Friends: The 10 Best Episodes of Season 3, According to IMDb

Ah, the third season of Friends. The one where a girl shaved her head. The one where Joey and Chandler got some very interesting pets. And of course, the one that launched one of the most iconic catchphrases in the history of television, “We were on a break!”. Granted, Ross probably didn’t intend for it to become what it did, but here we are.

Of course, plenty of other things took place. Premiering in 1996, season 3 of Friends was already a staple for audiences across the world. After a first season where this unusual group of people was introduced to the world and a second one where things started to heat up, it was only a matter of time until fans could jump once again at the opportunity of seeing what else Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, and Ross had to offer. Take a look at some of the most memorable moments below!

10 The One Without the Ski Trip (8.3)

On the seventeenth episode of the season, the gang is dealing with the aftermath of Ross and Rachel’s breakup. When she invites the gang to go to her sister’s cabin for a ski trip, Ross is left alone back in the city.

But when Phoebe’s car runs out of gas, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe decide to turn to Ross for help. Rachel, being stubborn, declines, and an entire episode goes by in an emotional arm-wrestling competition of sorts.

9 The One with the Giant Poking Device (8.4)

Phoebe has an interesting superstition – she believes that every time she goes to the dentist, someone ends up dying! In spite of this, she goes, only to later find out that Ugly Naked Guy hasn’t moved in a while, prompting the gang to build a long poking device to check on him. Turns out, he’s alive!

In the meantime, Monica accidentally bumps baby Ben’s head while playing airplane, and Chandler is devastated when Joey tells him he saw Janice kissing her ex-husband. In the end, he ends up letting her go.

8 The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy (8.4)

“The One With The Princess Leia Fantasy” was the first episode of season 3 of Friends. Rachel and Ross were still dating, and he confesses to her all about his bikini fantasy from Star Wars. 

Meanwhile, Monica is depressed and suffering from insomnia after her horrible breakup with Richard, and Joey can’t stand the fact that Chandler is dating Janice. However, for his friend’s sake, he attempts to spend some time with her.

7 The One with the Hypnosis Tape (8.4)

Chandler finally decides to quit smoking and uses a hypnosis tape in his sleep to help him out. However, it turns out that the tape was directed towards women, which prompts Chandler to start acting slightly out of character.

As Monica is invited to go on a date with a man who turns out to be a millionaire, Phoebe is worried about her 18-year-old brother Frank, who’s just announced he is engaged to a woman twice his age…that used to be his teacher!

6 The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break (8.5)

Oh yes, the infamous episode! The one that launched a thousand memes and one of the most iconic lines ever spoken on television! After a very ugly fight with Rachel, Ross ends up sleeping with another woman, that Chandler and Joey have been trying to impress for a while.

And while all of this is happening, Phoebe goes on a date with a diplomat who doesn’t speak English. She takes Monica as a date for the translator, and the two of them end up hitting it off just a little too much.

5 The One Where Chandler Can’t Remember Which Sister (8.6)

When Rachel meets a man named Mark who says he can help get her a job at Bloomingdale’s, Ross is immediately suspicious and believes he is only trying to sleep with Rachel.

In the meantime, a drunk Chandler ends up getting it on with one of Joey’s sisters, only he can’t seem to remember each one. A hilarious confrontation ends up taking place at Joey’s family home.

4 The One with the Chick and the Duck (8.7)

Many laugh-out-loud moments took place over the course of Friends, and one of the best was during this episode. When Joey decides to give Chandler a chick as a present, they end up fighting and decide to give it back. However, they adopt a duck instead, thus becoming the owners of two very interesting pets.

Ross gives up an opportunity to be on television in order to help Rachel when she breaks a rib and needs to be taken to the hospital. And in the meantime, Monica struggles with accepting an offer made by millionaire Pete.

3 The One at the Beach (8.8)

When Phoebe finds a woman who has ties to her past and can tell her more about her family, she decides to pursue her. The whole gang heads out to the beach to keep her company, and Ross brings the girl he’s been dating, Bonnie, along, which makes Rachel extremely jealous.

However, he ends up discovering Rachel still has feelings for him after she gets Bonnie to shave her head, and must make a choice. Also, plot twist, the woman Phoebe found is her biological mother!

2 The One with the Football (9.0)

Arguably one of the funniest episodes of the entire show, “The One With The Football” sees the gang play a game of football during Thanksgiving due to a long-lasting rivalry between Monica and Ross. It’s boys versus girls, and it’s absolutely hilarious!

1 The One Where No One’s Ready (9.0)

It’s a really big night for Ross – the museum is throwing a black-tie event and he doesn’t want to be late because he’s giving a speech. However, not a single member of the gang seems to be ready on time.

Monica hears a message from Richard and loses it, Chandler and Joey are fighting, and Rachel can’t seem to decide on what to wear. Can they even make it on time after all the shenanigans?

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Mariana Fernandes
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Mariana is a 24-year-old Marketing graduate and self-proclaimed business storyteller who loves books, travelling, and the beach. With too many notebooks to keep track of and a persistent feeling of wanderlust, she wants nothing more than to tell stories and pet puppies. All the puppies!

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