Season 3 is one of the most important seasons of Friends, and it's probably among the most successful ones too. During the season, viewers get to see some of the most emotional moments of the show, some of the greatest friendships, and maybe the biggest turning point so far: Ross and Rachel's breakup and its aftermath.
They also get to see flashbacks from before the group formed, what their first opinions of each other were, and some of the new love interests the characters have. Here are the ten best episodes of this great season.
10 The One With The Hypnosis Tape - 8.4/10
Monica finally agrees to go out with a guy named Pete she sees at work all the time, who has a huge crush on her. Before the date, she discovers that Pete is actually a millionaire. Chandler, for his part, is struggling to quit smoking, so Rachel gives her a hypnosis tape that a friend of hers used to drop the habit. The problem is that, although it helps Chandler forget about cigarettes, there are side effects to the hypnosis that caused him to act in a feminine way, confusing his friends.
9 The One With The Giant Poking Device - 8.4/10
The chapter starts with Phoebe having a toothache, but not wanting to go to the dentist because she firmly believes someone will die if she does. Her friends finally convince her that it's an irrational thought, and she reluctantly agrees to go. In the meantime, Joey tells Chandler that his girlfriend Janice is cheating on him with her ex-husband and father of her child. He is devastated but ultimately decides to break up with her so she can give her marriage a chance.
8 The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break - 8.5/10
One of the most heartbreaking episodes of the series. During their anniversary, Rachel has to work late and Ross gets extremely upset. He tries to surprise her with a picnic at her office, but he only ends up making things worse by disturbing her, and she tells him she wants to take a break from the relationship, although she doesn't mean it.
Her friend Mark visits her to comfort her, but when Ross finds out, he gets outraged, thinking something is going on between them. He ends up sleeping with another woman and regrets it instantly.
7 The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister - 8.6/10
Rachel is miserable at her job. She wants to learn about fashion, but instead, she's stuck making coffee for her boss and doing menial tasks. A guy overhears her complaints and tells her he works at Bloomingdales and might be able to get her a better job. Overjoyed, she tells Ross about it at Joey's birthday party, but he's suspicious of the guy and thinks he has a crush on Rachel. Meanwhile, during the party, Chandler makes a massive mistake. Still heartbroken because of Janice, he fools around with one of Joey's sisters, but he can't remember which one the next day.
6 The One With The Chick And The Duck - 8.7/10
Monica's job now requires her to serve food on skates, and she's very bad at it. So bad that she bumps into Rachel and breaks her ribs. That's why, when Pete, the millionaire she rejected, offers her a job as head chef at his new restaurant, she's thrilled. The only thing keeping her from taking the job is the fact that she thinks Pete still has feelings for her.
Rachel, who is still very busy at her job, finds herself slowed down by her broken ribs. Ross sees she's in pain and convinces her to let him take her to the hospital. Only once they get back she finds out that he gave up a TV appearance for her.
5 The One At The Beach - 8.8/10
Phoebe finds an old friend of her parents and decides to go meet her, so the whole gang travels with her to the beach. Rachel is happy that Bonnie, Ross's new girlfriend, can't go, and they seem to get closer while they're there.
Unfortunately, she joins them at the last minute, and she ends up confessing to Ross that she's still in love with her. Confused, Ross tries to make up his mind between the two of them, while Phoebe insists on finding out more about her parents through their old friend, although she doesn't make things easy.
4 The One With The Football - 9/10
During Thanksgiving, an old sibling rivalry resurfaces when the gang suggests a football game to cheer up Chandler, who is still reeling from his breakup. Monica and Ross recount an old family tradition, The Geller Cup, and decide to bring it back one more time. While they're playing, another competition arouses when Chandler and Joey meet a beautiful Dutch woman they both like. Joey offends Chandler by saying that he will let him date her because otherwise, his friend wouldn't stand a chance. The two of them get so wrapped up in their fight that the woman ends up rejecting them both.
3 The One Where No One's Ready - 9/10
Ross has a very important event at the museum he works at, but no one except Phoebe is taking it seriously. Monica is still obsessed with her ex-boyfriend Richard when she hears an old message from him and ends up going to great lengths to find out if he's dating someone new. Chandler and Joey are having a petty fight over who gets to sit on a chair, but it quickly escalates and they end up stealing each other's clothes. Rachel, who really wants to go, can't decide on her outfit, but when Ross snaps at her, she decides she's not going at all.
2 The One With The Flashback - 9.1/10
When Janice asks an uncomfortable question, the friends reminisce on the time they almost slept together, and the most unusual pairings are shown. Apparently, when Carol first broke up with Ross, he almost hooked up with Phoebe, who was trying to comfort him. Viewers also get to see the first time the rest of the friends meet Joey, and how he and Monica had a crush on each other when he first moved in. However, he misreads Monica's intentions and ends up humiliated. Lastly, Chandler accidentally runs into Rachel, who is still engaged with Barry, and she fantasizes about being with him.
1 The One With The Morning After - 9.1/10
After cheating on Rachel at a party, guilt is eating Ross up inside. He wants to tell her the truth, but Rachel says she's ready to make things work and Chandler and Joey convince him not to. When she finds out anyway, they have a big fight that lasts all night while the other friends are trapped in Monica's room. By the end of the night, Rachel says she can't forgive Ross and that she wants to break up for good. Only once she falls asleep, the friends can get out of the room.
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