Friends: The Complete Fourth Season

One of the very best and most consistently satisfying seasons of Friends begins with Chandler urinating on Monica's leg to relieve a jellyfish sting, and ends with the two in London, in bed, and in lust. In between are several benchmark episodes and character-enriching plot developments that keep this series from coasting on its considerable laurels. Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) agrees to become a surrogate mother for her long-lost brother (Giovanni Ribisi). Chandler (Matthew Perry) "crosses the line" after falling in love with Joey's girlfriend, and is forced to spend one memorable Thanksgiving in a box. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston in what should have been her Emmy year) desperately pursues the recently divorced Joshua (then real-life squeeze Tate Donovan). Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler trade spaces with Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel, a development with provocative (albeit offscreen) sapphic overtones. And Ross (David Schwimmer) meets the warm and wonderful Emily (Helen Baxendale), setting the stage for a London wedding that revitalizes our rooting interest in the whole Ross and Rachel on-again/off-again drama. Especially jolly good in this two-parter are the scene-stealing British character actors, including Hugh Laurie as the unfortunate airline passenger seated next to Rachel as she wings toward London to tell Ross she loves him, and Tom Conti and an absolutely fabulous Jennifer Saunders as Emily's squabbling parents. The breezy commentary for this episode (one of three total) by the show's creators takes us behind the scenes of a near-perfect season finale. As Friends enters its final year (and we face the prospect of a Joey spin-off), it is a pleasure to return to one of its glory years. DVD extras include the aforementioned commentaries, the new featurette "Friends Around the World," and a trivia challenge. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)