Friends: Episode-by-Episode 10.17 & 10.18 "The Last One"

I agree completely with AJ

 

0411: The One with Phoebe?s Uterus

- The teaser is all setup and no funny for me.
- Love the friends mocking Chandler for messing up the joke.
- I appreciate that the friends don?t think it?s a good idea for Phoebe to carry Frank and Alice?s baby, but the Phoebe story is totally the weak link here.
- Where?s Kathy been hiding for the past two episodes, this is the first we see of her since her and Chandler got together. I do love Chandler?s story here though.
- I really like that Teri Garr appeared at least one more time after her first appearance, too bad we never saw her again after this.
- Rhonda is awesome in that stereotypical black woman kind of way.
- The Monica/Rachel/Chandler scene about how to improve the sex between Chandler and Kathy is a classic one: ?SEVEN! SEVEN! SEVEN!?
- ?I?m Rhonda and these aren?t real!? ? hee
- The tag is pretty good.
- All in all a pretty good episode.

B+

 

Where?s Kathy been hiding for the past two episodes, this is the first we see of her since her and Chandler got together.

Didn't she go home for a bit?

I like the Phoebe story. And I'm glad Teri Garr returned, though I wish they hadn't dropped her storyline completely. She could have shown up once or twice every couple seasons (and where was she at phoebe's wedding?).

It could very easily be that I'm too young to appreciate it, but i thought the numbers thing was kinda weird.

 

4.11 "The One With Phoebe's Uterus"

Just how old ARE you?

Anyway...

Sucks that this is Teri Garr's last appearance as Phoebe's bio-mom. It would have been nice to have her pop in once in a while. I can't help but find it weird that Phoebe hedges about being a surrogate for Frank & Alice, then just decides to go ahead and do it. I think it would have been slightly more in-character if she just said yes at the outset, given her flighty tendencies. But then, this plot would have nothing if she had.

Another stab at class distinctions being shown with the Joey/Ross museum peer pressure plot. Mostly 'meh'. But this one had a better resolution in that everybody gets carried away with their "liberation".

Monica's orgasm-by-numbers is the best part of the episode. I'm with AJ: Cox is totally hot in this scene. Think Chandler used this knowledge a few seasons later when he & Monica hooked up?

A+ for Monica, B for everything else

 

Is this the one where Phoebe says to Frank and Alice that she thought she could give them a gift 'like a gravy boat or something' for a wedding present?

 

4.12 "The One With The Embryos"


* Episode Number: 85
* Original Air Date: January 15, 1998
* Written by: Jill Condon & Amy Toomin
* Directed by: Kevin Bright
* Guest Cast:
o Giovanni Ribisi (Frank Buffay Jr.)
o Debra Jo Rupp (Alice)
o Cindy Katz (Dr. Zane)


Detailed summary

The guys' chicken is becoming a rooster. Phoebe undergoes the procedure to implant embryos in her uterus; the pressure is high as Frank Jr. and Alice can only afford the procedure once. Monica and Rachel bet that they know Chandler and Joey better than Chandler and Joey know them; Ross writes the questions (game show style) and eventually the stakes are raised: If the girls win, the chick and the duck have to go. If the guys win, they get the girls' apartment.

___________________________________________________________

My third favorite episode of all time. It's not very far behind The One Where No One's Ready and The One With The Prom Video for me.

Ross creates the best freakin game ever. The game is great, just because of all the one liners it opens up for the characters.

"Althea!"
"Althea?!"(can't actually remember this line, so I'm guessing)
"I took a shot!"
"You're shooting with Althea?!"
"Althea is correct."
"Nice shooting!"

"Big fat goalie!"

"Rachel claims this to be her favorite movie."
"Dangerous Liaisons"
"Her actual favorite movie is..."
"Weekend at Bernies!"

"He's a transponster!!!"
"That's not even a word!!!"



and a bunch more that I can't remember off the top of my head right now.

 

best.....episode......ever

 

0412: The One with the Embryos

- Love Jennifer Aniston in the teaser. Well, I pretty much love her in the whole episode.
- ?I can check that for you? ? hee
- The grocery guessing is awesome.
- While the stuff with Phoebe is totally the least funny stuff in this one, it?s still pretty good.
- The trivia contest is classic; it?s all about character while still being pure fast paced funny.
- ?Viva Las Gay-gas? ? hee
- I'm pretty sure there's not a single bad punchline in this one.
- Everyone doing the ?giving the finger? gesture is awesome.
- ?What is Chandler Bing?s job?? ? hee
- I?m a little bit bothered by Phoebe getting a positive on the pregnancy test so soon, but the episode as a whole is so legendary that I?ll let it go?
- Good emotional climax to the episode.
- I love that there?s actually repercussions from the contest beyond this episode, I?m of course talking about the apartment trading.
- Overall one of those truly classic episodes of television.

