwarming, and devastating all at the same time, resulting in one of Friends's most iconic moments.

The One Where Eddie Won't Go: The aforementioned Eddie arc reaches its culmination here, resulting in one of the show's funniest episodes. Just when you think Eddie couldn't get more bizarre, he makes sure to prove you wrong, and Chandler's reactions are always hilarious. And of course, seeing Joey and Chandler reunite is just adorable.

The One With Barry And Mindy's Wedding: I've heard many people claim this finale was uneventful, but I don't agree. The titular wedding does a great job of allowing Rachel to show just how much she's grown throughout these first two seasons, and Monica and Chandler both get dramatic resolutions to their story arcs. Monica's breakup with Richard is devastating, and Chandler settling for Janice is both sad and hints at a ton of hilarity in Season 3.

Overall, Season 2 was a really strong season for Friends and the start of the show at the height of its power. The pacing is a lot better, the writing is sharper, and the characters get more to do, even if the season does feel a bit aimless once Ross and Rachel get together.

4/5 Stars

Friends (Season 1)

The first season of Friends is an odd beast compared to pretty much all of the later seasons, as it's a lot more slice-of-life than the other seasons. Many of the episodes begin with the titular Friends discussing some aspect of dating, and the situations that they get themselves into were fairly grounded and relatable. For my Gen X friends, this is a nearly perfect depiction of what life was like when they were becoming adults, but for everyone else, Season 1 is still a funny and heartwarming debut season for the iconic sitcom.

Season 1 mainly focuses around Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), both of whom have just had their lives completely upheaved. For Ross, his wife realized she was gay and left him. And for Rachel, she realized the man she was marrying wasn't for her and ran out on both her wedding and her family as a whole. Despite the show containing an ensemble cast of six characters, Season 1 is also the only season of Friends to have blatant main characters. Most of the main storylines revolve around them.

As for Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Monica (Courtney Cox), and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), they're mostly relegated to subplots. Sometimes they're the focus of the episode, but none of them really have any overarching storylines like Ross and Rachel. Despite this, an interesting aspect of Season 1 is the numerous sequences of the group just hanging out in Central Perk talking about random stuff. It's these sequences where you can see the ensemble's chemistry truly shine, showing just how quickly the cast managed to generate a genuine and believable friendship. Right from the start of the pilot episode, you can tell that these six characters are great friends.

The writing doesn't fare as well. While there are tons of great exchanges, comedic setpieces, and episodes, there are a lot of iffy plot points and moments of clunky writing that show that Friends still has a long way to go. The worst of it is the incredibly odd storyline of Ross getting a pet monkey named Marcel, which feels incredibly cartoonish compared to the rest of the season, and it's a joke that gets old really quickly. I'm glad they got rid of Marcel near the end.

Despite this, there were still a lot of great episodes, so here's a rundown of some of the most noteable:

The One With George Stephanopolous: I think this episode best exemplifies the more down-to-earth nature of Season 1. After meeting some of her old friends, Rachel realizes just how aimless her life has become since she ran out on the wedding. What ensues are some really heartfelt discussions with Monica and Phoebe about not knowing where your life is heading that I think anyone can relate to.

The One With The Blackout: This episode is just absolutely hysterical. Between Phoebe's first guitar performance, Ross getting attacked by a cat, the group making scary noises in the dark, and Chandler dealing with getting locked in a bank with a model, TOW The Blackout takes its central concept and runs with it, creating the first genuinely amazing episode of the show.

The One With All The Poker: If I ever want to introduce people to Friends, this is the first episode I'll show them. It exemplifies just how strong the cast's chemistry is, to the point where they can make an entire episode of them playing poker and make it interesting. It helps that the writing is especially sharp and quotable here.

The One With The Birth/The One Where Rachel Finds Out: The last few episodes of Season 1 serve as great resolutions to the many plot threads that Ross and Rachel have to deal with, but these two are particular highlights. In TOW The Birth, we get the birth of Ross's child, along with a moment that unintentionally foreshadowed the entire second half of Friends. In TOW Rachel Finds Out, we get a more low-key finale that gives a rewarding progression of Ross and Rachel's will-they-won't-they relationship.

Overall, Season 1 of Friends is a pretty good debut season for the show. While the writing is a bit clunky and some characters get shafted, the ensemble cast is perfectly established from the start and the grounded tone helps it stand out. And there's still tons of funny and heartfelt episodes and moments throughout.

3/5 Stars