Friends: The Complete Tenth Season

Okay, might as well admit it: we were never really worried that Friends would end without a Ross-Rachel reconciliation. But that doesn't mean the 10th season didn't give us some anxious moments alongside the comedy. Not content to rest on its laurels and coast to a vaguely satisfying but unsurprising conclusion, this beloved sitcom continued to break new ground and wove genuinely dramatic situations into the final year's narrative fabric. The season opener, “The One After Joey and Rachel Kiss,” find those two worthies (Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston) uneasy about revealing their new romantic status to Ross (David Schwimmer), whose relationship with Charlie (recurring guest star Aisha Tyler) is headed for trouble. Indeed, Charlie dumps Ross for old boy friend Benjamin (Greg Kinnear) in “The One With Ross's Grant.” Other plot threads running through this year's episodes include the increasingly frustrating efforts of newly married Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) to adopt a baby, and the continued involvement of Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) in the lives of the triplets she bore as a surrogate mother. An outstanding episode—indeed, one of the undisputed fan favorites of the entire run—is “The One Where the Stripper Cries,” featuring an hysterical flashback to the 1987 prom, where we see Rachel with her old nose and a considerably heavier Monica. “The One With Rachel's Going-Away Party” sets up the long-awaited reconciliation when Rachel prepares to leave for Paris and falls into bed with Ross on her last night in town, while the two-part series finale ties up the loose ends most satisfactorily. DVD extras on this 17-episode four-disc set include the customary producers' commentary on three episodes, an extended gag reel, a “Final Thoughts” featurette, and the “Joey Joey” music video, featuring LeBlanc. Recommended. (E. Hulse)