A +

 

I second that. This one was truly spectacular.

This is waaay ahead of the Prom Video for me and miles ahead of the "no one's ready" one. The contest was genius simply for the way they all delivered so many zingers and one-liners. It delivers mostly new jokes, but saves the kicker for a running gag that goes all the way back to S1: the fact that nobody knows what Chandler does for a living.

"Miss Chnandaler Bong."

"There's 'fancy'..."
"There's 'guest'..."
"There's 'fancy guest'..."

"VIVA LAS GAYGAS!!"
"Unfortunately, that is correct..."
(What I love about this one is the way both Chandler and Joey both synch their dejected expressions at Monica's answer in the same direction, with their heads at the same angle.)

Back to the Chandler's-job question: for once, Cox & Aniston truly nailed that look of desperate confusion. The morph on their faces from certain victory to the pure horror that they don't know the final answer is priceless. Just that look of confusion makes me LOL every time.

Phoebe's implantation doesn't really do anything for me, except for when she's singing upside down in the sofa chair.

A+

 

Plus Monica's best ever "Noooooo!"

 

The quiz was great for sure.

 

4.13 "The One With Rachel's Crush"


* Episode Number: 86
* Original Air Date: January 29, 1998
* Written by: Shana Goldberg-Meehan
* Directed by: Dana J. DeVally
* Guest Cast:
o Tate Donovan (Joshua Burgin)
o Paget Brewster (Kathy)
o Paxton Whitehead (Mr. Waltham)


Detailed summary

When Chandler finds out Kathy's new play involves a steamy scene with her co-star, he's worried where it might lead; Joey tells him not to worry--as long as there's chemistry on-stage, there isn't anything happening off-stage; This helps... until Chandler sees the play again later and finds the performance isn't as good; Chandler accuses Kathy of sleeping with her leading man; they fight and part on unfavorable terms; by the time Chandler goes to apologize and make up, it's too late. Monica tells Joey that the guys have to be the hosts since they have the big apartment; but she can't stand it, and tries to win everyone over to her place by doing lots of cooking and re-decorating. Rachel's department at work is eliminated, so she has to become a Personal Shopper; she plans to quit until a handsome, well-to-do young man needs her services; she wants to ask him on a date, but doesn't know how... she's never had to ask anyone out before.

________________________________________________________

I like how Chandler and Kathy pretty much break up because of Joey's advice.

Rachel's great in this episode too. I really like the Joshua character

 

0413: The One with Rachel?s Crush

- Okay teaser, nothing exceptional though?
- Monica got a decent story in this one; very much in character.
- Rachel leaving a message for Monica: hee
- Joshua! I Do Enjoy Rachel?s story here, but that?s more because of Jennifer Aniston than Tate Donovan.
- I always thought they should have kept the relationship between Chandler and Kathy going for a few more episodes before breaking them up. They way they?re broken up are done pretty well though; it makes sense that Chandler?s insecurities would create a disruption. And we already know that Kathy is a potential cheater, so it makes sense that she would run to Nick in some subconscious effort to hurt Chandler.

Did that make sense?

- Matthew Perry is always great, but especially so in this one.
- ?I don?t live here!? ? hee
- First appearance of ?How you doin???
- Lisa Kudrow is looking too pregnant too soon?
- Love the ?on a break? callback in this one.
- Overall a pretty good one.

B +

 

Absolutely loathed the Joshua storyline. Loathed.

Also didn't like the abruptness with which the Chandler-Kathy relationship ended. They went through multiple episodes to get them together, then it's over before we've really even seen them together.

Joshua.

C.

EDIT: IIRC, the guy who played Joshua was dating Jennifer Aniston at the time, and she got him the part.

 

Yeah, I really think Chandler and Kathy should've lasted longer too. With all the buildup to the relationship, it shouldn't have ended so abruptly after only a handful of episodes.

 

I agree...

