Friends. Season 3, Episode 6. "The One with the Flashback" One year before the pilot.
There's an undercurrent of irony is each of these early episodes of Friends. Knowing what path the Ross-Rachel relationship and (especially) knowing that Chandler and Monica will eventually marry adds a certain layer to many scenes/exchanges in the first few seasons.
But this episode is deliberately build on the idea that the stuff happening on-screen is only funny because we know what will eventually happen. And it's a real treat. Ross being happy that his wife has a close female friends, Chandler trying to decide which potential roommate to pick, Monica predicting that she'll never see Rachel Green again...
And on and on. But, beyond all that (and there's a lot of that) this is still a viable standalone episode of Friends. If you were to happen to watch this first, and had never seen the show, a lot of the big laughs (from the audience) would be lost on you, but it's still a hilarious half-hour of TV. Best bit? Chandler dropping the pool ball and hitting on Rachel.
The ending, however, is terrific. Ross and Phoebe's passionate kiss totally threw me (I'd forgotten about that) and it's a surprisingly good/sweet scene.
The Chandler/Monica scene however is something extra special. The episode opens with Janice asking the gang if any of them have ever kissed, etc. When this episode aired in 1996, there was no hint of anything happening between Chandler and Monica so the tease at the end is a legitimate twist. Of course, in later seasons, they married (and because the show's best couple, IMHO) so - looking at the scene now - the ending has a whole new depth and meaning.
Especially since absolutely nothing happened between them.
So much fun to watch these old episodes...
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Friends. Season 3, Episode 6. "The One with the Flashback" One year before the pilot.
