MovieFreak.com - "Friends - The Complete Fourth Season" DVD Review by Mimi Umidon

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer

Six young people, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life.

This four-disc set contains 23 episodes from what many fans regard as this outstanding sitcom's most exceptional season. The chemistry of the cast, their invariably consummate comedic timing, and the series' beloved mixture of outrageous humor and genuinely heart-tugging moments makes "Friends" a deserved TV phenomenon. Arguably, "Friends" was beginning to show a little wear during season three, whether due to some complacency on the part of the show's creative staff or reasons we can't guess at.

But Season Four cemented this show's reputation as among the all-time best. Surprising, daring story lines like Phoebe's surrogate pregnancy, Joey and Chandler's nearly-ended relationship, and the sudden romance between Chandler and Monica gave the series a new emotional depth and allowed these fine actors to explore increasingly deep and subtle aspects of their characters. Jennifer Aniston especially shines in this season as a gifted comedienne.

From "The One With All The Porn" (in which Joey and Chandler, through a cable mix-up, receive free adult programming that they are loathe to turn off for fear of losing it forever) to "The One With Ballroom Dancing" (where the building's super threatens to evict the girls unless Joey agrees to become his dancing partner), there isn't a clunker in the bunch. A special treat for newer fans that may not have been with the show from the beginning is "The One With the Invitation" (which provides a touching and hilarious series of flashbacks detailing the tumultuous history of Ross and Rachel's relationship). And many fans agree that "The One With All The Embryos" (in which an impromptu trivia contest results in the girls forced to swap apartments with the guys) might be the all time single best episode of the show so far.

The season finale is a two-part episode "The One With Ross's Wedding" which sparkles with hilarious British guest stars like Ab Fab's Jennifer Saunders, Hugh Laurie, Duchess Sarah Ferguson and unexpectedly renews romantic possibilities between Ross and Rachel.

Disc One:
The One with the Jellyfish
The One with the Cat
The One with the Cuffs
The One with the Ballroom Dancing
The One with Joey's New Girlfriend
The One with the Dirty Girl

Disc Two:
The One Where Chandler Crosses the Line
The One with Chandler in a Box
The One where They're Going to Party
The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie
The One with Phoebe's Uterus
The One with the Embryos

Disc Three:
The One with Rachel's Crush
The One with Joey's Dirty Day
The One with All the Rugby
The One with the Fake Party
The One with the Free Porn
The One with Rachel's New Dress

Disc Four:
The One with All the Haste
The One with All the Wedding Dresses
The One with the Invitation
The One with the Worst Best Man Ever
The One with Ross's Wedding

First of all, each episode contains "extra" material, though you might be hard-pressed to recognize what's new.

One of the most enjoyable features is the insightful, detailed audio commentary provided by the show's executive producers Marta Kauffman, Kevin Bright and David Crane. Alas, the commentary is provided on only three episodes, which will leave you wishing for more.

Friends Around the World reports on the series’ worldwide popularity and provides some fascinating peeks into the dubbing booth as "Friends" is translated in languages like German and Japanese.

Who Knows Whom Best? - Ross's Ultimate Challenge is an addictively diverting trivia test which uses clips from the show to provide answers. The game is based on a game that the show's characters played themselves (using personal trivia about each of the friends) and ingeniously allows viewers to choose a team (boys or girls) and even call the coin toss.

Friends of Friends is a video guestbook collection of clips featuring the season's various guest stars. Highlights include Giovanni Ribisi, Teri Garr, Charlton Heston and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.

"Friends – The Complete Fourth Season" is a must for any devoted fan of the show - and a lesson for anyone else in just how good a sitcom can be.

THE SHOW/SEASON	10
THE VIDEO	7
THE AUDIO	7
THE EXTRAS	5
OVERALL (not an average)	8