 

4.14 "The One With Joey's Dirty Day"


* Episode Number: 87
* Original Air Date: February 05, 1998
* Written by: Wil Calhoun
* Directed by: Peter Bonerz
* Guest Cast:
o Tate Donovan (Joshua Burgin)
o Helen Baxendale (Emily Waltham)
o Paxton Whitehead (Mr. Waltham)
o Carlos LaCamara (The A.D. (Assitant Directory on))
o Rocky McMurray (The Cigarette Guy)
o Charlton Heston (Himself)


Detailed summary

Joey goes fishing and comes back smelly... and doesn't get a chance to shower before he goes to work on a new movie with Charlton Heston; he gets caught cleaning up in the only shower on the set--in Mr. Heston's dressing room. Joshua invites Rachel to a club opening but she's already agreed to take her boss's niece (Emily) to the opera; Ross agrees to fill in for her with the niece, and they hit it off much better than first impressions would indicate; meanwhile, Rachel's date falls through when a rain storm smears her name off the club's guest list. Chandler continues recovering from his break-up with Kathy, but can't move on to phase two, because there's no one with which to go to a strip club... except Monica and Phoebe.

_______________________________________________________

Chandler with the girls is awesome in this one. Joey with Charlton Heston freakin rules too.

but... ugh... Emily. stupid freaking Emily. I really hate her.

 

I liked Emily. Far better match for Ross than Rachel, to be blunt.

Great Chandler and Joey plot lines, too.

But ... have I mentioned how much I hated the whole Joshua thing?

 

0414: The One with Joey?s Dirty Day

- I really like this teaser.
- New main titles?
- Jennifer Aniston continues doing a great job carrying the Joshua arc.
- There must be some major time jumps between episodes here, considering how quickly Phoebe?s pregnancy is showing?
- Emily! Helen Baxendale does a great job in her introductory scene. I also love Phoebe?s imitation of her.
- Phoebe thinking ?Pheebs? is a generic nickname for everybody is classic!
- I think this is the first appearance of Rachel?s catchphrase: ?Noooo!?
- ?There?s a deer just outside eating food from the orchard!? ? hee
- Charlton Heston! He does a decent job, but to me he's one of the lesser guest stars the show had on. I deem the Joey story to be the least funny one here.
- Chandler got a pretty good story here.
- All in all another good one.

B +

 

4.13 "The One With Rachel's Crush"

I agree: it's kinda funny when you think that Chandler & Kathy broke up because Chandler was dumb enough to take Joey's theory. Of course, Joey presented that theory as an absolute fact.

Joey: "There's a lot of theories that didn't pan out: lone gunman, communism, geometry..."
Chandler (showing disgust/horror): "Oh my GOD!!"

Totally true. WHY did Aniston have to have her boyfriends appear as guests on this show??? By this point, she was more famous than Tate Donovan, so his appearance doesn't really matter beyond his particular role. But by the time Brad Pitt made his guest turn, it was way too self-conscious a role, and of course they over-compensated by having Pitt's character hate Rachel. But I'm getting ahead of the topic here... Of course, neither relationship lasted, because she ignored the old Hollywood cliche of not-working-with-your-real-life-love-interest-on-screen. In this light, it makes Donovan's role as Rachel's romantic prospect appear largely self-serving for Aniston.

Though it sucked that Chandler & Kathy broke up too soon, I found it the redeeming storyline.

I'll call this one a B.

4.14 "The One With Joey's Dirty Day"

Joey's being star-struck by Charlton Heston is great. Heston, being "real" in FriendsWorld, is disqualified from rating in Drago's Scale of Friends Guest Stars. I love how Heston starts off giving showbiz advice, but caps it with a threat. (There's a minor editing mistake here: when Heston begins his threat, the camera's on him and behind Joey. Heston finishes his line, pointing his finger in Joey's face. The camera then cuts to behind Heston and in front of Joey, to capture Joey's facial reaction. Heston can be seen still gesturing with his finger, but his mouth is moving and no words are heard. Just a continuity goof.)

There's one thing I really do like about Rachel's chasing Joshua: the fact that for once Rachel becomes "Ross" in that she's constantly stepping on her own toes the harder she tries to chase him. Is this the one where she fails spectacularly to go on a Knicks-game date with him?

And of course Chandler's "phase 2" is awesomesauce. I'm LOLing just thinking of his frustration that Monica talks the hottest stripper in the strip club into quitting and deciding to be a teacher. His dream in the tag scene is great too: "Come on, hurry up, I could wake up at any moment!"

