Topic: "Friends" Marathon

[Rogmeister]

I started this marathon as part of my "What Rogmeister's Been Watching" thread...but have now decided I want to go ahead and do this as a regular review of the full series so I'm copying here what I wrote there and will then continue my Friends marathon here.  I've started watching from the beginning, of course, and am curious how long it'll take me to get through all 10 seasons.



"The Pilot" and "The One With The Sonogram At The End".

My Thoughts: I don't feel I need to do too much set-up...everyone knows "Friends", right?  It was a sitcom that lasted a full decade telling us the romances and escapades of brothers Monica & Ross Gellar, Chandler Bing, Joey Tribiani, Phoebe Buffay and Rachel Green.  The first episode has five of the six gathered (as usual) at Central Perk when an old friend of Monica's, Rachel, comes in wearing a wedding gown.  She has run out on her wedding and winds up as Monica's new roommate and (at first) becomes a waitress at Central Perk.  There's more back story which we'll find out about in future episodes.

One thing that's a bit surprising when you go back to these earlier episodes is how thin everyone was, especially Joey.  He was a nice-looking slender Italian...he would beef up a bit in later episodes.  You wonder how a starving actor could look so well fed...lucky for him he lives across the hall from Monica who is a chef.  In the second episode, we meet Barry (the groom who Rachel ran out on) and Carol, Ross' ex-wife who left him because she decided she was a lesbian.  In later episodes, Carol would be played by Jane Sibbett, but a different actress plays her in this early episode.  Everyone is pretty well defined in these early episodes...flighty Phoebe, wise-cracking Chandler, woman-crazy Joey, etc.  I've seen every episode multiple times but it's still a show I enjoy seeing again whenever I have the opportunity.  I always preferred this to NBC's other hot comedy of the time, Seinfeld...and the main reason is that, unlike the Seinfeld cast, the characters here were imminently likable.  Heck, I wouldn't mind if they were my friends.

The One With The Thumb--A lot of little things going on in this episode...Monica's new beau Alan (who everyone loves) might be considered the main storyline....Chandler starts smoking again, and Phoebe gets a soda with a human thumb in it..."...and on the way over here, I stepped in gum.  What is up with the universe?"  I noticed Gunther in the background at Central Perk but at this point, I don't think he's gotten any lines yet.

The One With George Stephanopoulos--Rachel gets her first paycheck which prompts this funny line..."Who's Fica?  And why's he gettin' all my money?"  The girls get together for a pizza party while the guys go to a hockey game where Ross gets injured when a flying puck hits him in the face.

At this point in the series, nothing too serious is going on...it's basically a few small events with a lot of sharp witty dialogue going back and forth.  I think I started watching this show because of Courtney Cox...but the quality of the show kept me tuning in.

The One With The East German Laundry Detergent--In this one, we see how the friends pair off and spend an evening.  Ross and Rachel do laundry together in which Ross brings the title object..."It's Uberweiss!  It's German, it's extra tough..."  This is the episode where Ross and Rachel share their first kiss, after which Ross immediately hits his head on a dryer door.  Another first...we meet Janice, Chandler's shrill-voiced on and off-again girlfriend.  Here he breaks up with her right after she gives him Bullwinkle socks.  What, is he mad?  A fun episode.

The One With The Butt--In this episode, we get to see Joey at work...first we see him in a play, a musical about Freud...hey, Joey has the lead role...and he sings!  Then we get to meet Joey's new agent Estelle.  Joey gets a part in an Al Pacino movie...he gets to be his butt double!  Chandler meets a stunning  young woman at the play...the only problem is she's married...and has a boyfriend.  But she and Chandler start going out anyway!  Oh yes, Joey gets fired because his butt overacts...we also get a  look at how compulsive Monica is.  Yes, all the friends have some weird quirk or another...

[Rogmeister]

The One With The Blackout--The city has a blackout...during which Chandler is stranded inside an ATM vestibule with model Jill Goodacre while the others are at Monica and Rachel's apartment.  We meet Paolo in this episode...which is actually not one of my real favorite episodes.

The One Where Nana Dies Twice--Ross and Monica's grandmother passes away...and a woman co-worker of Chandler's mistakes him for being gay.  Elinor Donohue guest-stars.  Another okay but not great episode.

