Jennifer Aniston Watch

It can be said that Season 5 was one in which no time was wasted; Ross, ever the overacheiver, managed to get divorced and remarried within its confines. On the other hand, Monica and Chandler did take half of the season to reveal their coupled status to the rest of the group; this reveal was decidedly among the series highlights. Often cited as a “Friennaisance,” Season 5 provided many of the strongest mid-series episodes. A few favorites:

The One Hundredth As per the title, this is, in fact, the one hundredth episode of the series, and it also marks the culmination of Phoebe’s surrogacy storyline. This episode puts the gang at the hospital while Phoebe gives birth to Frank and Alice’s triplets. Of course, her doctor, obsessed with The Fonz, manages to further add pain to the childbirth process. Meanwhile, by way of Monica’s (reluctant) flirtation with a male nurse, she and Chandler decide to be exclusive (but still secretive).

The One With The Thanksgiving Flashbacks Here, we gain vivid insight on Chandler’s dislike of Thanksgiving (just in case his parents’ divorce didn’t do the trick, Monica’s botched attempt at revenge for calling her fat surely did). By covering the territory of Thanksgivings past, Thanksgiving present turns out to be painful all over again, but ultimately quite rewarding.

The One Where Everyone Finds Out The “they don’t know we know they know” tactics used in this classic episode have been often imitated but never duplicated. Despite Monca and Chandler’s efforts to keep their relationship a secret, Joey knows (thanks to a misplaced eyelash curler) and Rachel knows (having overheard Monica’s flattering nickname for Chandler). Once Phoebe finds out (from the window of Ugly Naked Guy’s now-vacant apartment), things get interesting, and rather than state their knowledge overtly, the three decide to mess with Monica and Chandler to get them to admit it themselves. The battle of wills escalates, as Monica and Chandler figure out what’s happening and decide to push right back. Chandler eventually confesses his love for Monica, but not before Phoebe has uttered such gems as “I’m very bendy.”

The One in Vegas Joey has gone to Vegas to work on a movie; what he is too embarrassed to tell his friends is that the film’s funding has fallen through and he has taken to working at a casino until production starts up. Without knowing this, the gang heads to Vegas to visit him. Ross and Rachel head to Vegas a day later, due to prior commitments, and during the night Ross misinterprets Rachel’s naked antics in her empty apartment. This spurs something of an embarrassment contest on the plane, and Rachel, having turned into a “human doodle,” decides that the only way to cope is extreme inebriation. She and Ross proceed to do what Monica and Chandler only consider - they tie the knot at the Little White Chapel.

Friends, Season 5, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Vegas, Little White Chapel