I liked Helen Baxendale as Emily. I agree, she's a more appropriate character type for Ross to be into. However, Ross still manages to look like a complete dork the entire time Emily's character is on the show, even worse than he was with Rachel. The Great Ross Character Decline has already begun...

B+

 

I love the Brad Pitt one, though. It's a big difference between having a nobody on the show and trying to make him seem like somebody, and having a real somebody on the show.

And the teeny-weeny and Ross's library adventures were two of my favorite things in the history of the show.

The Great Ross Character Decline has already begun...

Agreed.

 

4.15 "The One With All The Rugby"


* Episode Number: 88
* Original Air Date: February 26, 1998
* Directed by: James Burrows
* Story by: Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen
* Guest Cast:
o Helen Baxendale (Emily Waltham)
o Maggie Wheeler (Janice)
o Mark Thomas (Liam)
o Adamo Palladino (Devon)
o Robin McDonald (Ticket Counter Attendant)


Detailed summary

While getting his nails done, Chandler runs into Janice--newly divorced and not willing to let Chandler get away. Chandler invents a story about his company transferring him to Yemen. Although Janice believes him, he's not home free yet... she won't leave his side until he's on the plane and taking off. Monica obsesses about an electrical switch that apparently doesn't do anything; after tests, blueprints, and demolition work, she finally gives up. Ross meets some of Emily's friends and gets invited to play rugby; not wanting to lose face, he insists on playing. When they play too rough despite Emily's secret request that they go easy on him, she helps Ross inflict some pain, too, by giving him pointers on their vulnerabilities.

_______________________________________________________

Monica's great in this. Chandler's even greater. Yemen... freakin sweet.

Ross' story is cool too. RED ROSS!!!!

 

0415: The One with All the Rugby

- Janice! Good teaser!
- Joey?s reaction to seeing Janice is awesome.
- ?And there it is?? ? hee
- Ross? story in this one is okay, but I definitely don?t love it. I do like Emily though.
- This episode is another great one for Matthew Perry; I love the scene where comes up with the Yemen excuse.
- Leblanc is really good one in this one as well, he pretty much elevates some scenes in the Monica story from ?just okay? to ?great? all by himself.
- Phoebe to Ross: ?[it?s] Janice? ? hee
- The scenes at the rugby field do almost nothing for me?
- The airport scenes with Chandler are really good.
- I like the reveal of what the switch does.
- Chandler got the only stand out story here, the rest ranges from great to boring.

B

 

Matthew Perry saves the day again.

EDIT: hit the 'post' button too soon.

Ross manages to prevail in his quest to impress Emily with the rugby match, and the climax is indeed funny, but Ross still comes off way too pathetic. When you look at the Emily arc as a whole, you can easily get the impression that Ross is in over his head for the entire duration of their relationship: a bed & breakfast their first night together, injuring himself in rugby to impress her (couldn't he have just played in a soccer match instead?), trans-Atlantic flights, earrings, engagements out of the blue. At this point, you don't really think much of it, but as the seasons go on in The Great Ross Character Decline, you're likely to start saying, man, this dude is pathetic.

The Monica & the light switch isn't bad, but it's another one of those gags where it takes the entire episode to payoff, this one being in the tag scene. Just a little too long of a wait IMO.

And Chandler's trip to Yemen. A great little gag is the way he immediately tells everybody that he doesn't want to get back together with her, and they all breathe a sigh of relief (another in-joke that works best for the longtime viewer). But I suppose what I love the most about it is that it shows what some guys are willing to endure to get rid of a woman that drives them crazy.

B+

 

4.16 "The One With The Fake Party"


* Episode Number: 89
* Original Air Date: March 19, 1998
* Directed by: Michael Lembeck
* Story by: Alicia Sky Varinaitis
* Guest Cast:
o Tate Donovan (Joshua Burgin)
o Helen Baxendale (Emily Waltham)
o James Michael Tyler (Gunther)


Detailed summary

Phoebe, pregnant, has cravings for meat; Joey agrees to be a temporary vegetarian so she can eat meat without causing more animals to die. Rachel creates a fake party for Emily, which is really an excuse to spend time with Joshua outside of work. Ross is bummed that Emily will soon be returning home to England; Rachel convinces him that his relationship with Emily doesn't have to end.

__________________________________________________________

not really a fan of this episode... although the Joey-Phoebe stuff is pretty good.