The One Where Underdog Gets Away--Now this one I like better than the previous two...it's the first of several Thanksgiving Day episodes.  It's also the first appearance of Jane Sibbett as Ross' ex-wife Carol.  I like the moment where Ross goes to her apartment...she's not there but her lesbian life partner Susan is.  Ross notices a row of books and comments "Wow, you sure got a lot of books about being a lesbian..." to which Susan replies "Well, you have to take a course...otherwise they don't let you do it."  Ross returns later and his singing to the baby in Carol's tummy causes the baby to kick for the first time (while he's singing the theme to The Monkees, though making up new words).  The rest get locked out accidentally while dinner is cooking...Monica was making 3 kinds of potatoes for everyone so she exclaims "Potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined!"  They wind up having grilled cheese sandwiches for Thanksgiving!

The One With The Monkey--Ross becomes the first "Friend" to get a pet...a monkey he names Marcel.  This is a New Year's Eve episode and we get to see Janice again.

The One With Mrs. Bing--Here we meet Chandler's mother, a write played by Morgan Fairchild...who shares a kiss with Ross.

The One With The Dozen Lasagnas--It's bye-bye Paolo after he makes a pass at Phoebe during a massage.

Some decent episodes but I might not put any of these on "The Best of Friends"...

[Rogmeister]

The One With The Boobies--Chandler accidentally sees Rachel naked, Joey learns his father has been having an affair for 6 years and Phoebe is dating a creepy psychologist named Roger.  This is a kind of fun episode that has a fair amount of stuff going on. 

The One With The Candy Hearts--Joey convinces Chandler to join him on a double date, but it turns out Chandler's date is Janice who he has broken up with twice in the last 5 months.  The girls have a boyfriend bonfire party that gets out of control and Ross goes on a date but it turns out his ex-wife Carol is at the same restaurant.  Janice utters her first "Oh...my...God..." in this episode.  Ross and Carol share a nice moment after Ross' date has walked out on the date.  Chandler winds up sleeping with Janice...but, of course, it isn't long before he has to break up with her again.

The One With The Stoned Guy--Monica has a chance at a chef's job but on the night she is cooking for the restaurant owner (Jon Lovitz) he shows up stoned after smoking weed.  Joey instructs Ross on the fine art of talking dirty to his date while Chandler quits his job because he decides it's not what he wants to do...but he eventually goes back when his boss offers him more money and a big office.  At the end, Phoebe gets a bit of revenge on the restaurant owner when he comes in for a massage...and she gives him a fairly rough one.

[Rogmeister]

The One With Two PartsYes, it's a "Friends" two-parter!  It's also a crossover with, of all shows, ER!  Joey meets Phoebe's twin sister Ursula and gets involved with her, which upsets Phoebe.  Ross comes to the sudden realization that he's actually going to be a father.  Rachel injures her ankle trying to take down Christmas lights and Rachel takes her to the hospital where they meet up with the ER doctors (played by ER's George Clooney and Noah Wylie).  And Ross rushes his pet monkey Marcel to the hospital after he swallows a Scrabble tile...giving him his first real experience of being a father figure.  This episode actually also crosses over with a second NBC show as Helen Hunt and Leila Kenzle appear in one scene as their "Mad About You" characters.

The One With All The Poker is one of my favorite episodes of the first season...I'm not sure why...maybe because I used to have friends of my own that I used to play poker with.  The girls suck at poker and lose several times so they get coached by Monica's Aunt Iris (Beverly Garland).  It all culminates in a high stakes poker game one night following Rachel's failing to get a job that she desperately wanted.  You could also call this "The One Where Marcel Keeps Playing 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'" as Ross' monkey keeps playing a certain CD...

[Rogmeister]

Finishing up season one of Friends...

The One Where The Monkey Gets Away--Rachel petsits Ross' monkey Marcel but leaves the apartment door open and the monkey escapes.  This episode has some good moments including an appearance by goofy neighbor Mr. Heckles.

The One With The Evil Orthodontist--Rachel has an encounter with her ex-fiance Barry.  Jennifer Grey guests as Mindy, Rachel's one-time friend who is now Barry's fiance.

The One With Fake Monica--Monica's credit card is stolen and she then realizes that the "fake" Monica is doing everything she wishes she could...so she finds her and becomes friends with her.  This is okay, nothing special in my opinion.

One of these episodes (I forget which one now) has Phoebe going to work temporarily for Chandler where she reveals no one at the office likes Chandler and says "They even do you" and we are introduced to Chandler's unique way of speaking..."Could that report be any later?" 
The One With The Ick Factor--Monica discovers that the guy she's dating, who she thought was a senior in college really is a senior...in high school.  Another okay episode which ends with the impending birth of Ross and Carol's son.

