Spring break episodes of Netflix

Lindsay Bluth (Portia de Rossi) sparks protest outside her family’s famed banana stand in this “Arrested Development” episode “Spring Breakers.” (20th Century Fox)

Spring break and the vernal equinox represent a time of renewal, rejuvenation, and revival, but before you look forward, start your week off with a spoonful of nostalgia by looking back and reliving famous spring break episodes of beloved shows that are a blast from your past.

In “Friends” season 6, episode 19 “The One With Joey’s Fridge,” amidst Joey craftily seeking ways to make his friends pay to replace his broken fridge, Ross is dating Elizabeth, one of his former students. Ross becomes nervous about the relationship moving too fast when she hints about taking a trip together for spring vacation. He feels better once he realizes she’s actually planning to take a trip to Florida with her friends, until Chandler points out, “Wait a minute, is she going for ‘spring vacation’ or ‘spring break? Whoo-hoo!’” “What’s the difference?” Ross asks. “Well, spring vacation, you’re doing nice things with your grandparents; spring break, you’re doing frat guys,” Monica responds. In the end, the iconic gang discovers Ross’ solution when they notice him missing and see him on MTV at a beach with Elizabeth.

The infamous “Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana” stand on Balboa Island is overflowing with spring breakers in “Arrested Development” season 2, episode 17 “Spring Breakout.” The notorious Bluth family is up to their abnormal array of antics, but with an edge of indulgence and mayhem true to the spirit of spring break. Producers of “Girls With Low Self-esteem” troll along the pier seeking women willing to flash the camera for a free hat. Lindsay arrives with three women in T-shirts reading “Girls With High Self-esteem” to protest, but to Lindsay’s dismay they all end up ultimately swayed by the free hat. While working the banana stand, George Michael protects his cousin from the objectification of drunken beach-goers flirting with her every time she says “banana” or “nuts.” At Michael’s request, his mother Lucille briefly leaves rehab to beat her husband’s mistress Kitty at a drinking game. Buster mistakes a box of wine for a giant juice box and we see a flashback to one of the best parties the Bluths ever had, which was essentially a failed intervention. Live vicariously through the shenanigans of this family, but consider saving this episode for the latter part of your break lest you feel exhausted before you’ve even begun.

It’s just another day in Point Place, Wisconsin in “That 70’s Show” season 1, episode 17 “The Pill,” except Eric’s older sister Laurie is home from college for spring break. Their mother Kitty finds this unusual and asks, “Honey, is there a warrant out for you in Fort Lauderdale?” Eric quickly notices that his sister is taking great lengths to intercept the mail every day and figures out she is trying to prevent their father from discovering how poor her grades are. He soon loses the upper hand, however, when Laurie oversees an exchange at the local pharmacy for his girlfriend Donna’s prescription for birth control. Admittedly, the only thing reminiscent of spring break in this episode is the vague mention of Fort Lauderdale, considering Laurie spends her day lurking around the house, getting up only to intercept the mail. However, it remains a fair wager that many Saddleback students will spend their spring break by celebrating a “stay-cation” at home in a similar fashion as opposed to escaping to Florida for a week, so it still made the list.

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