The One With The Birth--Yes, it's time for a birth...always a hit on sitcoms.  Things get a bit complicated when Ross, Phoebe and Susan wind up getting locked in a supply room as Carol is about to give birth.  Guest-stars include Leah Remini as a pregnant woman Joey assists. 

The One Where Rachel Finds Out--While Ross is leaving on a trip to China, Chandler lips slip out to Rachel that Ross is in love with her.  This is the season finale and sets the stage for the whole Ross-Rachel situation for seasons to come.  At the end, Rachel is off to the airport to see Ross who is returning from China...not realizing that Ross is not returning alone. 

[DJ Doena]

Guest-stars include Leah Remini as a pregnant woman Joey assists.

IIRC Leah auditioned for the role of Monica but obviously didn't get it.

[Rogmeister]

Friends: The Complete Second Season continues the zany adventures of Monica, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey and Chandler.

The One With Ross's New Girlfriend--Rachel is dismayed to find Ross bringing a new girlfriend when he returns from a trip to China (and we never did find out if he got that bone    Meanwhile, after Phoebe gives striking new haircuts to Joey and Chandler, Monica convinces Phoebe to give her a haircut as well...too bad Phoebe doesn't know the difference between who Demi Moore is...and who Dudley Moore is!  A fun episode.

The One With The Breast Milk--Monica agrees to go shopping with Julie (Ross's new girlfriend) at Bloomingdale's...which angers Rachel when she finds out.  And Joey dresses up like a cowboy when another such aftershave salesman does well with it at a store Joey works at.  And Ross is repulsed when people taste Carol's breast milk she had left for Ben.

The One Where Heckles DiesThe friends are shocked when eccentric Mr. Heckles ("I could have birds") passes away and leaves all his belongings to Rachel and Monica who lived in the apartment above him.  We get some extra laughs in this when Phoebe and Ross get into it over the belief in evolution.  Chandler winds up getting all worked up over the fact he and Mr. Heckles had so much in common.  Janice puts in another appearance but now she's married and pregnant.  "Oh...my...God..."

The One With Phoebe's Husband--Phoebe's gay husband shows up wanting a divorce.  In a moment where the friends blab some secrets about each other we find that Joey was in a porno movie (but he didn't get naked) and that Chandler has a 3rd nipple.  "Whip it out, whip it out!"  At the end of the episode, we learn that Ross has had sex with Julie (his first since he broke up with his wife" and he celebrates by dancing in the streets to the tune of "Singing in the Rain". 

The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant--The friends are divided when three of them are put off by the fact that getting together often costs them money they can't afford.  As a result, the three who have money go to a concert while the others play bargain basement games at home.  Monica gets fired at the end of this episode due to accidentally accepting some steaks her employers claim was a kickback.

The One With The Baby On The Bus--This may be may favorite episode of seaso 2 so far.  Ross gets food poisoning from Monica's pie.  "I thought you said this was a key lime pie?"  "No, it's a kiwi lime pie.  That's what makes it so special."  "That's what's going to kill me!  I'm allergic to kiwi..."  While he and Monica go to the hospital, Chandler and Joey take Ross' son Ben out for awhile...and accidentally leave him on the bus.  When they go to reclaim him, there are 3 toddlers at the bus depot.  They decide to flip a coin but what is assigned heads?  Joey says "Heads are for ducks...because ducks have heads" to which Chandler responds "What kind of scary ass clowns came to your birthday?"  At the end, Ross discovers the truth but Chandler grabs the pie and exclaims "Get back, I've got kiwi!  Run, Joey, Run!"  Meanwhile Chryssie Hynde guests as a professional singer hired at Central Perk to replace Phoebe.  This is one of only a few episodes where we see the owner (named Terry, played by Max Wright) of the coffee shop.

 

[Rogmeister]

Friends, The Complete Second Season Continues...

The One Where Ross Finds Out--While on a date (and somewhat inebriated), Rachel calls Ross on the phone and leaves him a message revealing her feelings for him.   Ross gets the message the next day while with Rachel.  Meanwhile, an out-of-work Monica helps work Chandler out so he can drop a few pounds.  One nice thing about the "Friends" DVDs is they add in some footage that wasn't there in original airings so, not only do you get footage cut for cable or syndicated airings but you get footage you never saw to begin with.  Seeing this episode, for instance, we see Ross and Julia at a pet store about to buy a cat...I can't recall if this scene was in the original airings or is one of those bonus bits thrown in for the DVDs. 

The One With The List--Ross can't seem to choose between Julie and Rachel, so Chandler urges him to make a list (on Chandler's computer) listing the pros and cons of both.  When Rachel discovers this, naturally all hell breaks loose.  Monica, still looking for work, agrees to a test with a firm, making dessert treats with a new chocolate substitute called Mockalate.  "This is what evil must taste like!", exclaims Phoebe after trying one of her treats.

The One With Phoebe's Dad--During the Christmas season, Phoebe learns where her dad (who abandoned her mother and her years ago) now lives and takes off for there in her grandmother's taxi, accompanied by Joey and Chandler.  Special bonus in this episode...Gunther speaks for the first time!  Okay, he only says about a word and a half but I'm confident he'll be speaking full sentences by the end of the season!  Meanwhile, Monica and Rachel host a Christmas party, despite the fact that Ross has broken off the knob on their radiator and now it can't be shut off, making the room about 90 degrees...

[Rogmeister]

Friends, Season Two continues...

The One With Russ--While being on the outs with Ross, Rachel starts dating Russ, someone who looks and acts amazingly like him (both played by David Schwimmer). 

This is a funny episode, especially when Ross and Russ are together.  And in the end, while Russ is at the coffee shop, Ross's former girlfriend Julie shows up...and is quickly smitten with Russ!

The One With The Lesbian Wedding--Ross's ex-wife Carol and Susan decide to get married. 

Phoebe is even wackier than usual in this episode where she is apparently possessed by the spirit of an elderly Jewish woman.  Marlo Thomas makes her first appearance on the show as Rachel's m other in this episode.

The One After The Super Bowl--This one aired after the annual Super Bowl l(d'uh) so it's an extra long episode and lots of storylines...Joey being stalked by someone who thinks he is really his soap opera character, Ross is reunited with his onetime pet monkey Marcel, an old schoolchum of Chandler's gets revenge on him and Monica and Rachel fight over actor Jean-Claude Van Damme.

This could also be called The One With All The Guest-Stars as, besides Van Damme, we also have Brooke Shields, Chris Isaak, Fred Willard, Dan Castellneta, and Julia Roberts.  It drags a bit, in my opinion (due to its length) but also has some very funny moments.

[Rogmeister]

The One With The Prom Video  Monica's old home video elicits the true feelings Ross has for Rachel.  Joey gives Chandler a gift.

Joey's gift for Chandler is a gaudy bracelet..."You are so wearing that bracelet" he says but it's pretty gaudy.  "It's pretty flashy" Chandler admits..."Oh no," corrects Ross..."it's not gaudy...not for a GoodFella..."  I like this episode a lot, especially the comments made while the gang watches the video and we get a good look at how Monica looked back then when she weighed a lot more...

Joey: Some girl ate Monica!
Monica: Shut up!  The camera adds 10 pounds!
Chandler: So just how many cameras are on you?

The One Where Ross and Rachel...You Know  Ross and Rachel encounter romantic obstacles while Monica falls for a romantic older doctor (Tom Selleck).

Ross: Doctor Burke?  Why, why, why...should that bother me?  I love that man...he's like a brother to...dad.

The One Where Joey Moves Out  Joey decides to move out into his own place while Monica's parents find out about her and Richard (Tom Selleck).

This begins a plotline where Joey and Chandler are apart and Monica and Richard are now an item.

The One Where Eddie Moves In  Chandler gets a new roommate named Eddie while Phoebe makes a video for Smelly Cat.

Chandler will be sorry when he finds out that Eddie is a real nutbag...Phoebe's friends find out when she shows them her Smelly Cat video that the record company didn't use Phoebe's own voice for the video.

The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies  In an interview with a soap opera magazine, Joey boasts that he makes up some of his own dialogue, so the writers counter by having his character fall down an elevator shaft.  That's gonna leave a mark...

Joey's obviously going to have problems in this episode's aftermath while Chandler learns just what kind of nut Eddie really is.

The One Where Eddie Won't Go  Joey feels the crunch of unemployment, especially regarding his Visa bill and the expense of paying for some paying for some items he can't afford.  Chandler can't abide his new roommate Eddie who acts nuttier and nuttier.

Chandler does get rid of Eddie finally...as Joey moves back in.